MaxPreps 2015 Alabama preseason baseball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

1. Pelham
2014 finish: 24-12
Head coach: Sean Anderson

Pelham lost to eventual state champion Spain Park in the second round, but the Panthers have some of the state's top players returning to the lineup. Leading the way is outfielder Sam Finnerty, who was the Class 6A Hitter and Player of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a junior. He's joined in the lineup by catcher Hunter Stovall, an honorable mention all-state choice who has earned all-state status in the past. Finnerty, who is headed to South Carolina, batted .428 with eight home runs last year while Stovall, a Mississippi State commit, batted .347. Also returning is all-metro honorable mention pitcher Cole Whitman.

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2. Sparkman (Harvest)
2014 finish: 36-15
Head coach: Kellen Greer



Sparkman made a strong run in the postseason, knocking off Mountain Brook in the quarterfinals and Hillcrest in the semifinals before falling to Spain Park in the state finals. The Senators were able to advance deep into the playoffs with a freshman and a sophomore providing most of the leadership. Brock Anderson, now a junior, was the team's top pitcher as a sophomore while Jarod Howell did all of the team's catching as a freshman. Each earned all-state honorable mention honors for Class 6A.

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3. Cullman
2014 finish: 42-12
Head coach: Brent Patterson

If there's one team that appears capable of battling Spanish Fort for supremacy in Class 5A, it's Cullman. The Bearcats return one of the top sophomore players in the country in Owen Lovell, who had 14 home runs, 29 doubles, 64 RBIs and a 26-game hitting streak last year. Cullman returns two of its top pitchers from last year in Sam Huser and Jesse Scott. All-area infielder Kolby Robinson returns along with all-area outfielders Cole Collins and Maison Goodwin.

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4. Charles Henderson (Troy)
2014 finish: 38-11
Head coach: Derek Irons



The defending Class 4A state champions appear ready to make a run at another state championship. While all-state pitcher John Michael Stephens and all-state outfielder John Johnson have graduated, the Trojans return all-state catcher Chase Smartt and all-state first baseman Austin Ingram. Smartt also eared Class 4A State Hitter of the Year honors.

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5. Spanish Fort
2014 finish: 38-6
Head coach: Brent Boyd

Winners of four Class 5A state championships in the past five seasons, including last year over Cullman, Spanish Fort routinely finds a way to win. Coach Brent Boyd returns one of his top pitchers from last year in Gunner Hendrix. He was 6-1 in the regular season with 64 strikeouts. Hendrix is also one of the team's top returning offensive performers with a .347 batting average. Hunter Stokes, who batted .344 as a sophomore last year, also returns. Spanish Fort will have to replace MaxPreps All-American Jesse McCord, the team's top pitcher over the past two seasons.