Last year was another terrific season for Gatewood baseball, as the Gators won their third-straight GIAA Class AA state championship after their sixth consecutive appearance in the final series.
Gatewood graduated seven seniors in 2025 and returned only one senior and two juniors for this year’s campaign. In addition to their small group of upperclassmen, the 2026 Gators include 10 sophomores and 19 underclassmen total.
“We are definitely still finding our way,” Gatewood head coach Brandon Moss said. “There are several players who have experience on the field, but becoming a leader is a process. It will take us some time to figure out who our leaders are and how they lead. Once those roles are established, the team will take shape and gain an identity. It’s definitely an end product we look forward to seeing, as this team is full of talent.”
Moss also described what he hopes to see out of the Gators’ young roster.
“We hope to get healthy offensive production from our returning players, as they are most likely to occupy most of the spots in the lineup,” he said. “Ben Brannen, Drew Love, Lawson Moore, Jayden Moss, Brady Haley, Connor Mitchem, and some players who have had playing time in years past, but in more of supporting roles like Blake Brannen and Harrison Harper.”
Moss added he expects Morgan County transfer Ben Pearson to be a big addition to the Gators’ pitching staff and batting order, as will sophomore Wesley Lavigne, who Moss said should be strong at the plate.
The Gators have an unusually large group of experienced underclassmen, including ace starting pitcher Lawson Moore. Moore has enjoyed a strong start to his career, making 12 appearances as a freshman in 2025, pitching the third-most innings among Gatewood’s starters, and striking out 43 while walking just 10.
Moore also has shown great ability at the plate, driving in 31 runs on 31 hits, both representing team bests for last season. He led the team in batting average, too, hitting at a .408 clip while tying the team high in extra base hits at 12 (including four home runs) with fellow sophomore Jayden Moss.
Moss finished last year’s freshman campaign with a .366 average, 26 hits, 29 RBIs, and an impressive team-best nine home runs.
Mitchem, another sophomore, will step up this season as the team’s starting catcher. He also brings ability at the plate, recording 17 hits last year, including two home runs, two doubles, and nine RBIs.
Returning upperclassmen for Gatewood include senior Ben Brannen, juniors Drew Love and Jack Wooten.
Brannen will be a starter for a fourth season after batting .303 last year and scoring 19 runs while driving in eight runs on 20 hits. He is also expected to step into a bigger role on the mound this season after pitching just three innings in 2025, though he was efficient in those appearances, striking out six batters and allowing just two earned runs against 15 batters.
So, despite fielding a large group of relatively young players, Gatewood remains a veteran team.
“Experience means you have been through the highs and lows and should have an understanding on how the ebbs and flow of a season goes,” Moss said. “Experience should keep you grounded, and you definitely should have a better appreciation and understanding of the process, as you’ve seen the rewards of it.”
Moss hopes to find more balance as the season progresses, but for now, he knows the Gators as an offensive team. However, he knows that can quickly change.
“We are hoping that we are a strong offensive team. Judging off past experience and potential, we certainly should be,” he said. “But each team takes on its own identity. By the end of the year, we may be praising our defense and baserunning as the keys to success.”
Gatewood will open its season at 6 p.m. Feb. 23 at home, hosting Stockbridge, with another home game the next day at 5:30 p.m. against Harvester Christian Academy, out of Douglasville.