With the Alabama high school baseball season here, there are several impactful players to watch in the Tuscaloosa area.

The baseball season starts Feb. 15 for all AHSAA schools. The final day for area games for 1A-6A will be on April 16, and for 7A, April 23.

The first round of the 2024 playoffs are set for April 19-20, and that will feature schools from 1A-6A. The 7A schools will begin their first round April 26-27, when 1A-6A will feature their second rounds. The third round runs May 3-4 and the 1A-7A semifinals are set for May 10-11.

The state finals will run from May 13-18, and will take place in Oxford and Jacksonville.

Here are 46 players from Tuscaloosa-area schools to watch for the upcoming baseball season:

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Eric Hines, American Christian Academy

Junior, outfielder

Hines recorded a .381 batting average with 13 doubles, five home runs and a .636 slugging percentage in his sophomore season for the Patriots in 2023.

Bubba Lester, American Christian Academy

Senior, shortstop

In his junior season for the Patriots in 2023, Lester posted a .364 batting average with nine doubles and 20 stolen bases.

Coltyn Mitchell, American Christian Academy

Senior, pitcher

Mitchell pitched 68⅓ innings, a 5-6 record, 73 strikeouts and a 3.38 ERA for the Patriots in 2023.

Matthew Cash, Bibb County

Senior, pitcher/shortstop

Cash recorded a .432 batting average with three home runs and 43 RBIs for the Choctaws in 2023. On the mound, Cash had 49 innings pitched, a 4-4 record, a save, 58 strikeouts and a 2.27 ERA. He is committed to Jacksonville State.

Daniel Stringfellow, Bibb County

Junior, pitcher

Stringfellow had 47⅔ innings pitched, a 6-2 record, 54 strikeouts and a 1.90 ERA for the Choctaws in 2023.

Bodie Giddiens, Bibb County

Junior, third base

Giddiens recorded a .313 batting average with 12 RBIs in his sophomore season for the Choctaws in 2023.

Jacob Nations, Brookwood

Senior, pitcher

Nations recorded a 6-2 record with 52 strikeouts and a 2.10 ERA last season for the Panthers.

Chase Jones, Brookwood

Senior, shortstop

Jones recorded a .300 batting average with 22 RBIs for the Panthers in his junior season in 2023.

Matt Hughes, Brookwood

Senior, outfielder

Hughes recorded a .310 batting average along with 18 stolen bases for the Panthers in 2023.

Ryken Wetzel, Brookwood

Senior, third base

Wetzel posted a .278 batting average with 15 RBIs in his junior season for the Panthers in 2023.

Armani White, Central

Freshman, shortstop/pitcher

White recorded a .328 batting average and .423 on-base percentage, with 12 RBIs and 16 stolen bases for the Falcons in 2023.

Marcus Muse, Central

Freshman, first base/third base

Muse posted a .356 batting average with a .441 on-base percentage and 19 RBIs for the Falcons in 2023.

Jeremiah Carlise, Central

Senior, outfielder

Carlise recorded a .308 batting average, a .514 OBP, 22 runs, 18 walks and 18 stolen bases for the Falcons in 2023.

Braylond Smith, Central

Junior, outfielder/third base/pitcher

Treyvon Jones, Central

Senior, second base/outfielder

Demarion Pippen, Central

Junior, third base/pitcher

Brantley Stocks, Fayette County

Senior, second base

Stocks recorded a .360 batting average, 45 hits, seven doubles and two home runs for the Tigers in 2023.

Cooper Sanford, Fayette County

Senior, shortstop/pitcher

Sanford posted a .410 batting average with 14 doubles and 49 hits for the Tigers in his junior season.

Harrison Unger, Fayette County

Senior, pitcher/first base

Unger recorded 58 strikeouts with a 1.38 ERA on the mound for the Tigers in 2023.

Jase Neel, Gordo

Junior, outfielder

Neel hit .333 as a sophomore last season and is expected to be the team's leadoff hitter again in 2024.

Landon Fike, Gordo

Senior, pitcher/infielder

Fike hit .327 for the Green Wave in 2023. He also went 6-1 as a pitcher.

Austin Baines, Gordo

Senior, outfielder/pitcher

Baines hit .378 in 2023. On the mound, he pitched a 6-2 record with a 1.83 ERA last season.

Will Whitley, Gordo

Senior, pitcher

The 2023 3A Pitcher of the Year, Whitley recorded a 13-1 record with a 1.32 ERA for the Green Wave last season.

Evan Williams, Hillcrest

Senior, pitcher/catcher

Williams recorded a .408 batting average with three home runs, 30 RBIs and 21 runs scored for the Patriots last season. On the mound, Williams threw for 34⅔ innings for a 4-3 record with a 2.63 ERA. He was named to the North-South All-Star game this past summer.

Jackson Henderson, Hillcrest

Senior, pitcher/outfielder

Henderson posted a .355 batting average with four home runs, 30 RBIs and 21 runs scored for the Patriots last season. He also threw 54⅓ innings for a 6-4 record and a 4.10 ERA.

Reed Simmons, Holy Spirit

Senior, pitcher/shortstop

Simmons had the most stolen bases and was the team's most valuable pitcher for the Saints in 2023.

Trent Ewart, Holy Spirit

Senior, catcher/pitcher

Ewart had the highest batting average and was second in RBIs for the Saints in 2023.

Xander Bradford, Lamar County

Senior, pitcher

A 2023 All-State selection, Bradford recorded a .476 batting average and .582 on-base percentage wiht seven doubles, two triples and 25 stolen bases for the Bulldogs last season. He also pitched 14 innings with 11 strikeouts and a 2.50 ERA.

Dalton Adams, Lamar County

Senior, pitcher

Adams recorded a .308 batting average with a .488 OBP, seven doubles and two home runs for the Bulldogs in 2023. He also pitched 27 innings with 17 strikeouts and a 5.1 ERA.

Ridge Brown, Lamar County

Freshman, pitcher

Brown recorded a .377 batting average, a .582 OBP, eight doubles and three triples for the Bulldogs last season. He also pitched 40 innings with 75 strikeouts and a 1.22 ERA. He will be out until April due to a torn ACL.

Jack Sanderson, Northridge

Senior, pitcher/outfielder

Sanderson recorded a .326 batting average with 27 RBIs and nine stolen bases for the Jaguars in 2023. He also pitched 16 innings with 20 strikeouts and a 5.88 ERA. Sanderson is committed to Auburn.

Milo Obradovich, Northridge

Senior, catcher/outfielder

Obradovich posted a .290 batting average with 28 RBIs and five stolen bases for the Jaguars in 2023.

Thomas Woolf, Northridge

Junior, pitcher/infielder

The 2023 All-State selection posted a .273 batting average with 11 RBIs for the Jaguars last season. On the mound, he threw 55 innings with 42 strikeouts and a 2.38 ERA.

Brandon Gooden, Paul W. Bryant

Senior, third base/outfielder/pitcher

Gooden is a key returning piece of the Stampede squad under coach Dondrae Collins that finished 14-14 last season.

Jayden Smith, Paul W. Bryant

Senior, shortstop/outfielder/pitcher

Smith is expected to be a top contributor to the Bryant team this season.

Tyler Priess, Pickens County

Senior, pitcher/outfielder

Jackson Shelton, Pickens County

Senior, third base/first base

Brayden Hennigan, Southern Academy

Sophomore, pitcher

Hayden Johnston, Southern Academy

Senior, pitcher/third base

Johnston was selected as a 2023 AISA All-Star for the Cougars.

J.R. Copeland, Southern Academy

Senior, catcher

Nate Stiles, Sulligent

Senior, pitcher/outfielder

Stiles pitched a 5-0 record, with four saves, 49 strikeouts and a 1.13 ERA for the Blue Devils in 2023.

Kenyon Taylor, Sulligent

Senior, outfielder/utility

Taylor recorded a .327 batting average with a .424 OBP and 15 RBIs for the Blue Devils last season.

Brody Clark, Sulligent

Senior, third base/catcher

Clark hit for a .310 batting average and a .463 on-base percentage in his junior season for the Blue Devils in 2023.

Spencer Nicholas, Tuscaloosa County

Senior, pitcher

Nicholas pitched 49⅓ innings with a 6-3 record, 62 strikeouts and just seven walks for the Wildcats in 2023. He is committed to Coastal South CC.

Rylee Pate, Tuscaloosa County

Senior, outfielder

Pate posted a .340 batting average with 20 stolen bases for the Wildcats in 2023. He will return to his leadoff slot for this season. He is committed to Bevill-Fayette CC.

JD Ray, Winfield

Senior, pitcher

Ray pitched 53 innings with 52 strikeouts and a 1.70 ERA for the Pirates in 2023.

Walt Hennicke, Winfield

Junior, third base

Hennicke posted a .357 batting average with a .559 on-base percentage for the Pirates in 2023.

Brady May, Winfield

Junior, shortstop

May recorded a .343 batting average with a .486 on-base percentage and 16 stolen bases in his sophomore season for the Pirates in 2023.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Players to watch for Tuscaloosa area high school baseball in 2024