Looking back at second round of playoffs

Posted 5/4/19

Commerce took two of three from Pelham in the Class 1A Public second round 

and will play at Schley County in the quarterfinals.

Looking back at the second round

Before we officially put an end to the second round of the Georgia High School Association state baseball playoffs, let's take a brief look back before we head to the next round:

Class 7A

Overview:

Six region champions -- Newnan, Grayson, Hillgrove, Walton, Parkview and North Gwinnett advanced to the quarterfinals. Mill Creek, the Region 6-7A runner-up and Etowah (the fourth seed from Region 4-7A) are the other two teams.

Best Series:

Woodstock at Hillgrove -- After the two teams split Games 1 and 2, they needed 11 innings to settle Game 3 Wednesday night. In the top of the 11th Ethan Wright's RBI single broke a 3-all tie. Woodstock loaded the bases in the bottom of the 11th, but reliever Brennan Richardson induced a groundout for the final out, giving Hillgrove a 4-3 victory and the series.

No teams remain:

From Regions 1 and 5. At least one team remains from every other Class 7A region, including two from Region 4 (Walton, Etowah) and Region 6 (North Gwinnett, Mill Creek)

Biggest Surprise Still Playing:

It shouldn't be a surprise. In fact, we've seen this before. Etowah consistently proves being a No. 4 seed does not matter in the postseason. The Eagles won the state title in 2017 as the fourth seed from Region 4. Friday, they finished off Kennesaw Mountain to win the best-of-three series after needing 11 innings Thursday night in Game 2 to take a 7-6 victory and force a Game 3. That extra-inning victory ended well after midnight.

Keep an eye on:

Newnan -- after winning the Region 2 title, the Cougars needed three games to eliminate North Cobb in the first round. Then they swept past Lassiter to earn a date with Grayson in the quarterfinals. The Cougars are playing much-better than expected.

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Class 6A

Overview:

Six region champions -- Effingham County, Winder-Barrow, Heritage-Conyers, Pope, Houston County and Harrison advanced to the quarterfinals. Allatoona, the Region 6-6A runner-up and Lee County (the fourth seed from Region 1-6A) are the other two teams.

Best Series:

Lee County at Greenbrier -- When Lee County hit a rough stretch late in the season, many wrote off the Trojans. Lee has needed three games in the first two series to oust their opponents, but the Trojans are back in the quarterfinals under rookie coach Brian Trivette. Lee held on for a 6-5 victory in Game 3 to take the series. It was also a small measure of revenge for Lee County. Greenbrier swept the Trojans in Leesburg last year in the second round.

No teams remain:

From Regions 3 or 5. At least one team remains from every other Class 6A region, including two from Region 1 (Houston County, Lee County) and Region 6 (Harrison, Allatoona)

Biggest Surprise Still Playing:

Lee County -- the Trojans ousted Greenbrier and will earn a date with Region 7 champion Pope in the quarterfinals. Pope swept Lee County in the 2017 Class 6A state championship at Rome's State Mutual Stadium.

Keep an eye on:

Winder-Barrow -- They've been ranked No. 1 in the Class 6A polls for a good chunk of the season, but the Bulldoggs keep rolling. Pitcher Austin Lockridge has tossed two no-hitters in the first two rounds of the playoffs. And the team has won 20 straight games after sweeping River Ridge in Round 2.

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Class 5A

Overview:

Four region champions -- Loganville, Ola, Harris County and Decatur advanced to the quarterfinals. Thomas County Central, the Region 1-5A runner-up, Locust Grove, the Region 4-5A runner-up, Riverwood, the Region 6-5A runner-up and Buford, the Region 8-5A runner-up, are the other four teams.

Best Series:

Whitewater at Harris County -- It was a sweep for Harris County, but Whitewater gave the Tigers a tough go before falling. After the Tigers took Game 1, 5-3, Harris County used doubles from Cole Mathis and Cole Stanford in the fith inning of the second game to give the Tigers the lead. They held on for a 4-3 victory.

No teams remain:

From Regions 2, 3, 5 or 7. Two teams each remain from the other four regions -- Region 1 (Harris County, Thomas County Central), Region 4 (Ola, Locust Grove), Region 6 (Decatur, Riverwood) and Region 8 (Loganville, Buford)

Biggest Surprise Still Playing:

Thomas County Central -- The Jackets are 28-5 and having one of their best seasons in school history. They scored one run in the bottom of the fourth against Wayne County in Game 3 and they made it stand up in a 1-0 victory to win the series. TCC got a pitching gem from Luke Benton and Nick Herndon, who combined on a three-hit shutout in Game 3.

Keep an eye on:

Decatur -- In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, the Bulldogs have swept Chamblee and Walnut Grove in the first two rounds to make the quarterfinals. With slugger Jordan Walker and standout pitcher Jayden Paden leading the way, Decatur will be a serious challenger in Class 5A.

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Class 4A

Overview:

Four region champions -- North Oconee, Cartersville, Woodward Academy and Blessed Trinity advanced to the quarterfinals. Columbus, the Region 1-4A runner-up, Northside-Columbus, the No. 3 seed from Region 1-4A, West Laurens, the Region 2-4A runner-up and Denmark, the No. 4 seed from Region 7, are the other four teams.

Best Series:

Flowery Branch at Cartersville -- Scouts had to love this one, especially the pitching staffs for both schools, as they got to look at Cartersville ace Mason Barnett, Logan Martin and Gage Morris and Flowery Branch junior pitchers Andrew Armstrong and Zander Sechrist. But the Purple Hurricanes were too much. 

No teams remain:

From Regions 3 or 6. At least one team remains from every other Class 4A region, including two from Region 1 (Columbus, Northside-Columbus) and Region 7 (Blessed Trinity, Denmark).

Biggest Surprise Still Playing:

West Laurens -- The Raiders had a bad week during spring break and lost two of three to Mary Persons, which cost them the region title. But West Laurens' playoff run hasn't been a fluke in sweeps over Cross Creek and Cairo in the first two rounds. The Raiders' sweep over Region 1 champion Cairo was convincing.

Keep an eye on:

Denmark -- The Danes, in their first season of existence, aren't just the feel good story of the 2019 state baseball playoffs. After sweeps over Northwest Whitfield and St. Pius X, Denmark has proven it can play with the big boys, even if this is their first year.

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Class 3A

Overview:

Five region champions -- Appling County, Pace Academy, Pike County, Fannin County and Cook advanced to the quarterfinals. North Hall, the Region 7-3A runner-up, Crisp County, the No. 3 seed from Region 1-3A and Hart County, the No. 3 seed from Region 8-3A, are the other three teams.

Best Series:

Redan at Flowery Branch -- Redan took Morgan County to three games in the first round of the state playoffs before winning the series. They took Fannin County to three games before falling in Round 2. In both series, Redan took key victories in the second game. And in each series, Game 2 ended well past midnight. But the Raiders' magic ran out in Game 3 on Thursday when Fannin held on for a 4-3 victory to take the best-of-three series.

No teams remain:

From Regions 3 or 6. At least one team remains from every other Class 3A region, including two from Region 1 (Cook, Crisp County) and Region 7 (Fannin County, North Hall).

Biggest Surprise Still Playing:

Crisp County -- On paper, the Cougars had no business doing what they did against defending Class 2A state champion Benedictine. After getting run-ruled 14-2 in Game 1 of the series on Thursday, the Cougars took a 6-2 victory in Game 2 to shock the Cadets. Then they carried that momentum to a 7-4 victory in Game 3 on Friday to take the series. The defending Class 2A state champions combined to score just six runs in the final two games of the series. This is Crisp's deepest penetration in postseason play since they finished as the Class 4A state runner-up in 2014.

Keep an eye on:

Hart County -- Call Hart County's first-round series victory over defending Class 3A state champion Lovett an upset if you want. But they took Region 6 champion Ringgold to three games and stunned the home-standing Tigers. Will Dean's four-hit shutout in Game 2 was the turning point. Hart then rode that momentum to a 10-5 victory in Game 3 to take the series.

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Class 2A

Overview:

Six region champions -- Jeff Davis, Social Circle, Bleckley County, Bremen, Harlem and Rockmart advanced to the quarterfinals. Bacon County, the Region 2-2A runner-up and Callaway, the Region 5-2A runner-up, are the other two teams.

Best Series:

Dade County at Bremen -- After Dade County pitchers Harley Walker and Haven Howard stifled Bremen in Game 1 to take a 6-5 victory, the top-ranked Blue Devils rallied for two straight wins to clinch the series. Dade County made a series many expected Bremen to sweep entertaining, even if what was just one game.

No teams remain:

From Regions 1 or 6. At least one team remains from every other Class 2A region, including two from Region 2 (Jeff Davis, Bacon County) and Region 5 (Bremen, Callaway).

Biggest Surprise Still Playing:

Bacon County -- It's no surprise as Bacon returned a lot of talent. The Red Raiders, under first-year coach Noble Coley, were expected to win the Region 2-2A crown. After some up and downs during the regular season, Bacon has hit its stride, including sweeps of Dodge County and Region 1 champion Thomasville in the first two rounds.

Keep an eye on:

Bleckley County -- The Royals had a lot of talent in 2018 and injuries hurt the team, eventually sending them to a first-round playoff series loss. The Royals, after starting slowly this year, appear to be peaking at the right time. 

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Class 1A Public

Overview:

Three region champions -- Schley County, Irwin County and Gordon Lee have advanced to the quarterfinals. Commerce, Johnson County, Seminole County, Clinch County and Bowdon are the other remaining teams.

Best Series:

Commerce at Pelham -- After dropping Game 1 of the best-of-three series 3-1, Commerce regrouped and took the second contest 11-1 to force a third and deciding game. After allowing an unearned run in the first inning, Commerce pitcher Colby Rogers was nearly untouchable the rest of the way and led the Tigers to a 7-1 victory and the series. Rogers allowed just four hits and fanned eight to earn the complete-game victory.

Biggest Surprise Still Playing:

Bowdon -- The Red Devils, a state semifinalist a year ago, were seeded 14th in the Class 1A Public brackets. The Red Devils needed three games to top Charlton County in Round 1. Then they defeated Region 1 champion Baconton Charter in the second round in a weird series that saw a near one-hour rain delay in Game 1 on Thursday, then Game 2 was suspended by darkness because Baconton has no lights. Bowdon lost Game 2, 13-2, when play resumed on Friday before coming back to win the finale 7-1 to take the best-of-three series.

Keep an eye on:

Seminole County -- The Indians finished the regular season strong and got a first-round bye. While the second-round series with Wilcox County went three games, Seminole played well.

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Class 1A Private

Overview:

Three region champions -- Tattnall Square, Savannah Christian and Wesleyan have advanced to the quarterfinals. Strong Rock Christian, Calvary Day, Hebron Christian, Savannah Country Day and Fellowship Christian are the other remaining teams.

Best Series:

Strong Rock Christian at Prince Avenue Christian -- Strong Rock rolled to a 9-1 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three series, then things got tight. Prince Avenue Christian, last year's Class 1A Private state runner-up, took the second game 5-4 on Thursday. But in a nail-biting Game 3 Friday afternoon, Strong Rock Christian earned a 2-1 victory to advance.

Biggest Surprise Still Playing:

Hebron Christian -- The Lions barely made the 24-team playoff field, earning as the 20th seed. But Hebron needed to do was get in. Since postseason play began, Hebron has swept Brookstone and Region 8 champion Lakeview Academy. They have combined for 31 runs in four games. And they got even with Lakeview, who defeated them during the two teams' only regular-season meeting this season.

Keep an eye on:

Savannah Country Day -- The Hornets survived a slugfest in Game 1 to defeat St. Francis 12-11, then they took the second game and the series to advance. The seventh-seeded Hornets will meet cross-town and Region 3-1A rival Savannah Christian in the quarterfinals. SCD lost to the Raiders 9-5 in their only previous meeting this year. But Savannah Country Day is playing its best baseball of the season.