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: Byng Pirates

Classification: 4A

2025 Spring Results: 23-7 (Area Finalist)

2025 Fall Results: 20-7 (2A State Champion)

Head Coach: Jake Wellington

Head coaching experience: 1st year

---

Top Returners

• Preston Welch (Cowley County commit); Welch has been a big bat for us throughout the last several years as well as a dominant pitcher on the mound. Preston is a very talented player that can be very tough to beat
• Lane McCarter (Redlands CC commit); McCarter brings a lot of speed and energy to our lineup and will be one of our top guys on the mound. His speed and athleticism is at the top of the class.
• Ezekiel Griffin (East Central University commit); Griffin has been a big bat for us this year and will play outfield and catcher for us this Spring. Zeke is also a really good catcher and will keep runners honest.
• Reese Littlefield (NWOSU commit); Littlefield is a tough competitor and brings power to the top of our lineup. He is also going to be at the top of our rotation on the mound.
• Hagan Graham; Graham is coming back strong from an arm injury and will help us on the mound and with his bat. He is a crucial part of our pitching staff and lineup. Hagan has been a leader for us for 4 years and everyone is ready to see him compete on the mound again.

---

Top Newcomers

• Jaxon Andrews; Brings a lot of speed to our lineup and can hit to all fields. He is athletic and plays with a lot of grit. He refuses to strikeout and will follow you through a brick wall.
• Kix Stephens; Catches and is a competitor on the mound. His arm will keep base runners in check the Spring and he does a good job of controlling our pitchers. Kix is tough and will fight to win at all costs.
• Lane Alexander; Brings a lot of pop to our lineup. He can hit at the top or bottom and will play outfield and infield for us. Lane is a very important piece to our team.
• Brycen Smith; Brycen is returning from an arm injury and will float on defense depending on who is pitching. He can play 3B, 1B, and OF at any time. Brycen is a leader in many ways and will also compete at the plate as well as on defense.

---

Overall Team Strengths

This veteran lineup has a lot of pop while also adjusting to small ball when needed. The pitching staff is looking good with lots of experience. Defensively, we are athletic and versatile in many positions. You cannot count this group out.

Overall Team Needs to Work On

Continue to get better and execute at a high level. The standard never changes at Byng. We always prepare to win a State Championship.

Outlook

Stay healthy, stay focused, and win the last game.

Schedule

---

Official Sooner State Baseball Report Merch

Like this content? Don’t miss any posts. Enter your email in the box below and have Sooner State Baseball Report content delivered right to your inbox.