The Georgia Scout Blog will be a weekly blog with reports and videos from the players and teams that we go out to cover each week. The blog will remain for the length of the week with notes being added the day following from each game. At the end of the week we will update the POWER 25 and CLASSIFICATION RANKINGS, then at the beginning of the following week we will announce 2 Player of the Week awards, along with our Diamond Notes, which is a culminaton of all players that were not selected for player of the week. Note: Player of the Week submissions are sent in by high school coaches.

Playoffs: Round 3

Carson Hodges, 3B, 2025, Mt. Paran Christian
Uncommitted. Hodges was a player that really made an impact for Mt. Paran as a sophomore last year, and carried that momentum into the summer. He found his power at the plate over the summer blasting multiple wood bat home runs. The game play at 3B on Monday night was really impressive. He had multiple unassisted double plays, showing off the strong arm after getting the force at 3B. He had a really consistent day at the plate with multiple barrels, The strength is to the pull side, but sticks to his approach and does not try to do too much. .

Ryan Johnson, RHP, 2024, Cartersville
In his first start back from a minor injury suffered at Battle for Bartow, the Georgia commit dazzled across six one-run innings while showing the best stuff that ive seen from the senior this spring. Johnson would own the strike-zone to the tune of 74% strike rate while showing a truly deep pitch mix. It started with the fastball where Johnson ran it up to 94 early, while living 89-92 throughout the outing with some heaviness and hard arm-side run. Changeup was the bread and butter in the outing at 76-78 with good diving action and fade. Showed confidence to throw to both LH and RHH and above-average command to land for strikes in any count. Flashed a pair of distinct breaking balls in a low-70s curveball with consistent 11/5 shape and a slider at 77-79 with late sweep that created some chase and swing-and-miss. Johnson would work in the low-80s cutter early for called strikes and can be an effective offering especially against LHH. Finished the outing with a robust 47% CSW (Called strikes+whiffs) and 11 strikeouts with just one hit allowed. A healthy Johnson at the front of this Cartersville rotation gives them one of the best remaining staffs in the playoffs, and will be massive as they begin their Final four matchup this weekend wth Ware County.