2026 High School Team Preview: Habersham Central Raiders

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: Habersham Central Raiders
Head Coach: Chris Akridge
Classification: GHSA Class 5A
Region: 8-5A
2025 Record (Finish): 23-15, Elite 8
Team Strengths: Very Experienced group, returning all pitching.

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS 

TEAM OUTLOOK

The Raiders made an impressive run to the elite eight and gave the eventual state champs everything they had in 2025. They return the majority of their key pieces in the line up and all of their arms on the mound with a chance to make another run in 2026. Senior, Columbus State commit, Maverick Chitwood had one of the gutsiest performances we have ever seen, taking a ball off the ribs while pitching and stayed in the game to help even the series and even came back to play game 3. He will do it all for the Raiders in 2026 and is coming off an impressive junior year where he hit .444 with 13 doubles and 2 home runs. Hudson Gailey will be a big piece in 2026, running the defense at short stop and setting the tone at the top of the order with Maverick. He hit .282 in 2025, but was on base in nearly half of his at bats. Kreed Barret and Tyler Rothell will round out the core of their senior group that will be heavily relied on. Barrett supplied some of the bigger offensive numbers in ‘25 where he hit 8 doubles. Rothell has always been a steady piece for this Raiders squad and will look to continue that this year before he heads to Truett-McConnell. Junior, Ethan Wheeler has been one of our “picks to click” after a strong performance this preseason. Look for him to improve on the .281 from 2025 and also be a big piece on the mound for the Raiders. Outside of Wheeler and Chitwood, Coach Akrdige will turn to Lucas Machado on the mound. Machado really stepped up last year and got called on to pitch game 3 against Newnan and battled against one of the best line ups in the state. He will also look to contribute in the line up. The Raiders will get Micah Huff later in the season after he finishes basketball, but should be a big addition once gets going. Finally catcher Mason Witt is coming off arm surgery, but should find some stability over at 1B for the Raiders in 2026. The Raiders are well coached and with a senior leader like Maverick Chitwood they should find a way back into the playoffs in 2026.

Find more information on the 2026 Habersham Central program below:

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

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+ Podcast: Peach Fuzz on YouTube

UPCOMING EVENTS