The Academy Baseball Association National Championship kicks off on May 12 at LakePoint Sports in Emerson, Ga. Over the next week leading up to the double-elimination tournament, we'll be publishing our team previews to highlight the event's outlook. These previews are built from the questionnaires submitted by head coaches, giving us detailed insights into their 2026 rosters.

Our 2026 ABA National Championship coverage continues today.

Academy: P27 Academy Blacksmiths
Division: Premier
Head Coach: Corey Warner
2026 Record: 30-8
Team Strengths: Power offensively

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ROSTER PREVIEW

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TOP UNCOMMITTED PROSPECTS

The Blacksmiths feature some intriguing uncommitted talent on their roster:

• Joe Fallon
• Vernon Woodard

Both will be closely monitored by scouts as they navigate a highly competitive Premier Division bracket in Georgia.

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SEASON HIGHLIGHTS & DATA

• The Blacksmiths' offense has operated at a premium level, launching 35 total home runs on the season.
• Senior Sterling Coaxum (Clemson) broke the program record for batting average.
• Senior Bradley Anderson (Seminole State JC) anchored the staff, setting a new program record for ERA.

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X-FACTOR

Present impact power. P27 possesses the "now tool" of being able to change the scoreboard with one swing, as evidenced by their 35 home runs this spring. A lineup anchored by Coaxum, who can hit for average and leave the yard, makes the Blacksmiths an incredibly dangerous assignment for opposing pitching staffs. Coach Corey Warner pointed to their knack for timely hitting: "They just understand how to get the big hit and what it takes to win day in and day out."

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TEAM OUTLOOK

P27 Academy rolls into LakePoint playing with extreme confidence, carrying a 30-8 record and holding the No. 1 seed. They possess a battle-tested roster with strong internal makeup. "This has been one of the most complete and competitive groups I have coached," Warner said. "Best culture we have had and we have worked hard to get it."

While the offense generates the loud noise, the pitching staff has quietly suffocated opponents through sheer strike-throwing volume. Anderson and Oklahoma State commit Genis Lopez front a rotation built on efficiency. "Pitchers have thrown a ton of strikes and we do not give other teams freebies," Warner noted. "You have to beat us and that can be tough." The only lingering question mark will be run-prevention depth; the Blacksmiths are managing a few late-season bumps and bruises, including an arm injury to reliever Sawyer Conradt that may hold him out of the tournament. Regardless, expectations remain firmly set on taking home the hardware. "We are coming into tournament as the 1 seed and expect to win it," Warner said. "We have the match ups we want now its just about executing."

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BOTTOM LINE

The Blacksmiths have a distinct identity: they throw an overwhelming amount of strikes, and they punish mistakes with over-the-fence power. That formula is highly translatable to tournament baseball. If their front-line arms can give them length and their bats maintain their current trajectory, P27 has a very realistic path to running the table in Emerson.

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