As the GHSA state baseball playoffs get down to the end, let’s take a look at each team’s road to the semifinals.
CLASS 5A …
East Paulding jumped on the back of its star pitcher Zach Wheeler to get to the final four. He has put together a string of magnificent performances in the postseason, including 10 strikeouts against Kell, a no-hitter against Mill Creek, and a two-hit, 15-strikeout gem to defeat Lowndes (read more about Wheeler in the article below). South Forsyth has gone through the playoffs without a loss. A comeback win was needed against Newnan to complete the third-round sweep; a two-out, two-run double by Patrick Olvaney put the War Eagles on top for good in that contest.
After sweeping Woodstock in the first round and narrowly defeating North Gwinnett in a tightly contested second round, Pope faced Northside-Warner Robins for a chance to advance. In the deciding third game of the series, junior pitcher Will Kendall threw a masterful three-hit shutout to help the Greyhounds win, 3-0. Their semifinal opponent, Brookwood, swept by all three of its playoff opponents, Collins Hill, Lassiter and East Coweta. Timely hitting by Nicky Moore, who had three hits and two RBIs, finished off the sweep of East Coweta and put the Broncos in position for back-to-back state titles.
CLASS 4A …
The 2008 state champion Loganville Red Devils are still defending after defeating Sequoyah, Lakeside-DeKalb and Evans, all in two-game sweeps. Jason Johnson, Heath Holder, Trey Culpepper, Drew Dickerson and Clay Garner all hit home runs against Evans to power their way into the semis. Starr’s Mill has also swept its way into the semis by defeating Chamblee, Winder-Barrow and Wayne County. The pitching of Ken Jackson, who is undefeated at 5-0 on the year, and the hitting of Jesse Barker, batting .432 this season, has led the way.
The other half of the bracket features Marist (read more about the War Eagles on page 8), which has also gone through the playoffs unscathed by sweeping Whitewater, Sprayberry and Lakeside-Evans. Senior shortstop Kyle Farmer hit a two-run homer in the first game and picked up saves in the two wins against Lakeside-Evans. Northgate made it a clean sweep for all final four teams in 4A, as the Vikings dusted Forsyth-Central, Heritage-Rockdale and South Effingham convincingly. Catlin Kendrick and Paul Rojas both pitched complete games, each giving up just a single run to defeat South Effingham.
CLASS 3A …
Carrollton made its way into the 3A final four by getting by Dunwoody, West Forsyth and Peach County. Against Peach, the Trojans played small ball by reaching base seven times on bunt singles and stealing five bases in the series. The No. 1-ranked (Gasports.com) Columbus Blue Devils have only lost two games all year, and they haven’t been tested in the playoffs yet. In wins against Westover, Woodward Academy and St. Pius X, the Devils outscored their opponents 55-3.
Cartersville swept its first three opponents in the playoffs. Against Northside-Columbus, Donavan Tate went 4-4, scored three runs, and knocked in a run in the two games. Cartersville’s opponent in the semifinals was the Perry Panthers. In the third-round sweep over Oconee County, pitchers Perry Kiser and Sam Kinnas threw complete games. Kinnas gave up four hits and also drove in the tying run at the plate in the first win.
CLASS 2A …
Cook played its way into the final four for the chance to win its third all-time state title. The Hornets came through with a 7-5 win in the deciding game of the series against Blessed Trinity; Kaleb Cowart hit a go-ahead home run in the fifth inning to spark the victory. Dublin, the Hornets’ opponent, defeated Monticello, Appling County and Calhoun to clinch its position in the semifinals. Zach Mullis hit a two-run home run in the first inning of the first game against Calhoun and the Irish didn’t look back after that; Dublin never trailed in the series.
Lovett has gone through the playoffs undefeated, winning against Callaway, North Oconee and Jeff Davis. Senior first baseman Adam Whitlock was 11-11 with 12 RBIs through the first three rounds. After starting the season 10-10, Westminster clawed its way to the final four to make its overall record 20-11. Pitcher Joseph Withrow was stellar with six strikeouts and only four hits in a 5-3 series-clinching game against Bleckley County in the third round.
CLASS A …
Calvary Day out of Savannah swept its way to the semifinals. The Cavaliers’ Beau Smith pitched a 1-0 shutout against Bremen in the third round to lead them to the final four. Semifinalist Landmark Christian slammed its way to the final four with 14 hits and four home runs against Pacelli in their third-round victory, a rematch of last year’s finals. Landmark’s top four batters in the lineup—Kyle and Colby Wren, Blake Austin and Jonathan Roberts—were 13-for-21.
Brookstone faced a deciding third game against Darlington in its third-round series. Garrett Hix and Milton McCluskey hit back-to-back RBI doubles to lead the Cougars to a 7-0 win. The pitching of Wesleyan starters Devin Stanton and Drew Fithian put the Wolves (the defending 2A champs) into the final four. In the third-round defeat of Schley County, the two combined to give up only two runs.
Deighton can be reached at jdeighton@scoreatl.com.
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