Once again Friday will be crucial day for northeast Georgia area teams with region title and playoff postioning battles highlighted one of the busiest days of the season so far.
Doubleheaders will dominate the day for several key series in a handful of regions. In all, there are 13 games on tap involving 16 area teams on Friday. Eight regions will have key showdowns.
Just two area teams -- Dawson County in Region 6-3A and Banks County in Region 8-A Division 1 -- come into the day owning outright leads in their respective regions. Two others -- Cherokee Bluff and Jefferson, both in Region 8-3A -- share the region lead going into Friday.
Several other teams can make a move into second place with some help.
Cherokee Bluff (8-8, 4-0 Region 8-3A) can move into sole possession first place in 8-3A with a sweep of East Hall (6-10, 0-4 Region 8-3A) and a loss by Jefferson (9-8, 4-0 Region 8-3A) to Oconee County (12-4, 3-1 Region 8-3A) on Friday. However, the Dragons can remain tied atop the standings with the Bears if they can sweep their doubleheader with the Warriors. That would set another juicy battle for first place in 8-3A next week when Bluff and Jefferson play a three-game series.
Flowery Branch (8-6, 3-1 Region 8-4A) could move into second place in 8-4A outright with a sweep of Madison County (2-14, 0-4 Region 8-4A)and at least one more loss by North Oconee (12-4, 3-1 Region 8-4A) to Walnut Grove (12-4, 4-0 Region 8-4A) in their series.
In Regio 6-3A, No. 2-ranked North Hall (10-5, 6-2 Region 6-3A) will try to rebound from loss to White County (7-9, 2-6 Region 6-3A) as the Trojans try to keep pace with Dawson County (12-6, 7-2 Region 6-3A) atop the standings.
In Region 8-5A. Jackson County and Habersham Central complete series' on Friday as both try to stay in the top of the region standings.
(See below for the full schedule of Friday's games.)
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY, March 21
(First pitch at 5:55 unless otherwise noted)
Banks County at BASA (DH), 5 p.m.*
Commerce at Rabun County (DH), 5 p.m.*
East Forsyth at Eastside (DH), 5 p.m.*
East Hall at Cherokee Bluff (DH), 5 p.m.*
Madison County at Flowery Branch (DH), 5 p.m.*
Gainesville at Lanier*
Lumpkin County at Pickens*
North Forsyth at West Forsyth, 6:15 p.m.*
North Hall at White County*
Oconee County at Jefferson (DH), 5 p.m.*
Towns County at Washington-Wilkes (DH), 5 p.m.*
West Hall at Monroe Area (DH), 5 p.m.*
Winder-Barrow at Jackson County*
(* -- denotes region contest)
