Following an historic 2024 season, the Red Bay High School varsity baseball team is looking to once again make its mark in the 2025 campaign.
The Tigers lost just two seniors to graduation from last year’s playoff semifinal squad, so they will be flush with returning experience as they begin their quest for another deep postseason run.
The preseason preparation has impressed Red Bay head coach Donovan Hand, who was named the Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 2A Coach of the Year last year. Hand said his team has shown a great deal of focus as they’ve gotten ready for the season.
“I’ve bragged on our team quite a bit for their attention to detail and the work ethic they’ve put in,” Hand said. “I was worried about a little bit of a hangover after last year just because it was the first time this group of kids has had that kind of success in baseball. I was a little worried about it but our kids have responded and done exactly what they’ve needed to do, if not more.”
From a player leadership perspective the Tigers are headed up by a cadre of five seniors, whom Hand says have taken ownership of leading duties.
“We’ve got five seniors this year and they’re doing it (leading) together as a group,” Hand said. “They lead by example in what they do and that’s exciting for us—and it makes my job a lot easier.”
On the field Red Bay fans will see a lot of upperclassmen. The players hitting the diamond for the Tigers this season won’t be green and will have been through or seen some of the program’s toughest fights, giving them a lot of practical experience.
“We’re really junior and senior heavy,” Hand said. “It’s pretty much a straight nine. We don’t have any pitcher-only guys, so it’s a straight nine and that’s how we set it up a few years ago. We don’t wanna hold anyone to just one position, we want everyone to be a good baseball player all-around.”
Familiar names like Ty Reynolds, Harley Strickland, Jeremiah Thorne, and Reed Hamilton, among others, all return for the Tigers.
Reynolds and Thorne, both Franklin Free Press All-Franklin County pitchers last season, make up the core of Red Bay’s arms on the mound, an area Hand believes will be a strength again this season. Behind them Red Bay is also poised to be strong defensively, too.
“Outfield defense is really going to be a strength,” Hand said. “Our three outfielders this year are really, really good. Our right fielder Dallas Terrell, who won our defensive player of the year award last year, and our center fielder Landyn Lewey are both really good outfielders. And then our former center fielder that we pushed over to left field this year, Jeremiah Robinson, he’s an elite defender, too.”
Offensively, Hand said the Tigers need to focus on getting better at-bats against top pitching, and the way to do that is to see more of it.
“Hitting-wise, my biggest concern is we’ve just gotta be able to hit velocity. We’ve gotta hit guys that can throw things other than fastballs all the time,” he said. “That’s why we’ve got the schedule the way it is.”
Although the Tigers are getting a little later start to their season than other teams in the area, Red Bay’s schedule is not going to be a walkover. Besides their Class 2A Area 10 mates Lamar County and Sulligent, the Tigers will face the likes of baseball powers like Russellville, Whitesburg Christian, Colbert County, and Deshler.
“Our first 15 games this year are pretty front loaded,” Hand said. “We’ve got a lot of good teams, a lot of good arms early. I’ve kinda learned that that will get us more prepared for our area.
“Lamar County’s got a very good left-handed pitcher and he’ll be tough to beat, so I’m trying to get us prepared for that early,” he added. “We’re going to see some really good arms, some really good velocity, and also some really good teams.
“I know Sulligent is usually a pretty good baseball team, so it’s not gonna be cakewalk for us. We’ve got two weeks of area baseball—four or five games, or six if needed. If we can win four games—two against each team (Lamar County and Sulligent) then we can win the area, but it’s gonna be a dogfight I feel like. So, I’m trying to get us prepared for that by playing tough teams early.”
Hand said his team is looking forward to the challenge of a hard schedule. After the Tigers’ success last season, there’s no doubt teams will be looking to knock them down. The Red Bay players, Hand said, want everyone’s best shot.
“We’re not gonna surprise anyone. Everyone’s gonna know what we’ve done, especially in this area, so we’re gonna have to go out and play. You’ve gotta play good, day in and day out,” he said. “As hard as it is, on a day in and day out basis, to get everyone’s best, I think if you ask our guys they’ll tell you that’s what they want. They want to be challenged.
“We’re excited about this season. Obviously you have to go out and play the games, but I feel like our guys are ready. They’re ready for it and we’re excited to get going,” he added. “We want to be challenged early and play good baseball throughout the season. We’re primed to be good from day one and I wanna see us maximize our potential every day we play.”
Commenting on this story has been disabled.
