Baseball’s regular season concludes this weekend, and the state tournament begins Thursday.
Here’s a look at the likely (or definite) region champions and their state-tournament history.
AAAAAAA
1 – Lowndes (19-9, 8-2) edged Colquitt County (18-9, 7-3) win the region. The Vikings are a frequent state-playoff team with eight quarterfinal-or-better finishes the past 20 years.
2 – Newnan (22-7, 15-0) went undefeated in region play. Newnan reached the semifinals in 2011 but hasn’t gone past the second round since.
3 – Hillgrove (22-7, 13-1) won by a wide margin. The Hawks made the quarterfinals last year. Their best finish is the finals (2011).
4 – Woodstock (24-4, 10-3) can win with a split or better in its double-header Friday night against Lassiter (16-12, 8-5). Woodstock was a state runner-up last season. That’s after having never previously advanced in the state tournament.
5 – South Forsyth (23-6, 13-1) ran away with this region. South has gotten as far as the finals (2009).
6 – Mill Creek (25-4, 16-1) beat out North Gwinnett (21-8, 13-4) to claim this stout region. Mill Creek lost to eventual champion Etowah in the semifinals last year and also made the semis in 2012, but never further.
7 – Parkview (24-5, 10-1) and Brookwood (21-7, 10-1) play Friday to settle it. Parkview has won six state titles, the most recent in 2015. Brookwood has won a couple, most recently in 2008.
8 – Grayson (18-11, 13-1) was dominant. Grayson’s best finish was the semifinals in 2012. The Rams made the second round last year.
AAAAAA
1 – Lee County (21-6, 9-1), alma mater of Buster Posey, was the state runner-up last season to Pope. Lee has never won a baseball state title.
2 – Effingham County (20-9, 9-2) won a round last year and got to the semifinals in 2011.
3 – Heritage-Conyers (19-8, 13-2) was a state runner-up in 2007 but hasn’t advanced since 2010.
4 – Tucker (16-11, 13-2) has a makeup game due but figures to edge Mundy’s Mill (16-9, 13-3). Tucker advanced a round for the first time in 14 years last season.
5 – South Paulding (22-7, 14-1) and Alexander (19-7, 13-2) play Friday. South Paulding has never advanced in the state tournament. Alexander made the quarterfinals last year.
6 – Allatoona (24-5, 14-1), a quarterfinalist last season, can clinch with a win over Creekview on Friday. River Ridge (24-5, 13-2), state semifinalist last season, waits for a slipup.
7 – Pope (24-4, 14-1) is the class of this region and the defending state champion.
8 – Gainesville (19-8, 10-4) and Winder-Barrow (17-10, 10-4) have split their two games this season and play other opponents Friday to finish up. Gainesville, the AAAAA runner-up in 2015, lost in the first round last season, ending the Elephants’ seven-year streak of the sweet 16. Winder-Barrow won a round last year.
AAAAA
1 – Veterans (22-7, 11-1) has clinched. Veterans has made the quarterfinals or better each of the past five seasons and gotten to the semifinals three times.
2 – Wayne County (23-4, 10-0) was the state runner-up to Loganville last season.
3 – Starr’s Mill (20-8, 17-1) was a semifinalist last season and lost to eventual champion Loganville.
4 – Locust Grove (19-10, 14-2) swept Ola this week to clinch it. Locust Grove won AAAA in 2016 and lost in the semifinals to Wayne County (8-7 in Game 3) last season.
5 – Arabia Mountain (20-6, 14-1) advanced a round in the state tournament for the first time last season.
6 – Decatur (24-5, 15-1) made the quarterfinals last season, losing to Starr’s Mill.
7 – Carrollton (24-5, 13-2) made the quarterfinals last season, losing to Wayne County.
8 – Loganville (22-6, 10-1) beat out a strong Buford team (18-11, 9-2) to win region. Loganville is the defending state champion.
AAAA
1 – Northside (15-8, 12-1) beat city rival Columbus 7-6 in eight innings last week to win the season series and claim first place. Northside made the quarterfinals in 2009 and 2010 but has never gone further.
2 – West Laurens (18-7, 11-3) made the quarterfinals last season, losing to Blessed Trinity, matching the school’s best-ever finish from 2011.
3 – Burke County (18-3, 9-1) and Cross Creek (15-7, 9-1) finished tied. Burke is 1-7 in the state tournament. Cross Creek is 4-9. Neither has advanced past the second round.
4 – Woodward Academy (22-4, 17-0) can complete a perfect region slate with a win Friday over Luella. Woodward has made the state tournament 18 straight seasons and reached one semifinal (2011).
5 – Cartersville (23-7, 11-1) and Troup (21-7, 11-1) finished tied. Cartersville has won six state titles, the most recent in 2013. Cartersville unluckily drew eventual champion Blessed Trinity in the first round last season. That marked the first time Cartersville had failed to reach the round of 16 since 1995. Troup, a semifinalist in 2012 and 2013, lost in the second round last season.
6 – Heritage-Ringgold (22-6, 17-0) made the semifinals last season, losing to Blessed Trinity.
7 – Blessed Trinity (26-2, 10-0), ranked No. 1, was the runner-up to Marist last year and to Westminster in 2016. The Titans won AAA titles in 2006, 2014 and 2015.
8 – Jefferson (18-8, 11-3) was the AAA runner-up to Blessed Trinity in 2015. The Dragons lost in the first round to Heritage-Ringgold last year.
AAA
1 – Cook (22-6, 11-0) has can complete a perfect region season Friday. Cook, a state champion in 1992 and 2000, made the round of 16 last year.
2 – Appling County (22-7, 9-1) edged 2017 AAA runner-up Pierce County (12-14, 8-2) to take the region title. Appling has gone to exactly the second round each of the past five seasons, or since beating Pierce for the AA title in 2012.
3 – Southeast Bulloch (17-6, 14-0) was perfect in the region. Southeast lost to eventual champ North Hall in the second round last season and hasn’t advanced further since 1980.
4 – Pike County (20-5, 12-0) was perfect in the region. Pike, the AA finalist to Buford in 2011, lost in the second round last year.
5 – Lovett (17-8, 11-2) and Westminster (14-11, 11-2) are tied with games to play. Lovett has won eight state titles, the most recent in 2016 (AA), and lost in the quarters last year. Westminster has won four state titles, the most recent in 2016 (AAA), and lost in the first round last year.
6 – Ringgold (25-4, 17-0) can finish perfect with a win Friday against Bremen. Ringgold – a five-time state runner-up, never a champion - lost in the quarters last season to eventual champ North Hall.
7 – North Hall (20-5, 15-2) is the defending AAA champion.
8 – Morgan County (20-8, 14-1) last advanced at state in 2012.
AA
1 – Thomasville (23-4, 11-1) beat out 2017 AA champion Jeff Davis (17-12, 9-5). Thomasville made the quarterfinals last season but hasn’t gone further since the 1950s.
2 – Benedictine (20-6, 11-2) is champion in its final run in this region. Benedictine has reached the sweet 16 each of the past three seasons. The Cadets will move to AAA next season.
3 – Dodge County (22-4, 11-0) has won 11 straight games overall and cruised to the championship. Dodge made the quarterfinals last season and hasn’t gone further since the 1980s.
4 – Westside-Augusta (24-4, 14-0) was perfect in region play. Westside lost in the first round last season but had advanced to the quarters or better the previous four seasons.
5 – Callaway (20-8, 10-2) has made the round of 16 each of the past six seasons and made the quarters in 2012 and 2015.
6 – South Atlanta (10-6, 9-0) has a region game remaining in search of a perfect finish. South Atlanta made the state playoffs for the first time in 21 years last season and fell in round one to Rabun County.
7 – Dade County (18-6, 12-2) and Rockmart (20-7, 12-2) finished tied. Dade won a round last year but hasn’t gone further since 1976. Rockmart made the quarters last year, its best finish since 1992.
8 – Elbert County (19-9, 9-3) was the AA runner-up to Jeff Davis last season.
A
1 – Baconton Charter (17-5, 17-1) has made the state playoffs 10 of the past 11 seasons and made the quarterfinals in 2016.
2 – Charlton County (22-6, 14-2) swept the season series from Irwin County (20-4, 13-2) to get the title. Charlton – state champions in 2013 and 2014 - has made the Class A public-school semifinals the past two seasons.
3 – Savannah Christian (21-2, 12-0) is the defending Class A private-school champion.
4 – Schley County (21-2, 13-1) and Brookstone (23-4, 12-1) are essentially tied. Schley has won state titles in 2017 and 2015. Brookstone made the private semifinals in 2015 but has lost in the first round the past two seasons.
5 – Holy Innocents’ (19-8, 12-0) won Class A in 2007 and made the semifinals the past two seasons.
6 – Gordon Lee (20-8, 11-1) and Mount Paran Christian (21-3, 12-2) are down to the wire. Gordon Lee was the public-school runner-up to Schley County last season.
7 – Aquinas (22-2, 13-1) has not advanced in the state playoffs since its 2010 runner-up finish.
8 – Hebron Christian (14-13, 10-0) – a state champion in 2011 - was a quarterfinalist last season and made the private-school finals in 2015 and 2016.
