The calendar has turned to the a new year and that means the OSSAA high school baseball season will be here soon. Classes A1, A2, and B officially get started February 23 while the rest of the classes begin March 2.
Up until that the beginning of the season, SSBR will be providing previews of as many teams as we can. Recently, SSBR sent out questionnaires to the high school coaches across the state of Oklahoma asking for their top returning players, top newcomers, overall strengths/weaknesses, and their overall assessment where their respective programs are coming into the 2026 season.
What you have below are the responses to those questions in the words of the coaches themselves.
Today’s team: Yukon Millers
Classification: 6A
2025 Results: 22-15 (Regional finalist)
Head Coach: Ryan Phillips
Head coaching experience: 13 years (3 at Yukon)
Top Returners
- Eddie Fish – INF | Louisiana Tech University Commit; Eddie is a two-year starter in the middle of our infield and is coming off a breakout 2025 season. He is one of the hardest workers on and off the field and sets the standard for our program. We’re excited to see what his senior year brings as he continues to develop and lead.
- Drake Pace – 2B; Drake started every game at second base last season as a sophomore. He has put in a tremendous amount of work over the offseason, and with a full year of varsity experience under his belt, we expect him to be one of our key contributors this season.
- Brayden Trogdon – RHP | Youngstown State University Commit; Brayden has pitched on varsity for the past two seasons and has consistently improved each time he takes the mound. He was a major asset for us during district play last year, and we expect continued growth and strong performances this season.
- Zayden Khalil – OF/UTL; Zayden was called up to varsity midway through his freshman year and made an immediate impact at the plate. He started strong and never looked back. We expect him to continue progressing and building on that success as he enters his sophomore season.
Top Newcomers
- Caleb Schneider – JR – UTL; Caleb is a true utility player. You can put him anywhere on the field and trust that he’ll compete at a high level. Offensively, he puts constant pressure on the defense with his speed and strong baseball IQ.
- Owen Blair – JR – P/C; Owen is an athletic catcher who receives and throws the ball extremely well behind the plate. Offensively, he’s another player who applies pressure with his speed and contact ability. On the mound, he’s a quick-twitch athlete who fills up the zone and can throw multiple pitches in any count.
- Preston Klose – JR – P/1B; Preston has continued to make steady improvements over the past few seasons. On the mound, his big frame allows him to overwhelm hitters. Offensively, it’s more of the same—he’s a physical presence in the lineup who can do serious damage with his power.
- Gentry Hoke-SR-P/INF; Gentry is as steady as they come. He’s worked extremely hard to put himself in a position to help us on the mound this year. On the mound, nothing ever seems to move too fast for him, and he’s able to keep offenses in check with his pitchability and composure.
- Eli Downing-SO-UTL; Eli is one of the best athletes on the field at any time. We expect him to use that athleticism to his advantage both at the plate and defensively.
Overall Team Strengths
Our team’s greatest strength this season is our depth. Offensively, we believe we have 13–14 guys who can step in and make an impact at any time. On the pitching side, we’re confident we have around 10 arms capable of going out and winning a game on any given day. We return our top three hitters from last year along with one of our most dependable arms, which gives us a strong foundation. Those players are surrounded by hard workers who understand their roles and are committed to doing whatever the team needs to win.
Overall Team Needs to Work On
As a team, we need to stay focused on what matters most throughout the season—getting better every day. We’ll need some of our newcomers to step up and play a vital role in our success this spring, and we have the utmost confidence that they’re ready to do just that.
Outlook
Our outlook for this season is the same as it is every year here at Yukon. We expect to compete as one of the top teams in our district and to make a strong run in the playoffs, with our ultimate goal always being a state championship.
Schedule
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