There are seven defending champions making the trek to the South Commons Softball Complex for the GHSA Fast Pitch Softball State Championships highlighting a talented and storied field of 64 competitors who’ve combined for 73 previous state championships.
This season, after the GHSA reclassification cycle, Class 6A is the highest class in the state, down to Class A Division I and II with the new addition of a ‘Private’ classification – consisting of the private schools from Classes 3A-1A.
The first-round games will be played Wednesday with the second round of the winner’s bracket and first rounds of the loser’s brackets taking to the field Thursday. On Friday, the winner’s bracket games will place one team into the championship series while two rounds of play in the loser’s bracket will set up the early Saturday games to determine which teams will earn berths in the championship series.
The finals begin play at 1 p.m. Saturday with possible 3 p.m. games if the loser’s bracket team forces a decisive ‘if game’.
Follow the link to see the full brackets with scoring updates from Columbus.
RETURNING EXCELLENCE HEADING TO WEST GEORGIA
The teams who have a chance to defend titles could be in a new class this season, creating intriguing matchups throughout each of the classes. Buford (7A), Northside-Columbus (5A), Wesleyan (3A), Appling County (2A), Prince Avenue Christian (A Division I) and Lanier County (A Division II) will try to defend last year’s championships.
The reclassification of the private schools into their own bracket has opened Classes 3A to Class A for new teams to carve championship pathways. There are 20 teams across those three classes who will be trying for their program’s first-ever championship.
WE’RE GOING TO NEED A BIGGER TROPHY CASE
Buford, one of the favorite contenders in Class 6A this season, has a tournament-leading 12 championships including a title in each of the past two seasons. The Wolves won 10-consecutive titles from 2007 to 2016 before capturing the 2022 and 2023 championships.
Gordon Lee, a favorite in the Class A Division I tournament, has won 11 championships and after the team’s first title in 2004, it won every title from 2010 to 2020, only missing out in 2014. Northside-Columbus (5A, now 4A) and Wesleyan (3A, now Private) join Buford as teams entering the tournament having won consecutive championships in each of the past two seasons.
HIGH-CLASSED RIVALRY
The state’s highest class features two of the best softball teams in the country in top-ranked Buford and No. 2-ranked East Coweta. The programs met last season in the finals of the winner’s bracket where Buford won 3-2 before meeting again in the championship series, which the Wolves won 9-1 to earn the title. Two seasons ago, Buford defeated East Coweta 2-1 in the second round of the winner’s bracket, sending the Indians on a three-game redemption path through the loser’s bracket. The teams met again in the 2022-23 championship series, won by Buford, again 9-1.
This year’s bracket setup creates a chance that Buford and East Coweta could meet again in the second round if each team wins their first-round contests where Buford plays Brookwood and East Coweta meets Hillgrove.
AIMING FOR A PROGRAM FIRST
There are 34 teams who have advanced to the tournament brackets across the eight classifications who will be trying for the first state championship in program history. There are six teams in Classes 5A and 3A and five teams in Classes 2A and A Division II who are trying to win their team’s first championship.
North Cobb, Hillgrove and Brookwood have never won a title and will enter the Class 6A tournament hungry for their first. In Class 5A, South Effingham, East Paulding, River Ridge, Houston County and Effingham County have yet to win a championship.
Wayne County is the lone Class 4A program that’s never captured a championship. In Class 3A, LaFayette, LaGrange, Cherokee Bluff, Pickens, Monroe Area and Southeast Bulloch will try for program firsts. Pike County, Miller Grove, Stephens County, Sonoraville and Union County are the Class 2A teams in the hunt for their first trophy.
Toombs County, Haralson County, Bremen and East Laurens mark the Class A Division I teams trying to add their first trophy to the case. In Class A Division II, Clinch County, Schley County, Irwin County, Metter and Screven County have never won a title. In the Private classification, Savannah Christian, Hebron Christian, Trinity Christian and Mount Vernon enter the bracket with eyes on their first titles.
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