North Hall
at Cartersville
When: Game 1 4 p.m. today, Game 2 to follow; If necessary, Game 3 Thursday (time TBD)
Where: Cartersville
Coaches: North Hall, Trent Mongero; Cartersville, Stuart Chester
Records: North Hall (23-6, No. 3 Region 8-AAA); Cartersville (23-4, No. 1 Region 7-AAA)
Key players: North Hall, 1B Hamilton Harper Sr. (.386 avg., 7 HRs); P/3B Chris Stevens Sr. (.365 avg, 40 RBI; 2.75 ERA, 68 Ks); P Preston Graham So. (1.89 ERA, 78 K). Cartersville, P Sam Howard Sr. (6-1, 1.19 ERA); 1B Collin Bennett Sr. (.486 avg. 10 HRs); 2B Ben Venters Sr. (.479, 9 HRs).
Outlook: Cartersville is coming off a two-game sweep of Arabia Mountain, a No. 4 seed from Region 5.
Advancing didn't come without adversity for the Purple Hurricanes, however. Though they took Game 1 9-1, the second game went to extra innings, where Cartersville won 6-2.
North Hall can relate to playing extra innings in the state playoffs, having advanced past LaGrange with a 10-3, nine-inning win Saturday.
"I don't know if extra innings, or Game 3s give you momentum," said Chester, "but they build character and make you sharper. That's why I believe it's good to be tested early in the season. I say you get more out of a 2-1 loss than a 15-0 win. It's good to have those games where you don't throw in the towel."
Chester said he'll start any one of five pitchers in the North Hall series. Against Arabia Mountain, he went with Howard in Game 1 and Ben Dittmer in Game 2.
He said he likes the way the Purple Hurricanes are playing heading into the second round.
"I think we'll do fine," he said. "We had a good approach in the first game, and we hit well both games. But the second game it was just right at someone, but that's baseball. We're healthy, and that's the big thing in the playoffs.
"I just hope the ball bounces our way."
Gainesville
at Woodward Academy
When: Game 1, 3 p.m. today; Game 2, to follow; If necessary, Game 3, 3 p.m. Thursday
Where: College Park
Coaches: Gainesville, Jeremy Kemp; Woodward Academy, Jim Minor
Records: Gainesville (24-5, No. 2 Region 8-AAA); Woodward Academy (24-3, No. 1 Region 5-AAA)
Key players: Gainesville, P/SS Stephen Mason Jr. (.476 avg., 49 runs; 7-2, 2.47 ERA); C Skyler Weber So. (.466 avg, 8 HR, 48 RBI); P/3B Hunter Anglin So. (8-0, 1.49 ERA). Woodward Academy, OF Andrew Adams Sr.; P/OF Damon Waller Sr.; 2B/P Kevin Cosper Jr.
Outlook: The last time a team from Gainesville travelled to Woodward Academy, it left with a Class AAA state championship in boys soccer. While today's games aren't of that magnitude, the Red Elephants are hoping to leave Atlanta with the same result.
Defeating Woodward Academy won't be easy, but at least Gainesville is facing this team a year after it had Delino Deshields, who was drafted No. 8 overall by the Houston Astros in the MLB draft. Although Deshields isn't there, the Eagles still boast a talented roster, including
Adams, Waller and Cosper, who each made the first team in Region 4-AAA last year. Woodward Academy cruised to a 14-3, 17-7 sweep over Heritage-Catoosa in the first round.
"They're a good hitting team," Kemp said of the Eagles. "But Troup was no easy win. They went toe-to-toe with last year's state champs (Columbus)."
The Red Elephants are coming off a 3-game series win over Troup, which shutout the Red Elephants in Game 1.
"Their pitcher threw well," Kemp said. "He was on that day and he stepped up at the right time."
Kemp said his team needs to avoid having another "flat start" if they hope to advance to the third round for the second straight year.
Woodward Academy lost in last year's second round, but enter today's games riding a 16-game win streak.
White County
vs. Allatoona
When: Game 1, 4:30 p.m. today; Game 2, to follow; If necessary, Game 3, 5:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Cleveland
Coaches: White County, John Brown; Allatoona, Keith Hansen
Records: White County (23-4, No. 1 Region 8-AAA); Allatoona (25-4, No. 3 Region 7-AAA)
Key players: White County, P/3B David Sosebee Sr. (10-0, 108 Ks, 61 IP; .400 avg., 9 HR); P/3B Luke Crumley Sr. (13 HR; 4-0, 97 Ks, 55 2/3 IP); SS Hayden Cummins Sr. Allatoona P/INF/OF Clate Schimdt Jr. (.430 avg., 3 HR; 0.93 ERA, 70 Ks, 45 IP); C/SS Marlon Melendez (.485 avg., 17 RBIs .521 OBP); OF Isaiah Aluko Sr. (.404 avg., 4 HR, .500 OBP).
Outlook: By this point in the season, there are no easy matchups. Still, the draw must feel especially cruel to No. 7 White County and No. 4 Allatoona. Both have a claim to at least a share of their respective region titles, but ended up on opposite ends of three-way tiebreakers; White County was named champion of 8-AAA, while the Buccaneers were sent on the road as a No. 3 seed.
Both teams boast highly touted pitching prospects. Georgia signees Sosebee and Crumley form a formidable one-two punch for the Warriors, while Clate Thomas, who has committed to Clemson, leads a deep Allatoona staff.
Thomas was saddled with a loss in Game 1 of the Bucs' first-round series against St. Pius, but Michael Royal and Lucas Brown held the line as Allatoona took advantage of 13 St. Pius errors in the final two games of the series en route to 14-4 and 9-5 wins.
White County's offense has led the Warriors in recent weeks, posting double-figure run totals in four of their last five games. Sosebee and Crumley combined for four of the team's five home runs in a two-game, first-round sweep of Carrollton (11-6, 10-7) last week.
Buford
vs. Calhoun
When: Game 1 3 p.m. today, Game 2 to follow; If necessary, Game 3 5 p.m. Thursday
Where: Gerald McQuaig Field, Buford
Coaches: Calhoun, Chip Henderson; Buford, Tony Wolfe
Records: Calhoun (21-5, No. 2 Region 7-AA); Buford (23-3, No. 1 Region 6-AA)
Key players: Calhoun, P/3B Landon Curtis Sr.; SS/P Corey Greeson Jr.; C Weston McArthur Fr. Buford, RHP/SS Jake Burnette Sr. (5-0, 1.35 ERA); RHP/1B Josh Heddinger Sr. (7-0, 2.33 ERA); LHP/1B Troy Herterick Jr. (.477, 25 RBIs); OF/RHP Mason Gentry So. (.407, 26 RBIs, 8 HRs).
Outlook: While Calhoun won the state championship a year ago and is seeking its third in the past seven years, it's difficult to say the team itself is a defending champion.
After losing half of their roster to graduation last season, the Yellow Jackets have a totally different look than the team that came back from a game down to defeat Cook in the title series in 2010.
But Wolfe knows that the team he'll face today is loaded with talent and will come to Buford with the expectation of advancing to the quarterfinals.
"(Henderson) will have them ready to play," Wolfe said of his Calhoun counterpart. Henderson won his 400th game earlier this season, and Wolfe said he expects the Yellow Jackets to be strong in every phase of the game.
"So we'll have to be just as strong," Wolfe said. "We've got to hit well, play defense, and do all of the things you have to do to win.
"But we'll also have to play smart, stay calm, and play with the level of confidence that I know they will."
Calhoun's confidence starts with its lone starting senior in Curtis. The right-hander threw five innings in the Yellow Jacket's Game 1, 7-0, win over Temple in the first round, giving up just two hits and striking out 11.
Buford had a similar showing in round one from Heddinger, who threw a five-inning no-hitter against Fannin County.