Georgia HS Baseball Playoffs: What to Expect

It’s that time of year again! The Georgia high school baseball Playoffs are just around the corner. Here’s what you can expect from the competition.

Introduction

Heard all the hype about the Georgia HS baseball playoffs? Maybe you’re not sure what all the fuss is about. Or maybe you’re a diehard fan of your local team and want to know what to expect when they take the field for the first time.

Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned pro, here’s a quick primer on the Georgia HS baseball playoffs

What are the Georgia HS baseball playoffs?

The Georgia HS Baseball Playoffs are a single elimination tournament that determines the state champion. The tournament is held every year in May and June, and typically features 16 teams from around the state.

The playoffs are divided into four regions, each of which has four teams. The regions are determined by geographical location, and each team is placed into a bracket within their region. The first round of the playoffs is held at home field sites, with the higher seed hosting the lower seed. The quarterfinals and semifinals are held at neutral sites, with the higher seed again hosting if possible. The state championship game is held at a pre-determined location, and is usually played at a college or professional ballpark.

In order to be eligible for the playoffs, teams must have a .500 record or better in their regular season If there are not enough .500 teams to fill out all 16 spots, then teams with records below .500 may be eligible for a play-in game to determine the final spot in the playoffs.

Once the playoffs begin, anything can happen. In recent years we’ve seen upsets galore as lower seeds have knocked off higher seeds en route to a state title. So if you’re a fan of HS baseball in Georgia, make sure you catch some playoff action this year – you won’t be disappointed!

How do teams qualify for the playoffs?

In order for a team to qualify for the playoffs, they must first win their region. The top two teams from each of the eight regions will advance to the playoff tournament. From there, a blind draw will place teams into one of four brackets. The four quarterfinal games will be played on Wednesday, April 24 at various sites around the state. The semifinal and final games will be played at Suntrust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27 respectively.

What is the playoff format?

The top 16 teams in each classification make the playoffs. The teams are seeded based on their region record and then they are placed into a bracket. The first two rounds of the playoffs are single elimination and then the semifinal and final rounds are best-of-three series.

How many teams make the playoffs?

In Georgia, there are two classifications of High School baseball teams – Class A and Class AA. The top 32 teams in each classification make the playoffs. The playoffs are a single elimination tournament.

What are the first round matchups?

The first round of the Georgia high school baseball playoffs is set. Here’s a look at the matchups:

Class AAAAAAA
1) Westlake vs. Lowndes
2) Collins Hill vs. Pebblebrook
3) Winder-Barrow vs. Berkmar
4) Sequoyah vs. Pope

Class AAAAAA
1) Northside (Warner Robins) vs. BayField
2) Harrison vs crossover (TBA)
3) Richmond Hill vs. South Gwinnett
4) Lee County vs. Duluth

What are the quarterfinal matchups?

The quarterfinal matchups for the Georgia high school Association Baseball Playoffs were released Saturday morning, with a full slate of games set for next week.

Class AAAAAA
No. 1 Winder-Barrow vs. No. 8 seed North Gwinnett
No. 4 Pope vs. No. 5 South Forsyth
No. 3 West Forsyth vs. No. 6 Chattahoochee
No. 2 Sprayberry vs. No. 7 Harrison

Class AAAAA
No. 1 Rome vs. No. 8 Dunwoody
No. 4 Heritage-Catoosa vs . No . 5 Lee County
No . 3 Richmond Hill vs . No .11 Brunswick
No . 2 Allatoona vs . No10 Valley

What are the semifinal matchups?

In Class AAAAAAA, the top four seeds – Winder-Barrow, Walton, Mill Creek and Parkview – all advanced to the semifinals. Winder-Barrow will host Mill Creek while Walton will be at home against Parkview.

In Class AAAAAA, North Forsyth knocked off No. 1-seed Luella in the quarterfinals and will now travel to face Hillgrove. Newnan, the No. 2 seed, beat Temple in the quarters and will host Kempsville from Virginia Beach

In Class AAAA, Peach County beat stripes foe Warner Robins in the quarterfinals and will now host Griffin. Grovetown defeated chain rival Evans in the quarters and will now travel to take on develop instate foe Valdosta.

In Class AAA Cedar Grove secured a trip to the semifinals with a quarterfinal win over Harris County. The Saints will now host Benedictine from Savannah. Woodward Academy also won in the quarterfinals and will now be on the road at Northeast Macon.

In Class AA, Buford swept Commerce in their quarterfinal series to advance to the semifinals where they’ll take on Jefferson. lovejoy also won their quarterfinal series and will take on Hart County in the semis.

In Class A-Private, Greenforest won their series against Trinity Christian to move on to face Mount Pisgah Christian in the semis. Hebron Christian Academy won their series against North Cobb Christian and will now play fellow private school school Pace Academy

In Class A-Public, Charlton County swept Mitchell County and Crisp County lost just one game to Tattnall Square in their respective quarterfinal series matchups. Charlton County will now play Bacon County while Crisp County’s semifinal opponent is Seminary-Hayneville Central.

What is the championship game?

The Championship game is the last game of the playoffs. The two teams that make it to this game have fought their way through a tough Playoff Bracket and have come out on top. This is the game that decides who is the best team in the state.

This game is usually played at a neutral site, like a college baseball stadium, but this year it will be held at SunTrust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

The Championship game is scheduled for Saturday, May 25th at 7:00 pm EST.

Who are the favorites to win the title?

In Georgia, High school baseball teams are split into classifications based on their enrollment. The playoffs begin with region tournaments, followed by the State Tournament

The favorite to win the Class AAAAAA title is Harrison, which is ranked No. 1 in the state. The team has a 28-2 record and is led by pitcher Carter Stewart who has committed to play at Mississippi State University

In Class AAAAA, Bainbridge is the favorite. The team is 29-3 and ranked No. 2 in the state. pitcher Connor Grasty is one of the team’s leaders, and he has committed to play at Georgia Southern University.

Class AAAA is expected to be won by Savannah Country Day School. The team is 26-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state. They are led by shortstop Carter Smith, who has committed to play at Mercer University

In Class AAA, Benedictine Military School is favored to win the title. The team has a 26-5 record and is ranked No. 2 in the state behind Woodward Academy. Benedictine is led by outfielder Luke Waddell, who has committed to play at Clemson University

And finally, in Class A-Private, Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School is favored to repeat as State Champions The team is 31-4 and ranked No. 1 in the state for a second consecutive year. They are led by catcher/outfielder Mason Meadows, who has committed to play at Kennesaw State University