Cottondale Middle School Baseball Opens the 2026 season
By: Shelia Mader
America’s pastime is back on the diamond in Jackson County, and the Cottondale Hornets Middle School baseball program officially opened its 2026 season last week with a three-game stretch that offered plenty of learning moments, flashes of promise, and valuable early-season experience.
The Hornets ‘A’ team opened the year on the road Thursday at Tolar Middle School before both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams made their home debut Friday in front of an energetic crowd in Cottondale. While the win column remained empty after the opening week, the Hornets showed fight, resilience, and growth that coaches can build on as the season moves forward.
Game One: Hornets Battle Late, Fall 7-4 at Tolar
The Cottondale ‘A’ team kicked off the season Thursday night in Tolar, dropping a hard-fought 7–4 decision despite a strong late push that saw the Hornets plate three runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Trayton Land got the opening-day start on the mound and worked three innings. Land surrendered two earned runs and two unearned runs on four hits, issued one walk, and struck out two batters. Rowan McDaniel followed in relief, pitching the fourth inning and allowing two earned runs and one unearned run while walking three. August Dahl closed out the game in the fifth, turning in a clean inning with no runs, no hits, and no walks.
Cottondale threatened early in the top of the first inning when Dahl worked a leadoff walk and advanced to second after Grayson Watson was hit by a pitch. However, three quick outs followed, leaving both runners stranded. Tolar capitalized in the bottom half, scoring two runs to take an early lead.
The Hornets continued to show patience at the plate in the second inning. Barrett Trimble drew a leadoff walk, and with two outs Bodhi Johnson also earned a free pass. Once again, Cottondale couldn’t push a run across, and Tolar went quietly in the bottom of the inning.
In the third, Cottondale mounted another threat. With two outs, Royce McLeod singled, and Harrison Kline followed with a walk. Both runners swiped a base to move into scoring position, but a strikeout ended the inning. Tolar answered with two runs in the bottom of the third to extend its lead.
Cottondale finally broke through in the fourth inning. Elan Parrish led off with a walk, stole second and third, and scored on a sacrifice by McDaniel to put the Hornets on the board. Tolar responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning, stretching the advantage to 7–1.
The Hornets showed their grit in the top of the fifth. Dahl opened the inning with a single up the middle, and Watson followed with a base hit to left. McLeod then drove a deep ball to right field to load the bases. Kline’s sacrifice brought Dahl home, and Trimble delivered a clutch single to left that scored both Watson and McLeod. Cottondale continued to battle, but a late strikeout ended the rally and the game.
Game Two: Same Score, Same Opponent, Same Fight
The following day, Cottondale welcomed the Tolar Cowboys to their home field, and in a bit of irony, the contest ended with the same 7–4 final score.
JuJu Ortiz earned the start for the Hornets, pitching two innings. Ortiz allowed six runs, four earned, on five hits and four walks while striking out one. Sebastian Arranda took over in relief and was sharp, giving up no runs on one hit. Harrison Kline closed out the game, allowing one run on three hits with no walks and one strikeout.
Offensively, Cottondale’s bats were quiet early, managing their first baserunners in the bottom of the third inning. Trayton Land and McLeod drew back-to-back walks to get things started. With runners on the corners, a sacrifice brought Land home. Dahl followed with a ball to right field, and Watson went the opposite way to load the bases. Ortiz then delivered a two-RBI double to spark the Hornets’ offense. Kline was hit by a pitch, and Ortiz later scored on a wild pitch before the inning ended. Cottondale trimmed the deficit to 6–4 and shifted momentum back to their side.
Tolar added a run in the top of the fourth. In the bottom half, the Hornets continued to show patience as Arranda and Duke Seiss drew consecutive walks. Ortiz later loaded the bases, but the Hornets were unable to deliver the tying hit, leaving the bags full as the game came to a close.
While the Hornets didn’t come away with a win in the opening week, the season’s first games provided plenty of positives. From improved plate discipline to aggressive baserunning and late-inning rallies, Cottondale showed they are capable of competing with county opponents.
With early nerves out of the way and live game reps under their belts, the Hornets will look to build on this opening stretch as they continue their 2026 campaign, aiming to turn close losses into wins as the season unfolds.
