Here's a look at the four semifinal baseball teams in Class AA.
Darlington
Darlington last won a baseball state title in 1984 and last reached the semifinals in 2013 (lost to eventual Class A private-school champion Eagle’s Landing Christian. The Tigers beat Greater Atlanta Christian in the quarterfinals. It was the second straight Game 3 victory in the playoffs. Darlington won 8-2.Jay Shadday hit two home runs and was 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs. Burton Dulaney pitched a complete game.
Wesleyan
Wesleyan is the most experienced and successful of the four Class AA semifinal teams. The Wolves have advanced 31 rounds in the state playoffs over the past 10 seasons and won titles in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Wesleyan had shut out six straight opponents until beating Gordon Lee ‘’only’’ 7-1 in Game 2 of the semifinals. Wesleyan has gone 15 games without allowing more than one run in a game.
Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald has won a couple of Game 3’s to advance to the semifinals. In the quarters against Heard County, Fitzgerald trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the seventh inning. Designed hitter Johnny Croley and catcher Noah McMinn opened the inning with hits. Third baseman Ryan Davis bunted McMinn into scoring position. Center fielder Caleb Ray drove in the game-winner with a groundball single to right field. Ray was 2-for-3 and had a double earlier in the game.
Westside-Augusta
Westside pitcher Jonathan Jahn, who has committed to South Carolina, has a 0.00 ERA in three playoff starts. He’s allowed one run (unearned) and 11 hits in 19 innings. He’s struck out 23 – 15 of which came in the 2-0 victory over Hart County in the quarterfinals last week. Westside is in the semifinals for the first time since 2005. The team has made the quarterfinals the past three years but broke through last week with a 2-0, 2-3, 9-3 victory over Hart County.
