The only area athletes still competing this week will want steady hands and nerves of steel, for it is title time for the state's top prep golfers and championship week for baseball.
The state baseball semifinals will get underway on Monday with doubleheaders in their best-of-three series, and Gainesville and Buford will both take part -- looking for berths in Saturday's championship series.
The Red Elephants and Wolves will face incredibly tough challenges in the Class AAAAA and AAA semifinals, respectively -- click here for a complete preview story -- against Houston County and Cartersville.
Sweep through Monday's doubleheaders -- or take Game 3 on Tuesday -- and each program will be headed for championship series, which will begin on Saturday.
Speaking of championships, the state's golfers will crown their title-winners on Monday in tournaments throughout the Augusta area.
The Gainesville boys will gun for their third straight state crown when they compete in the Class AAAAA boys tournament at the Bartram Trail Golf Club in Evans. The Red Elephants are undefeated since winning the 2012 Class AAA crown -- a victory at Augusta Country Club that started Gainesville's title run.
The Red Elephants -- like most area teams that will play at various venues -- spent the weekend acclimating themselves to their championship courses. But Gainesville knows that any title is far from certain, and a deep and talented tournament field will make things tough.
Yet Gainesville is not concerned with competing against other players, rather the Red Elephants will do their best to dominate the course in Evans.
Other area teams and competitors playing for championships on Monday include the Gainesville girls, who will look to get back to their state championship form of 2012, while both boys and girls teams from Buford, Commerce, Flowery Branch, Jackson County, Rabun County, Stephens County and White County will also compete. Meanwhile the North Hall boys, Banks County girls, Jefferson girls, Johnson girls, Towns County girls, Union County girls and West Hall girls will compete, while Lakeview Academy's John Jacobs IV and Dawson County's Madison Caldwell will also compete as individuals.
AREA SPORTS SCHEDULE, MAY 19-24
Monday, May 19
BASEBALL -- State semifinal series doubleheaders:
Class AAAAA
Houston County at Gainesville, 4 p.m. start
Class AAA
Cartersville at Buford, 4:30 p.m. start
GOLF -- State championship tournaments:
Boys
Class A (Public and Private)
Forest Hills Golf Club, Augusta
Class AA
Applewood Golf Course, Keysville
Class AAA
Belle Meade Country Club, Thomson
Class AAAA
Westlake Country Club, Martinez,
Class AAAAA
Bartram Trail Golf Club, Evans
Class AAAAAA
Champions Retreat Golf Club, Evans
Girls
Class A (Public and Private)
Goshen Plantation, Augusta
Class AA
Pointe South Golf Course, Hephzibah
Class AAA
Waynesboro Country Club, Waynesboro
Class AAAA
Waynesboro Country Club
Class AAAAA
Jones Creek Golf Course, Augusta
Class AAAAAA
Gordon Lakes Golf Club
Tuesday, May 20
BASEBALL -- State semifinal series Game 3 (if necessary)
Saturday, May 24
BASEBALL -- State championship series doubleheaders
Wednesday
April 24th, 2024
3:20AM
