2026 High School Team Preview: Centennial Knights

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: Centennial Knights
Head Coach: Colin Kirkland
Classification: GHSA Class 4A
Region: 6-4A
2024 Record (Finish): 6-24
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 10
Team Strengths: Returning experience, INF Defense and 2027 Class.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS 

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Knights are coming off a rebuilding year where they missed the playoffs but return a strong core in ‘26. Senior RHP Diego Crespo will supply key innings as he holds down the SP1 spot and lives in the upper 80’s to low 90’s the mound. Juniors Tilden Reams and Ben McSweeney will look to fill multiple roles both in the rotation and lineup for the Knights. 2026 RHP Daniel Bustillos rounds out the rotation and lives in the low 80’s with good projection in a lean 6-foot-2 frame. 2nd team all-region OF in ‘25, David Perkins returns for his senior year and is armed with a strong hit tool from the left side. Senior leadership comes in the way of C Matthew Bronitt and CF Jake Hickox (Army Football commit) who provide stability to the lineup. Junior SS Carlos Marquez and senior 2B Juan Pablo Rivas anchor the defense up-the-middle and supply reliable sticks to the offense. 2027 3B Drew Chilson has put together a strong Fall circuit both at the dish and on the mound as he looks to carry it over into the Spring. Junior 2B/OF Brenden Vo provides positional flexibility along with present athleticism to the lineup. Two-sport athlete, AJ Hatton is coming off a strong sophomore campaign and boasts present budding tools at the plate with the potential for a breakout in '26. Henry Riepe impressed amongst staff throughout the Summer and Fall circuits with plenty more to project in a wiry 6-foot-3 frame as well as providing key positional flexibility across the diamond. C/3B Manuel Albornoz yields an obvious physicality in the box and has a chance to make an impact in a multitude of ways as an underclassmen. Centennial squares off in a tough region with the likes of Blessed Trinity and Kell but have the pieces to make noise in region 6-4A backed by key returning experience.

Find more information on the 2026 Centennial Knights program below:

+ Follow them on X: @CHSKnightsBB
+ 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