As Opening Day approaches and the Alabama high school baseball season moves into focus, attention naturally shifts toward how each classification is shaping up entering the spring. Across the state, programs are preparing to turn the page from the offseason to the grind of a new year, with returning experience, roster turnover, and postseason expectations all factoring into the early landscape.

Each classification presents its own identity and challenges, from deep fields loaded with proven contenders to wide-open races featuring emerging programs ready to take the next step. Some teams enter the season with championship expectations firmly in place, while others carry momentum from strong finishes a year ago or look to capitalize on growth made over the winter.

In this class-by-class breakdown, we take a closer look at the landscape within the classification, highlighting the top teams, impact talent, and notworthy storylines to follow heading into first pitch. This breakdown examines the classification from top to bottom, evaluating the teams in position to contend, the depth behind them, and how the race could unfold as the season gets underway.

---

2025 Recap

• State Champion: Deshler (33-11)
• State Runner-Up: Bibb County (30-12)
• Final Four: Etowah (26-14), Oak Grove (30-5)

𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝟒𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 🏆

Tigers push across 6 runs in the final three innings to win Game 3 by score of 6-1 over Bibb County to claim the Class 4A Blue Map.

An absolute thriller of a three-game series ‼️

Congrats to… pic.twitter.com/IhbPGHSl4U

— Prep Baseball Alabama (@PrepBaseballAL) May 14, 2025

---

Class 4A Preseason Top 10 Poll

Rank	Team	2025 Record	2025 Finish
1	Deshler	33-11	State Champions
2	Bibb County	30-12	State Runner-Up
3	Madison County	23-6	Sweet 16
4	Oak Grove	30-5	Final 4
5	Etowah	26-14	Final 4
6	Orange Beach	19-10	Missed Postseason
7	Trinity Presbyterian	25-10	Elite 8
8	Westbrook Christian	22-6	Missed Postseason
9	Central-Florence	24-15	Elite 8
10	Opp	23-7	Sweet 16

Others on the Bubble

Alexandria
Alexandria enters the spring as a team to watch after using 2025 as a developmental year with an underclass-heavy roster that still managed a 21–13 record and a Sweet 16 appearance. That experience should pay off in 2026, as the Valley Cubs return seven of nine positional starters and bring back enough depth on the mound to navigate the season. The core is led by Jeremiah Heathcock, Garrett Haynes, Brodie Barber, Cam Johnson, Cooper Smith, and Sawyer Coggins. With that group back in place, Alexandria looks well positioned to push into the polls and make another run at a deep postseason finish.

Bayside Academy
Bayside Academy enters the spring looking to build on a 19-15 season that ended with a first-round playoff exit and shows the signs of a team capable of taking a step forward as the year progresses. The Admirals return key pieces on both sides of the ball, led by four-year starter Noah Cain (Shelton State CC), along with Grady Stokes, Wyatt Williams (Gadsden State CC), Will Fitzhugh, and TJ Bailey, all of whom played important roles a season ago. They’ll also add an intriguing newcomer in Cooper Mason, one of the state’s top eighth-grade prospects, who could make an impact at the varsity level at some capacity this spring. With a mix of experience and emerging talent, Bayside Academy has a path to working its way into the polls as the season unfolds.

Cordova
Cordova enters the 2026 season coming off a year that blended hard-earned experience with postseason success, even if the 15–17 record doesn’t tell the full story. The Blue Devils captured the Class 4A Area 9 title and advanced to the Sweet 16 after a first-round sweep of Cherokee County, results that were fueled by a challenging regular-season schedule. That experience now serves as a foundation, with a strong core returning on both sides of the ball in Caleb Kilpatrick, Jackson Stacks, Lucas Vance, Dylan Williams, Jace Kiser, and Chesley Harbison. With another demanding schedule ahead and a roster built on experience, Cordova looks well positioned to take another step forward and push its way into the polls as the season unfolds.

Tallassee
Tallassee continues to build on a strong run of postseason success, highlighted by back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 2024 and 2025. While the Tigers did graduate a trio of senior contributors, they return their top producer in Brue Milner (Georgia Tech), a first-team All-State selection a season ago as a sophomore who anchors the middle of the order as a true run-producing bat. With a few other surrounding pieces also back to provide varsity experience, Tallassee has the pieces to remain competitive and a path to working its way into the polls as the season progresses.

---

Team Superlatives

🏆 Most Complete Team: Deshler
Deshler enters 2026 returning as much proven production as any team in the state after capturing last year’s state title and finishing 33-11, putting the Tigers in position to reload rather than rebuild. The lineup is once again anchored by Garrett Reid (Samford), the reigning Class 4A Player of the Year and a two-time All-State selection whose two-way impact sets the tone on both sides of the ball. On the mound, Reid and Price Thornton, an All-State arm and varsity mainstay since eighth grade, return as front-line options, with Dylan Olive (Northwest-Shoals CC) adding another experienced piece to a deep staff. Camden Fuller is also back to bolster the lineup, giving Deshler continuity and balance throughout the roster. With experience, depth, and championship pedigree across the board, the Tigers open 2026 built to make another serious run at the Class 4A title.

🔥 Best Pitching Staff: Madison County
Madison County enters 2026 with a pitching staff that rivals any in Class 4A and projects as the foundation of its push to contend this spring. The Tigers welcome back Jace Duckett (Alabama) to the mound after he missed time last season, and he has the look of one of the top arms in the classification. Cole Mullins adds another frontline option after posting a sub-1.00 ERA as a junior in 2025, while Keigan McClure provides additional depth with plenty of varsity experience. That combination gives Madison County the ability to control games and manage series play throughout the year. With an offense also capable of providing support, led by Connor Drake (Northwest Shoals CC) and Eli Cantrell, the Tigers are built to let their pitching staff lead the way in 2026.

💣 Offense to Watch: Westbrook Christian
Westbrook Christian enters the 2026 season motivated by unfinished business after a year that began with high expectations but ended short of the postseason. The Warriors opened 2025 with a 15-2 start and spent much of the spring near the top of the polls before finishing third in their area, a sharp contrast from their Class 4A state runner-up run in 2024. With much of that championship-caliber core returning, the lineup once again projects as a strength, led by proven bats such as Brodie Johnson (Shelton State CC), Brody Blevins, and Jacob Maples. That experience throughout the order gives Westbrook Christian the ability to apply pressure offensively on a nightly basis. While replacing innings on the mound will be an early storyline, the Warriors’ lineup looks poised to drive a return to the postseason and push back toward the top of Class 4A.

🚀 Highest Ceiling: Orange Beach
Orange Beach enters the 2026 season motivated after narrowly missing the postseason a year ago, finishing just behind Bayside Academy and Satsuma in one of the state’s more competitive areas. The Makos return several key pieces from that group and add new contributors expected to make an immediate impact, led by Colton Boyd (Southern Miss), Brayden Hood, Matthew Hoover (Mobile, 2026), and Ethan O’Meara, among others. That blend of returning production and fresh talent gives the roster balance across multiple classes. With another challenging slate ahead, Orange Beach has the upside to turn last season’s near-miss into a postseason push. If everything comes together, the Makos have the tools to make real noise in Class 4A this spring.

🧱 Highest Floor: Bibb County
Bibb County enters 2026 coming off back-to-back deep postseason runs, reaching the Final Four in 2024 and finishing as the state runner-up in 2025, continuing to establish itself as a perennial contender in Class 4A. That recent success sets a high baseline, especially with quality pieces returning from a team that fell just short of a championship a season ago. Brayden Cash (Jacksonville State) emerged as a go-to arm down the stretch and returns this spring as the ace of the staff, while Ethan McMillan (Shelton State CC) is back as a key middle-of-the-order bat and another important arm. With a track record of stacking wins and playing its best baseball late in the year, Bibb County once again carries one of the highest floors in the classification.

---

Top Prospects in Class 4A (By Grad Year)

Below are some of the top-ranked prospects in this classification to know heading into the spring, broken out by graduating class.

Class of 2026

Rank	Player	Pos	School	Commitment
13	Layton Pohl	RHP	New Hope
21	Brodie Johnson	SS	Westbrook Christian	Shelton State CC
22	Garrett Reid	RHP/SS	Deshler	Samford
53	Noah Cain	OF	Bayside Academy	Shelton State CC
78	Easton Grace	C	WS Neal
80	Dylan Olive	RHP	Deshler	Northwest-Shoals CC
103	Keigan McClure	RHP/SS	Madison County
105	Price Thornton	RHP/OF	Deshler
116	Grady Patterson	C	Opp	Lurleen B. Wallace CC
121	Reed Bruce	1B/RHP	Central-Florence

Class of 2027

Rank	Player	Pos	School	Commitment
2	Jace Duckett	LHP	Madison County	Alabama
8	Brue Milner	C	Tallassee	Georgia Tech
12	Colton Boyd	C	Orange Beach	Southern Miss
17	Ethan O'Meara	RHP	Orange Beach
30	Brody Blevins	SS	Westbrook Christian
33	Brayden Cash	RHP	Bibb County	Jacksonville State
37	Inman Carson	RHP	Oneonta
56	Baylor Morrison	SS	Etowah
72	Jasper Griffin	RHP	West Limestone
101	Braydon Nichols	C	Munford

Class of 2028

Rank	Player	Pos	School	Commitment
10	Harrison Milanowski	SS	Houston Academy
14	Patton Mitchell	LHP/1B	Trinity Presbyterian
21	Jacob Thomas	SS	Orange Beach
23	Ethan Levanda	RHP	Montgomery Catholic
40	Davis Woodson	SS	Orange Beach
46	Gregory Rauch	SS	Montgomery Catholic
87	Declan Reidy	C	St. Michael Catholic
89	Lawson Price	OF	Madison County

Class of 2029

Rank	Player	Pos	School	Commitment
3	Ross Christy	OF	Fultondale
11	Land Sharpless	SS/RHP	Trinity Presbyterian
14	Campbell Tillman	OF/RHP	Orange Beach

---

Staff Predictions 🔮

With the season still ahead and before seeing any of these teams take the field, these predictions are made purely in the spirit of preseason discussion and debate. They are not rankings or projections of the entire field, but simply a fun exercise to spotlight a few storylines and possibilities entering the spring. As always in high school baseball, the games themselves will ultimately decide everything.

---

+ Click HERE to create a free profile.
+ Click HERE to purchase a subscription which gives you access to additional information on the site. 

  

Related Content: