With the new classification and region shakeups, four defending state champions open as the No. 1 seed in their respective classes. Defending Class AAAAAA champ Mill Creek debuts as the first No. 1 ranked team in Class AAAAAAA history, earning the nod over No. 2 East Coweta. The Hawks kicked off 2016 with a 5-1 win over Lassiter and a dominant 9-1 decision over No. 8 Brookwood, who the Hawks swept in the state finals a year ago.
No. 1 Cambridge tries to finish the drill this year in Class AAAAAA after faltering in the postseason. The Bears went 21-4 last season and allowed just 18 runs. They are off to a hot start again this season, outscoring their opponents 35 to 1.
Class AAAAA belongs to last season’s Class AAAA champion, No. 1 Buford. Close behind is No. 2 Walnut Grove. The Wolves ended the Warriors’ season 6-4 in the championship. Riley Patton and Kayla Poytner anchor the pitching staff as seniors. As a junior Poytner went 16-2 with 151 strikeouts in 115.2 innings while compiling a 0.61 ERA. Patton finished 8-3 with a 3.02 ERA. Lefty Mackensie Poytner, also a senior, went 6-1 with a 1.94 ERA in 2015.
In Class AAAA, Northside-Columbus has emerged as the No. 1 ranked team after ending last year No. 8 in Class AAAAA. The Patriots get the top spot thanks to a 3-0 win over No. 2 Chapel Hill, the defending AAAAA champion, and a 7-1 victory against No. 4 Central-Carroll.
No. 1 Calhoun looks to make it a four-peat in Class AAA. No. 2 East Jackson and No. 3 Ringgold pose stiff competition while Worth County, who drops down from AAAA, enters its new home as No. 4.
Vidalia takes over No. 1 in Class AA after Gordon Lee drops to Class A-Public. Behind the Indians is No. 2 Dodge County, another set of Indians that finished ranked No. 10 in AAA in 2015.
Class A-Private defending champion Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy opens up at No. 3 behind No. 1 Stratford Academy who they defeated in the state finals, 8-0. Sliding in at No. 2 is Wesleyan who placed No. 9 in the final Class AA rankings.
Class A-Public should be a battle as Gordon Lee takes over No. 1, bumping defending state champion Georgia Military College to No. 2. The Trojans hung a 37-2 record on the Class AA field, waltzing their way to their sixth state crown after crushing Vidalia, 3-1 and 13-1 in the finals. Georgia Military will be no push over, as the Bulldogs search for their third straight Class A-Public title, this time without Coach Julie Brooker who takes over at Putnam County. The Dogs went 28-6 and closed out last season with 12-straight wins.
AAAAAAA
1. Mill Creek
2. East Coweta
3. Kennesaw Mountain
4. North Gwinnett
5. Archer
6. Cherokee
7. South Forsyth
8. Brookwood
9. Norcross
10. Lambert
AAAAAA
1. Cambridge
2. Houston County
3. Dalton
4. Pope
5. Allatoona
6. Greenbrier
7. Creekview
8. Harrison
9. Dacula
10. Richmond Hill
AAAAA
1. Buford
2. Walnut Grove
3. Locust Grove
4. Loganville
5. Union Grove
6. Whitewater
7. Wayne County
8. Thomas County Central
9. Veterans
10. South Effingham
AAAA
1. Northside-Columbus
2. Chapel Hill
3. Blessed Trinity
4. Central-Carroll
5. Heritage-Catoosa
6. West Laurens
7. Gilmer
8. Stephens County
9. Chestatee
10. Oconee County
AAA
1. Calhoun
2. East Jackson
3. Ringgold
4. Worth County
5. Morgan County
6. Brantley County
7. Sonoraville
8. Franklin County
9. Tattnall County
10. Pierce County
AA
1. Vidalia
2. Dodge County
3. Harlem
4. Bryan County
5. Heard County
6. Bleckley County
7. Pepperell
8. Social Circle
9. Rockmart
10. Screven County
A-Private
1. Stratford Academy
2. Wesleyan
3. ELCA
4. Strong Rock Christian
5. First Presbyterian Day
6. Tattnall Square Academy
7. Hebron Christian
8. Mt. Vernon Presbyterian
9. Brookstone
10. Christian Heritage
A-Public
1. Gordon Lee
2. Georgia Military College
3. Trion
4. Wilcox County
5. Seminole County
6. Lanier County
7. Telfair County
8. Echols County
9. Glascock County
10. Baconton Charter
