COLUMBUS — Three teams have been there before. One will be making its first-ever appearance -- but you can expect plenty of excitement this weekend at the Georgia High School Association's state softball championships in Columbus.
Class AAAAA defending state champion Buford leads four northeast Georgia teams into the Elite 8 and each begins play Thursday at the Olympic Softball Complex.
It is the same same number of teams as in 2016, but, for Banks County, it represents the Lady Leopards' first-ever foray into the championship bracket. Jackson County joins the trio and is making its first appearance in Columbus since 2012.
Buford, Jackson County, and Banks County all won their respective regions, while Stephens County advanced as a No. 3 seed from Region 8-AAAA.
Buford, the Region 8-AAAAA champion and 10-time defending state champion over four different classifications, is making its 13th straight trip to Columbus, which has become a virtual second home. The Lady Wolves have won 23 consecutive games and are a dominating 41-2 over their past 10 trips to the Olympic Complex.
The Lady Wolves open defense of their AAAAA title against Locust Grove at 3 p.m. They are one of three Region 8-AAAAA teams -- along with Walnut Grove, last year’s state runner-up, and Loganville -- to advance to the Elite 8. Loganville nearly pulled the upset of the top-ranked Lady Wolves in the region tournament in a 3-2 loss.
"Our region I thought was the most balanced (in Class AAAAA) and as a whole we did very well," Buford Coach Tony Wolfe said. "Loganville I think is one of those really dangerous teams. But I think the field is as deep as it's ever been. There is a little more unknown about some of the teams because there wasn't as much cross-over this year which will makes things interesting. It should be a good tournament. We'll have to play well to win."
Buford rolled past Hiram and Miller Grove in the first two rounds with three shutouts and allowed just one total run in a pair of sweeps while scoring 58 runs over 17 total innings. Locust Grove, the Region 4-AAAAA champ, needed three games to get past Statesboro in the second round.
Region 8-AAA champion Jackson County is making its first trip to Columbus since 2012 and will play Pike County at 5 p.m. The Lady Panthers won a pair of games in the 2012 tournament before falling two games shy of the championship round.
The Lady Panthers broke out the lumber in the first two rounds sweeping both Lumpkin County and Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe by a 49-13 margin. Pike County swept into Columbus in similar fashion routing Savannah and Crisp County by a combined 59-8.
Meanwhile, Region 8-AA champion Bank County is making its first-ever trip to Columbus, and the Lady Leopards survived a tough three-game series in the first round against Pepperell before sweeping Calloway to advance to the Elite 8.
Banks County will open against Harlem at 3 p.m. Harlem, the Region 4-AA champ, swept both Washington County and Jeff Davis, allowing just two total runs in the process.
Stephens County in Class AAAA is making its second consecutive trip to Columbus behind the arm of junior hurler Emma Whitfield. The Lady Indians did not win a game in last year’s championship bracket but could have a say this time around with Whitfield in the circle. Stephens is one of two No. 3 seeds in AAAA to advance and will open against Region 1-AAAA champion Northside-Columbus at 5 p.m.
The Lady Indians won both of their first two series on the road, needing three games to get past Region 5-AAAA champion Chapel Hill in the second round. Northside swept Mary Persons and Woodward Academy by a combined 39-4 with two shutout wins in the first two rounds.
Northside, the favorite to win Class AAAA coming into the tournament, is led by pitcher Hannah George, who is committed to North Carolina, and beat Buford earlier in the season.
