Before the 2026 high school baseball season began, Douglass head baseball coach Robert Winn Jr. stepped onto the stage at APS Baseball Media Day in Truist Park and told everyone that the Astros weren’t dodging any smoke.
In his second season leading the team, the Astros backed up their coach’s premonition and set a school record for regular season wins. The team won nine of its last 10 games to finish the regular season with a 15-5 record, and on Friday, April 24, the school will host a playoff game for the first time in school history.
“This group is something special,” Winn said. “From the onset, they just wanted to work and get better. We’ve always wanted to be able to say we are legendary, so we told them just keep going and eventually we’ll be able to say it. Now, we can say legendary because they earned that. They changed the culture here.”
Since coach Winn joined the program, the team has gotten better each year, winning eight games during the 2025 season and building the foundation for success with his coaching staff.
The Astros progression also benefited from a well-rounded coaching staff and a pipeline of talent from John Lewis Invictus Academy (JLI) and the L.E.A.D. Center for Youth baseball program that has produced varsity-ready players.
“We could see the writing on the wall last year, and the guys started to get better,” Winn said. “When those guys came in, they instantly added to what we were building.”
The new additions to the roster helped fill out a team with impact players who can play all over the diamond. McCaleb Morris, a senior and the team leader, is the Astros’ best pitcher who also plays infield. Jamarius Glover, a junior, is the vocal leader of the team and the coach on the field. SaDarion Thurman, a sophomore, is the baseball IQ guy who keeps his teammates alert to the game situations. Aareon Alexander, Tristian Wilborn, and Tymeco Cameron have been contributing to the team’s success as freshmen as well.
“We have guys at every classification that are impact players,” Winn said. “All those guys are very important to the program and we’re truly building something special.”
Another major factor in improving the baseball program at Douglass has been the increased level of investment in Atlanta Public Schools baseball. In 2024, the Atlanta Braves Foundation installed a new covered batting cage for the Douglass baseball and softball teams, along with other field and equipment improvements. Alumni have donated brand new bats for the team, and Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Superintendent, Dr. Bryan Johnson, made sure each APS school had a pitching machine.
“With the Braves giving that investment, the L.E.A.D. program investing in us, and APS athletic director Greg Goodwin down at the district level investing in us, it’s great because we’re truly building a program,” Winn said. “If you really want to build a baseball program, you can’t just play during baseball season. Our guys have access to it whenever they need it.”
Earlier this year, Douglass High School athletic director Alana Allen brought back the Athletics Hall of Fame for the first time in 50 years. The Hall of Fame ceremony, which celebrated former Astros legends, was also meant to inspire the current student-athletes.
Glover, who was one of the first students to notice the list of Astros Hall of Famers, told Allen that one day he wants to be in the Astros Hall of Fame.
“That alone stood out to me because the students are actually paying attention,” Allen said. “Now, they have something to reach towards, and the fact that this is the first time in school history that we actually are playing a home playoff game is exceptional.”
On Friday, April 24, the Astros will host Adairsville for a best-of-three game series. Even with all the excitement of hosting a playoff series, coach Winn and the Astros aren’t satisfied yet.
“I know we’ve done something special here, but we’re still in the midst of it,” he said. “When it’s all said and done, we’ll take the time to sit down and be happy about it. But right now, job’s not done.”