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: Homewood Patriots
Head Coach: Lee Hall
Classification & Area Number: Class 6A, Area 9
2025 Record (Finish): 30-9 (Sweet 16)

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• SS/RHP Levi Nickoli (Auburn, 2026)
• OF/RHP Jack Bland (Calhoun CC, 2026)
• C Cooper Mullins (Northwest-Shoals CC, 2026)
• OF/RHP Cooper Sain (2026)
• UTL Will Siegel (2026)
• 1B/RHP Ben Roberts (Northwest-Shoals CC, 2026)
• UTL Drew Susce (Gadsden State CC, 2026)
• INF/RHP William Tanner (2026)
• RHP Sims Young (2026)
• UTL George Brockwell (2027)
• RHP Collin Crump (2027)
• RHP Jackson Chapleau (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Homewood enters the 2026 season coming off one of the most successful campaigns in program history. The Patriots finished 30-9 in 2025, becoming the first team in the 52-year history of the program to reach the 30-win mark, and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Their postseason run ended in a tightly contested three-game series against eventual state champion Hartselle, capped by a 2-1 loss in Game 3. That combination of historic success and narrowly missed opportunity sets the stage for a veteran-heavy Homewood roster with high expectations heading into 2026.

The Patriots return an experienced, senior-led core across the field. SS/RHP Levi Nickoli (Auburn, 2026) anchors the middle of the infield as a switch-hitter who has started at shortstop since the eighth grade and is expected to transition into a starting role on the mound this spring. C Cooper Mullins (Northwest Shoals CC, 2026) brings four years of varsity experience behind the plate, while OF/RHP Jack Bland (Calhoun CC, 2026) adds speed, athleticism, and an electric arm. OF/RHP Cooper Sain (2026) returns as a three-year varsity starter, and UTL Will Siegel (2026) provides versatility after being on varsity since his freshman year. The lineup is further bolstered by 1B/RHP Ben Roberts (Northwest Shoals CC, 2026) and UTL Drew Susce (Gadsden State CC, 2026), both switch-hitters who bring experience and depth. On the mound, Homewood also welcomes back INF/RHP William Tanner (2026) and RHP Sims Young (2026) after both missed last season due to injury. Junior contributors UTL George Brockwell (2027), RHP Collin Crump (2027), who pitched well in Game 3 against Hartselle, and RHP Jackson Chapleau (2027) round out a roster with depth across multiple roles.

Looking ahead to 2026, Homewood’s identity is built on senior leadership, experience, and a pitching staff with multiple arms capable of taking meaningful innings. With a lineup returning extensive varsity at-bats, athleticism on the defensive side, and a staff expected to be a strength from top to bottom, the Patriots believe they are positioned to contend again at a high level in Class 6A. “We are very excited about this season as we have high expectations for our team,” head coach Lee Hall said. “These young men have earned the right to have this expectation through their off-season work and the season they put together in 2025.”

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Find more information on the 2026 Homewood program below:

+ Follow them on X: @HWDBaseball
+ 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
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Alabama on Facebook

 

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