Oklahoma high school baseball storylines, players to watch at Class 6A-2A tournaments

Breck Draper was initially still determining the outlook of the Tuttle baseball team heading into 2024.

The reigning Class 4A state champions faced a daunting challenge as they lost several key seniors. The Tigers, however, were not deterred by the doubters that emerged during their pre-season workouts.

Tuttle took the skepticism personally. And so far, it's worked in its favor, making its journey all the more compelling.

"Our guys were really hungry to get out there and earn themselves their role," said Draper, Tuttle's fifth-year head coach. "A lot of people looked at us and didn't believe there was a world where we'd have a better record right now than the team last year. We've rotated more guys through the lineup this year than I ever have as a coach, and that's a testament to their hard work."

Tuttle has been a force to reckon with this spring, boasting an impressive 35-4 record. The Tigers, currently the top-ranked team in Class 4A, are set to enter the state tournament Thursday at Noble High School on a 10-game winning streak.

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Opposing teams have struggled to score against them as of late, averaging less than one run allowed during the streak. This is a clear reflection of Tuttle's dominance, particularly the outstanding performance of their pitching duo of Grayson Barnes and Braylon Brooks.

Draper feels like the Tigers' success starts and ends with his belief in his pitching staff.

"We're pretty confident in the core group of guys we've got on the mound," Draper said. "As a coach, I mean, it takes a lot of headaches away from me when I know what I'm going to get when I get a guy out there. We try to have our racehorse blinders on to stay in our lane and do what we do, and I feel we give ourselves a pretty good chance to repeat with our great pitching staff."

Here's a look at more storylines and players to watch in the Class 6A-2A state baseball tournaments, which are set for Thursday-Saturday around the Oklahoma City metro:

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Will Carl Albert win its third state title in four years?

When discussing Oklahoma's most talented high school rosters, you'd be remiss to ignore Carl Albert.

The Titans have the best record in District 5A-1 at 34-6 and enter the state tournament riding a 21-game win streak. In that span, they've defeated opposing teams by nearly 15 runs per game.

Carl Albert is led by its slew of talent, including Oklahoma State signee Kash Ferris, Hutch Russel, Easton Perkins, and Declan Murphy. Senior pitcher Sammy Gonzalez has had immense success at bat and on the mound.

Outside of the Titans, Collinsville poses the most formidable threat. If Carl Albert and Collinsville both win Thursday, face off in the semifinals, which could be testy.

The Titans went 34-8 en route to the championship a year ago.

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Who will come out on top in Class 6A?

The Class 6A baseball title is now up for grabs, with defending champion Bixby out of the state tournament.

Stillwater defeated Bixby in the regional tournament and has been one of the best teams all year long behind the play of Ethan Holiday, the top prospect in the junior class. However, Stillwater will have its hands full with Choctaw in the quarterfinals.

The Yellowjackets had the best regular season record in Class 6A at 28-3. This week marks the 50th anniversary of Choctaw's last state championship, in 1974, and the program is hungry to break its title drought.

They're a team with little to no weaknesses. Easton Teel and Gage Albright have commanded the mound while Drake Fittro and Tennessee signee Cash Williams lead at the late.

The other side of the bracket features Edmond Santa Fe, Edmond Memorial, and 2023 state runner-up Enid. However, expect the Yellowjackets' veteran experience to play a large role in their quest for the gold this weekend.

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Players to watch in the Oklahoma high school baseball state tournaments

Grayson Barnes, Sr., Tuttle: Barnes is a UCO signee who is 9-0 on the mound and has posted a sub-one ERA so far to lead the Tigers in their quest for a second straight Class 4A title.

Carson Brumbaugh, Jr., Edmond Santa Fe: The Tennessee commit has solidified himself one of the top recruits in the junior class. Brumbaugh can pitch a velocity up to 92 mph on the mound and stellar play has led Edmond Santa Fe to sit atop a stacked District 6A-1.

Gage Ellison, Jr., Blanchard: Ellison was a gamechanger on the mound a year ago as Blanchard finished as the Class 4A state runner-up. Now the junior pitcher has a chance to invoke his revenge on Tuttle in the state tournament.

Kash Ferris, Sr., Carl Albert: Ferris has shined in the state tournament before as Carl Albert’s ace pitcher, leading the Titans to a Class 5A state title a year ago. The OSU signee was named to The Oklahoman's 2023 Big All-City first team, too.

Ethan Holliday, Jr., Stillwater: Holliday is one of the best prep players in the country and considered by most the top prospect in the 2025 class. The Oklahoma State commit is the younger brother of the MLB's top prospect Jackson Holliday, and Ethan's dominance at the plate has led the Pioneers back to the state tournament.

Savion Sims, So., Edmond Santa Fe: Sims is an OU commit and is one of the best prospects in the state. He recently pitched a no-hitter for the Wolves and also is one of the team’s best hitters.

Cash Williams, Jr., Choctaw: The outfielder is another Tennessee commit that has been hot this season. Williams helped lead Choctaw to a 28-3 record while consistently being the program’s game-changing hitter at the plate.

Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma HS baseball storylines, players to watch at 6A-2A tournaments