Another high school baseball season is coming to a close. At least three new champions will be crowned after this weekend, while two squads will be looking to pull off a repeat. Here are the finals matchups in all five classifications.
CLASS AAAAA
South Forsyth vs. Pope: Ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAA, South Forsyth heads into this championship series with an impressive 29-4 record for its 2009 campaign. The War Eagles swept a trio of playoff series before needing three games to get past East Paulding and its dominant senior pitcher, Zack Wheeler. South Forsyth came back from a 2-0 deficit in the deciding game as reliever Zach Alvord took over on the mound in the second inning and pitched the rest of the way, allowing no runs on just two hits. Pope (29-8) has survived three straight series in which deciding games were necessary. After outlasting North Gwinnett and Northside, Warner-Robins in rounds two and three, respectively, the Greyhounds got blown out 17-3 in their semifinal opener against defending champion Brookwood. Pope, however, responded with a 3-1 victory in game two and won the rain-delayed finale, 8-3, on Wednesday. Armed with home-field advantage, the Greyhounds will continue to ride the left arm of Mississippi state signee Matt Lane. The senior starter is allowing less than one earned run per game.
CLASS AAAA
Starr’s Mill vs. Northgate: Two subregion rivals are colliding with the ultimate prize in high school baseball at stake, as Starr’s Mill and Northgate, separated by 16 miles, square off in the Class AAAA championship series. Northgate (28-4) emerged victorious in both previous meetings this season, first by a 5-2 margin and then with a 9-0 rout. After three consecutive sweeps in the state playoffs, the Vikings dropped their opener to Marist in a semifinal clash. Northgate, however, bounced back to force a third game with an 11-8 victory and held on for a 1-0 win in the rubber match. Starr’s Mill (25-7) finished one game behind the Vikings in Region 5, and thus will be the visitors in this championship series. The Panthers, however, have been streaking through the postseason by showcasing their best baseball of the season. They have prevailed in all eight of their state playoffs games and the team heads into the finals having won 13 of its last 14 games. Senior southpaw Danny Beadling has started all four playoff openers for Starr’s Mill, while Catlan Kendrick leads the way for Northgate with both his arm and his bat.
CLASS AAA
Cartersville vs. Columbus: In a rematch of a third-round encounter in last year’s state playoffs, Cartersville (28-4) will be looking to defend its 2008 state championship. On their way to that title, the Purple Hurricanes ousted Columbus, two games to one. Cartersville has won 22 straight games heading into this final series, although the team has survived two one-run games during the state playoffs. Big-hitting outfielder Donavan Tate has signed with North Carolina, but he is projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming MLB Draft. Columbus (32-2) has been utterly dominant throughout the postseason. The Blue Devils have surrendered one run or less in eight consecutive contests and they are coming off 12-1 and 8-0 victories over Carrollton. Columbus also hammered St. Pius X by a combined 21-0 score in a quarterfinal series. Alabama signees Matt Taylor and Taylor Wolfe form an imposing duo on the pitcher’s mound.
CLASS AA
Lovett vs. Dublin: Lovett hopes to go one step further than it did in last year’s Class AA state playoffs after getting swept by Wesleyan in the championship series. The Lions (26-8) are riding a 12-game winning streak into the final and they have not lost in over a month. Seven of their eight victories in the state playoffs have come by at least seven runs. Region 6 rival Westminster got within three runs in Game 1 of a semifinal clash, falling 4-1. Starting pitchers Jonathan Carkhuff and Clayton McKinney have been consistently shutting down opponents. Dublin (26-9) is also peaking at just the right time. The Irish entered the state playoffs as the No. 3 seed out of Region 3 and have since rolled off three series victories over top-five opponents (Appling County, Calhoun, and Cook). Starting pitcher Kale Watson allowed just two runs over six innings in a 3-2 Game 1 win over Cook in the semifinals.
CLASS A
Wesleyan vs. Landmark Christian: Wesleyan will try to win back-to-back state titles, going into the final with a 25-9 record. The Wolves’ 2008 championship came in Class AA with a triumph over Lovett. They have lost just one game during these state playoffs and seven of their eight wins have been decided by at least five runs. Junior Devin Stanton has thrown two straight one-hitters, including the semifinal clincher over Brookstone. Landmark Christian (24-8-1) has also dropped only one contest so far in the playoffs. The War Eagles are coming off sweeps of top-ranked Pacelli in the quarterfinals and Calvary Day in the semis. Landmark Christian’s upset over Pacelli avenged a loss in last season’s Class A championship. Four of the War Eagles’ most reliable hitters—twins Kyle and Colby Wren, Blake Austin and Jonathan Roberts—combined to go 13-for-21 with four home runs in a 15-3 Game 1 rout of Pacelli.
Dimon can be reached at rdimon@scoreatl.com.
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