Baseball playoffs: Nine area teams look to keep rolling in 2nd round

It was a fruitful first round of the Georgia High School Association baseball playoffs for northeast Georgia area teams. Nine moved through to the second round, which begins on Monday around the state.

Area teams in Classes 5A, 3A, and A Division 2 all will get underway on Monday, with Game 3s, if necessary, set for Tuesday. Classes 7A, 6A, 4A, and 2A will open the second round on Wednesday, with Game 3s, if necessary, set for Thursday.

On Wednesday, region champions Buford (7A), Cherokee Bluff (4A), and Banks County (2A) all will open series at home. 

Two Region 8-5A teams -- Jefferson and Flowery Branch -- both pulled off sweeps in the opening round, but both may face the toughest of all the assignments on Monday. The Dragons (17-13) travel to No. 1-ranked Cartersville (25-5), while the Falcons (15-14) head to No. 2-ranked Greater Atlanta Christian (27-3) for a pair of three-game series.

Branch coach Dusty Black credits a very challenging non-region schedule for helping prepare them for the playoffs. The Falcons are the No. 3 seed from 8-5A.

“Playing a tough schedule always has its benefits for the playoffs, but nothing can truly prepare you for a tough series,” Black said. “We have been fortunate over the past few years that our current players have gotten to experience playing in tough playoff environments. That experience and the tough regular season schedule have prepared us for these types of moments.”

GAC has been ranked in the top five all season and is a tough place for road teams. The Spartans are a perfect 14-0 at home in 2024. Black said the real key will be his Falcons just being themselves.

“Playing our game. That’s the key to the series for us,” he said. “We are a very good team when we play our game. We have to be disciplined at the plate, throw strikes, and make the routine plays. 

“To me, what it comes down to is avoiding that crooked inning. We had some really good days at practice (last) week, and I’m looking forward to seeing our guys compete against a good opponent.”

Banks County in Class 2A is another interesting team with an intriguing matchup. The Leopards (22-8) bring a five-game win streak into their home series with Walker (17-12), who swept out sixth-ranked Model on the road in the first round.

The region title was the first for Banks County since 1973 and only twice since then have they made it out of the second round (2017, 2022). First-year coach Jared Jones said his young team is peaking at the right time.

“I believe we are (peaking),” he said. “We are a pretty young team, and many of our starters were getting their first varsity action at the beginning of the season. We also battled injuries throughout the year, and we are finally healthy at the right time. I am excited for what the future holds for this team.”

He also said Walker, who played in a very difficult Region 6-2A, is no ordinary three-seed.

“Walker could probably win many region championships across the state (in Class 2A),” he said. “They swing the bats really well and have some arms that run it up there pretty well. For us, it is about playing our game and being the best version of ourselves.

“If we play good defense, throw strikes, and battle at the plate, I think we will give ourselves a chance to win each and every game we play. But we are going to have to be ready to battle.”

Cherokee Bluff, meanwhile, was as dominant as anyone in the first round, routing Woodland-Stockbridge 13-0 and 13-2 at Bluff Ballpark. The fifth-ranked Bears (26-4) have won 10 straight and lead Class 4A in wins. Cedartown (15-16) had been without junior pitcher and Georgia Tech-commit Jay O'Neal most of the season. O’Neal returned late in the season and is expected to be available against the Bears.

Class 7A seventh-ranked Buford (21-8) plays host to West Forsyth (19-10) at Gerald McQuaig Field beginning on Wednesday. The Region 8-7A champion Wolves were pushed to the limit in the opening round in a pair of close games with Kennesaw Mountain.

Buford had been yielding just 2.92 runs/game before being roughed up for 10 runs in the opening round. West Forsyth is averaging 5.44 runs/game on offense.

Dawson County heads to No. 4 Franklin County in the Class 3A tournament. The Tigers (19-9) looked solid in a home sweep of No. 7 Bremen in the first round. The key matchup will be a Dawson County offense that is averaging 7.32 runs/game against a Lions (27-5) pitching staff that is yielding just 4.0 runs/game and had a pair of shutouts over Douglass-Atlanta in the first round.

In Class 6A, Habersham Central (21-9) faces a huge task, traveling to sixth-ranked Etowah (26-5) in the Sweet 16 beginning Wednesday. The Eagles are tied for second in wins in Class 6A and advanced to the semifinals in 2023 and was the Class 7A state runner-up in 2022.

North Forsyth (23-9) hits the road against No. 3 Blessed Trinity (24-8), also beginning on Wednesday.