2026 High School Team Preview: Coffee Trojans

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: Coffee Trojans
Head Coach: Scott Grove
Classification: GHSA Class 5A
Region: 2-5A
2025 Record (Finish): 19-14, First Round
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6
Team Strengths: Returning experience and depth

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS 

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

TEAM OUTLOOK

Coffee closed the regular season in 2025 winning 15 of their last 20 games but a first-round exit left a sour taste and now Coach Grove and the Trojans return a veteran-led group into 2026 with an understanding of what it takes to win and looking for redemption. The leader for this squad is senior SS/RHP Ben Fussell, who’s lunch-pail, gamer personality is infectious throughout the roster paired with a long-standing track record of production for this squad. A pair of juniors in 3B Taeven Harden and 1B Eli Wood return for bigger roles in the dirt and have a chance to provide steady bats in the lineups as well. Sophomore 2B Jimmy Timothy returns as the region’s top freshman to close out the infield and provides steady bat-to-ball in the top half of the lineup with plenty of upside to tap into. Uncommitted junior C Eli Vickers is likely to hold down the backstop while bringing a high-floor both at the plate and defensively. The outfield returns some upperclass talent as well with uncommitted senior OF Barrett Harrell and uncommitted junior OF Reid Harden carrying the load and be on the lookout for sophomore OF Will Walker to fight for that 3rd spot after a strong fall/early spring. Sophomore newcomer 1B Hunter Klesko brings some big-league bloodlines and big power to this lineup that can be pivotal to the stretch run. Starting pitching can be a strength for the Trojans and it starts with senior RHP Carter McMillan, who made some big strides across 2025 and now looks the part of a frontline starter for this club. Uncommitted junior RHP Gavin McElroy grew leaps and bounds last spring and threw some gems in some big moments that can help bring some added confidence into this spring. Fussell will be locked into the #3 role and brings high-level pitchability while generating consistent soft contact that will be invaluable for this club. The region will be a gauntlet as it is year in and year out but the Trojans will be tough to count out.

Find more information on the 2026 Coffee program below:

+ Follow them on X: @coffee_baseball
+ 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