BUFORD — No matter the outcome, history will be made when the Buford and Locust Grove baseball teams meet at Gerald McQuaig Field in the Class AAAA state championship series.
The two teams will open a best-of-three series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday. Game 3, if it goes that far, is set for Monday at 5:55 p.m. at Gerald McQuaig Field.
But the type of history made will be markedly different, for sure. The defending Class AAAA champion Wolves are looking for their first-ever back-to-back state titles. They knocked off Whitewater in two games in 2015 and also won the Class AA title in 2011.
The Wildcats are looking for their first-ever state title in any team sport in school history.
“This is huge for our program and school,” Locust Grove coach Stephen Phillips said. “We’re still a relatively new school [seven years old] but we’ve been building to this. I’m happy for these kids to get this chance.”
Buford senior shortstop and closer, and Georgia Tech-signee, Austin Wilhite said they have a different motivation.
“Buford baseball has never gone back-to-back state championships, so I think that's something that will always be remembered. We'll be the first team to come through and be huge contributors to last year's state championship and this year's. I think for Buford that will leave a legacy of being one of the best-ever teams to come through (here),” he said.
Histrionics aside, this could be the premier championship series in the state. The two teams share the same number of wins (31) and both teams have flip-flopped the top two spots in Class AAAA the entire season. Buford is the Region 8-AAAA champion while Locust Grove won Region 4-AAAA.
Both teams are deep on the mound. The Wildcats have allowed the fewest runs in Class AAAA (74, 1.17 ERA) with the Wolves right behind giving up just 80 runs (1.80 ERA).
Buford is led by senior starters Justin Glover (9-0, 1.71 ERA) and Griffin Jolliff (9-0, 1.71 ERA) and senior closer Austin Wilhite (0-0, 0.62 ERA, 8 SV) on the mound. The Wolves can also bring in Frank Bradshaw, Clay Dickie, Tyler Perkins, and Zach Fordham, who all have at least six appearances on the season and have started a combined 13 games.
The Wildcats are led by junior Ethan Lindow, who has given up just one earned run in 21 innings in the playoffs; seniors Christian Young and Odlanier Rodriquez; and freshman phenom Nolan Crisp, who already is a Mississippi State-commit. Joah Curry, Gavin Lee, and Justin Nicholson all have gotten significant innings out of the bullpen.
Offensively, Buford is tops in AAAA in runs scored (326, 9.58 runs per game). Locust Grove is third (291, 8.08 rpg). Locust Grove is hitting .360 as a team while Buford is hitting .383 as a team.
The Wolves have been red-hot in the playoffs as well. Senior Brandon Marsh (.542 BA, 2 HR, 15 2B, 8 3B, 19 SB, 58 R), Austin Wilhite (.490, 3 HR, 7 2B, 6 3B, 36 RBI, 20, SB, 57 R), senior Nick Wilhite (.417, 8 2B, 6 3B, 43 RBI, 16 SB, 40 R), Jolliff (.416, 5 HR, 11 2B, 44 RBI), and Glover (.414, 4 HR, 14 2B, 49 RBI) will pose a formidable task for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats, however, play in perhaps the biggest ballpark in AAAA with dimensions of 400-feet to center, 385 in the alleys, and 325 down the lines so the power numbers are a little tougher to judge. By comparison, Gerald McQuaid Field is 352 to dead center and the Wolves have belted 19 home runs.
Locust Grove has hit just three home runs all season, although one came on a three-run home run by Lee at Gerald McQuaig Field back on Feb. 29 to give them a 3-0 shutout win over Buford that had the rest of Class AAAA standing up and taking notice.
Junior second baseman Trevor Seller is hitting .449 with a team-leading 42 RBI, junior first baseman Clay Shearhouse is hitting .402 with 21 RBI, and Rodriquez is hitting .394 with 25 RBI to lead Locust Grove at the plate.
“That win may have put us on the map, so to speak,” Phillips said. “You don’t just go up to Buford and beat them at their place. I think that’s when we realized that we had a team that could be something special.”
Three Locust Grove pitchers -- Lindow, Rodriquez, Crisp -- walked eight Buford batters and scattered six hits but held the powerful Wolves lineup to no hits with runners in scoring position as they stranded 15 base runners, 10 in scoring position, and left the bases loaded three times.
Centerfielder Nick Wilhite said he remembers that game well and is looking for a different outcome this time around.
“That game we left 15 people on base, gave up one hit, so that's the big difference,” Wilhite said. “Now we're driving the runs in that we had previously left on. And pitching-wise and defensively we've matured a lot since the beginning of the season.”
The loss snapped a 16-game home winning streak for Buford at the time going back to the 2014 playoffs. It left an impression on Buford coach Tony Wolfe.
“We knew they were good and they did a great job of damage control and they got the one big hit,” Wolfe said. “I’m not surprised we’re seeing them again at all. And I think both teams have gotten a lot better since then. I expect a tough series.”
The biggest difference is in experience on the big stage and Wolfe is hoping that will give them just enough of an edge to defend their title. Seven starters were key contributors to last year’s title run for the Wolves.
“I’m hoping the experience of being there last year will help us,” Wolfe said. “Most of our current lineup started (in the championship series) so I don’t expect a whole lot of nerves or anything. But, you’re talking about 16- to 18-year-old kids so you never really know.
“Locust Grove has played in some big games already this year so I don’t really see them as a team with no experience at this level. Plus, they beat us here earlier so I’m sure they feel they can come in here and do it again.”
The Wildcats have shown resiliency in the playoffs. They are 3-0 in elimination games having gone the distance in each of the first three rounds, including a Game 3 victory over North Hall in the second round. However, they are coming off a sweep of Veterans in the semifinals.
It will be the first road game for Locust Grove since beating Riverdale 5-0 on April 8 and the Wildcats are a perfect 10-0 on the road in 2016. Buford is 13-1 at home, with its only loss to the Wildcats.
“We had a tough road but the guys have done a great job of being focused when their backs were against the wall,” Phillips said. “They’ve been battled tested so I’m hoping the experience factor won’t play that big a part.”
But both coaches sounded eerily similar when giving a scouting report of the other and predicting what kind of series fans can expect.
“Both teams have great pitching and play excellent defense. I think the Buford offense is probably a little ahead of ours,” Phillips said. “It’s going to come down to the little things and who does those the best. I’m expecting a war out there and it should be great to watch if you’re a fan.”
“Both teams can pitch. They have five or six quality arms so there won’t be any drop-off if they bring someone new in,” Wolfe said. “They have shown they are a clutch-hitting team and our pitchers will have to work to get them out. They can swing the bats.
“(The series) could go a couple of ways. There will be runners on base just like our first game because both offenses can score runs and make things happen. Can’t walk batters in games like this. Clutch-pitching against clutch-hitting will be a big factor. And, whoever can avoid mistakes will have an advantage.”
