There have been 418 postseason baseball games played across the state this month. One hundred sixty teams in Class AA-AAAAAA earned trips to the playoffs and just 10 are left standing. We have witnessed another competitive school year within Georgia's high school athletics and it is time to crown the final five GHSA state champions of the 2013-2014 year.

CONTINUED FROM THURSDAY...

CLASH OF THE TITANS (AND CANES) ...

In Class AAA, defending state champion Cartersville needed to rally from a three-run deficit to beat Buford 7-5 in the decisive Game 3 of the semifinals on Tuesday. Cartersville was

Photo courtesy Blessed Trinity

without head coach Stuart Chester, who was serving a two-game suspension for having video cameras in the dugout. 

The Hurricanes dropped Game 1 to the Wolves 4-0 and battled past elimination in back-to-back games at Buford. Cartersville is 2-2 in Game 1s this postseason and has scored just two runs per game in its series openers. Game 2 has a different story as the Hurricanes have scored nine runs per game in the backend of their double-headers.

Blessed Trinity dominated Hart County 13-5 and 10-2 in the semifinals and is searching for its second state title in program his- tory after winning the Class AAA title forthe first time in 2006. Junior Cody Roberts batted 4-for-6 in the semis and drove in four RBIs. Sophomore Conor Davis and junior John Castro homered in both games in the semifinals and batted in a combined 10 runs in the two-game series.

DIFFERENT PATHS ...

In Class AA, the two semifinal rubber matches could not have been any more different. Benedictine scored a 19-16 victory over Wesleyan in an offensive explosion to advance to the state championship, while Greater Atlanta Christian edged Westminster in a 1-0 pitching dual to reach the finals.

Benedictine last won the state title in 1961 and will host the Spartans, which claimed state gold in 1975 and 1982. Benedictine has power and consistent hitting throughout its lineup, but depth on the mound is a concern. The Cadets' semifinals Game 3 victory over Wesleyan was their only deciding game played this postseason and they needed 19 runs to secure the win. GACS has held opponents to four runs or fewer in 8-of-10 games this postseason and a total of one run in its two Game 3s this postseason.

Benedictine head coach Kevin Farmer hit a milestone with his 300th career win in the finals-clinching victory on Tuesday. The Cadets gave up six homers, including four from Wesleyan catcher Grant Colton. Wesleyan cut the lead to 13-9 and Benedictine scored another six runs off a Patrick Maguire base hit and a Stevie Powers two-run single before a Mike Huggins two-run blast.

GAC is the four seed out of Region 6 and has had battled through 10 straight road games to reach the finals. The Spartans have won with their defense and senior southpaw Ben Childers, who pitched a complete game shutout in their 1-0 Game 3 win over Westminster.

Georgia may be known as a football state (it certainly is in the fall), but springtime means baseball around these parts and we are about to find out again that high school athletic talent is prolific on more than just the gridiron. Roaming the championship diamonds on this Memorial Day weekend are a plethora of performers who have realistic dreams of taking their talents to the next level and beyond.

  

CONTINUED FROM THURSDAY...

 

FUTURE JACKET ...

 

Houston County, meanwhile, counters with Georgia Tech-signee Blake Jackson. The third baseman homered in Game 1 against Gainesville. He may not be as physically gifted as Gettys, but Jackson's hitting skills are already well-polished.

 

The Crisp County vs. Carrollton finale in Class AAAA features Taylor Walls of Crisp. Walls is no stranger to taking the mound, which he did in a semifinal opener against Alexander and tossed a complete game while allowing only two runs. The shortstop, though, projects as an infielder and hitter at the next levels. Walls, who adds value in the field and as a switch-hitter at the plate, signed with Florida State in the fall.

 

Buford and star pitcher Jake Higginbotham lost Game 3 to defending champion Cartersville Tuesday

Photo by David McGregor

eliminating the Wolves from the playoffs. Higginbotham is a potential draft pick who may be more likely to honor his commitment to the Clemson Tigers. The lefty is not an overpowering pitcher, but he locates and changes speeds with the best of them. He was 9-0 with a 0.60 ERA on the season after beating Cartersville in Game 1.

 

The Class AA semifinalists boast none of the very top prospects in the state, but they are sending plenty of kids to play college baseball and perhaps to fine-tune their games for runs at the professional ranks. Arguably the best of the bunch is Greater Atlanta Christian right-hander Justin Lewis. 

 

The Kentucky signee is an imposing figure on the mound at 6-foot-5. He sported a 1.97 postseason ERA heading into the Spartans' semifinal series at Westminster and he lowered it at the Wildcats' expense. Lewis tossed a complete game in the opener while allowing just three singles and striking out eight (the first two games were split). He was also batting .348 with three home runs through his team's first three playoff series. Westminster's top prospect, Will Benson, is regarded as one of the nation's best sophomores.