Providence, full of new faces, is No. 1 in The Observer’s preseason Sweet 16 baseball poll

Providence High baseball coach Danny Hignight thinks his team has a lot of potential, but he’s also got a lot of new faces.

The Panthers, who start the season No. 1 in The Observer’s preseason baseball poll, return two every day starters — Liberty commit Xavier McCoury at shortstop and Wingate recruit Ben Baldassarre at first base — and third baseman Brodie Slone, who Hignight said showed a lot of promise in the eight games he started last year.

Hignight’s team also brings back pitchers Parker Jenson, another Wingate recruit, and Jack Aurelius, two players who combined to pitch 14 innings last season.

“We’re going to be new across the board,” Hignight said. “We’re athletic. They’re a fun group and their work their butts off. But until the lights come on, I’ve not really sure what I’ve got. I can tell you, though, in practice they look dang good.”

With rain and high temperatures in the lower 40s, it may not feel like baseball weather, but spring sports practice for N.C. public schools officially kicked off Wednesday. That brought back baseball, softball, lacrosse, girls’ soccer, boys’ tennis, boys’ golf and track.

The first games will be played Feb. 24.

Providence starts its 2025 season at No. 7 Weddington on Feb. 25. After that, the Panthers play 4A powers South Mecklenburg and Charlotte Catholic three times in 11 days.

“The schedule does not favor us,” Hignight said. “We’ve got Weddington in the opener and they’ve got three dudes (who can grow throw a fastball) 91 to 93 (miles per hour). And then we roll into Catholic, and they’ve got a kid who can throw 95. They’re loaded with arms. It’s going to be tough.”

Hignight, however, has history of downplaying just how good his teams are, or will turn out to be. And the Panthers are almost always good.

In 12 of his 21 previous seasons as head coach at Providence, Hignight’s teams have been ranked among the nation’s top 25 teams at some point in the season. His 2012 team was ranked as high as No. 1.

The 2015 Providence team was a 31-2 state champion. The 2022 version was 34-0 and won another state title. That Panthers’ team finished ranked No. 3 in America and outscored opponents 291-53.

And likely this year or next, Hignight will get to 500 career wins, a rare milestone for Charlotte-area coaches. He’s 472-107 right now, and Hignight said he and his team are raring to go.

“I think they’re going to be an exciting team to watch,” he said. “We’ve got great leadership, great chemistry. I’m excited.”

▪ The Sweet 16 poll is compiled by longtime N.C. high school sports expert Alex Bass and includes NCHSAA and NCISAA teams in The Observer’s coverage area. That area consists of schools in the following counties: Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union.

Baseball: Preseason Sweet 16

This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 6:00 AM.

Langston Wertz Jr.

The Charlotte Observer

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Langston Wertz Jr. is an award-winning sports journalist who has worked at the Observer since 1988. He’s covered everything from Final Fours and NFL to video games and Britney Spears. Wertz -- a West Charlotte High and UNC grad -- is the rare person who can answer “Charlotte,” when you ask, “What city are you from.” Support my work with a digital subscription