Prep Baseball Report

Class 7A Preview: Regions 4 & 5


By PBR Georgia Staff

Welcome to PBR Georgia’s 7A week!

This week marks the start of our high school coverage, now that we’re about 26 days out from the first pitch of the GHSA season. We’ll open our coverage by examining the 48 programs that make up the state’s 7A class, comprised of some of the most powerful and prestigious programs in the country, including last year’s 7A champs Parkview.

Today, we’ll start our coverage by touching on notes and recaps on the 2018 season for the schools representing GHSA regions 4 and 5 in the 7A class.

REGION 4

This North Atlanta region might not have one single program you’d call a favorite. Woodstock, Lassiter, and Walton were the only three teams with winning records in Region 4 last spring and are the odds-on favorites make the battle for the top spot the same three-headed race. Parsing through these rosters, Woodstock and their firepower might be what ultimately separates these three schools. 

Spencer Keefe, a Georgia commit, is the name on the Wolverines’ roster you might be the most familiar with. He’s ranked on PBR Draft HQ’s top 100 and is the No. 6-ranked senior in the state’s 2019 class. Keefe occupies third base, primarily, and has among the top hit tools in this class. He missed the team’s run all the way to the state semifinals, where they challenged eventual champs Parkview to a three-game series, handing them their only loss of the state tournament.

Keefe isn’t set to do it alone, either. He’s flanked by SS Brennan Milone, a South Carolina commit, and LHP Josiah Siegel (Georgia Tech). Milone is an all-around competitor who helps Woodstock win in more ways than one. When Keefe missed the postseason last spring, Milone carried the Wolverines. Had the two both been in the lineup against the eventually champs, they could have been the ones squaring off against Mill Creek. And a rotation led by Siegel is an experienced one – he's been giving Woodstock some big innings ever since he was a sophomore.

Spencer Keefe (3/26/18)

Walton and Lassiter are the biggest threats to a repeat regional title from Woodstock. The Walton Raiders could rival the Wolverines when it comes to star power. Senior prospects like SS Pierce Gallo (Clemson), LHP Jake Baldino (Virginia), and 1B Luke Boynton (Nebraska) all have D-I destinations after this, their final prep season of their careers. Gallo and Baldino are both ranked within the state’s top 50 and Gallo is the No. 18-ranked member of the state’s 2019 class. His premium athleticism makes him stand out on both sides of the ball. As for Baldino, the lefty oozes projection with his 6-foot-4, 170-pound frame and has been able to run his fastball up into the 88 mph range – though, he sits around 84-86 mph more comfortably.

As for Lassiter, the Trojans matched the Raiders on record within their region (9-6) and looked poised to take another step forward in 2019. Despite graduating a few reliable contributors from a season ago, Lassiter’s Mason Kearney (High Point) and Ryan Getz (Mercer) can handle the bulk of the workload on the bump. Fellow senior OF Kyle Lavender is still uncommitted but has the twitchy toolset to help a program at the next level. But before then, he’ll be able to help Lassiter this spring, too. And, if Kearney and Getz need any help in the rotation, junior RHP Geoffrey Watkins (uncommitted) should be able to pull more than his weight. He’s a 6-foot-6 lanky righty who’s ranked in the state’s top 40 of its 2020 class. Watkins has an upper-80s fastball and a curveball that has real swing-and-miss potential.

Kyle Lavender (8/12/18)

You can’t go without mentioning Etowah, the 2017 state champs, either. The Eagles finished 6-6 in this region last year but still managed a lengthy run in the state tournament, downing Hillgrove and Colquitt County along the way. Seniors C Conor Bowen (uncommitted), LHP Bryant Madden (Maine), and OF Nick Block (Walters State CC) will all be able to put in the time to see through another deep run for Etowah this spring.

Lastly, a handful of other prospects to follow within this region: C Jacob Berger (Cherokee County, 2019; uncommitted), LHP Luke Osthoff (Roswell, 2020; uncommitted), RHP/OF Bobby Spencer (Walton, 2019; uncommitted), SS Sam Marques (Lassiter, 2019; Georgia Southwestern State), and SS John Giesler (Walton, 2019; Georgia Tech).

REGION 5

South Forsyth are returning six starters from the lineup that carried the War Eagles to a 14-1 finish in Region 5, including one of the top pitchers in the entire state, RHP Landon Sims. The No. 3-ranked prospect in Georgia’s 2019 class has a commitment to Mississippi State and is ranked No. 48 on the PBR Draft 100. Sims is a two-way star for his high school, roaming the outfield or filling up the DH slot when he’s not on the mound. A rotation headlined with a frontline arm like this can elevate any program from regional title to state title aspirations. 

Sims won’t go it alone, though. Seniors Steven Thompson and Peyton Presley will make up the rest of the starting rotation and both are committed to Georgia Highlands JC. Two of the younger prospects on this team who also saw some action for the War Eagles are SS Gehrig Frei and 3B Josh Green. Frei is a switch-hitting sophomore who has the inside track at this team’s starting shortstop gig and Green is a junior who should handle the hot corner this spring.

So, while the War Eagles have a great chance of repeating as this region’s champion, there’s still some talented and competitive programs among this group who could challenge them. Milton and Forsyth Central both finished 8-7 in regional play last spring and both are bringing back some key players.

Milton seniors 3B Graham Pauley (Duke) and RHP Cole Stupp (Kentucky) are two of this best prospects this region has to offer. Strupp is on the national radar and is the No. 42-ranked prospect in the state’s senior class. At 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, Stupp has an ideal pitcher’s frame and puts it to good use. He can be relied about to man the top of this Milton rotation. Pauley is a left-handed-hitting third baseman with some real bat strength, fit for the middle of this order.

The Bulldogs of Forsyth Central are returning a healthy mix of arms to fill their rotation this spring. While they should be excellent run suppressors in 2019, the Bulldogs graduated some of the key players in last year’s squad and will be looking for runs in unexpected places this year. We published a preview this afternoon based off a questionnaire submitted by Head Coach Kevin McCollum, which you can find here, but it looks like they’ll be hoping to lean on middle infielder A.J. Fietcher, an athletic prospect with some promise on both sides of the ball.

It wouldn’t be shocking to see big improvements out of North and West Forsyth schools, either. West Forsyth junior LHP Wyatt Crowell is a Florida State commit and one of the top-ranked lefties in Georgia’s junior class. He goes right after hitters with his upper-80s sinker and is capable of snapping off some impressive breakers, too.

Wyatt Crowell (10/5/18)

Five North Forsyth pitchers are back to gear up for another run at state. The Raiders lost to runners-up Mill Creek in the first round of last year’s tournament but are hoping to bounce back this spring behind uncommitted juniors Garrett Staton and Miles Hartsfield, as well as ace Brody Westbrooks, a Georgia Tech commit. Anthony DiMola (Georgia Southern), a junior lefty ranked No. 44 in the state’s 2020 class, should be able to backup Westbrooks in the rotation effectively, too.

The final team to cover in Region 5 is the Lambert Longhorns, which went 5-10 in regional action last year and lost a couple of their go-to arms from a year ago. Some Longhorns prospects to follow this spring: 1B/RHP Jonathan Hemings, an uncommitted senior and physical left-handed slugger with premium pop potential; and C Garrett Hollenbeck, an uncommitted junior backstop who looks like an advanced defender who’s coming along nicely on offense.

Keep checking back for when we break down Region 6 tomorrow. We’ve also started rolling out more detailed team-by-team previews as we gear up for what’s bound to be another exhilarating high school season.

RELATED CONTENT