Now the real fun begins in the state baseball playoffs.
Last week’s first round served as a basic appetizer for fans. The second round, which begins Wednesday around the area and state, begins the main course as the final 16 teams in each classification know that there will be no easy roads from here on out.
Northeast Georgia had 10 area teams advance to the second round over five classifications. All three teams that advanced to the state championship series last year -- Gainesville in AAAAA, Buford in AAAA, and Jefferson in AAA -- all moved into the second round. Gainesville and Buford took tough sweeps while the Dragons were pushed to three games.
There was a little bit of everything in the first round.
North Hall advanced in Class AAAA behind a solid pitching effort allowing just four runs in a sweep of Carrollton. Dawson County pummeled its way into the second round scoring 27 runs in a sweep of Adairsville in Class AAA. Gainesville rallied from an early deficit in its second game in a sweep of Alexander in Class AAAAA and Buford swept Whitewater but only after watching the Wildcats get the tying run to the plate in Game 1 and the winning run to second in the second game.
Here is a look at what is in store for area teams in the second round, and beyond, if they get that far:
Class AAAAAA: The top five teams -- Walton, Pope, Norcross, Collins Hill, and Lambert -- all advanced with three of them knocking ranked teams in the process. The only ranked team to fall to an unranked team in the first round was Parkview, which was swept by Etowah.
Region 6, No. 2 seed North Forsyth is the only area team still remaining in the largest classification. The Raiders swept North Gwinnett and will play host to Region 3, No. 4 seed South Cobb. They face the prospect of having to face three of the top four teams to win the title. Pope, in the quarterfinals, and Collins Hill in the semifinals, are on their half of the bracket.
Class AAAAA: This may be the toughest classification left with the top eight teams all advancing through to the second round. Region 7 swept Region 6 out of the playoffs while Regions 1, 2, and 8 sent three into the second round.
Area teams Gainesville and Winder-Barrow swept through their first round matchups and have favorable draws as neither would have to face another ranked team until the semifinals.
The No. 2-ranked Red Elephants will have home field through the quarterfinals after Evans knocked off Region 3-AAAAA champ Richmond Hill in the first round. However, they face a possible semifinal matchup with No. 1 Allatoona, who would first have to get past No. 4 Cambridge in the quarterfinals.
Winder-Barrow faces potential tough road tests against Northgate in the second round, Forsyth Central in the quarterfinals, and Northside-Columbus in the semifinals if all advance.
Class AAAA: If not for AAAAA, this would be considered the toughest classification. Eight of the top 10 teams are still alive, including No. 2 and defending state champion Buford. Seven of the eight region champions also advanced. Only three of the 16 series went to a third game. But, Region 8-AAAA flexed its muscles with three teams, including Buford and North Hall, advancing. Region 8-AAAA No. 4 seed Madison County knocked off No. 8-ranked and 5-AAAA champ Troup County in a sweep in the first round.
One ranked team is sure to be eliminated when No. 5 St. Pius travels to No. 9 West Laurens. Bainbridge, which has to travel to Buford, is the only No. 3 seed to move through while Madison County is the only four seed to advance. The other 14 teams are either No. 1 or No. 2 seeds.
North Hall has perhaps the toughest road in AAAA. They face a monumental task traveling to No. 1 Locust Grove, which has just two losses all season, in the second round. The Trojans could face a ranked team in every round the rest of the way as long as they keep advancing.
Buford, however, will not have to face another ranked team until the semifinals.
Class AAA: Nine of the top 10 team advanced, with only No. 6 Pierce County falling to No. 3 Westminster. It is the only classification where all eight region champs advanced.
Region 8-AAA had three teams move through including Jefferson and Jackson County. Region 7-AAA, which was swept out of the playoffs in the first round last year, had Dawson County and No. 2 Franklin County move through this year.
Jackson County faces a tough road with the potential, starting with No. 4 Appling County in the second round, of facing a ranked team in every round the rest of the way. Area teams Jefferson and Dawson County, both No. 2 seeds, could face each other in the quarterfinals. The Tigers, however, will have to find a way past No. 8 Westside-Augusta which features a pair of Division I-caliber pitchers. Westside yielded just one run in a sweep of Jordan in the first round.
No. 1 Blessed Trinity and No. 2 Franklin County could face each other in the quarterfinals. No. 5 Decatur and No. 9 Cedartown will tangle while No. 3 Westminster travels to No. 10 Jefferson in a pair of battles between ranked teams in the second round.
Class AA: Region 8-AA champion Union County is the only area team left in AA after Rabun County, a Final Four team last year, was knocked out by Bremen in the first round.
Compared to some others, the Panthers, who take on Bleckley County in the second round, have a more manageable road. They could face No. 8 Metter in the quarterfinals but get a break because No. 2 GAC and No. 5 Benedictine face each other in the second round. The winner of that one could face No. 4 Bowden and Union County, if it gets that far, could face the winner of that gauntlett in the semifinals.
No. 1 Wesleyan and No. 3 Holy Innocents could face each other in the semifinals.
SECOND ROUND STATE BASEBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE FOR AREA TEAMS
Wednesday-Thursday
(All series are a best-of-three format; doubleheaders on Wednesday, Game 3, if necessary, on Thursday)
Class AAAAAA
South Cobb at North Forsyth
Class AAAAA
LaGrange at Gainesville
Winder-Barrow at Northgate
Class AAAA
Bainbridge at Buford
North Hall at Locust Grove
Class AAA
Dawson County at Westside, Augusta
Washington County at Franklin County
Westminster at Jefferson
Jackson County at Appling County
Class AA
Bleckley County at Union County
