GRAY DEYOSports Writer

Baseball season for the 2023-2024 State Champ Tullahoma Wildcats is just a month away, and with every new season comes new opponents. Here is a brief breakdown of every team on the Wildcats’ schedule that they did not play last year.

The Webb School

The first of the group of teams that the Wildcats will take on is The Webb School. They are located in Bell Buckle, and are coming off of a season where they went 13-13 overall and 4-10 in district play. They have improved their record every year over the past three seasons and should be viewed as a team that could be dangerous. The same group that they had last year will all be back, as the squad from Bell Buckle had not a single senior on their 2023-2024 roster. The two teams face off on Mar. 4 on Tullahoma’s home field.

Clarksville High School

The Clarksville Wildcats will stand as a real test for Tullahoma. They finished last year with a staggering 39-10 record and a 9-3 divisional record. They had an appearance in the 4A state tournament, where they lost in the first-round loser’s bracket to the eventual state runner-up, Beech High School. Clarksville had a dominant first-half stretch of the season, starting the season with a 17-1 record. They will find Tullahoma during that stretch this year on Mar. 8 when they face each other at Blackman High School.

Franklin Road Academy

The FRA Panthers are located in Nashville, and are coming off a season they probably want to forget. They finished their 2023-2024 campaign with an overall record of 5-16 and a district record of 3-12. The team’s struggles last year continued a streak of rough seasons for the Panthers, as they have not had a 10+ win season since the 2016-2017 season. The two teams will face off on Mar. 14 at Blackman High School.

Dickson County High School

Dickson County finished with a subpar overall record of 11-23 but played well in their division finishing second with a record of 4-1. The Cougars’ baseball program has not made a ton of noise recently, and as far as this season goes, it will be dependent on the play of new players. They are losing 11 seniors headed into this season, opening up the roster for new Cougars to have opportunities, and their record will be directly reflected in those players’ newfound opportunities. The two teams will face off on Mar. 15 at Stewarts Creek High School.

Columbia Central High School

The Columbia Central Lions are coming off their best season in recent memory. They finished their 2023-2024 season with an overall record of 20-17 and a district record of 8-7. The Lions the three seasons before last year combined for a total of 13 wins. They will look to continue to turn a new page in their team’s program and keep the positive play they showcased from last season flowing, when they take on Tullahoma on Mar. 17 on the Wildcats’ home field. 

Spring Hill High School

The Spring Hill Raiders garnered an overall record of 23-10 last year and a district record of 12-7. The Raiders have put together back-to-back seasons of 18+ win seasons and will look to continue down the winning path this year. Tullahoma did not play Spring Hill last year but did face them twice in the 2022-2023 season. The Wildcats won both matchups–winning 7-6 and 6-1. The two squads will face off this year on Mar. 20 at Tullahoma.

Marion County High School

The Marion Co. Warriors are located in Jasper, TN, and finished last year with an overall record of 20-8 and a spotless district record of 10-0. Over the last four years, the program has won at least 20+ games, and they are slated to do the same this year with them only losing one senior on last year’s roster. They are in a lower division in 1A, but they should be viewed as a team to worry about on the Wildcats’ schedule. The two teams play each other on Mar. 21 at Tullahoma.

Sequatchie County High School

The last of the teams that the Wildcats will play this year, which they did not play last year are the Sequatchie High School Indians. They finished last season with an overall record of 16-10 and a district record of 4-2. The team has hovered around the average season finish they had last season for the past three years–winning 12 games in the 2022-23 season and finishing with 14 wins in both of the two seasons after. They will look to take a leap this year as a team and will face the Wildcats on Mar. 22 on Tullahoma’s home field.