The 2025 baseball season is right around the corner, and ITG Next is giving you a peek at the teams we think could be the ones to watch. Our 2025 Georgia high school baseball preseason rankings include some programs that will be expected to contend for state championships and others that are dark-horse picks.
1. Etowah (Class 6A)
The Etowah baseball program has become one of consistency with solid pitching, timely hitting, and, of course, great all-around talent.
The Eagles are the defending Class 6A state champion and will head into the 2025 season led by one of the top pitchers in the state in junior Matthew Sharman, a University of Georgia commit.
Outfielder Deion Cole, a junior, is committed to Georgia Tech.
2. Buford (Class 6A)
Buford will be one of the top contenders in Class 6A once again, benefiting from the return of several players from last season’s quarterfinals squad that lost a heartbreaking series to Brookwood 2-1 after winning Game 1.
The Wolves will feature the nation’s No. 1 prospect from the Class of 2028, outfielder and right-handed pitcher Dexter McCleon Jr. They’ll also have outfielder and right-handed pitcher Ayden Lockett, a junior; catcher Vance Brock, a junior; and standout right-handed pitcher Braden Burton, a senior.
Senior starting catcher and Brevard College commit Parks Cleveland and senior outfielder Cannon Goldin, an Ole Miss commit, are also back to lead the Wolves.
3. Houston County (Class 5A)
Don’t worry, HoCo baseball fans! Your Bears will likely be climbing toward another state title again in 2025.
After winning the Class 6A state title in 2023, head coach Matt Hopkins’ team fell in last season’s semifinals 2-0 to Pope.
The Houston County baseball program will return 10 starters from last season’s team, including the state’s No. 2 rated right-handed pitcher in Will Allen, three-time All-State selection Vick Gann, Kendall Jackson, Ethan Buffone, Tucker Hale, Isaiah Galason, Max Willhide, and junior outfielder Noah Odom.
4. Loganville (Class 5A)
The Red Devils are coming off yet another state championship season in 2024, their eighth overall state title for the program, and there’s no reason to think Loganville won’t be back in the mix in 2025 for a ninth title.
Head coach Bran Mills was named the Georgia Dugout Club’s 2024-25 Class 5A Coach of the Year, and he’ll welcome back a strong starting core of players who will be key to another run at a championship. They are junior right-handed pitcher and infielder Jake Boland; senior infielder Tripp Braswell; and standout junior shortstop Matt Berardinelli, who will be the table-setter for the Red Devils’ batting order as their likely leadoff hitter.
5. Pope (Class 5A)
The Greyhounds have produced one of the most impressive multi-year runs of success over the past 15 seasons, which have included five state championships, nine title game appearances, and 105 playoff wins over that stretch.
Pope was the state runner-up in Class 6A last year, falling to eventual state champ Etowah. They’ll be right back in the mix this year with standout juniors Nick Bobrowski, a left-handed pitcher, and Kayden Campbell, an infielder, leading the 2025 squad.
6. Cartersville (Class 4A)
The Cartersville Purple Hurricanes are hoping to get back to the state championship game, where they fell just short last season.
Head coach Kyle Tucker was named the Georgia Dugout Club’s 2024-25 Class 5A Coach of the Year, and he’ll have several returners from last season, including juniors Cooper Adams, shortstop and third baseman Peyton Klewein, and right-handed pitcher Nate Russell.
Senior standout infielder and right-handed pitcher Andrew Purdy, a University of Alabama commit, will serve as the ace of the Canes’ pitching staff this year with a fastball clocked in the 90-mph range.
7. Coffee (Class 5A)
Scott Grove has taken over as head coach of Coffee baseball’s program with the departure of longtime head coach Sy Jones. Groves is a former pro baseball scout with tons of baseball experience.
He’ll inherit a team that includes one of the state’s top shortstops and right-handed pitchers in junior Ben Fussell. Senior infielder and right-handed pitcher Matt Strickland, who has an explosive fastball that’s been clocked in the 90-mpg range, will also return to the 2025 Trojans. Both Strickland and Fussell have committed to Mercer University baseball.
Senior infielder Connor Stewart, an Augusta College commit, will provide Coffee with power at the plate this season. Outfielder Brax Carson, a LaGrange College commit, is also back.
8. Cherokee Bluff (Class 3A)
The Region 8-4A champion and Class 4A state runner-up Cherokee Bluff Bears are led by Georgia Dugout Club Class 4A Coach of the Year Jeremy Kemp and Player of the Year Caleb Miele.
The Bears will have one of the state’s best returning in junior infielder Bubba Coleman, who recently decommitted from LSU baseball. Coleman is ranked as a Top 10 Class of 2026 player by Perfect Game.
9. Lowndes (Class 6A)
The Vikings have won back-to-back baseball state championships. Even though head coach Ryan Page will lose some key players that were a big part of those state title teams, he’ll still have enough great baseball talent to make a run at a three-peat.
Left-handed pitcher and outfielder Matthew Kerrigan, an Auburn commit, will return from Tommy John surgery to lead Lowndes in 2025.
Other key team members include infielder Cason Fletcher, a Mercer commit, and right-handed pitcher Drew Inman, an ABAC commit.
Look for junior first baseman Derrick Carter Jr. to be a force at the plate as a left-handed stick and on the mound as a southpaw.
Standing at 6-foot-3, junior right-handed pitcher Easton Blanton is quite an intimidating presence on the mound and could prove to be a shutdown reliever for the Vikings in 2025.
10. Glynn Academy (Class 5A)
The Red Terrors have what is perhaps the finest high school field and stadium among Georgia high school baseball venues, and they always put some of the best talent on the field too.
Glynn Academy will be a little young this year, but head coach John Welborn is as good as any coach at developing talent.
He’ll have one of the best in the country returning this season in junior outfielder and LSU baseball commit Wessley Roberson, a First Team Perfect Game USA All-American selection.
Other key members of Glynn Academy’s 2025 roster include shortstop and right-handed pitcher Nico Munoz; sophomore infielder and right-handed pitcher Luke Parrish; sophomore left-handed pitcher Kai Orr; and senior first baseman and right-handed pitcher Carson Ritola.