2026 High School Team Preview: Cartersville Purple Hurricanes

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 Georgia.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in the GHSA or GIAA state playoffs, 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 Georgia. 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 GHSA classification and Power 25.

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 GHSA 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: Cartersville Purple Hurricanes
Head Coach: Kyle Tucker
Classification: GHSA Class 4A
Region: 7-4A
2025 Record (Finish): 32-10, State Runner up
Team Strengths: Pitching and defense

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS 

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Purple Hurricanes have been in the state championship back to back years with 2 runner-up finishes. Coach Tucker continues to make a statement in the Peach State, turning Cartersville into one of top programs in the state. 2026 will be an interesting year, as they have a mix of experienced upperclassmen with some underclassmen looking to make their mark. Georgia Southern commit, RHP/QB1 Nate Russell will be the leader of this team and be the frontline arm for the rotation. Senior, Nolan Elrod will be the lone lefty in this rotation and will play a pivotal role in his final year. They will turn to Cole Crawford to be a workhorse at the backend of the pen and as well as supply the power in the offense. It is always nice to have a competitor like Crawford on the diamond even if he ends up on a power 4 football field in a couple years. Senior Brayden Logan will need to be a steady piece in this line up, just like he did in 2025 and help groom some younger guys that are going to see some of their first varsity AB’s. OF/RHP Cooper Reynolds was a guy that we really liked this fall that was a steady performer and could see a pivotal role for this team both in the line up and on the mound. They will have an experienced sophomore in short-stop in David Vargas after being a big piece as a freshman in their state championship playoff run. He is one of the more intriguing prospects in the state for this class and could gain some serious national attention this spring & be a must see prospect across the summer circuit. There are a few holes that the Hurricanes will need to fill, but they have guys like Harris Turner that are versatile and could find their way into the line up in 2026. Having a tenured coach like Kyle Tucker is always nice when the team may lack some experience, but he will get them up to speed in no time.

Find more information on the 2026 Cartersville program below:

+ Follow them on X: @CHSHurricaneBSB
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Georgia, 2026 Team Previews

FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL GEORGIA THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

+ Prep Baseball Georgia on X
+ Prep Baseball Georgia on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Georgia on Facebook
+ Podcast: Peach Fuzz on YouTube

UPCOMING EVENTS