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: Thomasville Tigers
Head Coach: John David Phillips
Classification & Area Number: Class 3A, Area 4
2025 Record (Finish): 20-9 (Sweet 16)

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• RHP/INF Isaac Parten (2026)
• INF Coleman Pilkington (2027)
• RHP/SS Christian Draper (2028)
• C Hunter Norwood (2028)

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TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

• UTL Gunnar Lewis (2028)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Thomasville enters the 2026 season coming off another strong year, finishing 20-9 in 2025 and advancing to the Sweet 16 after defeating Cottage Hill in the first round before falling to Glenwood. Along the way, the Tigers captured their fifth consecutive area championship and reached the second round of the playoffs once again, reinforcing the program’s consistency in Class 3A Area 4. While the results were familiar, the roster makeup heading into 2026 will look different, as Thomasville turns to a younger group to replace a significant portion of last year’s production.

The Tigers return several key pieces who will be leaned on as leadership shifts to a younger core. RHP/INF Isaac Parten (2026) returns as a central figure on the mound after posting a 5-1 record with a 1.29 ERA in 2025, providing stability and experience to a pitching staff that will need to rely on execution and command. In the infield, INF Coleman Pilkington (2027) returns as an option expected to take on an expanded role, while RHP/SS Christian Draper (2028) brings versatility up the middle and on the mound as an underclass contributor. Behind the plate, C Hunter Norwood (2028) returns after gaining valuable varsity experience. Additional depth comes from UTL Gunnar Lewis (2028), who adds flexibility across the field as Thomasville continues to evaluate lineup combinations early in the season. With much of the offensive production from 2025 graduating, these younger players will be asked to step into important roles immediately.

Versatility and baserunning define Thomasville’s identity entering 2026, while pitching success will hinge on attacking the strike zone and locating effectively. As head coach John David Phillips noted, “We will be very young but have a talented group of younger players. We will be looking to replace over 80 percent of our offensive production from last year, so we will need these young guys to step into very important roles. We don’t have any power arms, so our pitching staff must attack the zone and be able to locate all the pitches in their arsenals in order for us to be successful.” With a proven program foundation and another young group ready to gain experience, Thomasville enters the 2026 season focused on development while continuing to compete in Class 3A.

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

+ Follow them on X or Facebook: @TVilleTigerBB | Thomasville Tiger Baseball
+ 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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