GHSA Playoffs: Second Round Roundtable Discussion

Our scouts are back to give their take on the upcoming second round of the GHSA Playoffs.

1. Let’s start by reevaluating some of our picks from a week ago. Are you still confident in your picks to win state or did something in the first round cause you to change your mind?

Blake Davis: Well, the Jefferson loss in 3A takes them out of the running.  I also learned Westminster is not your typical 4th seed, seeing how Parks Harbor is just now returning and they will be tough to beat in this thing. Pope is also a wild card until Buddy Floyd has recovered from his ankle injury, but if one thing was shown by the Greyhounds in round one without Floyd, it is that they know how to win and have a great next man up culture.

Kyle Colletta: I only went with three predictions, but all three are still in play (Tattnall had a first-round bye). Parkview (7A)  took both from Peachtree Ridge, but probably a little closer than some would think (2-1 & 6-0). I am still going to stick with the Panthers.  

Cartersville (4A) did not give up a run in either game against first round opponent, Oconee County.  I still feel confident in their road to the finals this year.

One team I dubbed as a potential run-maker, Houston County (6A), cruised through the first round. I like them to continue to make some noise as we hop into the second round.

Phil Kerber: Well, looking back on my picks, I do not think I got one wrong (so far). I still like North Gwinnett to win 7A. They might have the hottest bats in the entire state; it seems they are routinely putting up 10+ runs per game. If they get by Forsyth Central, it could setup a very tantalizing matchup with Etowah.

I made a number of predictions in 6A, and I still believe Winder-Barrow is the favorite. With that being said, River Ridge will be a good test in the second round, and a semifinal matchup with Heritage-Conyers could make for one of the best series in the state. On the other side of the brack, I learned firsthand that Greenbrier’s one-two punch of RHP Bryce Melear (Georgia recruit) and RHP Chase Dollander (Georgia Southern commit) have the ability to lead the Wolfpack all the way to the title. The one question will be can Greenbrier’s offense produce enough runs?

In 5A, the Kell/Buford matchup is all set. Blake Davis will be out covering that game, so I will definitely have my eye on it. The road to the final on that side of the bracket is going to be loaded with talent and should make for some of the most competitive games of the entire state tournament.

Kudos to me for correctly picking Denmark to pull an upset.

AND Just so people don’t forget, Andy Sroka on Class 3A, “Jefferson Dragons, lock it up.”
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2. In your mind, what was the best series of the first round? What was the most surprising series?

Blake Davis: Westminster Beating Jefferson, because Jefferson was every bit as good as I initially thought, Westminster may be hitting stride at just the right time.  They have quality arms and now they have a big bat in the middle of that line-up.

Kyle Colletta: I agree with Phil - the Redan vs. Morgan County series was exciting from first pitch to last. Each game came down to the wire, and featured some really high-level talent. I was also at each game, so I may be a bit biased, here.

Phil Kerber: Redan vs. Morgan County. This series had it all. Scoring, extra innings, walk-offs, playing late into the night, and we were there for it. Kyle Colletta was on-hand for the first game, and I eventually made my way over, after the Greenbrier vs. Brunswick series, to catch some of the second game. The second game was a wild one that went extra innings and did not end until nearly 1:00 AM. 

3. What matchup(s) are you most looking forward to in the second round?

Blake Davis: Buford and Kell will pit a deep line-up vs a deep pitching staff, and as always Gwinnett County vs Cobb County always peaks my interest.  Also, Flowery Branch vs Cartesville is one to watch. Depth on the mound will most likely be a theme to watch in this one. Decatur vs Walnut Grove also peaks my interest.  I am a big fan of this Decatur team, but Walnut Grove does not feel like a typical 3 seed in this one.

Kyle Colletta: One matchup that excites me is the North Paulding vs Walton series. Georgia Tech recruit, Zach Maxwell, gets to match up against power hitting first baseman, Luke Boynton (Nebraska).

Another 7A matchup is Woodstock vs. Hillgrove. Both teams have the ability to put a ton of runs on the board and are pretty deep with talent. I look forward to seeing who is going to take this 3-game set.   

Moving away from 7A, the most intriguing 3A matchup to me is the Calhoun - Pace Academy one. I have seen Calhoun look like a team that can hit with anyone in the class, and I have seen Pace look like a team that could take the whole 3A title. John Andrew Cash has the offensive ability to take Calhoun to the next round of the playoffs. This should be a good one, if Calhoun can tame the Pace offense, which includes Georgia Tech recruit, Andrew Jenkins.

Phil Kerber: Winder-Barrow vs. River Ridge in 6A. I have had the opportunity to see both of these teams in action. I saw River Ridge open up their season in Brunswick when they played Glynn Academy. The Knight have two of the most dynamic prospects in the state, 3B/1B Brandon Smith (Georgia recruit) and C/OF/RHP Ethan Anderson (Tennessee recruit). Smith and Anderson will most likely see the towering 6-foot-8 RHP Cain Tatum (Georgia recruit) staring down at them in game one. The big right-hander has the ability to pitch in the low 90s with a nice slider and changeup to compliment. On the other side, the matchup to watch might be a little more one-sided: River Ridge pitch staff vs. SS Brady House (Tennessee commit), 3B/RHP Zack Smith (Mississippi recruit), 3B/1B Hunter Marsh (Walters State commit), and Trace Jeffers (East Georgia recruit).

Moving up to 7A, Kennesaw Mountain vs. Etowah has my interest because it is a rare instance that the two lower seeds both won in the first round (Northside College Prep and Perry are another instance in Class 4A).. Etowah may have just rediscovered their early season form, which should spell trouble for the rest of 7A.

Down in 5A, I think I have made it relatively clear how big I believe the Kell/Buford series is.

4. Pretenders have been eliminated and contenders have moved on. Who made themselves into a contender and who could play the role of cinderella?

Blake Davis: Westminster looked for real last week.  The 3A bracket should be put on high alert.  Greenbrier as a program knows how to win and they have a formidable one two punch on the mound.

Kyle Colletta: Denmark has made themselves out to be a team that can continue to make a splash. Phil seemed to call it last week, but Denmark will now play a sub-.500 team in St. Pius X. Pius took down a Troup Co. team that gave Cartersville a loss this season, so maybe Pius can take down Denmark and be a Cinderella in their own respects.

Phil Kerber: I am going to echo Blake here, after seeing Greenbrier take back-to-back games 12-2, they are real contenders in Class 6A. They will avoid the No. 1 seed in their quad after Stephenson dropped their series to No. 4 seed Lee County.  

The slipper fits, time to let it ride with this year's Cinderella in Class 4A, the Danes of Denmark. The first year school pulled an upset over NW Whitfield in the first round winning 8-5 and 11-2. Now the No. 4 seed will take on St. Pius X in the second round.

5. What team, eliminated in the first round, do you wish was still playing?

Blake Davis: Jefferson, They are good enough to have won the whole thing.  I also was hoping to get a chance to see East Coweta, they felt like a very good team who I wanted to see play deeper.

Kyle Colletta: Mountain View. They had a tough draw in a talented and battle-tested Brookwood. As I mentioned last week, Gavin Collyer, gave Mountain View an advantage against almost every team in the state; however, it was an early exit for MV.

Phil Kerber: Class 6A Apalachee. I saw the scrappy Apalachee squad take on the juggernaut that is Winder-Barrow. Apalachee held their own for a few innings before being overpowered. The Wildcats earned the schools first baseball postseason bid in their 19 year history this season, setting a school record for wins in the process (17 regular season wins). On top of that, No. 4 seed won their first ever playoff game when they defeated No. 1 seed Alexander on a walk-off inside the park home run. The Wildcats almost pulled the upset in game three of the season, but fell just short, losing 3-1.  Stories like Apalachee’s is what makes covering the sports so great. A big congrats to Coach Bailey and the Apalachee Wildcats on their accomplishments this season.

6. Bold prediction for round two.

Blake Davis: The Region-8, No. 3 seed Hart County (3A) is a school more traditionally known for their basketball. However, this talented young squad, fresh off the upset of Lovett, will extend their postseason by taking down the Region-6, No. 1 seed Ringold.

Kyle Colletta: Etowah (7A) will continue to beat higher-ranked opponents and take down Kennesaw Mountain in the second round. While this may not be as bold of a prediction if you know how good Etowah has been, it is still a big potential upset to have the 4-seed advance to the Elite-8.

Phil Kerber: Two four seeds remain in Class 7A (Lassiter and Etowah), one in Class 6A (Lee County), one in Class 4A (Denmark), one in Class 3A (Westminster), and one in Class 2A (Model). Five of the six four seeds will advance to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. I have too much faith in Greenbrier to see them dropping a series to Lee County, but it is the postseason, so anything can happen.

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