2018 GHSA Baseball Championship | Mercer

GHSA 2018 STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS | MERCER - MACON | CLASS 3A & 1A-PRIVATE

GHSA PAST CHAMPIONS

WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

GREETINGS, GHSA BASEBALL FANS

W

elcome to the 2018 GHSA Baseball Championships presented by Mizuno! The games are sure to be exciting as all of the schools represented are looking forward to their team achieving the title of “Champion.” However, we all know that all of our teams are outstanding and are definitely winners. This has been an outstanding season and this year’s championship games will include familiar faces as well as teams that have worked hard and peaked at just the right time. Our congratulations are in order for all of the teams, coaches, administrators, students and parents who have supported the athletes through this year’s journey to the final games. I know you will enjoy and appreciate the games and all of the work leading up to this exciting event.

I would also like to thank you for your support of high school baseball throughout the season. Your attendance and support is integral to the success of high school athletics and for the team you are here to cheer on. Good sportsmanship is expected from our athletes and I urge you to be positive in your support of all of our teams. Let’s work together to make today’s games a great experience for all involved.

To put on an event of this magnitude takes many volunteers who have worked tirelessly to pro-

vide a “first class” event. Many hours of work from this group will enhance the experience of our players, students and fans. The GHSA staff and championship sites have been working for weeks as well to ensure a special event for all involved. Appreciation to our host stadiums of the Rome Braves, University of Georgia, Savannah Bananas and Mercer University.

Finally I would like to thank our corporate sponsors who make it possible to put on these championships. Their advertisements can be seen throughout this venue and I encourage you to support them whenever possible. The GHSA wants to thank these exemplary companies for their involvement, we appreciate their support.

Thank you for your attendance and I know you are going to enjoy the best high school baseball anywhere!

Sincerely,

James R. Hines, Jr. Executive Director

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T

he 2018 Georgia High School Association Baseball State Championship Guide is published

by Score Atlanta, in conjunction with the GHSA. The guide was designed by Rhonda Rawls, the Managing Editor is Craig Sager II, Seth Ellerbee and Alex Ewalt assisted in the editing process. The information was provided by the GHSA. Photos on the cover are courtesy of Cecil Copeland (Pope & Gordon Lee), Kim Finch Withrown (Westminster), Wenda G Bailey (Berrien), Cartersville Daily Tribune News (Cartersville) and Parkview Baseball. For more information on Score Atlanta, go to ScoreAtl.com or call 404-256-1572.

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Year AAAA 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 Newton Co. 1980 Griffin 1981 Lowndes 1982 Coffee 1983 Coffee 1984 Columbus 1985 Forest Park 1986 Brookwood 1987 McEachern 1988 Evans 1989 Evans 1990 Evans 1991 Newnan 1992 Walton 1993 Evans 1994 Evans 1995 Sprayberry 1996 Parkview 1997 Colquilt Co. 1998 Harrison 1999 Lassiter 2000 Lowndes

AAA Dykes Jordan Sequoyah Glynn Henderson Wheeler Savannah Kendrick Valdosta Winder-Barrow Coffee Marist NW Whitfield Marist Marist Marist Roswell Westside Westside Jones Co. Marist Columbus Columbus Columbus Marist Columbus Columbus Columbus Greenbrier Greenbrier Columbus

Year AAAAA 2001 Parkview 2002 Parkview 2003 Colquilt Co. 2004 Milton 2005 Chattahoochee 2006 Lassiter 2007 Walton

2008 Brookwood 2009 Pope 2010 Harrison 2011 Parkview 2012 Parkview Year 2013 2014 2015 2016

AAAAAA Milton Lambert Parkview Walton

Year 2017

AAAAAAA Etowah

AAAAA Pope Houston Co. Greenbrier Houston Co. AAAAAA Pope

AA Pepperell Lakeview Lakeview Stephens Co. Calhoun Westminster Bradwell Institute Marist Gainesville Harlem Pepperell Harlem Harlem Harlem Darlington Hancock Central Harlem Shiloh Berrien Washington-Wilkes Lovett Perry Cook Lovett Lovett Vidalia Gainesville Gainesville Gainesville Thomasville Cook

A B Americus Roswell Roswell Wheeler Co. Hephzibah West Point Irwin Co. Trion Harlem West Point Irwin Co. GACS Mt. de Sales GMI Pepperell Buford Harlem ML de Sales Gordon Lee Mt. de Sales Brookstone GACS Trion Gordon Lee Calhoun Co. Clinch Co. Clinch Co. Towns Co. Clinch Co. Bremen Clinch Co. Clinch Co. Pace Acad.

Pace Acad.

Pace Acad.

Toombs Co. Irwin Co. North Forsyth Lovett Calhoun

AAAA Shaw Marist Marist Columbus Henry Co. Greenbrier Greenbrier

AAA Gainesville Gainesville Cartersville LaGrange Columbus Blessed Trinity Dunwoody

AA Cartersville Cartersville Vidalia Bacon Co. Calhoun Lovett Holy Innocents’

A Walker Walker Clinch Co. Lakeview Acad.

Calvary Day ELCA Calvary Day

Loganville Northgate Marist Marist Loganville

Cartersville Cartersville Columbus Columbus Columbus

Wesleyan Lovett Calhoun Buford Appling County

Pacelli Wesleyan Wesleyan Hebron Chr. Providence Chr.

AAAA Redan Carrollton Buford Locust Grove

AAAAA Loganville

AAAA Marist

AAA Cartersville Blessed Trinity Blessed Trinity Westminster AAA North Hall

AA Lovett Benedictine Wesleyan Lovett

Class A-Private ELCA King’s Ridge King’s Ridge Tattnall Square

AA Jeff Davis

Class A-Private Savannah Christian

Class A-Public Charlton Co. Charlton Co. Schley Co. Treutlen Class A-Public Schley Co.

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C Clay Co. Mt. de Sales Mt. de Sales

MAY 21-23, 2018

GHSA BASEBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

BUCKHEAD RIVALS MEET AGAIN; PRINCE AVENUE MAKES FIRST FINALS

BY SETH ELLERBEE | SELLERBEE@SCOREATL.COM

P

rince Avenue is in the hunt for its first-ever state baseball title as it takes the field at Mercer in Macon. It’s uncharted waters for the Wolverines, and this first-ever finals appearance will be savored. Last year, Prince Avenue had to fight past Athens Academy in the first round before falling to Mount de Sales in Round 2. This year, The Wolverines are coming off a three-game series in the quarterfinals and the semis. Their quarterfinal victory knocked off the defending Class A-Private champions, Savannah Christian.

Following a bye in the first round, Prince Avenue swept St. Francis (7-6, 3-1) to earn a quarterfinal berth. The next two rounds tested the Wolverines’ mettle, as in the quarters against Savannah Christian, Prince Avenue lost the first game 12-0 before rebounding to win the second game 3-2 and then the decisive third game 2-1 to advance to the semifinals.

In the semis against Holy Innocents’, Prince Avenue had its back against the wall following a 9-8 defeat in the first game. A rebound victory in Game 2, 3-2, forced the Wolverines into back-

to-back three-game series. As the threat of weather covered the state, Prince Avenue and Holy Innocents’ agreed to play the third game at Blessed Trinity’s all-turf field. The Wolverines advanced past Holy Innocents’ 4-1 to earn the championship berth following a three-run second inning.

State runner-up Tattnall Square fell in the championship series to Savannah Christian 5-2, 5-4 last season. This year Tattnall is poised to capture its second-ever GHSA state title since joining just a handful of years ago; the program was long established as a GISA powerhouse before that.

The Trojans have featured in the state finals in each of the last two seasons. This year, behind the rotating pitching group of seniors Logan Fink and Luke Laskey and sophomores Brooks Gorman and Dawson Brown, Tattnall has been steadily improving. Following a bye in the first round, the Trojans moved past Brookstone 13-2, 3-2.

Tattnall’s run through the bracket this year has been highlighted by 11-1 and 11-4 thrashings of Wesleyan in the quarterfinals. In 2016, the Trojans won the A-Private state title with a three-game victory over Hebron Christian.

RIVALS CLASH Twelve combined state baseball titles reside in the trophy cases at Westminster and Lovett, two storied programs that will meet for the Class AAA finals series. The most recent for either team? Both in 2016, when Westminster won the Class AAA title and Lovett handled AA. Lovett is the more successful team in terms of titles, with eight trophies to its pedigree. Westminster accounts for four.

Last season, Westminster took the No. 4 seed from Region 5 entering the playoffs and did not make it past the first round, falling to Region 7 top seed Greater Atlanta Christian in three games.

Region 5 rival Lovett entered the playoffs as the No. 3 seed, and following victories over Dawson County (3 games) and Worth County in the second round, the Lions fell to Calhoun in three games in the quarterfinals.

This year, Lovett took the No. 2 seed into the playoffs and advanced past Calhoun in the first round. The Lions survived a scare against North Hall in the second round, winning in three games, and after losing Game 2 7-6, Lovett won 5-4 to earn the quarterfinal berth.

In the quarters against Southeast Bulloch, Lovett was again taken to a third game after losing the first 5-3 and rebounding to win the second 9-6. A 4-2 victory in Game 3 allowed the semifinal berth against Morgan County.

Top-seeded Westminster’s road to Macon has been smoother, to say the least. The Wildcats moved past Haralson County in the first round, outscoring them 11-2 in two games. Against Greater Atlanta Christian in the second round, Westminster avenged last year’s loss to GAC with a sweep (8-6, 12-5), which earned the Wildcats a quarterfinal berth against Cook. Westminster stretched its legs in the quarters, defeating Cook 17-1 and 7-0 to charge into the semis, where it moved past Ringgold 5-3, 3-2 to advance to the championship series. The Wildcats are led by senior first baseman Ryan Miller, a Georgia Tech signee. Georgia commitment Parks Harber, a sophomore third baseman, is an impressive player. Tulane commit Luke Jannetta, a junior left-handed pitcher, will hold down the mound for Westminster.

Photos courtesy of Allison Bentley and Perry McIntyre.

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GHSA 2018 STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS | MERCER - MACON | CLASS 3A & 1A-PRIVATE

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MAY 21-23, 2018

CHAMPIONSHIP BASEBALL ROSTERS & SCHEDULE CLASS 3A WESTMINSTER WILDCATS Head Coach: Chad Laney 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Will Lybrook Jonathan Morgan Davis Wilson Mason Poje Matthew Amerson Junta Yasuda Jack Polhemus David Edmiston Ben Forte Peter York Parks Harber Charlie McCollum Alykhan Painter Crawford Asman William Lemaster Ward Croft Badger Warner Luke Jannetta Grant Barron Ryan Miller Raymond Baltz

10 10 11 11 11 11 12 12 11 12 10 12 11 12 11 12 11 11 11 12 12

C P C/IF OF IF/P C IF/P OF IF OF IF/P C IF P P/1B OF IF/P P/OF P 1B/OF P/OF

23 24 26 27 28 29 30

Edward Shores Grant Matzigkeit William Hallmark Banks Platford Drew Berg Charlie Wickliffe Phillip Metzheiser

11 11 10 11 10 10 10

3A Westminster vs Lovett

1A-Private

P/OF OF IF P/1B P/1B P P/OF

21 22 23 24 32

12 11 12 11 12 10 11 12 11 11 12 12 12 12 11

Poindexter Robert Ellis Prigge Harber Robson Smith Thomas Owen McMurtire

11 10 10 11 9

OF IF C IF P

TATTNALL SQUARE TROJANS

Head Coach: Lance Oubs Ringer Peyton Jackson Schafer Nelson Wyatt Marino William Beavor Trent Underwood David Pratt Ryan McKown Evan Patel Dhruv Beck Lance Nix Grayson Gibson Charles Foster Drayton O’Meara Ben Seiler Will

Tattnall Square vs. Prince Avenue 5/22 (DH) 5:00pm, 7:30pm; *Game 3 5/23 TBD

CLASS 1A-Private

LOVETT LIONS 1 2 3 4 5 7 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19

5/21 (DH) 5:00pm, 7:30pm; *Game 3 5/23 TBD

IF OF OF, P OF IF IF, P UTIL OF, C IF, P IF, P OF, P IF, P C IF, P IF

28 29 30 42 43 44

Luke Laskey Hunter Alexander Austin Marchman Keith Hartness Kaden Toth Bo Hatcher Elmo Daniels Gray Talton Logan Simmons Trey Ham Carter Fink Christian Arnett Brooks Gorman Logan Fink Dawson Brown

12 9 12 11 10 9 10 9 12 11 9 10 10 12 10

11 10 10 11 11 11

IF/OF IF OF OF P IF/OF

PRINCE AVENUE WOLVERINES

Head Coach: Joey Hiller 1 2 5 6 9 10 11 12 14 15 17 19 22 26 27

Miles Morris Kyle Johnson Konner Toth BJ Spears Gavin Whitfield William Stubbs

Head Coach: Phil Roberts P/IF P/C OF P OF P/C/IF OF OF IF C P/IF P P/IF P/IF P/OF

2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 18 19 24

Mikey Talmadge Hunter Melton Jake Haynes Trey Stiles Danny Westbury David Mathis Bryson Seay Jake Pittman Sammy Hodges Trey Felt Cain Tatum Luke McDevitt Murphy Healan Shelby Davis Thomas Ross

12 10 10 10 12 11 10 9 10 12 11 12 11 11 11

IF C/IF IF/P OF OF/P C IF/OF OF/P 1B IF/P 1B/P IF/P OF/P OF IF/P

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GHSA 2018 STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS | MERCER - MACON | CLASS 3A & 1A-PRIVATE

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MAY 21-23, 2018

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