GAINESVILLE -- You never know what to expect when the high school baseball playoffs roll around. After all, as coaches are apt to say ad nauseam, anything is possible on any given day.
One thing is for certain, however, fans should be in for an exciting ride as a dozen area teams qualified for the playoffs that begin today in six different classifications. Buford in Class AAAA, Gainesville in Class AAAAA, and Jefferson in Class AAA all come in ranked in the top seven in their respective classifications and are expected to be serious contenders for state titles. The rest are looking for some playoff magic and are capable of providing it.
Both the Wolves and the Red Elephants suffered gut-wrenching and season-ending losses in the semifinals last season and are eager to exact a measure of revenge in their respective classifications. Gerald McQuaig Field and Ivey-Watson Field should be rocking as both squads also secured home field advantage for most of the playoffs.
Bring a chair, peanuts, and a cooler full of water because it figures to be an exciting three weeks of action.
Below is a look at each classification and capsules for first round series of each local and area team.
CLASS AAAAAA
North Forsyth, the No. 3 seed from Region 6-AAAAAA, is plenty battle-tested after taking on the likes of Gainesville, Lambert (twice), and Greenbrier during the regular season. The Raiders will not have an easy road. They open against Pope, which is riding a six-game win streak into the first round series. East Coweta (five-game win streak) and Collins Hill (seven-game win streak) loom on the horizon just in their quadrant. Powerhouse Parkview, which leads the classification in wins (24) would be a possible semifinal matchup if the Raiders can survive the gauntlet of the early rounds. Lambert, the preseason No. 1 in AAAAAA, Tift County, and Walton, who have combined for 62 wins and are ranked in the top five in AAAAAA, find themselves on the same half of the draw. Mountain View could be a darkhorse. The Bears beat both Gainesville and Buford during the regular season and were 7-4 vs. AAAAAA playoff teams during the regular season.
CLASS AAAAA
Top-ranked Greenbrier is considered the early favorite and has a favorable draw with no teams in the top 10 in its quadrant. Winder-Barrow, which opens on the road against Creekview, could offer an interesting matchup for the No. 1 Wolfpack in the second round. The Bulldoggs (No. 13) are 9-3 on the road and went 14-3 over the last five-weeks of the season. ... Starr’s Mill (No. 3), Gainesville (No. 7), and Evans (No. 12) are in the same quadrant in what should be a blood-letting to see who advances to the semifinals. A darkhorse in that quadrant could be 18-game winner South Effingham, which slipped to fourth in Region 3-AAAAA after two upset losses to close out the season. The Mustangs open on the road vs. Starr’s Mill. Five of the eight teams in the Red Elephants’ quadrant have 15 or more wins, the most of any quadrant in AAAAA. ... One of the toughest first round matchups has 20-game winner Jones County taking on 19-game winner Harris County. Salem, the No. 4 seed from Region 8-AAAAA, is also in that quadrant and is the only team to beat both Gainesville and Loganville and will pose a tough first round matchup vs. Region 7-AAAAA champ Forsyth Central. ... Sixth-ranked Columbus and ninth-ranked Loganville, who both won state championships in 2012, could meet in the second round. No. 5 Allatoona is also in that quadrant.
CLASS AAAA
Buford comes in ranked second in the classification behind Troup County but if there is a deeper pitching staff in all of Georgia we’d like to see it. The Wolves have FIVE Division I prospects in the rotation, including Connor Bennett, who owns a devestating fastball and has been near untouchable as a part-time closer. The Wolves will be heavily favored to defeat Heritage, Catoosa in the first round but could face a tough challenge vs. 17-game winner Perry, which slipped to second in Region 2-AAAA, in the second round. They could then get No. 5 Locust Grove -- which will have to get by 18-game winner Columbia in the second round -- on the road in the quarterfinals. No. 8 Cartersville is also in the same half of the bracket as Buford, looming as a possible semifinal matchup. The Purple Hurricanes knocked Buford out of the playoffs in last year’s semifinals. ... Region 8-AAAA runner-up North Hall comes in ranked 10th in AAAA and opens at home vs. Pickens. If the Trojans get by the Dragons they face a tough draw the rest of the way, including 18-game winner Crisp County as a possible second round match-up and then No. 3 Whitewater in the quarterfinals. No. 4 St. Pius looms as the favorite on the top half of that bracket and could await the Trojans in the semifinals. ... Madison County, the No. 3 seed from 8-AAAA, could be a darkhorse in its quadrant. Only St. Pius (24) has more wins than the Red Raiders (17) in that quadrant. ... No. 1 Troup County and Cartersville could meet in the quarterfinals, though Thomas County Central could be a tough second round matchup for the Hurricanes if they advance past West Laurens.
CLASS AAA
Five area teams made the postseason in AAA, but only third-ranked Jefferson, the Region 8-AAA runner-up, is a trendy pick for the state title. That being said, 8-AAA is strong across the board and has a solid chance to have three teams advance to the quarterfinals. ... Region 7-AAA, which matches up vs. 8-AAA in the opening round, does not have the experienced pitching of the likes of Oconee County, Jefferson, and Jackson County and will need some clutch performances in the first round. ... Jefferson faces a very tough draw, however. The Dragons open against a good Lumpkin County squad and could then match-up with No. 5 Pierce County, which leads AAA in wins (24) in the second round and then possibly No. 6 Callaway in the quarterfinals. Eighth-ranked Ringgold and No. 14 Jackson await as possible semifinal matchups. ... East Hall and Jackson County face off in the opening round and the winner will probably get Region 2-AAA champ Jackson (21 wins) in the second round. ... No. 1 Westside-Augusta and No. 2 Blessed Trinity could meet in the semifinals in the bracket opposite Jefferson.
CLASS AA
No. 9 Rabun County, the Region 8-AA champ, has a tough draw right from the beginning. The Wildcats open with a solid Dade County squad and then could get No. 6 Bacon County in the second round and then No. 2 Lovett, the 2013 state champ, in the quarterfinals. If they manage that, then possibly either No. 3 GAC or No. 4 Darlington could await in the semifinals. ... No. 13 Union County, the 8-AA runner-up, faces a less stacked path, with No. 11 Fitzgerald and No. 10 Holy Innocents in its quadrant. However, if the Panthers can manage that, then most likely No. 1 Wesleyan, who leads AA with 22 wins, awaits in the semifinals. ... Defending state champ and No. 7 Benedictine and No. 8 Gordon Lee face a possible second round showdown. ... Top-ranked Wesleyan found itself on the right side of the draw. The Wolves likely would not face a team ranked higher than seventh until the finals
CLASS A
With the power rankings setting the bracket, there should not be any early matchups between top-ranked teams. Commerce is the only area team to qualify for the playoffs as the No. 14 seed. The Tigers do not come into the playoffs on a high note, having dropped three straight and four of their last five to end the regular season. They face a red-hot Miller County squad, the No. 3 seed, which has won 14 of its last 15 games overall, in the first round. Treutlen (19-3) and two-time defending Class A Public champion Charlton County (19-4) are the top two seeds. Commerce is the only team in the field (12-14) with a losing record but playing in the rugged Region 8-A helped its power rating. An upset win for the Tigers would pit them presumably against No. 6 Atkinson County (15-6) which knocked off Charlton County on the road at the end of the regular season.
FIRST ROUND BASEBALL PLAYOFF MATCH-UPS:
CLASS AAAAAA
NORTH FORSYTH at POPE
-- WHEN: 4:30 p.m. (DH) Friday; Game 3, if necessary, 11 a.m. Saturday
-- WHERE: Marietta
-- NORTH FORSYTH (16-9-1): No. 3 seed from Region 6-AAAAAA
-- POPE (18-7): No. 2 seed from Region 5-AAAAAA
-- NOTABLE: The Greyhounds are ranked 18th in Georgia by MaxPreps and are 10-3 at home. ... Pope won the Class AAAAA state title in 2013 but lost in 1st round last two years ... North Forsyth last won a state title in 1998 in Class A, however, it is the first playoff appearance for the Raiders since 2012. ... They are led by Sr. P Dakota Chalmers, a UGA-signee. Sr. INF/P Max Bening (Piedmont College), Sr. INF Griffin Caracciolo (Piedmont College) and Sr. 1B/P Matthew Heard (Georgia) have led them during the season. ... This one should go three games, although North Forsyth is just 6-4 on the road. ... The winner will get the Marietta-East Coweta winner in the 2nd round.
CLASS AAAAA
CAMBRIDGE at GAINESVILLE
-- WHEN: 4 p.m. (DH) Friday; Game 3, if necessary, 1 p.m. Saturday
-- WHERE: Ivey-Watson Field
-- RADIO: WGGA 1240
-- CAMBRIDGE (13-8): No. 4 seed from Region 7-AAAAA
-- GAINESVILLE (20-5): No. 1 seed from Region 8-AAAAA; coming off a semifinals appearance in 2014
-- NOTABLE: The Bears are making their first-ever playoff appearance in just their third year of existence. They won five straight to end the season to get into the playoffs. The Red Elephants, by contrast, are making their 6th straight playoff appearance and 23 in the last 25 seasons. ... Gainesville is led by Jr. LHP/OF Jonathan Gettys but Sr. OF Brandon Sewell has been on fire down the stretch with a five-game hitting streak. Sewell gears up for playoff time. He had 5 HRs in last year’s playoff run to the semifinals. ... But pitching is key and the Red Elephants will need solid outings from senior hurlers Caleb Whitenton, Harrison Styles, and Mikey Gonzalez to complement Gettys, who has also come out of the bullpen at times to close out games.
CLASS AAAA
HERITAGE, CATOOSA at BUFORD
-- WHEN: 5 p.m. (DH) Friday; Game 3, if necessary, 3 p.m. Saturday
-- WHERE: Gerald McQuaig Field
-- HERITAGE, CATOOSA (15-8): No. 4 seed from Region 7-AAAA
-- BUFORD (24-2): No. 1 seed from Region 8-AAAA; coming off a quarterfinals run in AAA last season
-- NOTABLE: Heritage won four of last five games, with the only loss in extra innings, to get into the playoffs. ... The Generals will have their work cut out for them against the Wolves. Buford features five D-I pitchers and a solid lineup led by Georgia Tech-signee Joey Bart (.473, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 35 H). Buford is a perfect 10-0 at home and has won 13 straight and has not allowed more than 3 runs in any game during that stretch. ... The Wolves as a team have allowed just 10 earned runs on the season and their team ERA is a microscopic 0.42. However, if they have an achilles heel it would be committing 32 errors on the season. ... Jr. 3B/P Griffin Jolliff and Jr. OF Nick Wilhite lead the team with 3 HRs each. Wilhite leads the team with 28 RBI and Jolliff is second with 25 RBI. ... The Big 3 starters of Jake Higginbotham, Connor Bennett, and Keyton Gibson have yielded just 33 hits in 120 innings with 211 Ks.
PICKENS at NORTH HALL
-- WHEN: 1 p.m. (DH) Friday; Game 3, if necessary, 1 p.m. Saturday
-- WHERE: Jody Davis Field
-- PICKENS (13-9): No. 3 seed from Region 7-AAAA
-- NORTH HALL (16-8): No. 2 seed from Region 8-AAAA;
-- NOTABLE: North Hall knocked off the Dragons 6-5 during the regular season at home back in March. ... North Hall won 5 of last 6 to end the season. ... Pickens won 3 straight to end the season, all on the road, but the Dragons are just 4-6 on the road ... North Hall is 10-5 at Jody Davis Field. ... The Trojans will need to rely on their defense, which has committed just 13 errors all season. The pitching has complemented the defense with a 1.19 team ERA. They have found some depth with four guys -- Corbin Lewallen (8-2, 59I, 39K, 1.30 ERA) Lincoln Hewett (1-1, 24I, 16k, 2.33 ERA), Josh Hammond (1-1, 22.2I, 11K, 3.70 ERA), Aaron Miles (3-3, 19.2I, 20K, 2.85 ERA) -- starting four games or more apiece. Drew Atha (2-0, 22I, 21K, 0.95 ERA) has been stellar out of the bullpen for the Trojans. ... Micah Strickland has all 4 of North Hall’s HRs and leads the team with a .434 BA and runs scored with 30. Lewallen and Hewett each have a .347 BA and Taber Mongero has a .321 BA with 25 runs scored at the top of the lineup.
CLASS AAA
JACKSON COUNTY at EAST HALL
-- WHEN: 5 p.m. (DH) Friday; Game 3, if necessary, 5 p.m. Saturday
-- WHERE: East Hall Park
-- JACKSON COUNTY (15-11): No. 3 seed from Region 8-AAA
-- EAST HALL (14-11): No. 2 seed from Region 7-AAA; making first playoff appearance since 2003
-- NOTABLE: This should be a tight series. The Panthers won five straight to end the season while East Hall won 3 of 4 to finish the season. ... The Vikings are led by Jack Hagwood, who leads the team in batting (.397 BA, 31 H, 2 HR, 18 RBI) and on the mound (2-0, 51I, 39K, 2.33 ERA). Jesse Cooper (.397, 29 H, 10 RBI), Levi Crocker (.354, 28 H, 9 RBI) have been solid all season and Jonah Crocker (.312 BA) leads the team in home runs (3) and RBI (22). Hagwood, Jonah Crocker, and Eli Stuart have started all but one game and have two wins apiece with 128 innings combined. ... Jackson County is led by Jr. 1B Joel Ellis (.402, 35 H, 3 HR, 19 RBI) at the plate. Max Wilson (.328, 2 HR, 13 RBI) and Chris Griggs (.324, 1 HR, 15 RBI) give the Panthers a solid middle of the order while Travis Vickers (.291, 14 SB) gives them some speed at the top.
LUMPKIN COUNTY at JEFFERSON
-- WHEN: 5 p.m. (DH) Friday; Game 3, if necessary, noon Saturday
-- WHERE: Jefferson Field
-- LUMPKIN COUNTY (14-10): No. 3 seed from Region 7-AAA
-- No. 3 JEFFERSON (20-4): No. 2 seed from Region 8-AAA
-- NOTABLE: The Dragons may be the toughest No. 2 seed in Class AAA. They feature a solid pitching led by seniors Jake Franklin, Ethan Garner, and Micah Carpenter along with Jr. Taylor Wilkes. As a staff they have yielded just 57 runs (2.3 rpg). Only back-to-back losses to Hart County and Jackson County late prevented them from winning the region. They took 2 of 3 from Oconee County during the season. Behind Franklin, Garner, and Christian Hutch, the offense is averaging over 8 rpg on the season. This could be the year they match their best recent run since they advanced to the Class A semifinals in 2007 ... Lumpkin County was entrenched as the No. 2 seed for most of the season in 7-AAA until suffering tough back-to-back losses to finish the regular season. ... But the Indians, with seniors Cody Waters and Gunner Wood atop the rotation, have the ability to pull the upset. The Indians have given up 127 runs (5.3 rpg) ... The have experienced seniors in Wood, Waters, OF Matt Satterfield, 3B Timmy Summersett, and 2B Derek DiSanto, along with talented juniors in SS Sebastian Dunn, C Ben Brown, and OF Wil Pence for a formidable lineup. ... Defense will be the key. In their final two losses, errors played large for the Indians. ... The Indians last advanced to the second round in 2002.
WEST HALL at OCONEE COUNTY
-- WHEN: 5 p.m. (DH) Friday; Game 3, if necessary, 1 p.m. Saturday
-- WHERE: Watkinsville
-- WEST HALL (9-14): No. 4 seed from Region 7-AAA
-- No. 4 OCONEE COUNTY (18-4): No. 1 seed from Region 8-AAA
-- NOTABLE: It is the second consecutive season to make the playoffs for West Hall, which had gone 11 years between appearances. The Spartans lost 6 of 8 down the stretch, including 5 in a row, but won the two games that mattered most to sneak into the playoffs. ... Oconee County won 12 straight to finish the regular season and is heavily favored. ... West Hall will need a big series from senior P Will Simmons; Fr. P Jeffrey Jenkins pitched well at the end of the season as well. Charlie Cochran also could be a key for the Spartans on the mound. ... The Spartans used effective small-ball two win two key games with Zac Collins, Austin Henderson, Josh Anderson, Carter Lott, and Merritt Gazaway and will need to take advantage of every opportunity for any chance to knock off the Warriors.
CLASS AA
DADE COUNTY at RABUN COUNTY
-- WHEN: 5 p.m. (DH) Friday; Game 3, if necessary, 11 a.m. Saturday
-- WHERE: Wildcats Field, Tiger
-- DADE COUNTY (13-8): No. 4 seed from Region 7-AA
-- RABUN COUNTY (15-4): No. 1 seed from Region 8-AA
-- NOTABLE: Wildcats won 4 of 5 down the stretch to win the region. ... The Wolverines played perhaps their best baseball over the final two weeks going 6-2 to get into the playoffs. It’s their first playoff appearance since 2011. ... It’s the third straight playoffs for the Wildcats, who advanced to the second round in 2013. ... The Wildcats have been tough at home with an 8-2 record, including 4-0 against playoff teams Union County, East Hall, and Washington-Wilkes. Dade County is 5-4 on the road.
MODEL at UNION COUNTY
-- WHEN: 3:30 (DH) Friday; Game 3, if necessary, 1:30 p.m. Saturday
-- WHERE: Blairsville
-- MODEL (10-12): No. 3 seed from Region 7-AA
-- UNION COUNTY (13-3): No. 2 seed from Region 8-AA
-- NOTABLE: The Blue Devils feasted on a weak region going 8-4 but were just 2-8 outside of region play. They also were just 4-8 on the road and 4-4 over their last eight games. ... Union County was just the opposite winning seven straight to end the season. ... The Panthers were 7-1 at home during the regular season. ... Union County last advanced to the 2nd round in 2013.
CLASS A PUBLIC
COMMERCE at MILLER COUNTY
-- WHEN: 4:30 p.m. (DH) Friday; Game 3, if necessary, 1 p.m. Saturday
-- WHERE: Colquitt
-- COMMERCE (12-14): No. 14 seed in the power rankings
-- MILLER COUNTY (15-6): No. 3 seed in the power rankings
-- NOTABLE: Miller County has been tough over the second half of the season. After a 1-4 start the Pirates finished the season winning 14 of their last 15 games, including wins over three other Class A playoff teams. They are also 9-2 at home but they dropped their final home game to Baconton Charter to end the regular season. ... Despite dropping their final three games of the regular season, the Tigers actually climbed from 16th to 14th in the rankings to get a much more favorable draw. They will need to find a way to win on the road (4-7) with the prospects of traveling for as long as they survive and advance. ... Commerce went 3-8 over the final three weeks of the season.
FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF SCHEDULE:
Friday, May 1
(First round state playoff series, best-of-3)
(Friday doubleheaders)
Pickens at North Hall, 1 p.m.(Class AAAA)
Model at Union County, 3:30 p.m. (Class AA)
Cambridge at Gainesville, 4 p.m. (Class AAAAA)
Commerce at Miller County, 4:30 p.m. (Class A)
North Forsyth at Pope, 4:30 p.m. (Class AAAAAA)
Heritage, Catoosa at Buford, 5 p.m. (Class AAAA)
Jackson County at East Hall, 5 p.m. (Class AAA)
Lumpkin County at Jefferson, 5 p.m. (Class AA)
Dade County at Rabun County, 5 p.m. (Class AA)
West Hall at Oconee County, 5 p.m. (Class AAA)
Saturday, May 2
(Game 3s, if necessary)
North Forsyth at Pope, 11 a.m. (Class AAAAAA)
Dade County at Rabun County, 11 a.m. (Class AA)
Lumpkin County at Jefferson, noon (Class AAA)
Cambridge at Gainesville, 1 p.m. (Class AAAAA)
Commerce at Miller County, 1 p.m. (Class A)
Pickens at North Hall, 1 p.m. (Class AAAA)
West Hall at Oconee County, 1 p.m. (Class AAA)
Model at Union County, 1:30 p.m. (Class AA)
Heritage, Catoosa at Buford, 3 p.m. (Class AAAA)
Jackson County at East Hall, 5 p.m. (Class AAA)
