Prep Baseball Report

Yellowhammer State Games: Event Preview


Austin Sharp
Alabama Scouting Director

 

On March 5th of this spring, the Prep Baseball Alabama staff introduced the 2024 Yellowhammer State Games, an invite-only event geared towards hosting the top prospects in the 2025-2028 classes in Alabama in one centralized location during the summer. After many months of behind-the-scenes work to provide players in attendance a one-of-a-kind experience, the premier event of the summer in the state of Alabama is finally upon us.

In years past, our summer schedule consisted of a few invite-only events spread out throughout the summer, but with plenty of internal discussion and careful consideration, we've decided to feature the Yellowhammer State Games as the single invite-only event of the summer in Alabama. This event, which will be held on June 18th-19th at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville, AL, will feature 150+ prospects from Alabama looking to earn an invite to other prestigous Prep Baseball events like the Future Games, All-American Game, Super 60, and other various Prep Baseball Alabama invite-only events in the future. 

With spots going fast within the first couple weeks of the announcement of the event, the roster quickly sold out and has easily surpassed our expectation for Year No. 1 of the Yellowhammer State Games with talent spread out through all high school graduating classes. From prospects committed to Division 1 programs, top uncommitted prospects and more, this event is the place to be for college coaches looking to narrow down their call sheets with the important August 1st recruiting date approaching.

Below, you will find important information pertaining to this event, including notable players in attendance, itinerary, pitching rotations, and much more.


THE HEADLINERS

Steele Hall SS / HewittTrussville High School, AL / 2026

From 3/27/24: " ... had just another day at the office yesterday in their double-header action while routinely squaring up the baseball and hitting for extra bases in the leadoff spot for the Huskies. A Tennessee recruit and the top-ranked prospect in the 2026 class in Alabama, Hall is widely-known around the state and catches the attention of those in attendance with consistent plays that make you shake your head and say "wow". He's certainly got the superstar ability, whether it's leaving the yard for a no-doubt home run or an off-balanced throw on a back-hand ground ball in the six-hole that he's able to throw a strike to first base to get the out, Hall consistently captures the attention of those watching and is worth the price of admission. After a home run in their first contest of the night, the sophomore continued to hammer the baseball and recorded a pair of doubles in their nightcap, both to the pull-side and with authority. The right-hander takes aggressive swings with above-average bat speed and excellent feel for the barrel. He's listed at 5-foot-11, 160-pounds and has a wiry frame, so there's still plenty of development to come and strength to add in the future. Also made some rangy plays at the shortstop position, including one working to his left and past the second-base bag with enough athleticism to gather and reposition himself and fire a strike to first base. Continues to add to his long track record of impressive viewings each time we see him."

John Stowers C / St. Paul's Episcopal, AL / 2026

From 3/6/24: " ... put on full display of what makes him one of the top left-handed hitters nationally during last night's contest, as he's currently ranked inside the top-105 in the 2026 class. An Auburn recruit and the the second-ranked prospect in the sophomore class in Alabama, loud contact continues to be a common occurence for the physical 6-foot-0, 195-pound backstop, who possesses immense power projection and displayed that tool with a no-doubt, three-run home run to the pull-side in his second at-bat of the contest. The power-hitting left-handed hitter has continued to mature physically, and is continuing to fill out his frame that is currently flashing some proportional strength with more coming in the future. Hitting from an upright, balanced left-handed stance, Stowers hits off a firm back-side and gradually shifts his weight forward throughout a controlled load, which yields a heavy, impactful barrel to contact. As he's continued to improve physically over the past year, the ball now jumps off the barrel and sounds much different than his peers, and it was evident during his booming home run. While being pitched differently than others due to his strong track record of doing damage, Stowers also possesses excellent strike zone discipline and recognizes spin well, as he took some tough takes during his at-bat's last night and worked himself into plus counts. He appears to slow the game down at the plate, and consistently squares up firm contact with nearly each swing. Known for the bat, the sophomore is also a talented defensive backstop who has improved since the last viewing in that regard. He's got above-average arm strength from the crouch with accuracy, and blocks and recieves well for his age behind the dish."

 

Jamarkius Smith RHP / Reeltown High School, AL / 2027

From 6/14/24: " ... is already known as one of the top right-handed pitchers in the 2027 class in the country, and his performance on the mound this weekend did nothing but boost his stock. Standing a lean 6-foot-3, 170-pounds, Smith is an elite caliber athlete with near limitless projection on the mound. A long and loose arm, the right-hander consistently sat 91-93 mph and touched 93.4 mph in the early going with his fastball before settling 90-92 mph. It’s an advanced fastball with an extremely high whiff rate, but his slider sitting 74-78 mph is seemingly his best pitch with the innate ability to spin it and land it in the zone. He appeared to be comfortable pitching backwards in the outing and was 65-70% slider. Just an uber-athletic prospect with a substantially high ceiling."

Rocco Maniscalco SS / Oxford High School, AL / 2027

From 5/8/24: " ... is one of the few underclassmen featured in a loaded lineup, but as a freshman he's still found a way to make a large impact on both sides of the ball competing against players much older than him and against some of the state's top competition. Listed at 6-foot-0, 180-pounds, the No. 6-ranked prospect in the 2027 class in Alabama has a chance to be a real special hitter down the road. A switch-hitter with ability from both sides, the physical hitter got off some big-time swings during the double-header when his team needed it facing pitcher sitting in the upper-80s. He possesses big upside at the plate with sizable power potential, but what stands out most right now is the maturity beyond his years. He carries himself like an upperclassmen and appears to have a chance to be one of the next big-time prospects coming out of the Oxford pipeline. Defensively, he's one of the top defenders in his class manning the hot corner, but can also move to the shortstop position and has played some catcher in the past. Definitely one to keep close tabs on in the coming years."

Brue Milner C / Tallassee High School, AL / 2027

From 5/1/24: " ... has been a name our staff has been hearing plenty of good things about over the course of the spring and he certainly didn't disappoint with a massive series on the offensive side this past week. Listed at 5-foot-9, 190-pounds, the freshman backstop possesses a strong build with good lower-half strength and is built like a prototypical catcher. While certainly he's a quality defender behind the plate for a freshman, but certainly the most eye-opening tools right now is the ability to hit for power to all fields. Hitting in the three-hole for a talented Class 5A program, Milner was on the barrel from the first pitch of the series, showing the ability to the inflict loud contact to the baseball. Hitting from a balanced stance with wider, strong base, the right-hander has a simple forward movement to contact and utilizes his strength to his advantage offensively. The barrel gets on-plane early and it stays that way throughout the swing accompanied by above-average bat speed, allowing him to hit for power. He carries himelf like a prospect much older than his currenge age, and exudes a professional right-handed approach and showed the ability to handle upper-80s with relative ease during Game 2. Delivered two home runs and five RBIs in Game 3 to help lift them to a series win. Noteworthy prospect in the 2027 class in Alabama who is going to be a hot commodity in a couple years."

Brady Richardson SS / RHP / Enterprise High School, AL / 2025

From 5/1/24: " ... has been a frequent name to show up in our scout blogs for the 2024 season. The junior two-way has been as advertised or better each time we’ve seen him and it was much of the same on Friday afternoon. The wildcats called upon the Troy recruit in game one of the 7A playoffs and Richardson turned in another high level start from the mound. Richardson showed every pitch in his arsenal, landing all four pitches for strikes throughout his outing. Auburn was able to generate some late runs during the game via small ball, after it looked like hard contact might be tough to come by if the latter portion of the game was anything like the first part. As usual, the righty leaned heavily on the fastball / slider combo, then dialed up a bigger breaking ball, 12/6 shape, and even went to the change up at times. It was the first time we’ve seen Richardson dive into the complete bag this season, which was needed against an extremely talented Auburn lineup. The fastball got up to a season best for our scouting at 91 mph, and settled at 88-90. The CB at 70-71 kept hitters off balanced, along with the slider at 74-75. If the outing on the mound wasn’t enough, Richardson added a few hits in the DH, while making some plus defensive plays at SS in game two. The future Trojan has solidified himself as a premier player in the AL 2025 class and profiles as a true two way prospect at the next level."

Brady Wilson RHP / DECATUR HERITAGE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, AL / 2025

From 7/27/23: " ... 6-foot-6, 220-pounds. XL frame with still much more room for added mass and should continue to fill out his build. Pitched in the middle innings for Team Alabama and worked a pair of scoreless frames where he allowed just two hits and no walks while striking out three. The right-hander drives the ball down the mound and showed comfortability in a mostly two-pitch mix and was consistently on the attack throughout his two innings. While sitting mostly 87-89 mph, Wilson showed the ability to reach back and grab a couple of 90’s and 91’s during the outing; the offering has late tail and sink when it's located to the bottom of the zone. He featured a mid-70s slider with late, downer action and was located in the zone and flashed the occasional upper-70s changeup with typical fade to it. Plenty of intriguing traits to like moving forward."

JB Upton SS / Auburn High School, AL / 2027

From 3/9/24: " ... is another highly-ranked prospect featured inside the Tigers' order, but while Waldrop is in his final season at the prep level, Upton is just beginning his and is already making a sizable impact hidden at the bottom of the order. A standout from our AL/MS Border Battle this past fall and the No. 5 prospect in the 2027 class in AL, the freshman certainly possesses plenty of athletic ability and an advanced skill set, but what has stood out to our staff early is the professional approach and the maturity beyond his years. Not scared of playing in the highest level of competition the state of Alabama has to offer and on arguably one of the top programs statewide, it's clear the shortstop's best days are ahead of him. Getting in on the action during yesterday's offensive onslaught, Upton took numerous quality at-bat's and put together some quality swings with a single to show for in the box score. Listed at 6-foot-0, 180-pounds, Upton is a twitchy athlete with some present strength to build; possesses some ultra-quick hands for a player of his age. Can hit from both sides of the plate as a natural switch-hitter. Barrel works on an upward path through the zone with some ability to hit to all fields. Really athletic profile and is going to be a name to circle and follow for the next few years in the state of Alabama."

Jameson Scissum RHP / Etowah High School, AL / 2025

From 4/13/24: " ... is a frontline arm for the Blue Devils and got the start in the area championship game on Saturday. While the MIssissippi State recruit did not have his best stuff, he continued to make big pitches when needed and battled a difficult lineup as the Etowah eventually won 7-4. The 6-4, 195-pounder just oozes with athleticism and shows a very high ceiling from a high 3/4 slot and an uber quick arm. He worked around some command issues (earlier in the outing) and seemed to get better as the game progressed. Scissum relied heavily on the fastball that opened up at 85-88 mph and settled into the mid 80’s later in the outing. He was able to move the pitch to both sides of the plate featuring heavy action to the arm side. The slider (74-76 mph) has been his best pitch in the past but he showed scattered control with the pitch on Saturday. Still, he was able to mix in a few quality sliders. There is no doubting the arm talent that Scisum possesses. The athletic senior was an integral part of the Blue Devils offense as he was 3-4 with a homerun and two runs scored."

 

UNCOMMITTED CHEAT SHEET

Class of 2025

Class of 2026

To see the full roster & teams for the Yellowhammer State Games, CLICK HERE.


EVENT ITINERARY

Tuesday, June 18th

  • 8:00 - 8:45 AM: Position Players Check-in
  • 8:45 AM: Pre-Event Meeting
  • 9:00 AM: Workout Begins

*Pitcher-Onlys please arrive one hour before your scheduled game slot (Rotations can be found below).

Game Times

  • 3:00 PM:
    + Team 1 vs. Team 2 (Field 1)
    + Team 3 vs. Team 4 (Field 2)
  • 5:15 PM:
    + Team 5 vs. Team 6 (Field 1)
    + Team 7 vs. Team 8 (Field 2)
  • 7:30 PM:
    + Team 9 vs. Team 10 (Field 1)
    + Team 11 vs. Team 12 (Field 2)

 

Wednesday, June 19th

  • 10:00 AM:
    + Team 6 vs. Team 7 (Field 1)
  • 10:30 AM:
    + Team 5 vs. Team 8 (Field 2)
  • 12:30 PM:
    + Team 10 vs. Team 11 (Field 1)
  • 1:00 PM:
    + Team 9 vs. Team 12 (Field 2)
  • 3:00 PM:
    + Team 2 vs. Team 3 (Field 1)
  • 3:30 PM:
    + Team 1 vs. Team 4 (Field 2)

PITCHING ROTATIONS

Tuesday, June 18th

Field 1 Field 2
3:00 PM - Game 1 3:00 PM - Game 2
INN Team 1 Team 2 INN Team 3 Team 4
1 Bryce Masters DJ Blackwood 1 Andrew Beaverson Chase Rafferty
2 Bryce Masters DJ Blackwood 2 Andrew Beaverson Chase Rafferty
3 Bryce Masters DJ Blackwood 3 Maxwell Crowder Chase Rafferty
4 Tracy Gaddis, Jr. Gavin Smith 4 Maxwell Crowder Boston Brown
5 Tracy Gaddis, Jr. Gavin Smith 5 Levi Pinder Boston Brown
6 Jaylen Malone Brody Lambert 6 Levi Pinder Corbin Driskell
7 Jaylen Malone Brody Lambert 7 Camden Martin Corbin Driskell
       
     
5:15 PM - Game 3 5:15 PM - Game 4
INN Team 5 Team 6 INN Team 7 Team 8
1 Colby Durden Price Thornton 1 Ethan Walls Payton Hunsaker
2 Colby Durden Price Thornton 2 Ethan Walls Payton Hunsaker
3 Colby Durden Price Thornton 3 Jack Ross Payton Hunsaker
4 Brady Wilson Charlie Cutler 4 Jack Ross Reece Thomas
5 Brady Wilson Charlie Cutler 5 Jeffery Rich Reece Thomas
6 Brady Wilson Gibbs White 6 Jeffery Rich Tyler Johnson
7 Israel Navarro Gibbs White 7 Will Congo Tyler Johnson
           
   
7:30 PM - Game 5 7:30 PM - Game 6
INN Team 9 Team 10 INN Team 11 Team 12
1 Bradley Irish Cam Gentle 1 Evan Malone Lawson Hare
2 Bradley Irish Cam Gentle 2 Evan Malone Lawson Hare
3 Bradley Irish Cam Gentle 3 Evan Malone Jarret Morrison
4 Jameson Scissum Miles Drew Johnson 4 Aaron Bailey Jarret Morrison
5 Jameson Scissum Miles Drew Johnson 5 Aaron Bailey Caleb Simpson
6 Jameson Scissum Miles Drew Johnson 6 Will Whatley Caleb Simpson
7 Robbins Lowe Conner Vaden 7 Will Whatley Baylor Morrison

 

Wednesday, June 19th

Field 1 Field 2
10:00 am - Game 1  10:30 am - Game 2 
INN Team 6 Team 7 INN Team 5 Team 8
1 Colman Gann Connor Stiles 1 Parks Woodruff Jack Shaw
2 Colman Gann Connor Stiles 2 Parks Woodruff Jack Shaw
3 Colman Gann Connor Stiles 3 Danny Lumpkin Jack Shaw
4 Jesse Rogers Cody Hodges 4 Danny Lumpkin Mason Baynes
5 Jesse Rogers Cody Hodges 5 Dylan Rainey Mason Baynes
6 Jack Blanchard Cody Hodges 6 Dylan Rainey Andrew Summers
7 Jack Blanchard Will Congo 7 Israel Navarro Andrew Summers
       
     
           
12:30 pm - Game 3 1:00 pm - Game 4
INN Team 10 Teamn 11 INN Team 9 Team 12
1 Matthew Drinkwater Andy Purvis 1 Gabe Jones Jamarkius Smith
2 Matthew Drinkwater Andy Purvis 2 Gabe Jones Jamarkius Smith
3 Luke Martin Andy Purvis 3 Jackson Davis Jamarkius Smith
4 Luke Martin Brodie Johnson 4 Jackson Davis Dylan Olive
5 Jesse Isensee Brodie Johnson 5 Isaac Mastin Dylan Olive
6 Jesse Isensee Ty Hunter 6 Isaac Mastin Dylan Olive
7 Conner Vaden Ty Hunter 7 Robbins Lowe Baylor Morrison
   
3:00pm - Game 5 3:30 PM - Game 6
INN Team 2 Team 3 INN Team 1 Team 4
1 Bray Goode Harrison Cook 1 William Andre Carter Domino
2 Bray Goode Harrison Cook 2 William Andre Carter Domino
3 Brenner VanDeWynckel Harrison Cook 3 William Andre Carter Domino
4 Brenner VanDeWynckel Nolan Hansen 4 Cooper Pennington Patrick McQueeney
5 Brenner VanDeWynckel Nolan Hansen 5 Cooper Pennington Patrick McQueeney
6 Cole Ziak Nolan Hansen 6 Jacob Alexander Karter Perry
7 Cole Ziak Camden Martin 7 Jacob Alexander Karter Perry

TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE

SCOUTING, TECHNOLOGY, AND DATA ANALYSIS IN ONE EVENT

Prep Baseball Player Profile  
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Each prospect's recruiting process starts and ends with the Player Profile, and our showcases revolve around building up that profile, maximizing its content and reach. For first-time attendees, a new player profile will be created, hosting all of your information, videos, head shot, metrics and more, making it one of the most important tools in a prospect's recruiting process.

Repeat showcase performances will continue to update your player profile, creating a history of prospect progress and ensuring the most up-to-date information is easily accessible throughout the fast-paced scouting community. These profiles are also searchable by a range of data points and metrics through our advanced search engine, making it a one-stop shop for recruiters and scouts.

Player Data
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Prep Baseball stats captured at its showcases, published inside its player profiles, are the industry standard in the scouting community, carrying the highest level of credibility in actionable data. Prep Baseball profiles are the most reliable resources for prospect information due to this reason alone.

Stats are collected using only the highest of standard equipment including Swift laser timers, TrackMan ball tracking technology, Blast Motion swing sensors, and Stalker radars. All stats are hosted in player profiles accompanied by Performance Tiers that show where a prospect ranks among his peers.

Performance Video
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All prospect performances will be professionally video taped, edited and uploaded into their Prep Baseball Profile. Videos will consist of multiple angles and record all aspects of the showcase including 60s, live batting practice, bullpen sessions, and defensive performances.

Videos are hosted in Prep Baseball Profiles and used for video spotlights, content, social media and more. Videos are accessible to all PBR+ subscribers.

Scouting Reports
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Prep Baseball is built at the hands of some of the most tenured and respected scouts in the industry. We pride ourselves on our level of prospect knowledge, most of which is gained through our events. Showcases are designed and engineered by state Scouting Directors with the goal of collecting as much information about a prospect as possible and relaying our findings to the public through data collection and scouting reports.

Post-Event Content
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One of the many results of a Prep Baseball showcase is getting all the information collected to the public in a timely and digestible manner. Every showcase will be featured on the Prep Baseball website and social channels through various forms of post-event content, leaderboards, video spotlights and more.

Account Dashboard
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In an effort to elevate the post-event experience for players who attend a showcase, the Account Dashboard is now the prospect's one-stop shop to view all of his post-event deliverables, including showcase video, data, Vizual Edge Score, and more. The Account Dashboard also gives players a window into upcoming events, calendar management, among other organizational tools. 

Mizuno Apparel
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All showcase participants will receive a numbered Prep Baseball showcase shirt sponsored by our partners at Mizuno. The Mizuno Tee is the all-around t-shirt for every activity, made from lightweight textured fabric, and used to identify prospects throughout the showcase process.


PREP BASEBALL TECH PACKAGE

Following a Prep Baseball event, players will receive unrivaled access to their advanced ball-tracking and swing metrics through the TrackMan and BlastConnect apps as well as visual skills through Vizual Edge testing. Furthermore, key metrics will live inside the player's official Prep Baseball profile to help them in their recruitment process. 

TrackMan
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TrackMan is the global leader in ball-tracking accuracy. Following a Prep Baseball event, all players will get unrivaled access to their performance data in the TrackMan interactive app. Players can create custom dashboards that unlock both hitting and pitching data.

Pitching Features Include:

  • Pitching data access includes: release speed, spin rate, spin axis, release height, extension, horizontal and vertical break, and location on each pitch
  • See each pitch trajectory in 3D from multiple viewpoints
  • Create defined tags to label and compare pitches
  • Pin pitches together to create tunneling visualizations between different pitch types
  • Visualize each pitch location

Hitting Features Include:

  • Hitting data access includes: Exit speed, distance traveled, launch angle, launch direction, spin rate, contact depth and contact side/height for each swing.
  • Visualize plate coverage
  • Pairing of all data points on each swing
  • All key ball flight metrics will live inside player profiles at prepbaseballreport.com for the benefit of college coaches and recruiters, which will help prospects advance to the next level.
Blast Motion
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Blast is the global leader in swing analysis and used by nearly every MLB organization. Following a Prep Baseball event, players will receive access to BlastConnect in the Blast App, which unlocks critical insights and actionable data from their performance.

Features include:

  • Swing Analysis and Blast Motion hitting assessment
  • Professional-level swing analytics to help players improve their hitting performance
  • Free 30-day trial to Blast Premium Services subscription
  • Key hitting metrics and Blast Motion Scores will also live inside player profiles at prepbaseballreport.com for the benefit of college coaches and recruiters, which will help prospects advance to the next level.
Vizual Edge
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Vizual Edge is a market leader in visual performance assessment and training that multiple MLB clubs use for its players. During Prep Baseball events, players will take the Vizual Edge 15-minute baseline evaluation. Following the event, players will receive an email PDF of your results – labeled as your EDGE Score – that will identify your visual strengths and weaknesses and how they directly impact your on-field performance.

Visual skills are critical for pitch recognition, reaction speed, timing, seeing spin on the ball, defensive performance and much more. Your EDGE Score will also live inside your Prep Baseball profile.

Swift Performance
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Prep Baseball events will be equipped with Swift Performance’s industry-leading athletic testing technologies to capture pinpoint accurate, actionable data for all participants, ultimately delivering new insights into athletes’ speed, explosiveness and power for recruiters to evaluate.

Through both systems, the Swift UNO timing gates and EZEJump mats, athletes will be evaluated on a multitude of metrics that goes beyond just the 60-yard dash. Participants will be put through a jump protocol as well as adding 10- yard split to the 60.

Athletic testing metrics include:

  • 60-yard dash with 10 yard split
  • Top end speed (mph)
  • Reactive Strength Index
  • Vertical jump
Additional Athletic Testing
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Body Composition

Players' body composition will be officially measured using state-of-the-art, medical-grade technology that will provide precise insights into height, weight, skeletal muscle mass, BMI and more. Players will step on scales using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), a method for measuring body composition, including muscle mass, body fat, and total body water.

Our scales will then produce several metrics giving insight into the prospect’s body composition. Height will be measured using a digital stadiometer to get precise height measurements.

Grip Strength

Hitters' grip strength will be tested using a digital hydraulic dynamometer. Grip strength is an essential component to bat strength and controlling the barrel. Hitters will be put through a max strength test on both hands, shedding light on hand strength and potential power and bat control down the road.


 

Upcoming Events

SHOWCASE DATE LOCATION
Yellowhammer State Games (Invite-Only) June 18th-19th, 2024 Sand Mountain Park (Albertville, AL)
Birmingham Rising Stars ID June 26th, 2024 Gardendale High School (Gardendale, AL)
Birmingham Summer ID June 26th, 2024 Gardendale High School (Gardendale, AL)
Huntsville Rising Stars ID July 2nd, 2024 James Clemens High School (Madison, AL)
Huntsville Summer ID July 2nd, 2024 James Clemens High School (Madison, AL)
Tuscaloosa Rising Stars ID July 9th, 2024 Northridge High School (Tuscaloosa, AL)
Tuscaloosa Summer ID July 9th, 2024 Northridge High School (Tuscaloosa, AL)
Montgomery Rising Stars ID July 16th, 2024 Stanhope Elmore High School (Millbrook, AL)
Montgomery Summer ID July 16th, 2024 Stanhope Elmore High School (Millbrook, AL)

 

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