2026 North Sand Mountain Bison Team Preview
January 6, 2026
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: North Sand Mountain Bison
Head Coach: Dylan Barbee
Classification & Area Number: Class 2A, Area 15
2025 Record (Finish): 22-10 (Sweet 16) 
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
- LHP/OF Luke Reed (2026)
- RHP/INF Carson Harvey (2026)
- C/RHP Jackson Burgess (John Melvin Christian, 2026)
- SS/RHP Cooper Pierce (2028)
- C/RHP Levi Burgess (2029)
LHP/OF Luke Reed (5/17/25)
TEAM OUTLOOK
North Sand Mountain enters the 2026 season coming off one of the most successful years in program history. The Bison finished 22–10 in 2025, won a second straight area championship, captured the first county championship in school history, and reached the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season, ultimately falling in Game 3 to eventual 2A state champion Vincent. Along the way, North Sand Mountain set the program’s single-season wins record, earned its ninth playoff appearance (third straight), recorded its first-ever second-round playoff win, and produced its fourth All-State selection in the last four seasons. With much of that core returning, expectations remain high entering 2026 in Class 2A Area 15.
The Bison return a group anchored by senior leadership and proven pitching. LHP/OF Luke Reed (2026) returns as one of the team’s primary arms and an experienced contributor in the lineup. RHP/INF Carson Harvey (2026), a 2nd Team All-State selection in 2025, returns after serving as a key piece on the mound and in the field. Behind the plate, C/RHP Jackson Burgess (John Melvin Christian, 2026) brings experience at catcher while also factoring into the pitching staff. The underclass core includes SS/RHP Cooper Pierce (2028), who returns as a key piece up the middle and on the mound, along with C/RHP Levi Burgess (2029), who adds depth behind the plate and as an arm. North Sand Mountain’s strength entering the season centers on its starting pitching, as the Bison return both of their Game 1 and Game 2 starters from last year’s playoff run. In addition to the five experienced starters returning, two additional players, Lankster and Mashburn, are projected to be in the lineup after starting in spots during the 2025 season, further reinforcing lineup continuity.
Senior leadership and pitching depth define the identity of this group heading into 2026. As head coach Dylan Barbee noted, “We return five experienced starters, who include our game one and two starters. Two other guys who are projected to be in the lineup started for us in spots last year. We will lean heavily on our seniors and pitching staff.” With a proven track record, postseason experience, and continuity on the mound, North Sand Mountain enters the 2026 season aiming to build on its historic momentum and remain a contender in Class 2A.
Find more information on the 2026 North Sand Mountain program below:
+ Follow them on X: @NSM_Baseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2026 HS Team Previews
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