Just when it looked liked a couple of teams were ready to pack up their equipment, they picked themselves up off the turf for a late playoff push. And just in time as the final week of the regular season begins on Monday.
Jackson County, which was reeling after losing the first two games in its Region 8-AAA series with rival Jefferson, has won four straight since and now needs just one win in its season ending series with Morgan County. At the same time in 8-AAA, Elbert County, which was undefeated at the midway point, is fighting for its playoff life but opens a three-game series with No. 8 Jefferson. In fact, every team in 8-AAA except East Jackson is still alive for a playoff berth.
In Region 8-AAAAA, Gainesville continues to roll after a dominating sweep over Lanier last week. The Red Elephants also got some huge help when No. 5 Loganville and No. 9 Winder-Barrow split their two-game series givng them a one-game lead over the Bulldoggs and a two-game lead over the Red Devils for the region title. Gainesville plays Salem, which has struggled the past two weeks, in a two-game series and a sweep will give the Red Elephants their second straight region title.
In Region 8-AAAA, No. 2 Buford already has clinched the region title while North Hall and North Oconee are tied for second place and close out the season with a two-game series beginning Monday at North Hall. One win for the Trojans would clinch second place. They can finish no worse than third based on their sweep of Madison County while the Titans split with Madison County earlier in the season giving North Hall the tiebreaker edge.
In Region 7-AAA, five of the seven teams are still mathematically alive for the playoffs. But, West Hall, which takes on Banks County in a three-game series starting Monday in Oakwood, could clinch no worse than third with one win and could finish second with a sweep and a pair of Dawson County losses to Lumpkin County in the two rivals' season-ending series. Franklin County already has clinched the region title.
In Region 8-AA, Rabun County has played itself back into the playoffs with a late-season surge winning its final four games to finish third. Union County tied with Social Circle but won the tiebreaker bases on a pair of wins over fifth-place Riverside Military Academy while the Redskins split with the Eagles.
Check below for the latest standings and the schedule for the final week of fegular season baseball action:
Area prep baseball standings as of April 18...
Region 8-AAAAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Gainesville.................16-2........................19-4
Winder-Barrow........... 15-3........................18-5
Loganville...................14-4........................16-6
Heritage, Conyers.......15-5........................18-7
Lanier........................12-6.......................12-12
Flowery Branch..........6-11......................8-14-1
Salem.......................6-11........................8-14
Clarke Central............5-11.........................9-14
Apalachee.................5-13.........................5-18
Discovery..................3-15.........................6-18
Cedar Shoals.............0-16........................0-20
Region 8-AAAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Buford........................13-1.........................21-3
North Hall.................. 11-3.........................17-7
North Oconee.............11-3.........................14-8
Madison County..........11-5.........................20-5
Stephens County..........6-8.......................10-14
Chestatee....................5-9.........................9-15
White County..............4-10........................9-14
Monroe Area...............3-11........................8-16
Johnson.....................0-14.........................1-23
Region 7-AAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Franklin County............15-0........................22-0
Dawson County............10-5........................16-7
West Hall.....................9-6.........................15-8
Lumpkin County............6-9........................11-11
Banks County...............6-9.........................9-13
Fannin County..............4-11........................8-14
East Hall.....................4-14........................9-16
Region 8-AAA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Jefferson.....................11-4........................16-6
Hart County.................12-6......................15-10
Jackson County............9-6....................12-10-1
Elbert County................8-7........................15-9
Oconee County.............7-8.......................10-12
Morgan County..............6-9......................10-13
East Jackson...............1-14.......................4-19
Region 8-AA
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Union County.................9-3........................13-7
Social Circle..................9-3........................14-7
Rabun County................8-4.......................10-13
Oglethorpe County.........7-5.......................11-10
Riverside Military............5-7.......................11-10
Washington-Wilkes........4-8........................4-19
Greene County..............0-12.......................1-13
Region 8-A
TEAM........................Region...................Overall
Hebron Christian..........14-0......................22-2
George Walton............14-0......................20-3
Prince Avenue...............8-6....................14-10
Providence Christian......7-7....................10-14
Commerce....................5-9....................12-10
Athens Christian............4-8.....................8-13
Athens Academy..........4-10.....................8-12
Towns County................2-8.....................4-16
Lakeview Academy.......2-12.....................5-17
Schedule for Week of April 18-23, by regions:
Region 8-AAAAA
Monday, April 18
Flowery Branch at Apalachee
Clarke Central at Lanier
Winder-Barrow at Discovery
Gainesville at Salem
Wednesday, April 20
Apalachee at Flowery Branch
Lanier at Clarke Central
Discovery at Winder-Barrow
Salem at Gainesville
Friday, April 22
Gainesviile at Mountain View
Rockdale County at Heritage
Saturday, April 23
Winder-Barrow at Peachtree Ridge
Region 8-AAAA
Monday, April 18
Buford at Stephens County
Johnson at White County
Chestatee at Monroe Area
North Oconee at North Hall
Wednesday, April 20
Stephens County at Buford
White County at Johnson
Monroe Area at Chestatee
North Hall at North Oconee
Region 7-AAA
Tuesday, April 19
Banks County at West Hall
Franklin County at Fannin County
Dawson County at Lumpkin County
Thursday, April 21
West Hall at Banks County (DH) -- moved from Friday due to weather concerns
Friday, April 22
Fannin County at Franklin County (DH)
Lumpkin County at Dawson County (DH)
Region 8-AAA
Tuesday, April 19
Jackson County at Morgan County
Elbert County at Jefferson
Thursday, April 21
Jefferson at Elbert County (DH) -- moved from Friday due to possible weather concerns
Friday, April 22
Morgan County at Jackson County (DH)
Region 8-AA
Monday, April 18
Commerce at Oglethorpe County
Union County at Murphy, N.C.
Rabun County at Rabun Gap
Tuesday, April 19
Washington-Wilkes at Johnson County
Thursday, April 21
Franklin, N.C. at Rabun County
Union County at Andrews, N.C.
Region 8-A
Monday, April 18
Commerce at Oglethorpe County
Tuesday, April 19
Prince Avenue at Lakeview Academy
Athens Academy at Towns County
Athens Christian at Providence Christian
Hebron Christian at George Walton
Thursday, April 21
Lakeview Academy at Prince Avenue
Oglethorpe County at Commerce
Towns County at Athens Academy
Providence Christian at Athens Christian
George Walton at Hebron Christian
Friday, April 22
Commerce at Towns County (DH)
