The 2025-26 school year has been a good one for
Wall, a small school in West Texas. The football team went 16-0 with a state championship, the volleyball team reached the Conference 3A final four, the boys basketball team is 20-5 and leading the district and the girls basketball team is ranked No. 1 in the state.
Now the baseball team is getting in the mix with a No. 1 ranking in the Preseason Small Town Top 25. The defending Conference 3A Division 2 champion, the Hawks edge
Southern Fulton (Warfordsburg, Pa.) and
North Stanly (New London, N.C.) for the top spot in the rankings.
Wall returns the Conference 3A player of the year in
Gage Reichenau. The senior pitcher posted 101 strikeouts last year while earning a spot on the Small Town All-American team. The Hawks also return all-state players
Hagyn Barbee and
Kellan Oliver in the outfield. Barbee and Oliver will also join Reichenau in the pitching rotation.
Wall celebrates after beating Thrall 14-2 in the Texas Conference 3A Division 2 state championship game last June. (PHOTO: Oladipo Awowale)
Southern Fulton comes in just behind Wall. The Indians won the Class 1A state championship in Pennsylvania last year and return five starters and 18 pitching wins from that team.
North Stanly ranks third after losing just two games last year (26-2) and returning multiple players who are ranked among the best in North Carolina by Perfect Game. No. 4
Gordon Lee (Chickamauga, Ga.) returns half a dozen players who made all-state or all-region honors during last year's state championship run. No. 5
Cherryville (N.C.), meanwhile, returns every starter from a team that posted 20 wins.
To be eligible for the Small Town Top 25, schools must have less than 1,000 students in town with a population under 10,000. Teams are ranked based on last year's finish, program tradition, number of returning starters, player honors and last year's statistics.
Preseason Small Town Top 25
1. Wall (Texas)
Coach: Jeremy Gordon
2025 record: 31-6, Conference 3A Division 2 state champion
Top players: Hagyn Barbee,
Kellan Oliver,
Gage Reichenau2. Southern Fulton (Warfordsburg, Pa.)
Coach: Ken Hendershot
2025 record: 25-1, Class 1A state champion
Top players: Paul Hendershot,
Owen Oakman,
Austin Mann3. North Stanly (New London, N.C.)
Coach: Scott Clemons
2025 record: 26-2
Top players: Heath Klenginsmith,
Charlie Shaver,
Hayden Moore4. Gordon Lee (Chickamauga, Ga.)
Coach: Mike Dunfee
2025 record: 40-3, Class A Division I state champion
Top players: Maddox Millard,
Peyton Groce,
J.R. Zeimet5. Cherryville (N.C.)
Coach: Scott Heavner
2025 record: 20-8
Top players: Brock Bumgardner,
Talon Dalton,
Parker Anderson6. Deshler (Tuscumbia, Ala.)
Coach: Justin Cantrell
2025 record: 34-11, Class 4A state champion
Top players: Garrett Reid,
Price Thornton7. Brock (Texas)
Coach: Koby Page
2025 record: 29-5
Top players: Evan O'Connor,
Canon Lightfoot,
Jake Windle8. Centerville (Texas)
Coach: Demond Denman
2025 record: 29-6-1, Conference 2A Division 1 state champion
Top players: Jake Gray,
Jacob Brooke,
Gunner Bazar9. Sumrall (Miss.)
Coach: Andy Davis
2025 record: 25-9
Top players: Drew Davis,
Braelyn Harrison10. Coalfield (Tenn.)
Coach: Andy Lowe
2025 record: 30-7, Class A state runner-up
Top players: Jackson Treece,
Jorden Steinhauer,
Knox Pemberton11. Tuttle (Okla.)
Coach: Derek Bell
2025 record: 34-8, Class 4A state runner-up
Top players: Traylon Barnes,
Hunter Watson,
12. Lanier County (Lakeland, Ga.)
Coach: Matthew White
2025 record: 33-7, Class 1A Division II state champion
Top players: Grant Gano,
Alex Contreras,
Talen Tarbox13. Okarche (Okla.)
Coach: Ryan Beaman
2025 record: 18-6, 2025 fall Class A state champion (30-2)
Top players: Easton Roby,
Ethan Kirby,
Luke Hill14, Trenton (Fla.)
Coach: Chris Marlo
2025 record: 24-5
Top players: Brant Bivens,
Logan Marlo,
Mason VunCannon15. Miller (Mo.)
Coach: Jeffrey Lung
2025 record: 25-5, Class 2 state champion
Top players: Jase Wilkinson,
Hayden Schnake,
16. Washington (Okla.)
Coach: Brad Lucas
2025 record: 24-9, Class 3A state champion
Top players: Dawson Thomas,
Jackson Mays 17. Eagleville (Tenn.)
Coach: Branon Bassham
2025 record: 30-7, Class A state champion
Top players: Brody Gleason,
Spencer Robbins,
Jacob Sweeney18. Boyd (Texas)
Coach: Brad McIntire
2025 record: 35-7
Top players: Will McIntire,
Colton Patton,
Elijah Webber19. Kouts (Ind.)
Coach: Jason Dorshorst
2025 record: 27-7, Class 1A runner-up
Top players: Billy Miller,
Landon Garrett,
Eli Harper20. Hiland (Berlin, Ohio)
Coach: Chris Dages
2025 record: 31-1, Division 6 state champion
Top players: Grady Monigold,
Logan Miller21. Collinsville (Texas)
Coach: Christian Smith
2025 record: 31-4, Conference 2A Division 2 state champion
Top players: Brandon Cantu,
Peyton Davidson,
Paxton Davidson22. Freedom Area (Freedom, Pa.)
Coach: Daniel O'Leary
2025 record: 18-8, Class 2A state runner-up
Top players: Mason O'Donnell,
Zach Kuntz,
Boden Hilliard23. Auburn (Riner, Va.)
Coach: Eric Altizer
2025 record: 26-1-1, Class 1 state champion
Top players: Matthew Altizer,
Brody Hensel24. Lexington (Ill.)
Coach: Tanner Schieber
2025 record: 19-13, Class 1 semifinalist
Top players: Braeden Barber,
Blaine Friedmansky,
Kayden Knight25. Spotswood (Penn Laird, Va.)
Coach: Marcus Davis
2025 record: 24-4, Class 3 state champion
Top players: Landon Buracker,
Camden Blank,
Casen Chandler
