GHSA 2018 STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS | FOLEY FIELD - UGA | CLASS 5A & 7A
GHSA PAST CHAMPIONS
WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
GREETINGS, GHSA BASEBALL FANS
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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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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
GWINNETT GIANTS MEET IN 7A, AND REGION 8 RIVALS SET TO DO BATTLE IN 5A BY ALEX EWALT | AEWALT@SCOREATL.COM
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he Class AAAAA championship series features two Region 8 rivals that have combined for five state titles in the past 11 years. Loganville is the defending champion in the classification and has three trophies since 2008 (2012 as well), while Buford took state in 2011 and 2015. Loganville, the preseason favorite to win the title again, has a 2-0 advantage in the season series against Buford, winning 4-2 on April 13 at home and 8-1 three days later on the road. Loganville, Region 8’s No. 1 seed with a record of 33-6, hasn’t had to go to a Game 3 this postseason, and the Red Devils have only given up nine runs in eight playoff games. The team earned its finals berth with a 5-1, 7-2 sweep over Starr’s Mill last week, the second-straight season Loganville has dispatched the Panthers in the semifinals. Joseph Brandon pitched the complete-game victory in Game 1, allowing just three hits and striking out 11. Game 2 tightened up when Starr’s Mill scored twice in the sixth inning to make
since 1996 and most recently in 2015. Mill Creek has no titles to its name since opening in 2004 but entered the playoffs at No. 1 in the rankings, Parkview at No. 2. Each team sports a 34-6 overall record, but Mill Creek won the sole game between the teams this season, 5-3 on Feb. 27. Each team was its region’s top seed, Mill Creek in Region 6 and Parkview in Region 7. Both also survived threegame series in the semifinals; Parkview outlasted Woodstock last week with a 6-1 win in the rubber match, and Mill Creek took a 5-2 victory over Brookwood in Game 3 (the Hawks also withstood a three-game challenge from South Gwinnett in the second round). Mill Creek, which fell in the semifinals last season, won an epic Game 2 against Brookwood to stay alive. The Hawks won 6-4 in 11 innings thanks to six innings of relief work from Alaska Abney, who finished the game with a double play. In Game 3, GWINNETT COUNTY the home-team Hawks got 4 CLASH Parkview is a storied program 2/3 innings from sophomore in the state and has six titles, all pitcher Zach Green, who gave it 3-2, but the Red Devils put the game away in the bottom of the inning with four runs. Seth Clark got the win after working six innings, and Bryant Pietri, who also went 4-for-6 at the plate in the second game, closed it out. The 28-11 Wolves are gunning for a fourth state title (Buford won its first in 1977). Buford, its region’s No. 2 seed, has also avoided Game 3s this playoff season but had to survive a very competitive semifinals series with Flowery Branch, the region’s No. 3. The Wolves won 3-2 and 1-0 to clinch their place in the finals, needing seventh-inning magic each time. In Game 1, Buford trailed 2-1 in the final inning, but Patrick Wagner drew a bases-loaded walk to score Christian Griffin for the winning run. In Game 2, Grant James’ single plated Garrison Price to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead. Buford has only given up 12 runs in its eight playoff wins.
up just three hits and one run to earn the win. Davis Sharpe gave Mill Creek a 1-0 lead with a home run in the first inning, and the team added three runs with two outs in the fourth to make it 4-0. Tyler Parish closed the game on the mound. Parkview won the second and third games over Woodstock 5-1 and 6-1 to advance. Senior Logan Cerny has five home runs in the postseason for Parkview, including one each in the first two games of the semifinals; his fourth-inning home run in Game 2 tied the game at 1-1 and allowed the Panthers the chance to enter extra innings. Then in the eighth, Parkview exploded for four runs in the top half to put the game out of reach. In Game 3, the Panthers’ sophomore Miles Garrett threw four perfect innings after being given a 3-0 lead in the first frame. Garrett got the win in just his fourth start of the season, and the Panthers defense helped stem several Woodstock rallies to preserve the lead. Photos courtesy of Melinda Pease and Parkview Baseball. 3 | W W W. G H S A . N E T
GHSA 2018 STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS | FOLEY FIELD - UGA | CLASS 5A & 7A
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MAY 21-23, 2018
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GHSA 2018 STATE BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS | FOLEY FIELD - UGA | CLASS 5A & 7A
CHAMPIONSHIP BASEBALL ROSTERS & SCHEDULE CLASS 5A
28 36 30 31
BUFORD WOLVES Head Coach: Stuart Chester 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 27 32 41
Griffin Price Garrison Price Noah Ledford Austin Turner Preston Hagan Grant James Brandon Jolliff Kaleb Elder Christian Griffin Griffin Bonner Ramsey David C.J. Couch Grant James K.J. Johnson Sean Adams Garrett Glover Chase Rhodes Trey Adams Dylan McKinnis Bryce Morin Cole Hunter Reece McIntyre Brandon Brittle Tucker Champeau Max Ramirez Patrick Walker Evan Place Jacob Hennen
12 12 12 11 12 12 11 11 11 12 11 11 11 11 11 12 11 12 11 11 12 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
2B OF/P 1B/P CF 3B/P SS 3B/P SS OF OF/P P P P OF P P P C P 2B 1B/P 1B 2B 1B/P C C 3B/P OF/P
Braden Hartman Eli Ledford Ayden DiGocomo Gabe Hunt
10 10 9 9
5A
Loganville vs Buford
5/21 (DH) 5:00pm, 7:30pm; *Game 3 5/23 TBD
7A
Parkview vs Mill Creek
5/22 (DH) 5:00pm, 7:30pm; *Game 3 5/23 TBD
C 2B OF/P SS/P
33 34 44
11 10 12 12 11 12 12 11 11 11 11 12 12 11 12 11 12 9 10 11 9 9 10 12 12 10
1B P OF
OF SS OF P C SS INF OF C P C 1B C P OF INF 3B OF C 2B MI INF P P P P
Head Coach: Chan Brown 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 11 13 14 15 16 18 21 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 32 33
Bryce Ridley Jarrett Embry Allan Del Castillo Robert Bennett Chase Mesh Makenzie Pate Ben Markiewicz Koby Ayala Brad Stanley Michael Bryant Isaiah Byers Brian Ketelsen Stephen Hrustich Logan Cerny Chris Jernigan Will Parker Braden Hays Max Pete Drew DeMasi Jonathan French Noah Brown Blake Sagarese Xander Stephens James Whitmer Miles Garrett
12 12 11 12 12 11 12 11 11 12 12 12 11 12 12 11 12 11 11 11 11 10 10 11 10
34 44
Jonathan Ponder Austin Branson
10 12
OF RHP
MILL CREEK HAWKS Head Coach: Doug Jones
PARKVIEW PANTHERS
Head Coach: Jeff Segars Josh Haynes Dylan Strickland Bay Witcher Seth Clark Blaine Marchman Joseph Brandon Bryant Pietri Jackson Howell Jacob Boyd Blake Stowe Cody Powell Justin Moss Jacob Daniel Matthew Popp Lance Spooner Michael Knight Aaron Knight Daniel Braswell Ian King Cameron Wright Brocker Way Jackson Daniel Caleb Ganer Michael Northcutt Gavin Swords Dawson Hammonds
11 11 12
CLASS 7A
LOGANVILLE RED DEVILS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 30 32
Max Smith Conner Bruce Tanner Green
LHP RHP INF LHP/1B 2B/OF OF/RHP 3B/OF INF/RHP RHP OF SS/2B INF/OF C/1B/OF C/OF/RHP OF/RHP C/1B LHP OF 1B/RHP C/RHP/OF MIF RHP RHP/1B 1B/3B/0F RHP/OF
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 27
Mitchell Shreiner Davis Sharpe James Schmidt Parker Landua Kyle Stewerf Blaze McCauley Jacob Brown Alaska Abney Nick Kross Brendan York Carson Renz Brady Longenecker Brandon Blume Justin Parish Caden Cullins Zach Green Drew Cadena Tim Simay Alex Boychuck Diego Rodriguez Bryce Scott Adrian Jackson Hogan Scoggins
12 12 11 12 11 11 11 12 11 10 11 12 12 12 11 10 11 9 10 11 12 12 12
2B/3B 3B/RHP OF OF LHP C RHP RHP OF SS 2B/3B OF RHP RHP OF OF/LHP RHP/2B SS C INF 1B 1B 1B
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MAY 21-23, 2018
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