An Interview With NHS Baseball Head Coach, Zach Hudson 

What excites you the most about the 2026 Nolensville baseball team compared to previous years?

Our team this year is a special group that has bonded well.  Our goals are extremely high and we will play a very challenging schedule that we think will prepare us for a deep postseason run.

What are the key strengths of this year’s team, and where do you see room for growth?

We return a lot of experience from last year and have a very deep roster.  A strength for us will be our pitching with a lot of quality arms including Wyatt Clatur, Caleb Gilbert, Hayden Hupka, Aiden Oppenheimer, Watts Corum, Hutch Weaver, and Parker Vandercook.  Also, we should be able to play defense at a high level, especially returning key contributors in Evan McElvain, Kael Barney, Kyson Barney, Griffin Hendrickson, Jimmy Marzullo, Ryan Newell, and Tyler Barth.  We will also have Tanner Jackson, William Satinoff, and Grayson Riddle competing for spots.  Offensively, we should be a tough match up for opposing pitchers as we should be able to manufacture runs in different ways.

What are your expectations or goals for the team this season, both on and off the field?

Our expectations are to be playing our best baseball at the end of the season.  If we can do that, we will have a chance to be very successful.

How have you been preparing the team for tough matchups or key rivals
this year?

As soon as our season ended last year, and over the course of the summer and fall, our team has been extremely focused on developing our standards and competing at a high level in everything that we do.  By doing that, we’ve been able to prepare for the difficult match ups we will have this spring.

What has been the biggest challenge or obstacle you’ve faced in coaching this year’s team?

Not that this year has been perfect, but this team genuinely likes each other, enjoys spending time together, and has done a great job preparing for the upcoming season.  Pair that with the talent that we have and it has made for an enjoyable off season.  We are certainly ready for the season!

How do you foster team chemistry and leadership among players, especially with new members?

We talk about culture all the time.  Our older guys have done a really good job of leading, which creates chemistry.

Are there any standout games or moments you’re really looking forward to this season?

In early March, we will travel to Knoxville to play the 4x defending state champion Farragut and Oak Ridge, who has been to the last 2 state tournaments.  Those will be some marquee matchups.  Also, this spring, we’ve been invited to the National High School Invitational in Cary, NC which includes 16 of the top high school baseball programs from across the country.  This will be an incredible opportunity for our team.  And as always, we look forward to competing against the other teams in our district/Williamson County.

We are extremely proud to represent our Nolensville community.  We would love to see you catch a few games this spring!  We have an incredibly talented team (preseason #36 in the country) with all 11 of our seniors continuing their baseball careers at the next level.