MS HS Team Preview: Columbia Academy Cougars

The 2024 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Mississippi.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Pearl, MS at Trustmark Park as they compete for a state championship, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Mississippi. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews and by continuing other pieces of content covering the Magnolia State.

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state. Each week we will be releasing our players of the week, updating the Top 10 in each MHSAA classification as well as a Power 25.

*Please note the information has been gathered from head coaches across the state, based on their replies to the questionnaire we distributed over this offseason.

High School: Columbia AcademyHead Coach: Keith StanleyClassification: MAIS Class 5ADistrict Number: 5A, District 32023 Record (Finish): 20-13No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6No. of Returning Pitchers: 5Team Strengths: Pitching

 

TOP RETURNING PLAYERS MORE UPPERCLASS FOLLOWS

• OF Jackson Speir (2025)

TOP UNDERCLASSMEN

• RHP/INF Reed Duncan (2026)

TEAM OUTLOOK

Columbia Academy returns 6 starters from last year's squad that won 20 games while reaching the MAIS 5A South State Finals. Coach Keith Stanley believes he has the pitching to contend for the state title in 2024 and with youth on his side, the Cougars could be in the mix quite a bit in the near future. Key returners include juniors Owen Simmons (missed last season due to injury) and Zeke Todd, sophomores Logan Buckley and Roman Lawrence, and freshmen Trent Buckley and Corbin Lawrence. Each of these players Coach Stanley believes may get the opportunity to play at the collegiate level. The eldest Buckley, Logan (#4 ranked 2026 in MS) could be the key cog to advancing as he led the offense last season with 6 home runs, tied for the team lead with 34 rbi’s, while also picking up 7 wins on the mound to go with a 1.48 ERA. Roman Lawrence led the team in hits, and added 5 home runs at the plate as well for the Cougars. He will be another arm counted on in big games throughout the season. Trent Buckley, who was recently named the #1 ranked player in the 2027 class for Mississippi, can do it all on the field for the Cougars. He picked up 34 runs batted in as an 8th grader and with a fastball that reaches the upper 80’s he will now be heavily counted on to hold opposing hitters at bay while his offense goes to work. Junior lefty Zeke Todd picked up 4 wins last year and returns looking for more. Coach Stanley will also look to junior outfielder Jackson Spier and sophomore RHP/INF Reed Duncan, who missed last year due to injury to provide production as well. The Cougars begin play February 12th versus Taylorsville.

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