Will Watson, Kolt Correll, Gus Campbell, and Lucas Rockholt look on from the dugout in the Wildcats' season opener against Stone Memorial on March 3rd. Photo by Doodle Bivens
Young but Battle-Tested: Wildcats Set for New Season
by Ken Lay - WMTY Sports
SWEETWATER, Tenn. — As Sweetwater High School gears up for the 2025 baseball season, the Wildcats bring back plenty of familiar faces from a program that has made back-to-back trips to the state’s biggest stage, the Spring Fling in Murfreesboro.
Coming off a 32-win season in 2024, Sweetwater went 0-2 in the Class AA state tournament after reaching the semifinals in 2023. The Wildcats entered last season with several question marks, relying on contributions from a talented freshman class.
Those young players proved they were ready for the challenge, helping Sweetwater return to Murfreesboro. Now, those former freshmen are back as sophomores, and fifth-year head coach Travis Watson believes their postseason experience will be a major asset as the Wildcats prepare for another challenging schedule.
“We play a pretty tough schedule for a (Class) AA school,” said Watson, who led Sweetwater to a 32-12 overall record last season. “We’re hoping that we’ve got some battle-tested players. Depth is always a concern, and we’ve already had to deal with some injuries this year.”
Strength in YouthDespite its youth, Sweetwater’s roster boasts valuable experience heading into the new campaign. Watson hopes that translates into improved team speed on the bases and a stronger defensive presence in 2025.
“I’m hoping that we’ll have a little more team speed, and I’m hoping we’ll be better defensively,” he said. “But we lost a shortstop in Tucker Lorenz, who only made four errors last year.”
Lorenz, now at Volunteer State Community College, leaves a key vacancy in the infield, but the Wildcats return a strong nucleus, including:
“We have four seniors, and everybody else is either a freshman or sophomore. We don’t have any juniors,” Watson said.
New Faces, Same ExpectationsAmong the key newcomers are sophomore transfer Ryder Scott, a right-handed pitcher, and freshmen Bryson Bonnough (infielder/right-handed pitcher) and Kolt Correll (outfielder/left-handed pitcher).
Expectations remain high for the Wildcats as they aim for a third consecutive state tournament appearance.
“We want to win the region tournament, but you can’t win it if you don’t get there,” Watson said.
A first- or second-place finish in the district tournament would secure a regional berth for Sweetwater, which opened the season with a four-game homestand. The Wildcats started strong with a 9-2 victory over Stone Memorial on March 3rd, followed by a 10-0 shutout of Concord Christian on March 4th.
Sweetwater continues its home stretch against Grace Christian Academy on March 6 before hosting McMinn Central on March 10. The Wildcats will hit the road for the first time when they travel to McMinn Central on March 11. First pitch for all games is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Coming off a 32-win season in 2024, Sweetwater went 0-2 in the Class AA state tournament after reaching the semifinals in 2023. The Wildcats entered last season with several question marks, relying on contributions from a talented freshman class.
Those young players proved they were ready for the challenge, helping Sweetwater return to Murfreesboro. Now, those former freshmen are back as sophomores, and fifth-year head coach Travis Watson believes their postseason experience will be a major asset as the Wildcats prepare for another challenging schedule.
“We play a pretty tough schedule for a (Class) AA school,” said Watson, who led Sweetwater to a 32-12 overall record last season. “We’re hoping that we’ve got some battle-tested players. Depth is always a concern, and we’ve already had to deal with some injuries this year.”
Strength in YouthDespite its youth, Sweetwater’s roster boasts valuable experience heading into the new campaign. Watson hopes that translates into improved team speed on the bases and a stronger defensive presence in 2025.
“I’m hoping that we’ll have a little more team speed, and I’m hoping we’ll be better defensively,” he said. “But we lost a shortstop in Tucker Lorenz, who only made four errors last year.”
Lorenz, now at Volunteer State Community College, leaves a key vacancy in the infield, but the Wildcats return a strong nucleus, including:
- Cade Houser, senior catcher/outfielder (signed with Tennessee Wesleyan)
- Jayden Richeson, senior pitcher/utility player
- Lucas Rockholt, senior outfielder
- Cooper Davies, senior outfielder/left-handed pitcher
- Nolan Dacus, sophomore infielder/outfielder
- Bryson Burgess, sophomore infielder/pitcher
- Brody Watson, sophomore catcher
“We have four seniors, and everybody else is either a freshman or sophomore. We don’t have any juniors,” Watson said.
New Faces, Same ExpectationsAmong the key newcomers are sophomore transfer Ryder Scott, a right-handed pitcher, and freshmen Bryson Bonnough (infielder/right-handed pitcher) and Kolt Correll (outfielder/left-handed pitcher).
Expectations remain high for the Wildcats as they aim for a third consecutive state tournament appearance.
“We want to win the region tournament, but you can’t win it if you don’t get there,” Watson said.
A first- or second-place finish in the district tournament would secure a regional berth for Sweetwater, which opened the season with a four-game homestand. The Wildcats started strong with a 9-2 victory over Stone Memorial on March 3rd, followed by a 10-0 shutout of Concord Christian on March 4th.
Sweetwater continues its home stretch against Grace Christian Academy on March 6 before hosting McMinn Central on March 10. The Wildcats will hit the road for the first time when they travel to McMinn Central on March 11. First pitch for all games is scheduled for 6 p.m.