Baseball playoffs: Region champs Buford, Bluff, Banks Co. lead 7 more area teams into the 1st round

After northeast Georgia area teams Jefferson, Flowery Branch, Dawson County, and Towns County all swept impressively into the second round of the 2024 Georgia High School Association baseball playoffs on Tuesday, teams in Class 7A, 6A, 4A, and 2A will take their turns on Thursday.

Seven more northeast Georgia area teams, spearheaded by region champions Buford, Cherokee Bluff, and Banks County, will be in action looking to advance to the Sweet 16. Every series is a best-of-three, with doubleheaders set for Thursday and a deciding Game 3, if necessary, scheduled for Friday. Class 6A will have the largest contingent for northeast Georgia teams, with North Forsyth, Habersham Central, and Gainesville going against Region 5-6A.

Region 8-7A champ Buford (20-8) plays host to Kennesaw Mountain (13-14) at Gerald McQuaig Field. The Wolves are averaging 7.0 runs/game, while the Mustangs are yielding 5.0 runs/game on the mound.

Region 8-4A champ Bluff (24-4) comes into its first-round series at Bluff Ballpark against Woodland-Stockbridge (15-9) on an eight-game win streak and is tied for the most wins in Class 4A. The Bears have outscored their opponents 257 (second-most in 4A) to 91 (3.25 ERA) and are 12-2 at home on the season.

Region 8-2A champ Banks County (20-8) takes on Eagles Landing Christian (8-9) in Homer, looking for its first series win since 2022. The key matchup will be the Leopards offense, which is averaging 5.39 runs/game, vs. the ELCA pitching staff, which is 25th in 2A in runs allowed (124, 7.29 runs/game).

In Class 6A, three area teams will see if they can advance, led by Region 8-6A runner-up North Forsyth, who plays host to Alexander. Habersham Central, the No. 3 seed, heads to South Paulding, and fourth-seeded Gainesville, making its first playoff appearance since 2018, has a huge task traveling to fifth-ranked Newnan, the Region 5-6A champion.

North Forsyth hopes to improve on last season’s run to the second round. Coach Jim Cahill’s squad has been hot over the past five weeks, going 14-3 in their last 17 games, including a five-game win streak to close out the regular season.

Cahill said it was a weekly and daily process as they got ready for the playoffs.

“One thing we talk about all the time is getting better every day,” Cahill said. We have been playing better as the season has gone on, and we hope to carry this momentum into the playoffs.”

He also said the key to advancing will rest with his group. 

“(We just need to keep) doing what we do,” he said. “Throw strikes, play good defense, and have a good offensive approach.”

Habersham Central hits the road and won four of its last five down the stretch as well. Coach Chris Akridge said their approach has been consistent all season.

"We really haven't done anything differently during that stretch (at the end of the season),” he said. “I think it is just the result of our team maturing throughout the grind of region play and gaining more experience in pressure situations."

Similar to North Forsyth, Akridge said the little things will be key.

“As cliche as it sounds, we've just got to focus on throwing strikes,” he said. “Playing solid defense and grinding out good at-bats at the plate also."