AJC > Sports > Highschools > Blog > Archives > 2008 > May > 06 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USGeorgia High School Baseball Blog - May 6, 2008
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Step up to the plate: Pitch YOUR all-class Top 10 Kurt’s way. Hardball is the place to talk high school baseball on ajc.com. We’ll be posting scores as they become available, but if you’ve got the scoop, please feel free to post scores, recaps and highlights. Thanks.
UPDATE May 7
Scroll below the rankings and Kurt’s playoff picks to see the May 9 playoff pairings.
AJC All-Class Top 10 Rankings
1. Brookwood (1): Broncos are 13-0 against 2008 playoff teams.
2. Harrison (2): Extra-inning victory against Etowah caps 25-1 regular season for Region 5-AAAAA champion Hoyas.
3. East Paulding (3): Raiders last lost to Georgia team on March 21.
4. Columbus (4): Junior lefties Taylor Wolf and Matt Taylor leading 23-3 Blue Devils.
5. Wesleyan (NR): Wolves roll to Region 6-AA crown behind seven-homer barrage.
6. Cartersville (10): All five of Canes losses to Class AAAAA teams; finished 14-0 in Region 6-AAA.
7. Marist (7): War Eagles’ 17-game winning streak snapped by Columbus.
8. Greenbrier (8): Region 3-AAAA champs begin quest for three-peat, Friday against Americus-Sumter.
9. Heritage (9): Patriots’ pitching staff had 10 shutouts during regular season.
10. Holy Innocents’ (5): Lost last two games to Walker and Wesleyan by a combined 28-6; finished regular season 21-4.
* Last week’s rankings in parenthesis
Hardball picks the playoffs
A long baseball season has come down to three exciting weeks of playoff competition. Hardball will be blogging after each round, but first we give you our picks on which teams will be lifting state championship trophies.
Class AAAAA
It’s tough to pick against a 24-1 team that is 13-0 against 2008 playoff teams. So we won’t. The Brookwood Broncos’ three-man rotation of Chase Hawkins (10-0, 1.02 ERA), Alex Beebe (7-0, 1.53 ERA) and Matt Adams (5-0, 1.56 ERA) is as good as any in the state, and six different players have 18 RBIs or more. We’d be shocked to see a team other than Rick Howard’s Broncos claim the Class AAAAA title in three weeks.
Look out for: Harrison, Lassiter, Walton, Valdosta, Kell.
Class AAAA
A number of teams could claim to be the Class AAAA favorite, including two-time defending champion Greenbrier, Heritage and Marist. But something tells us it’s the year of the Raiders, namely Tony Boyd’s 23-3 East Paulding Raiders, which boasts a lineup that can score in a hurry and a Zack Wheeler-led pitching staff that is unheralded.
Look out for: Heritage, Greenbrier, Marist.
Class AAA
Quick, name the Class AAA favorite. … It’s not an easy thing to do. So, we’ll go with the team that has been in our top 5 all season: The Columbus Blue Devils, last year’s runner-up, finished the 2008 season 23-3. With left-handed starters Taylor Wolf (7-0), Matt Taylor (7-2) and a solid bullpen, Columbus is primed to take the next step to a state title.
Look out for: Cartersville, Dunwoody, Flowery Branch, South Effingham.
Class AA
While we sat behind home plate at Holy Innocents’ during last Friday’s Region 6-AA championship game, one thought crossed our minds: Wesleyan is the best team in Class AA. The Wolves have the pitching, led by Vanderbilt commitment Grayson Garvin, and they have .500 hitters Connor Winn and Kevin Ruiz, who lead a potent offense that hit seven home runs during the 6-AA title-game rout. Coach Michael Shaheen’s team hasn’t lost since March 22. After bowing out in the state title series in 2006 (Lovett) and the semifinals last season (Calhoun), we think this is the year Wesleyan gets over the hump.
Look out for: Cook; Pierce County; Holy Innocents’.
Class A
Region 8-A champion Jefferson has won 17 of 18 games since a 1-3 start. The Dragons are led by sophomore outfielders Jake Fields (13 home runs, 38 RBIs) and Lucas Redd (.446 average, .492 on-base percentage) and junior pitcher Chris Beck (7-0, 1.62 ERA, 77 strikeouts in 43 1/3 IP) and senior pitcher Cameron Blinn (5-0, 1.24 ERA). Jefferson advanced to the semifinals last season. Tommy Knight’s team can win it all this year.
Look out for: Landmark Christian, Calvary Day, Aquinas, Claxton, Bowdon.
UPDATE
May 9, 2008 Baseball Playoffs — (Best two of three)
Class AAAAA
Bradwell Institute at Valdosta, 4 p.m.
Hiram at Luella, 4:30 p.m.
South Forsyth at Harrison, 5 p.m.
South Gwinnett at Kell, 5 p.m.
Tift Co. at Camden Co.
Union Grove at Mundy’s Mill
Kennesaw Mountain at Mill Creek, 4 p.m.
Walton at Parkview, 4 p.m.
Grayson at Lassiter, 5 p.m.
North Gwinnett at North Cobb, 5 p.m.
Newnan at Redan
Groves at Warner Robins, 4 p.m.
Alpharetta at Brookwood, 4 p.m.
Woodstock at Norcross, 5 p.m.
M.L. King at East Coweta, 4 p.m.
Coffee at Jenkins, 1 p.m.
Class AAAA
Evans at Lee Co.
Northside-Warner Robins at Starr’s Mill, 4:30 p.m.
Ridgeland at East Paulding, 4 p.m.
Salem at Lakeside-DeKalb, 2 p.m.
Americus-Sumter at Greenbrier, 4 p.m.
McIntosh at Jones Co., 4:30 p.m.
Cherokee at Rome, 5 p.m.
St. Pius at Loganville, 1 p.m.
Madison Co. at Marist, 3 p.m.
Ringgold at Sequoyah, 5 p.m.
Dutchtown at Woodward Academy, 5 p.m.
Effingham Co. at Thomas Co. Central, 4 p.m.
North Springs at Heritage, 4 p.m.
Alexander at Dalton, 5:30 p.m.
Northgate at Griffin
Bainbridge at Statesboro, 4 p.m.
Class AAA
Burke Co. at Cairo, 4 p.m.
Ola at Shaw
White Co. at Dunwoody, 4:30 p.m.
Franklin Co. at Carrollton, 4 p.m.
Worth Co. at Harlem, 4 p.m.
Troup at Perry, 4 p.m.
Riverwood at Flowery Branch, 3:30 p.m.
Sandy Creek at Stephens Co., 5 p.m.
Elbert Co. at Cartersville, 4 p.m.
Gilmer Co. at Blessed Trinity
Spalding at Columbus
Liberty Co. at Crisp Co., 2 p.m.
Cass at Oconee Co., 4 p.m.
Westminster at Gainesville, 3:30 p.m.
Northside-Columbus at Henry Co.
Westover at South Effingham, 5 p.m.
Class AA
Southeast Bulloch at Cook, 3 p.m.
Vidalia at Savannah Christian
Adairsville at Pike Co., 3:30 p.m.
Banks Co. at Holy Innocents’, 2:30 p.m.
Early Co. at Westside-Augusta
Jeff Davis at Bleckley Co., 4 p.m.
Heard Co. at Calhoun, 5 p.m.
Lovett at Fannin Co., 3 p.m.
Washington-Wilkes at Wesleyan, 4 p.m.
Rockmart at Callaway
Dodge Co. at Pierce Co.
Swainsboro at Fitzgerald
Greater Atlanta Christian at North Oconee, 4:30 p.m.
Rutland at Armuchee
Appling Co. at Dublin, 4 p.m.
Berrien at Screven Co., 3 p.m.
Class A
Jenkins Co. at Lanier Co., 3 p.m.
Schley Co. at Wilcox Co.
Wilkinson Co. at Landmark Christian, 4:30 p.m.
Athens Christian at Bowdon, 2 p.m.
Bacon Co. at Calvary Day, 1 p.m.
Montgomery Co. at Brookstone, 2 p.m.
Mt. Paran at Aquinas
Gordon Lee at Lakeview Academy, 2 p.m.
Athens Academy at Bremen
Monticello at Providence Christian, 2 p.m.
Taylor Co. at Telfair Co., 4 p.m.
Savannah Country Day at Seminole Co., 4 p.m.
Trion at Jefferson, 4:30 p.m.
Eagle’s Landing Christian at Georgia Military
Turner Co. at Pacelli, 5 p.m.
Baconton at Claxton, 2 p.m.
Step up to the plate: Pitch YOUR all-class Top 10 Kurt’s way. Hardball is the place to talk high school baseball on ajc.com. We’ll be posting scores as they become available, but if you’ve got the scoop, please feel free to post scores, recaps and highlights. Thanks.
Permalink | Comments (34) | Post your comment | Categories: Hardball
Comments
By Yo
May 6, 2008 2:22 PM | Link to this
Agree with your AAAAA predictions. Though i am not sure if Vladsota would get past Harrison/Kell assuming that Cobb matchup would be a 2nd round game. Though it looks like the 2nd round on the one side of the bracket could be just Cobb powers beating up eachother.
Would LOVE to see a Brookwwod/Lassiter semi though.
By 5A rules
May 6, 2008 3:04 PM | Link to this
The Mill Creek-Kenn Mtn and Parkview-Walton part of the bracket looks great…winner of that maybe vs. Harrison in 1 semi and Lassiter vs. Brookwood in the other.
Hope it happens.
By Michael Mays
May 6, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this
Kurt, I haven’t seen you mention anything about Woodward all year, and I’m wondering what you think their chances are.
By justanotherobserver
May 6, 2008 10:09 PM | Link to this
Kurt says “while we sat behind homeplate at Holy Innocents.” Point said, you guys don’t get out and watch any baseball. Come south for once and see some Valdosta, Coffee, Cook, Peirce, Jeff Davis, or go east and west and see some teams like Columbus or Greenbriar to name a few. You’d rather kiss but with all the metro schools. But hey, Wesleyan and HI should win AA, they recruit whoever the hell they want and GHSA is too sorry to do anything about it. The playing field will never be level b/c of the recruting and having private schools play with public schools. What a bunch of crock!
By Kurt Aschermann Jr.
May 6, 2008 10:49 PM | Link to this
justanotherobserver:
thanks for reading…but I’ve got to defend my HS baseball coverage for a second…..
Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Heritage, East Paulding, North Hall, Alexander, Gilmer.
So “we’ve sat behind homeplate” at a lot of different non-Metro ballparks…have you seen any of those teams play?
I’m not going to get into the whole private school recruiting thing, but I seem to remember “sitting behind homeplate” at Calhoun (NON-METRO!!) during last year’s Class AA state championship series and watching private school Holy Innocents’ take 2 out of 3 from public school Calhoun, a team with 3 future pros. The playing field that weekend wasn’t supposed to be level but Holy Innocents’ won anyway.
If you’ll notice this week’s Top 10, half the teams are non-Metro.
Enjoy the games.
By Kurt Aschermann Jr.
May 7, 2008 12:45 AM | Link to this
Michael Mays:
To be honest, I haven’t seen Woodward play this year but looking at the numbers, their pitching concerns me: allowing more than 6 runs per game and have yielded eight runs or more in nine games.
But they’ve got some talented players - Tech commit Brandon Miller and UGA commit Brennan May lead the way. I think they can get past Dutchtown and the Thomas County-Effingham winner but I’m sceptical about them getting past Marist or Sequoyah.
Here’s who I have winning the AAAA Elite 8 series’:
East Paulding over Starr’s Mill Greenbrier over Loganville Marist over Woodward Heritage over Statesboro
How far do you have Woodward going?
By ashley`
May 7, 2008 6:31 AM | Link to this
Kurt,
Check your email.
By Reeze
May 7, 2008 6:34 AM | Link to this
With Griffin 20-5 , Jones Co.20-4 , and NSWR 19-5 , I see you’ve completely ignored region 4-AAAA .I may can understand NSWR ,not really known to be a baseball power house ,but they’ve got a good group of kids this year .I can’t see you ignoring Jones Co. or Griffin. You need to keep track of the region 4 vs region 2 matchups this weekend ,there may be a couple surprises.
By CamdenBaseball
May 7, 2008 7:36 AM | Link to this
WATCH OUT FOR CAMDEN IN 5-A. They are ranked number 4th and just beat two great teams in South Effingham and Jeff Davis. Lets not forget they made it to the Final 4 last year.
By CamdenBaseball
May 7, 2008 7:37 AM | Link to this
WATCH OUT FOR CAMDEN IN 5-A. They are ranked number 4th and just beat two great teams in South Effingham and Jeff Davis. Lets not forget they made it to the Final 4 last year.
By CamdenBaseball
May 7, 2008 7:37 AM | Link to this
WATCH OUT FOR CAMDEN IN 5-A. They are ranked number 4th and just beat two great teams in South Effingham and Jeff Davis. Lets not forget they made it to the Final 4 last year.
By opieandy
May 7, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this
Is there anywhere on this site, or another Internet site, where one can see game-by-game baseball scores for each GA high school team, as well as full top 10 rankings for each classification?
By steve
May 7, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
opieandy, go to www.gasports.com. They have the coaches poll as well as region standings for all teams (some records/schedules are incomplete since individual teams/schools enter results and some don’t seem to participate).
By the-umpire
May 7, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this
The sleeper team in your rankings could be East Paulding. They play great defense and they have one of the best pitching staffs around. You haven’t mentioned this, but kudos to their pitching coach - Steve Bedrosian. Remember him? One of his sons, who is a 10th grader, is a diamond in the rough. ecellent fastball and his change-up right now is as good as his dad’s was. If this kid isn’t on your radar, he should be.
By Smiling Bob
May 7, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this
Steve does not coach for East Paulding he coaches for East Coweta!
By Bob Sakamano
May 7, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this
JUSTANOTHEROBSERVER
Pierce Co doesnt have the pitching to go deep in the playoffs. If whoever they’re playing can force a game 3, they’ll be done
Hugh Lee and David O’Neal just cant pitch every game.
and with DeLoach’s arm trouble, they dont have a run stopping catcher.
Jeff Davis and Appling will go farther than the other region 2-AA teams (Savannah Christian and Pierce)
AAAAA - Brookwood AAAA - Heritage AAA - Columbus AA - Wesleyan A - Aquinas
By Im just saying
May 7, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this
Hey Smiling Bob
Looks like the-umpire needs to get a new radar.
East Coweta, East Paulding, East Germany….its all the same to the-umpire
By Bill
May 7, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this
How can the #3 team in the list(#1 AAAA in the list) and a team that’s been on everyone’s radar since the start of the season, be considered a sleeper?
By Greg
May 7, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this
Kurt, let the fun begin on Friday. I will TRY to see 2 games per playoff round but will opt for the AAAAA &/or AAA finals when the fifth round arrives.
Good luck to all you HS baseball fans and your schools. May your team win the state finals and all your kids “turn pro.”
By Levi
May 7, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this
Hey Bob, apparently you haven’t watched Pierce play all that much because Hugh Lee isn’t even their best pitcher this year, in fact he’s been roughed up a few times out there. Caleb Lairsey and David O’Neal are their 1-2 pitchers followed by Lee. Not sure about Deloach’s arm problems but what exactly is a run stopping catcher. Alex Bell is just as capable as is Deloach. I think Jeff Davis is able to go deep but not the other two. I have Pierce making it to at least the final four if not winning it all.
By Kurt Aschermann Jr.
May 7, 2008 1:38 PM | Link to this
Quick update for you:
Because of Woodward Academy’s Friday graduation, the War Eagles and Dutchtown will open their best of 3 first round series Thursday at 5:00. Good chance to catch some playoff baseball early.
I’ll have a recap on the blog Friday morning.
By Mailman
May 7, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this
No one can complain, Cartersville fans are still sore about playing for a 4th straight title and the great AJC ran obsolutely 0 articles the week before the game. Every other game was coverd. Now if that ain’t a snub.
By HAMMER
May 7, 2008 5:06 PM | Link to this
Kurt, What is your take on Redan Raiders? They have won fifteen in a row.
By golfer
May 7, 2008 7:50 PM | Link to this
How is pacelli not a team to watch in class A????
By Kurt Aschermann Jr.
May 7, 2008 9:04 PM | Link to this
HAMMER
Redan is an interesting case. That 14-game win streak is nice (especially after a 4-6 start) and I think this argument has taken place in past years as well, but you have to look at the competition during that win streak - Luella twice and a pretty good Lakeside team and not much else.
Still, I like catcher Cody Davis a lot and the pitching duo of Mike Jones and Travis Bell may be able to win them a series or two.
I think they get past Newnan and the Groves/Warner Robins winner, but after that it’s probably Lassiter and the Trojans are really the opposite of Redan as far as schedule and Mickey McMurtry’s club still won 18 games.
Here’s where I’ll be this weekend, assuming the rain holds up:
Thursday - Dutchtown at Woodward Academy Friday - Walton at Parkview
By Kurt Aschermann Jr.
May 8, 2008 1:02 AM | Link to this
It’s almost here; feels like Christmas Eve, doesn’t it? I want to open my presents now, but I’ve got to wait……
Figured I’d give you my final 4 picks so I can reap the benefits if I’m right and suffer the consequences if I’m wrong.
BOLD is championship series pick
AAAAA Harrison vs. Walton Lassiter vs. Brookwood AAAA East Paulding vs. Greenbrier Marist vs. Heritage AAA Shaw vs. Flowery Branch Columbus vs. South Effingham AA Cook vs. Lovett Wesleyan vs. North Oconee A Landmark Christian vs. Calvary Day Telfair County vs. Jefferson
Whose your final 20?
By Bill
May 8, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this
Kurt,
Down the stretch, Harrison beat K Mtn and N Cobb, but struggled to beat McEachern, Campbell and Etowah. The latter 2 took 10 innings and a great deal of luck, against teams that finished 3 or more games out of the running for the play offs. At this point, I don’t see them making the final 4, particularly given a likely second round match up with Kell.
By Kurt Aschermann Jr.
May 8, 2008 10:36 PM | Link to this
Let me take a long, deep breath……there we go. OK.
If the 2008 state playoffs’ opening game was any indication, Georgia high school baseball fans are in for a treat over the next 3 weeks. Tonight at Woodward Academy, this reporter witnessed one of the more exciting, more bizarre games in my more than 25 years watching this great game.
Woodward jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings, getting home runs from Andrew Cadger, Brandon Miller and Blake Hudson, as well as an rbi single from Corey Betterson. That’s where the fun began.
The game was delayed 3 different times by lightning no one ever saw. But by GHSA rules and using the lightning detection air horn system (also called the LDAHS) the teams had to leave the field and reporters and fans had to scarf down $1 hot dogs and wait.
Once play resumed, the resilient Dutchtown team climbed back into the game, getting a two-run double from Cameron Griffin in the 3rd and a solo home run by Cody Keith in the 6th to make it 6-3.
The craziness continued.
In the 6th, Woodward’s David Pierce, into the game as a relief pitcher in the 3rd, hit a ground ball Griffin at shortstop and his bad throw pulled first baseman Charlie Buck off the bag. Pierce was running out of the baseline and ran into Buck, who unfortunately suffered a compound fracture and had to be carted off the field and into an ambulance. Sad moment for the Dutchtown junior, but both teams showed a great bit of class, standing and applauding as Buck was wheeled off.
Hard to believe, but game got crazier.
Top 7:
After Griffin’s 4th hit of the game cleared the trees in left field for a 2-out solo home run that made it 6-4, Dutchtown loaded the bases on a single, walk and hit batsman. Miller then went from behind the plate to the pitcher’s mound and un-corked two wild pitches that scored two runs and tied the game at 6-6. Miller got Hasani Jones to strike out, stranding the potential winning run at third base.
To the bottom of the 7th…..Dutchtown starter Ragan Billings, who pitched through all of the delays and the rain fall and threw a 125-pitch complete game, got the first two outs, the second when 2B Jones made a great play on a foul pop up down the right field line.
Miller and Woodward saved the most dramatic and bizarre for the final pitch of the game. The Georgia Tech-bound Miller crushed a solo home run to left field that not only cleared the 320-foot wall, but landed in the outfield of the softball field behind the baseball park, turning Miller from goat to hero in a matter of minutes.
There was a question of whether the ball was fair or foul, but this reporter thought it was a fair ball and tracked down the tremendous blast some 100-150 feet or so past the outfield fence. A titantic blast, estimated at 450 feet, to cap a wild day.
Now let’s take another long, deep breath….ahhh.
Our army of reporters will be at Loganville, Parkview, Providence Christian and Mill Creek tomorrow. Here’s hoping the next 3 weeks are as exciting as Day 1.
By bigtimesport
May 9, 2008 8:08 AM | Link to this
Wow, I hope that game is some sort of indication of what we can expect for the next couple of weeks. It is going to be interesting how your picks play out. Who would you put on upset alert for the first round?
By Greg
May 9, 2008 10:52 AM | Link to this
Kurt, care to re-think your exclusion of Woodward from the Top 10? (too late) I know the pitching may not rival EP’s but, LAWD, can those Woodward boys hit the ball.
By John
May 9, 2008 11:42 AM | Link to this
See your starting to believe Greg. EP is having a great season, hopefully they can keep it up. Behind the arm of Wheels though I dont see anyone beating them in game one of series as long as he gets a few runs of support, I think he has around 100 strikeouts in 50 innings this season. I clicked on the link saying top 100 and I found him on there- #63 best player in the country regardless of class- check it out
http://www.takkle.com/rankings/baseball/page/3
By Greg
May 12, 2008 1:51 PM | Link to this
Zowee!!, Batman, did Harrison take it on the chin or what? Could it be that Harrison started to believe the hyperbole of our projections and forgot to play baseball. Never fails, a good team loses focus and loses the round.
I must admit that I thought Pike County would survive into the later rounds of AA but not so. The Pirates played a stellar season but could not come up with the goods in the three game matchup.
I’m still in the hunt with most of my other top ten picks (8 of 10) but I sure thought Harrison would survive…uh oh, could their be more surprises out their. I don’t think so for East Paulding, and look at Valdosta - although Bradwell Institute was clearly a #4-in-the-region competitor.
By Steve
May 12, 2008 4:11 PM | Link to this
I saw Harrison play Etowah. The game required 10 innings for Harrison to take advantage of some lucky breaks to come from 2 runs down in the 10th to win (note: they had to come from behind in the 10th to beat a Campbell team that had only 2 wins in region). Until the fateful 10th, either Etowah had outplayed Harrison on Harrison’s Senior Night (Etowah outhit Harrsion at that point) or Etowah’s lefty starter needs more press. Either way, it’s not a huge surprise to see Harrison lose.
By Neal
May 13, 2008 9:50 AM | Link to this
How about those Newnan Cougars over Redan! Top of the seventh, two strikes on two different hitters with two out, down by three and they scored five runs and hold off Redan to win the series.