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2026 Ranburne Bulldogs Team Preview

December 11, 2025
Prep Baseball Alabama Staff

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: Ranburne Bulldogs
Head Coach: Chase Whitley
Classification & Area Number: Class 2A, Area 8
2025 Record (Finish): 16-19 (Sweet 16)

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

SS/RHP Cason Jones (9/7/25)

TEAM OUTLOOK

Ranburne enters the 2026 season as one of the most experienced and mature teams in Class 2A, coming off a 16-19 campaign that included a Sweet 16 appearance before falling to Cottonwood. The Bulldogs return every regular starter and the entirety of their pitching staff, giving head coach Chase Whitley a veteran group that has weathered the challenges of a multi-year rebuild and now appears poised to make a meaningful leap forward. With nine one-run losses in 2025, Ranburne was far more competitive than its record suggested, and the experience gained through those tight contests should pay dividends as this roster transitions from rebuilding to contending.

The lineup is anchored by a trio of long-term starters in OF/RHP Drew Davenport (2026), OF/RHP Colton Johnson (2027), and SS/RHP Cason Jones (2028), all entering their fourth year as foundational pieces of the program. Davenport and Johnson provide athleticism, leadership, and two-way production from the outfield, while Jones serves as the infield centerpiece and one of the team’s most dynamic all-around players. Ranburne also returns UTL/RHP Carter Loren (2028), another four-year starter whose defensive versatility and innings on the mound make him critical to the team’s depth and balance. Sophomore RHP/UTL Rance Merrill (2028) proved to be one of the Bulldogs’ most reliable arms last spring, earning the ball in several of the program’s biggest wins, while 1B/RHP James Ward (2028) and OF/RHP Owen Henderson (2028) round out a large and experienced 2028 group that has already logged significant varsity time. On the mound, Ranburne returns its full pitching staff, giving the Bulldogs one of the deepest and most seasoned rotations in 2A. With nine pitchers back, including several multi-year contributors, the staff brings continuity, strike-throwing ability, and the versatility needed to navigate area play and tournament-style weeks. The group’s experience in high-leverage innings last season, particularly in close games, provides a strong foundation for improvement in 2026. Defensively, Ranburne should be among the steadier units in the classification. With nearly every player returning and multiple multi-positional athletes in the mix, the Bulldogs expect to play clean, efficient baseball behind their pitching staff. The combination of returning experience, defensive cohesion, and competitive maturity should help Ranburne capitalize on the tight games that slipped away last season.

As the Bulldogs move past the rebuild and into the next phase of their progression, the final step, according to Coach Whitley, is developing an everyday expectation to win. “We have experienced a rebuild for the last couple seasons. I believe the last thing to come when you’re climbing out of a rebuild is the expectation to win. Last year we lost nine games by one run; if this group can overcome this and expect to win every time we go to the park, then we have a chance to play into May this year.” With a fully intact lineup, a deep pitching staff, and a veteran core that has grown up together, Ranburne is positioned to take a real step forward in 2026 and reassert itself as a postseason contender in Class 2A.

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

+ Follow them on X or Facebook: @RanburneBSB
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Alabama, 2026 HS Team Previews

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