The state baseball playoffs, the slowest of the spring sports to reach its championships, enters the quarterfinals Tuesday and Wednesday with 32 best-of-three series across the eight classifications.
The finals are May 19-25 at four neutral sites that include the Braves’ Truist Park.
Here’s a look the quarterfinal matchups.
Class 7A: Defending champion and No. 1-ranked Parkview remains the team to beat. Two Cherokee County teams (No. 3 Woodstock, No. 4 Etowah) and two South Georgia teams (No. 2 Lowndes, unranked Colquitt County) are still alive.
Woodstock at Newnan
Colquitt County at Parkview
North Gwinnett at Etowah
Mill Creek at Lowndes
Class 6A: No. 1 Houston County, the defending champion, faces No. 2 Buford in the quarterfinals. Alexander is a #4 seed that has beaten River Ridge and Lee County. The only team outside the top 10 still alive is Alexander, a fourth seed that has beaten No. 7 River Ridge and Lee County on the road and now plays at No. 5 Allatoona.
Lassiter at South Paulding
Alexander at Allatoona
Pope at Evans
Buford at Houston County
Class 5A: Cartersville is ranked No. 1, and the other three teams in its quarter (Wayne County, Apalachee and Greenbrier) are unranked. Defending champion Starr’s Mill and 2021 runner-up and five-time former champion Loganville could meet in the semifinals, but each must go on the road this week.
Five-time former champion Loganville plays at Ware County this week.
Wayne County at Apalachee
Greenbrier at Cartersville
Starr’s Mill at Decatur
Loganville at Ware County
Class 4A: Troup knocked out defending champion and second-ranked Marist 2-5, 11-10, 10-5 last week in the second round. Down 1-0 in the series and facing elimination, Troup scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game, and Will Keeter won it in the eighth with a walk-off single in the 11-10 victory. Troup won 10-5 in Game 3. Another Troup County school, LaGrange, remains alive along with No. 1 North Oconee.
Heritage-Ringgold at LaGrange
Cedartown at Perry
Troup at Benedictine
North Oconee at Thomas County Central
Class 3A: Defending champion North Hall, ranked No. 2, plays at No. 10 Harlem this week. Also alive are No. 1 Pierce County and No. 3 Pike County.
Greater Atlanta Christian at Pike County
North Hall at Harlem
Burke County at Redan
Franklin County at Pierce County
Class 2A: No. 1 Pace Academy, chasing its first state title since 1995, plays at No. 7 Bleckley County after losing the home-field coin toss, which determines home field when same-seeded teams meet. Defending champion Jeff Davis stayed alive last week by defeating No. 4 Elbert County on the road but must travel again to No. 3 Thomasville in the quarters.
Callaway at Vidalia
Lovett at Model
Pace Academy at Bleckley County
Jeff Davis at Thomasville
Class A Private: Mount Paran Christian is the defending champion and No. 1-ranked team and will play at unranked Pacelli this week. No. 2 Wesleyan, No. 3 North Cobb Christian and No. 4 Fellowship Christian also are on the road.
Wesleyan at Whitefield Academy
Mount Paran at St. Anne-Pacelli
Fellowship Christian at Savannah Christian
North Cobb Christian at Prince Avenue Christian
Class A Public: Social Circle swept No. 1 Wilcox County in the second round, and Commerce defeated No. 3 Irwin County in a Game 3, making this class a bit more open than the others. No. 2 Charlton County is the highest-ranked team still going. Metter is the defending champion. Keep an eye on fifth-ranked Ace Charter, going for its first state title in a boys sport.
Schley County at Charlton County
Social Circle at ACE Charter
Gordon Lee at Metter
ECI at Commerce
About the Author
