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: Vinemont Eagles
Head Coach: Hunter Cornelius
Classification & Area Number: Class 3A, Area 12
2025 Record (Finish): 26-12 (Elite 8)

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

• RHP/C Josh Rhodes (2027)
• RHP/OF Banks Borwick (2027)
• RHP/OF Carson Drummond (2028)
• SS Tucker Mauter (2028)

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TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

• OF Lukas Ming (2028)
• INF Travis Speer (2029)
• UTL Davey Johnson (2029)

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OTHER UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

• RHP/1B Ryne Dalton (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

Vinemont enters the 2026 season coming off a historic 2025 campaign that saw the Eagles go 26-12, claim the Area 12 title, and advance to the Elite 8 for the first time in school history. That run was fueled by a large senior class that helped establish a new standard and culture within the program, and while that group has now graduated, the experience gained during that postseason push has set a foundation for what comes next. The challenge this spring will be replacing significant production, but there is confidence that the next wave is ready to step into bigger roles.

The core of this team will again be built around its pitching staff and a handful of proven returners. RHP/C Josh Rhodes (2027) has been a varsity starter since the eighth grade and continues to impact the game on both sides of the ball, now stepping into a true leadership role as a junior. On the mound, RHP/OF Banks Borwick (2027) returns as a key arm with the ability to overpower hitters or mix pitches to keep them off balance, while RHP/OF Carson Drummond (2028) gives the Eagles another reliable option in the rotation. Defensively, SS Tucker Mauter (2028) took over the starting shortstop job as a freshman and has quickly become a leader, and he joins Rhodes as one of just two everyday starters back from last year’s lineup. Additional depth comes from RHP/1B Ryne Dalton (2027), while a young group is poised to take on larger roles, including OF Lukas Ming (2028), INF Travis Speer (2029), who is transitioning from shortstop to third base, and UTL Davey Johnson (2029), who will provide flexibility across the infield.

Looking ahead, pitching remains the clear strength of this group, as Vinemont returns its top four arms from last season after relying heavily on freshmen and sophomores during last year’s postseason run. That continuity on the mound should provide stability as several new faces step into everyday roles in the lineup and on defense. As head coach Hunter Cornelius noted, “After graduating 8 this last year and only returning two starters, we have to fill 7 positions with guys who have never played significant time at the varsity level. We also enter this year with only two seniors, so it is no secret we are young, but our guys have worked extremely hard over the fall to get ready to take on larger roles. Our guys know that after graduating so many and having some success that we are supposed to take a step back and maybe not be as competitive as we were, but they hope to change that narrative this year and show they can still compete at a high level and play to our standard.”

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Find more information on the 2026 Vinemont program below:

+ Follow them on Facebook: Vinemont Eagles 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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