Regions 8-6A, 8-5A, 7-3A, and 8-2A begin their final week of the regular with plenty of playoff positioning still up for grabs.
Meanwhile, Buford and Dacula will have a one-game showdown for the Region 8-7A title on Monday. The two teams will close out their regular schedules in Dacula with the all-important No. 1 seed at stake in the upcoming state tournament.
They split their first two meetings of the season with each team winning on the road. The Wolves (16-12, 10-4 Region 8-7A) took an 8-2 win in Dacula back on March 8. The Falcons (19-8, 10-4 Region 8-7A) returned the favor the next day with a 5-4 victory at Gerald McQuaig Field.
In Region 8-6A, North Forsyth (18-9, 13-2 Region 8-6A) already has clinched the region title but Jackson County (13-15, 10-6 Region 8-6A) is locked in a tie for second place with Apalachee (14-12, 10-6 Region 8-6A). Those two teams split their first two games and they meet on Monday in Bethlehem with the winner clinching a home playoff series in the upcoming state playoffs.
In Region 7-3A, No. 2 Pickens (24-4, 16-2 Region 7-3A) already has clinched the region title. But two huge series open on Monday for the second through fourth spots.
Second-place Wesleyan (14-8, 11-4 Region 7-3A) opens a three-game series with third-place Lumpkin County (19-7, 10-5 Region 7-3A) with a doubleheader on Monday in Norcross. The series winner will take the No. 2 seed.
In Cleveland, White County (11-14, 6-9 Region 7-3A) opens a series against fourth-place Dawson County (13-13, 8-7 Region 7-3A). The Warriors sit two games back of the Tigers for the final spot and can steal a playoff spot with a series sweep. The Tigers can clinch a playoff spot with one win. However, the Tigers could still finish third with a sweep of White County and a Wesleyan sweep of Lumpkin County.
In Region 8-5A, the four teams are known with Loganville (20-7, 10-0 Region 8-5A) already clinching the region title. Winder-Barrow (17-9, 7-3 Region 8-5A) and Jefferson (18-6, 7-3 Region 8-5A) and tied for second with Flowery Branch (17-10, 7-4 Region 8-5A) in fourth just one-half game back.
The Dragons open a series with Loganville on Monday at home and the two teams close out their region schedule on Tuesday in Loganville. Branch can claim the No. 3 seed if it beats Heritage-Conyers on Monday and Loganville sweeps the two games with Jefferson.
(Check below for the full schedule of baseball games on Monday involving area teams.)
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCHEDULE
(All games start at 5:55 p.m. unless otherwise noted)
Monday, April 17
Banks County at Union County, 5:30 p.m.*
Buford at Dacula*
Cedar Shoals at Johnson, 5:30 p.m.
Dawson County at White County*
East Jackson at Providence Christian*
Flowery Branch at Heritage-Conyers*
Gainesville at Shiloh*
George Walton at Lakeview Academy, 5:30 p.m.*
Habersham Central at North Forsyth*
Jackson County at Apalachee*
Loganville at Jefferson*
Lumpkin County at Wesleyan (DH), 4:30 p.m.*
West Hall at Gilmer*
(* -- denotes region contest)
