Alexander’s baseball team has made the state semifinals for the first time. Those are perhaps the easiest of long odds that the Cougars have overcome this season.
Before the first game, ace pitcher and cleanup hitter Cody Worthy was lost for the season to Tommy John surgery. The team then finished third in its region and had to win three straight playoff series on the road.
Alexander (25-10) has survived, winning the deciding Game 3 each step of the way. In the second round, Alexander trailed No. 1-ranked Marist 5-3 in the sixth inning of Game 3, and won in extra innings. In the third round, Alexander trailed Wayne County 6-2 in the seventh inning of Game 3, and won in extra innings.
‘’And we’re not just happy to be here,’’ said Alexander coach Chris Brown. “Coming into this season, I thought we had a chance to compete for a state championship. I don’t think anybody could’ve predicted the drama that has come along with our season. But I’m not complaining.’’
The state baseball playoffs will enter the semifinals on Monday for classes AAAAAA through AA. The Class A championship series begin Saturday when Gordon Lee plays defending champion Charlton County in the Class A public final and King’s Ridge plays Mount Paran Christian in the A private final.
It’s unusual for a No. 3 seed such as Alexander to get through. Of 20 semifinal teams higher than Class A, 15 are region champions. Alexander is the only team that has won three playoff series on the road. (Greater Atlanta Christian can become the second on Friday with a victory in Game 3 at Berrien in AA.)
Alexander also is the first school from Douglas County to reach the baseball semifinals since Douglas County High in 1985. No Douglas County school has played in a state-championship series.
And while it’s been a team effort, Alexander senior Nick Wise has been notable in many of the heroics. In the first round against Cedartown, Wise hit a two-run single that gave Alexander a 2-1 lead in the 3-1 victory in Game 3.
In the quarterfinals against Wayne County, Wise threw a no-hitter. He also hit a two-run homer for a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning of that 4-0 victory in Game 2. In Game 3, when Alexander was down to its final out in the seventh inning, Wise hit a three-run homer for a 7-6 lead in a game the Cougars won 13-7 in extra innings.
The homer came after he’d been called on to pitch in relief with the bases loaded and two outs. He struck out that batter and pitched another scoreless inning for the win.
Coach Brown declined to provide full statistics, fearing his next opponent (Crisp County, on the road again) might gain an intelligence advantage. But others hitting the ball pretty well this season include Brandon Bone (.352), who replaced Worthy at third base; shortstop Brian Danserau (.310) and first baseman/cleanup hitter Matt Washington (.340). Danserau and Washington have signed with Snead State in Alabama. Wise (.352) has signed with Chattahoochee Valley Community College.
Schedule:
AAAAAA
Johns Creek at Milton
Lambert at Parkview
AAAAA
Whitewater at Greenbrier
Houston County at Gainesville
AAAA
Alexander at Crisp County
Carrollton at Veterans
AAA
Cartersville at Buford
Blessed Trinity at Hart County
AA
Westminster vs. Berrien/GAC winner
Wesleyan at Benedictine
A Public
Gordon Lee at Charlton County
A Private
King’s Ridge at Mount Paran
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