At least two Georgia high school baseball teams had traveled hours to their state-playoff series on Wednesday, only to find out their games were postponed by a court injunction.
Clinch County, headed to Gordon Lee in northwest Georgia, had driven some 225 miles into Clayton County when it turned around the busses and went back home to south Georgia.
Trion, heading to Irwin County some 275 miles away, pushed onward and stayed the night in Tifton, eating hotel expenses in hopes the games would be pushed back only one day. No luck. The games remain on hold.
Trion coach Jason Lanham, also his school’s athletics director, called Wednesday’s journey a ‘’totally wasted trip’’ that would cost his athletics department around $2,500.
‘’We are a small system that doesn't have unlimited resources but wants to do what's best for our team to make the playoff experience the best we possibly can,’’ Lanham said. “This loss of funds cannot be easily replaced by our team or system, not mention the parents that took time off work.
‘’It is a real shame that we have reached a point in our society that baseball is being played out in a courtroom and not on a field.’’
The GHSA announced the postponement Wednesday afternoon, a day ahead of eight scheduled playoff series. Only Class A public schools were affected. Other classifications were to go on as scheduled Thursday.
The Charlton County Superior Court ruled that the GHSA did not follow procedure last week when forcing Charlton County’s baseball team to forfeit a March 10 game against Lanier County in which Charlton County admittedly violated the GHSA’s pitch-count rules.
The forfeit gave Irwin County the region title and a higher seed (No. 2) and dropped Charlton County to No. 5. The lower seeding meant that Charlton might have to travel hours for the second and third rounds instead of getting home field.
Judge Andrew C. Spivey stated, ‘’If this Court does not grant an interlocutory injunction, Charlton County [High School] would suffer an irreparable injury by facing the possibility of multiple road series during the playoffs at great financial expense.’’
So it was ironic that the ruling brought an unintended financial burden to other schools Wednesday.
Clinch County coach Lee Douglas took his team’s change of plans in stride, perhaps because Clinch didn’t have to spend the night, or because the South Georgia school is accustomed to such changes of plans.
In December, Clinch County’s football team was driving to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the state-championship game when it was notified that the game was postponed by weather. That game was ultimately played at Irwin County. Clinch County won the title.
‘’We got the call when we were loading the bus after eating lunch on exit 221,’’ Douglas said. “Our A.P. called and told us to call Gordon Lee and let them know what we were doing and to turn around and head home. We had an idea it was coming, so we weren’t surprised. The kids were upset.’’
Several of them were on the football team, too.
Douglas just hopes the issue is resolved and that he gets enough time to plan. It’s possible that his team will end up with a higher seed. The GHSA might reshuffle all of the seeds.
‘’We are optimistic we might get to play closer to home this round if things aren’t botched again,’’ Douglas said. “We just hope we don’t get a call at 5:00 today and they tell us we have to play tomorrow 350 miles from home. That just isn’t possible logistically.’’
At Trion, Lanham was having a harder time finding consolation.
‘’I really feel bad for all the kids and families involved across the state,’’ Lanham said. “This is supposed to be a magical time where small-town fan bases and the high schools they love try to chase down the ultimate dream, and somehow it's been turned into a nightmare.’’
Lanham is hoping the games will resume Monday, but he wished he knew.
‘’At this point, I can't make plans for my team, and as a coach that is killing me,’’ he said. “We've been told the place/opponent could change depending on the ruling. The adversity that my team is having to endure is simply not fair and unprecedented.’’
