The 2026 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Alabama.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in the Jacksonville/Oxford/Montgomery area at the AISA or AHSAA state championships, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Alabama. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing our scheduled podcasts and releasing our preseason top-10 rankings in each AHSAA classification.

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state.

Each week we will be releasing our Players of the Week, updating the top-10 ranks in each AHSAA classification, as well updating our Power 25 overall rankings. One thing, especially, you don’t want to miss are our scheduled podcasts with guests from across the state, as well as the recaps and previews of the big games we’re covering.

*Please note the information has been gathered from head coaches across the state, based on their replies to the questionnaire we distributed over this offseason.

High School: Guntersville Wildcats
Head Coach: Case Rasmus
Classification & Area Number: Class 5A, Area 15
2025 Record (Finish): 19-15 (No Postseason)

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• C Street Smith (2026)
• OF/RHP Parker Nelson (2027)
• UTL/RHP Miller Mastin (2028)
• INF/RHP Mack Howard (2029)
• INF/RHP Reece Wilson (2029)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Guntersville enters the 2026 season coming off a 19-15 campaign in 2025 that did not result in a postseason appearance. Competing in a tough Class 5A Area 15, the Wildcats now turn the page to a very young roster, with the vast majority of the team consisting of sophomores and freshmen who will be getting their first taste of varsity baseball. While inexperience will be a factor, Guntersville’s focus will be on developing identity, chemistry, and competitiveness throughout the spring.

The Wildcats will lean heavily on their two upperclass leaders in C Street Smith (2026) and OF/RHP Parker Nelson (2027). Smith provides stability behind the plate and leadership for a young group, while Nelson brings experience as both a positional player and arm. Their presence will be critical in helping guide a roster that will be learning on the fly at the varsity level. The sophomore and freshman classes will make up much of the core moving forward. UTL/RHP Miller Mastin (2028) adds versatility and depth as a two-way contributor, while INF/RHP Mack Howard (2029) and INF/RHP Reece Wilson (2029) provide infield and pitching options as part of the Wildcats’ next wave of talent.

Guntersville’s success in 2026 will hinge on fundamentals, handling the baseball, competing at the plate, and playing smart, disciplined baseball. As head coach Case Rasmus noted, “Our club will be very young. We will have one senior, one junior, two sophomores, and the rest will be in the 9th grade and lower. We are going to have to battle every game and figure out a team identity with a bunch of new players who will be getting their first test of varsity and high school baseball. Team chemistry will be important for us as we prepare for the grind of a season with very few high school-aged players.” With grit, heart, and strong leadership at the top, Guntersville enters 2026 focused on growth, toughness, and building for the future in Class 5A.

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Find more information on the 2026 Guntersville High School program below:

+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2026 HS Team Previews

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FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL ALABAMA THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

+ Prep Baseball Alabama on X
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+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Facebook

 

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