As the baseball regular season is entering its final couple of weeks, here’s a look at the current No. 1-ranked teams.
7A: Etowah – The Eagles (18-3, 7-2) are No. 1 in the rankings but No. 2 in Region 5 behind Cherokee (15-5, 8-1). Etowah has the better body of work (MaxPreps also has Etowah No. 1), but things will be decided in the final two weeks of the season, when Etowah has three-game series against No. 5 Woodstock and then No. 2 Cherokee. All three are Cherokee County teams. Etowah last won a state title in 2017, when Braves minor league center fielder Drew Waters was the Eagles’ star. Defending champion Parkview is No. 9.
6A: Buford – The Wolves are 20-0 and ranked No. 2 nationally by MaxPreps. The only other Georgia team in MaxPreps’ top 25 is Allatoona, which is No. 2 in this class and No. 6 nationally. Buford – playing this week in the National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C. – is led by middle infielder/pitcher Jackson Gaspard, first baseman/pitcher Riley Stanford and infielder Brant Baughcum, all Georgia Tech signees, and pitcher/shortstop Dylan Lesko, who has signed with Vanderbilt. Buford went out in the second round (to Pope) last year and won its most recent state title in 2015.
5A: Loganville – Loganville is 17-5 overall, 7-2 in Region 8, and its hold on the top spot will be challenged in this week’s rankings after losses to Parkview and Jackson County in the past week. But No. 2 Blessed Trinity has lost three straight, two to surging Cartersville, another state power, so this class is far from settled. Loganville won three straight titles from 2017 to 2019 and was runner-up to Starr’s Mill last season. Loganville’s Dawson Coe, a lefty, is signed with Kennesaw State, and righty Trenton Burnett is going to USC-Upstate.
4A: North Oconee – The Titans have won 17 straight games and stand at 20-1. They’re seeking their first state title, though they’ve been good for a while (former Vandy star pitcher Kumar Rocker played here) and made the semifinals last season. No. 2 Marist is the defending 4A champion. North Oconee beat Marist 1-0 in the opener to establish itself as a top threat this season. The Titans are noted for their hard-throwing pitchers, who include Andrew Arnold (Georgia Southern), Ben Stuart (Georgia Southern), Cole Evilsizor (USC-Aiken), Justin Byrd (USC-Aiken) and Gavin Black (Florida Southwestern). Catcher Cale Stricklin is committed to Georgia.
3A: Pierce County – The Bears beat Appling County 2-1 in 10 innings Monday. That should be enough to keep the No. 1 spot. The team is 16-1 overall, 5-1 in Region 1, which has no other ranked teams. Pierce’s top players are probably Georgia Tech signee Davis Green, first baseman/pitching ace Hoke Skipper and Knox Bennett, younger brother of Stetson Bennett. Knox is a power-hitting third baseman committed to a junior college. Pierce County has never won a baseball state title. The Bears lost in the 2021 quarterfinals to eventual champion North Hall, which is ranked No. 2 and rides a 13-game winning streak.
2A: Pace Academy – Pace is 16-3 overall and 6-0 in Region 6, which also houses Buckhead neighbor Lovett (17-3, 7-0), the second-ranked team in Class 2A. Those teams will meet up for the first time Monday at Pace. Pace last won a state title in 1995 and exited in the second round last year. Shortstop/pitcher R.J. Austin has signed with Vanderbilt.
A Private: Fellowship Christian – Chasing its first state title, Fellowship is 15-0. It just swept King’s Ridge Christian, the only top-10 Class A team on its schedule. Grant Hudson (4-0, 0.29 ERA) has 41 strikeouts in 24.1 innings. Daniel Powell (6-0, 0.81) has 37 strikeouts in 26 innings and is hitting .410. Will Austin is hitting .587, and Jack Rickheim is batting .512. It’s mostly a team of juniors, so the window of opportunity will be open for some time.
A Public: Irwin County – Irwin County’s 19-0 start was ruined Friday when the Indians dropped a doubleheader to unranked Charlton County, which took the lead in Region 2. But Irwin will remain a top contender. Pitcher Cody Soliday (Mercer) and first baseman Bryce Clements (Georgia State) are juniors. Charlton, defending champion Metter and unbeaten Wilcox County are contenders to take over the No. 1 spot this week, though.
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