 | | | 4/21/2008 12:01:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | High School Hardball: Power Rankings
Down the stretch they come!
As of today, two weeks remain in high school baseball's regular season, and while plenty is still left to be determined, the playoff race in each region containing Gwinnett teams is beginning to take shape.
And while anything can happen in a best-of-three playoff series, each year, there are always teams that show early signs of being built to make a strong run at a state championship.
Therefore, here are four local teams I believe are best equipped to make a charge well into May.
1. Brookwood
Strengths: OK, it seems pretty obvious the Broncos (19-1) should be a serious Class AAAAA title contender given their record and their current No. 1 state ranking.
The numbers - and baseball, perhaps more than any sport, is a game in which numbers tell a huge part of the story - are overwhelming.
The Broncos have outhit (.363 to .245), outscored (161 runs to 58, including 11 of their 19 wins by five runs or more), outslugged (.607 to .339) and outpitched (2.10 team ERA to 7.76) their opponents all season.
Question marks:
If there are any doubts about Brookwood, they seem more mental than physical. After all, they haven't been in a whole lot of close games. Plus, every team is due to struggle at some point, and you never know how a team will react to such lean times.
But even there, Brookwood seems built to handle matters, with a whole roster full of playoff-tested talent - Chase Hawkins, Seth Adkins, Jordan Erisman, etc. - from a team that made it to the state semifinals a year ago.
2. Mill Creek
Strengths: The more I see of the seventh-ranked (Class AAAAA) Hawks (15-5), the more impressed I am with them.
They have perhaps the most important element necessary (in my mind, anyway) for a long playoff stay - pitching depth.
Look at last year's two finalists, champion Walton and runner-up Kennesaw Mountain. Each had three big-time starters - all of whom either are already playing Division I college ball or were drafted, or who are about to be - plus many options in the bullpen.
Now look at Mill Creek. The Hawks have Brandon Bast (5-0, 1.12), Matthew Grimes (3-0, 1.77) and Cody Clickner (2-2, 2.63) they can give the ball to start any postseason game and feel comfortable.
Need to call on the bullpen? Tyler Akens (1-1, 1 save, 0.84), Brian Holmes (3-1, 2 saves, 1.15) and Joe Ryan (1-0, 2.84) gives coach Doug Jones plenty of options.
Question marks: Noah Hanley and Jacob German are the only two players currently hitting over .300 for the season (though Johnny Knight is close and Matt Tunnell appears to be shaking off a slow start). The Hawks will have to be more consistent at the plate in order to advance far.
Even so, they have been pretty efficient with their offense, scoring 106 runs this season. So, if they can continue to hit well in the clutch, they may be able to score just enough.
3. Wesleyan
The fifth-ranked Wolves (14-3) are perhaps Gwinnett's best hope to make a run in Class AA.
Besides their core of four Division I (and perhaps draft) prospects Grayson Garvin, James Ramsey, Kevin Ruiz and Connor Winn, Wesleyan appears to have all the ingredients needed for a strong postseason - experience, power hitting, strong pitcher.
And there may even be better news if, as hoped, sophomore right hander Brooks Colquitt is able to return from injury and bolster an already tough rotation that includes Garvin and Ben Tucker.
Question marks: Yes, the Wolves are postseason tested, but with the abundance of talent and experience come extremely high expectations. And with that, comes a lot of pressure. Can they handle it?
In addition, there is at least one team with just as much talent and experience (including last year's state title) standing in their way in the form of top-ranked Holy Innocents'. The good news, if the standings stay the way they are, those two teams will be on opposite sides of the playoff bracket, meaning they would not meet until the finals. That could create a classic series, provided both teams make it that far.
4. Providence Christian
No team in Gwinnett County has hit the ball better than the No. 10 Stars (16-4), which is a big reason they are tied for the lead in perhaps Class A's toughest region (5-A).
Every regular member of the batting order is hitting at least .333, including four - John Walker, Addison Thomas , J.D. Pullen and Addison McDowell - above the .400 mark, plus six players in double digits in RBIs.
Question marks: The pitching has also been solid, though starters Jonathan Leverett, Casey Gray and Jesse Meier have shouldered the bulk of the burden. Bullpen members Pullen, Aaron Epp and David Shealy have combined for only 25 1/3 innings. They've fared well, but are they ready for an increase in workload, if necessary?
Also, with Providence, Landmark Christian and Eagle's Landing Christian all within a game of each other in the standings, one of those teams will be forced into a No. 3 seed in the playoffs, meaning they will be on the road for most (if not all) of the postseason. Home field could be a huge advantage for the Stars, which makes it imperative they claim one of the top two spots.
A handful of other county teams could make a big run in the playoffs, but have at least one very big obstacle to overcome.
For instance, North Gwinnett (15-6) hits the ball well and pitches well, but have had a problem fielding it. The Bulldogs have given up 36 unearned runs in their first 19 games (not including last week), a rate which must improve if they are to have a chance to go far.
Norcross (13-7) is another team with a big question mark. Can the Blue Devils hit the ball enough? The possible return of Georgia signee Tyler Maloof for the playoffs could help, but a team that has scored just 51 runs in 20 games must swing the bat better. Parkview (16-5) is another team that could go far. The Panthers are a well-tailored hitting team for their ballpark. Their pitching has also been solid, but has had a few lapses as opponents have scored six or more runs in all but one of their losses. So, they will have to avoid giving up big innings in the postseason.
And then there is GAC (12-4), which is has played well, but is awfully young. So, who are your choices for Gwinnett's favorites, dark horses or also rans?
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