GAINESVILLE -- With roughly half of the high school baseball region schedule still left to be played, area regions are starting to take shape as to who are the contenders and pretenders for region titles and/or playoff spots.
Here is a quick look at the area regions and what fans can expect over the final month of the regular season. The first round of the state playoffs is scheduled to begin May 1.
Region 8-AAAAA
Gainesville, Loganville, and Winder-Barrow are all deadlocked atop the standings at 7-1 each. The Red Elephants (12-3, 7-1 Region 8-AAAAA) are coming off a tough 7-5 loss to Salem on Wednesday while the Red Devils (12-3, 7-1 Region 8-AAAAA) are coming off a 17-0 blitz of Cedar Shoals. The two teams will meet Friday in Loganville in the first of a home-and-home series.
Loganville and the Bulldoggs (11-3, 7-1 Region 8-AAAAA) split their two-game series two weeks ago. Winder-Barrow and Gainesville will start a home-and-home series next Wednesday in Winder. The Red Elephants have a chance to take control of the region or could find themselves fighting for a playoff berth.
Lurking behind is Salem (10-5, 5-3 Region 8-AAAAA) and Flowery Branch (10-4, 5-3 Region 8-AAAAA). The Falcons still have control of their playoff future with upcoming series against Salem, Winder-Barrow, and Gainesville in the final two weeks of the season. Salem still has series left with Loganville and Winder-Barrow.
No series is a gimme in this region. Seven teams have overall winning records and only Cedar Shoals is winless in region play. Lanier (4-11, 1-7 Region 8-AAAAA) has lost three region games by three runs or less.
Region 8-AAAA
Five of the nine teams have overall winning records and four teams are within a game of each other for second place. Buford (15-2, 7-0 Region 8-AAAA) took a big step Wednesday night to taking control for the region title with a 3-2, come-from-behind win over North Hall (11-6, 6-3 Region 8-AAAA). The Wolves and Trojans play again Friday.
North Hall, Madison County (12-6, 6-3 Region 8-AAAA), Chestatee (8-7, 4-3 Region 8-AAAA), and Stephens County (10-7, 5-4 Region 8-AAAA) are all within one game of each other for second place. North Hall and Chestatee play a huge series beginning next Friday.
The Trojans took 3-of-4 against Madison County and Stephens County earlier in the season. Chestatee controls its own playoff fate with series still left with Stephens County, North Hall, and Madison County over the next two weeks. Madison County opens a two-game series with Buford on Monday and later closes out its region schedule against Chestatee.
Region 7-AAA
The top four teams have distanced themselves from the rest of the region but where everyone will finish will be the story the rest of the way. Franklin County has dominated the first half of the schedule.
The Lions (13-2, 10-0 Region 7-AAA) have posted double-digit runs in five of their 10 region games and own a four-game lead over both Lumpkin County (9-7, 6-4 Region 7-AAA) and East Hall (8-8, 6-4 Region 7-AAA) who are tied for second. West Hall (7-7, 5-4 Region 7-AAA) is in fourth place but is three games ahead of Dawson County in the standings and owns one win over the Tigers (4-12, 2-7 Region 7-AAA) already.
Each team is slated to play each other at least one more time so there is still time to make a move.
Region 8-AAA
Jefferson is in the driver’s seat at the halfway point. The Dragons (13-2, 9-1 Region 8-AAA) took two-of-three from second place Oconee County (9-4, 7-2 Region 8-AAA) and opened their three-game series with third-place Hart County (11-5, 7-3 Region 8-AAA) with a win on Tuesday. A doubleheader sweep over the Bulldogs on Friday would give them a 2 1/2-game lead over the Warriors with six region games left, and the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Jackson County (7-8, 2-5 Region 8-AAA) sits in fifth place but beat fourth place Elbert County (7-7, 3-4 Region 8-AAA) 14-2 on Tuesday with a doubleheader at home against the Blue Devils slated for Friday. The Panthers are poised for a run at a playoff spot, however, they still have a series left against Jefferson before closing out the region against the bottom two teams, East Jackson and Morgan County.
Region 8-AA
Things are wide-open in 8-AA as the top four teams -- Rabun County, Social Circle, Union County, Oglethorpe County -- are separated by just one game in the standings, with the fifth place team, Washington-Wilkes just two games out of first. Rabun County (9-2, 5-1 Region 8-AA) and Social Circle (6-4, 5-1 Region 8-AA) are tied for first and the Wildcats travel to Social Circle on Friday for a key doubleheader.
The Wildcats have won their last five region contests, including wins over Oglethorpe County (8-6, 5-3 Region 8-AA) and Union County (7-3, 5-2 Region 8-AA). The Panthers still have three games left against Rabun County and Social Circle and can still make a late move. They split with Oglethorpe County.
Region 8-A
Commerce (9-6, 4-4 Region 8-A) is the only area team within striking distance for a playoff spot in 8-A sitting in sixth place, one game behind Providence Christian (12-4, 4-2 Region 8-A) and Prince Avenue (8-6, 4-2 Region 8-A) , who are tied for third. Two of the Tigers losses were to region-leading George Walton Academy (10-4, 7-1 Region 8-A). They control their destiny for a playoff spot with two games apiece left against Providence, Prince Avenue, and second place Hebron Christian (7-7, 5-1 Region 8-A) down the stretch.
