Milton swept Lambert in the 2013 state baseball playoffs and went on to win the Class AAAAAA championship.
In 2014, Lambert got revenge, beating Milton in an epic state-championship series that featured over a dozen Division I prospects.
On Friday, the two state powers will reintroduce themselves when they meet in the first round of the state playoffs.
While fifth-ranked Lambert (19-7) returned almost every starter, sixth-ranked Milton brought back only one. The new Milton team (17-8) includes 15 first-year varsity players, including nine freshmen, five that that have started at least one game.
‘’Our guys know them because they were at the games last year, either in the dugout or the stands watching or running around with ice creams,’’ Milton coach Joey Ray said. ‘’It would be a different dynamic if I had more returning kids. But they know who Lambert is. They’re only 10-15 miles away. This is a pretty big area for baseball.’’
The Milton-Lambert matchup is one of 128 first-round series slated for the weekend. Each begins with a double-header. A third game will be played if necessary. The series are played at the site of the higher-seeded teams, which is Lambert in Milton’s case.
Only two other first-round series match ranked teams. They are No. 8 Eastside at No. 1 Wayne County (AAAA) and No. 2 Greater Atlanta Christian at No. 8 Bremen (AA).
Others notable series include defending champion Carrollton at No. 2 St. Pius (AAAA), No. 10 Archer at North Gwinnett (AAAAAA), Marist at No. 4 Troup (AAAA) and Woodward Academy at No. 9 Columbia (AAAA). The Class A playoffs begin next week.
Despite its seven losses, three to prominent out-of-state teams, Lambert is still viewed by many as a team to beat in the highest classification along with No. 1 Parkview.
Lambert’s 11 signed seniors include outfielder Jeremy Johnson (Auburn), infielder Eric Furphy (Georgia Southern) and shortstop Nick Guimbarda (Presbyterian). Juniors who will sign are catcher Kyle McCann (Georgia Tech), pitcher/outfielder Tucker Maxwell (Georgia) and outfielder Seth Beer (Clemson).
Meanwhile, Milton (17-8) hardly resembles the 2014 juggernaut that sent Alex Schnell to Clemson, Ryan Gridley to Mississippi State and Dylan Cease to the Chicago Cubs. Several others are playing college ball.
The lone returning starter is shortstop Eric Curry, who is hitting .343. Outfielders Cargter Borgerson (.370) and Jonathan Tracey (.379), both newcomers, have been the leading hitters. The two pitchers expected to start Friday, Clay Forbes (4-1) and Kyle Jaworski (6-0), had 20 innings between them last season and will be throwing this weekend to freshmen catchers Danny Grillo and Drew Hamrock.
Ray says his past few teams have been so experienced and skilled that his job primarily was to manage them. The new group required a new approach.
‘’Our first two weeks was like running a youth camp,’’ Jay said. “We were working on how to take a lead off first, the footwork on a cutoff and relay. I’m thinking this is fun. We’re actually coaching baseball this year.’’
The series winners advance to next week’s second round. The state finals are May 23 and 25.
The state baseball playoffs begin Friday with first-round matchups that entail doubleheaders at the site of the higher-seeded teams. If necessary, third games would be played in the best-of-three series on Saturday, also at the site of the higher-seeded teams.
Class AAAAAA
(R6 #3) North Forsyth at (R5 #2) Pope
(R4 #4) Marietta at (R3 #1) East Coweta
(R2 #3) Newton at (R1 #2) Lee County
(R8 #4) South Gwinnett at (R7 #1) Collins Hill
(R5 #3) Etowah at (R6 #2) West Forsyth
(R3 #4) Campbell at (R4 #1) Harrison
(R1 #3) Valdosta at (R2 #2) Lakeside-DeKalb
(R7 #4) Mill Creek at (R8 #1) Parkview
(R3 #3) Westlake at (R4 #2) Kennesaw Mountain
(R5 #4) Milton at (R6 #1) Lambert
(R8 #3) Archer at (R7 #2) North Gwinnett
(R1 #4) Lowndes at (R2 #1) Tucker
(R4 #3) Hillgrove at (R3 #2) Newnan
(R6 #4) South Forsyth at (R5 #1) Walton
(R7 #3) Mountain View at (R8 #2) Brookwood
(R2 #4) Rockdale County at (R1 #1) Tift County
Class AAAAA
(R6 #3) SW DeKalb at (R5 #2) East Paulding
(R4 #4) Northgate at (R3 #1) Richmond Hill
(R2 #3) Jones County at (R1 #2) Harris County
(R8 #4) Salem at (R7 #1) Forsyth Central
(R5 #3) Alexander at (R6 #2) Dunwoody
(R3 #4) South Effingham at (R4 #1) Starr's Mill
(R1 #3) LaGrange at (R2 #2) Evans
(R7 #4) Cambridge at (R8 #1) Gainesville
(R3 #3) Ware County at (R4 #2) Union Grove
(R5 #4) Hiram at (R6 #1) Stephenson
(R8 #3) Winder-Barrow at (R7 #2) Creekview
(R1 #4) Hardaway at (R2 #1) Greenbrier
(R4 #3) Ola at (R3 #2) Camden County
(R6 #4) Mays at (R5 #1) Allatoona
(R7 #3) Kell at (R8 #2) Loganville
(R2 #4) Lakeside-Evans at (R1 #1) Columbus
Class AAAA
(R6 #3) Marist at (R5 #2) Troup
(R4 #4) Eastside at (R3 #1) Wayne County
(R2 #3) West Laurens at (R1 #2) Thomas County Central
(R8 #4) North Oconee at (R7 #1) Cartersville
(R5 #3) Woodward Academy at (R6 #2) Columbia
(R3 #4) Burke County at (R4 #1) Locust Grove
(R1 #3) Cook at (R2 #2) Perry
(R7 #4) Herigate-Ringgold at (R8 #1) Buford
(R3 #3) Liberty County at (R4 #2) Griffin
(R5 #4) Carrollton at (R6 #1) St. Pius
(R8 #3) Madison County at (R7 #2) Northwest Whitfield
(R1 #4) Cairo at (R2 #1) Veterans
(R4 #3) Pike County at (R3 #2) Thomson
(R6 #4) Chamblee at (R5 #1) Whitewater
(R7 #3) Pickens at (R8 #2) North Hall
(R2 #4) Upson-Lee at (R1 #1) Crisp County
Class AAA
(R6 #3) Sonoraville at (R5 #2) Central-Carroll
(R4 #4) Cedar Grove at (R3 #1) Westside-Augusta
(R2 #3) Jordan at (R1 #2) Southeast Bulloch
(R8 #4) Hart County at (R7 #1) Franklin County
(R5 #3) Cedartown at (R6 #2) Calhoun
(R3 #4) Hephzibah at (R4 #1) Blessed Trinity
(R1 #3) Appling County at (R2 #2) Rutland
(R7 #4) West Hall at (R8 #1) Oconee County
(R3 #3) Laney at (R4 #2) Westminster
(R5 #4) Pepperell at (R6 #1) Ringgold
(R8 #3) Jackson County at (R7 #2) East Hall
(R1 #4) Jenkins at (R2 #1) Jackson
(R4 #3) Decatur at (R3 #2) Washington County
(R6 #4) Adairsville at (R5 #1) Callaway
(R7 #3) Lumpkin County at (R8 #2) Jefferson
(R2 #4) Southwest-Macon at (R1 #1) Pierce County
Class AA
(R6 #3) Greater Atlanta Christian at (R5 #2) Bremen
(R4 #4) Crawford County at (R3 #1) Screven County
(R2 #3) Jeff Davis at (R1 #2) Berrien
(R8 #4) Social Circle at (R7 #1) Darlington
(R5 #3) Bowdon at (R6 #2) Lovett
(R3 #4) Harlem at (R4 #1) Monticello
(R1 #3) Thomasville at (R2 #2) Bacon County
(R7 #4) Dade County at (R8 #1) Rabun County
(R3 #3) Metter at (R4 #2) Bleckley County
(R5 #4) Manchester at (R6 #1) Wesleyan
(R8 #3) Oglethorpe County at (R7 #2) Gordon Lee
(R1 #4) Brooks Count at (R2 #1) Benedictine
(R4 #3) Lamar County at (R3 #2) Dublin
(R6 #4) Holy Innocents' at (R5 #1) Heard County
(R7 #3) Model at (R8 #2) Union County
(R2 #4) Long County at (R1 #1) Fitzgerald
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