Elvis Presley was the king of rock and roll and Harlan County still had 12 high schools the last time the Harlan Green Dragons put together three straight 52nd District championship seasons. That’s where the Dragons find themselves in 2026 after breaking a nine-year drought between district titles in 2024 and then following it up with another championship last spring with a 5-4 victory over Bell County.
With six starters back and a deep pitching staff that ranks among the best in the 13th Region, the Dragons find themselves in position to win the district three straight years for the first times since winning four straight from 1956 to 1959.
“We did kind of build it from the foundation, but even then we had kids who loved the sport and wanted to play for each other,” said coach Lee Freyer. “When you build a winning culture and set a standard that they all adhere to, then you look up and go from 14 guys to 27 guys. They want to be part of a winning culture and winning program. I think we have an extreme amount of talent, especially for a Class A school. I would lace the cleats up with this bunch and play anybody and feel confident we have a shot in every game we play this year.”
One of the big seasons for the optimism Is a stellar rotation led by senior right-hander Baylor Varner and junior left-hander Luke Luttrell Varner posted a 3-2 mark last season with a 3.63 earned run average. He struck out 72 and walked 32 in 44 1/3 innings. Luttrell had a 4-2 mark with a 3.39 ERA along with 42 strikeouts and 14 walks in 31 innings. The Dragons received some bad news though when Luttrell suffered an elbow injury in a scrimmage game that is expected to keep him from pitching this season. Freyer said the severity of the injury won’t be known until he’s examined again by doctors but he isn’t expected to pitch even if he can still play the outfield.
Brody Owens and Jake Brewer, both seniors, also had big seasons on the mound. Brewer posted a 2-0 record with a 2:06 earned run average with 17 strikeouts and 11 walks in 17 innings. Owens was 2-1 with a 4.29 earned run average and 39 strikeouts and 25 walks in 31 innings.’’
Eli Freyer, a junior, will also see action on the mound, along with senior Chris Rouse and sophomore Jaxson Perry. Freshmen Cooper Thomas and Zach Boggs are also in the mix.
“With the depth we have we can compete on the Thursdays and Fridays not just the Mondays and Tuesdays. In the past, you had to wait on your guys to get rested and keep them healthy,” Freyer said. “With Varner and Luttrell, and even Owens, we have three guys who are 85-plus on the mound that fill up the zone with a lot of strikes and have good off-speed.”
Varner is a key player on both offense and defense as the leadoff hitter and shortstop. He hit .342 last year with 27 hits and 19 RBI along with a team-high 16 stolen bases.
“Baylor has a lot of experience and is one of the leaders on the team. It’s good to have someone there you can depend on,” Freyer said. “He is one of the better players in the region despite position. He’s a threat on the base paths with a good glove who works on his craft all the time. He always wants to get better.”
Brewer returns at second base after hitting .261 with 23 hits and 12 RBI. Caiden Jackson will also see action at second.
“Jake is our Swiss army knife. He has a high baseball IQ and is fundamentally sound. He loves the game and plays it the right way. He can play anywhere,” Freyer said. “Caiden has also done a good job. He was primarily a catcher in middle school.”
Freyer is the primary third baseman who will also see action at short and first. He led the team win hitting once again last season at .415 with 34 hits and 20 RBI.
“He’s still growing and has really hard in the weight room and it’s showing. He’s added a tremendous amount of pop to his bat,” said Freyer of his son. “He really wanted to work on that. He’s led our team in average or hits the last three years. He’s always had good bat to ball skills and wants to add some pop to it.”
Landon Myers and Braxton Bowen, both juniors, are the primary candidates to take over at first base, a spot held for the better part of six seasons by Jared Moore.
“It’s kind of first base by committee. This is Landon’s first time playing since middle school, and we are glad to get him back out here. He’s looked really good so far,” Freyer said. “Braxton is showing a lot of good signs in the outfield also. Eli will also get some times at first base. All of our lineups depend on pitching. Caiden Meadors will also see some action at first.”
Owens is back behind the plate after hitting .347 last season with 33 hits and 20 RBI. Grant Shelton, a sophomore who saw action at third base last year, will also catch with Owens serving as one of the Dragons’ top pitchers.
“Brody has started there since his freshman year. He has a high baseball IQ and has done a great job back there being the leader of our defense. He’s a hard-nosed kid who plays tough,” Freyer said. “Grant has worked hard in the offseason and is getting more action at catcher. We need that kind of depth.
Luttrell was expected to again anchor the outfield in center after hitting .304 last year with 21 hits, 15 RBI and one of the team’s three homers a season ago. Freyer said it’s possible Luttrell may be able to play center this season even if he can’t pitch, depending on the severity of the injury.
“He’s a strong-armed kid who gets great jumps,” Freyer said.
Rouse, a senior, is back in right field with Perry playing left. Rouse hit .262 with 17 hits and 11 RBI while Perry hit .253 with 19 hits, 15 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 12 tries. If Luttrell is unable to play at all, the Perry likely shifts to center with Bowen in left and Rouse in right with Beck Bryson providing depth.
“Jaxson is just coming off basketball season. He’s a great athlete and really fast on the bases,” Freyer said. “Chris is another good outfielder with a lot of experience. He has been consistent over the years. Bowen had done really well in the outfield and can play all three spots out there.”
Freyer said one of the Dragons’ goals is to win the 13th Region All “A” Classic, after falling short of a repeat last year, and then win the sectional and advance to the All “A” state.
“At the beginning you’re trying to learn how to win. There were a lot of games we’d be up, but we didn’t know how to finish,” Freyer said. “I think the last two years they have gotten over that hump. We talk all the time we want to chase failure. You aren’t doing them any good if they never fail because you learn more when you fail than when you win. We don’t win or lose, we win or learn here. That’s how you experience growth. This group, hopefully, they’ve learned enough and grown enough they are ready to take that next step. We want to continue winning our district and we want to compete for a regional title and win a regional title. We’ve got the guys here that can do that. Why not us and why not now?”