2026 GHSA Playoffs: 5A Preview

START DATE: APRIL 24TH (some on 23rd)

The 2026 GHSA State Playoffs kick off on Wednesday. Playoff baseball in Georgia is some of the best baseball in the entire country and we are lucky enough to get to cover it. We have covered the state of Georgia from as south as Lowndes to as north as Gordon Lee and everything in between. Our staff has watched over 200 baseball games this year and can’t wait to cover playoff baseball.

To kick off the season we highlighted over 100 teams in our “Team Preview” articles if you want to check out any of those before the playoffs they can be found HERE

If you missed anything from the season we have you covered with our weekly scout blogs with hundreds of players mentioned with notes and video that can be found HERE

We also released our Power 25 rankings and Classification Rankings weekly. Be sure to check out the final update of the regular season HERE

We are going to kick things off today with our 6A GHSA State Playoff Preview.

Top Seeds: Brunswick (1-5A), Houston County (2-5A), Northgate (3-5A), Woodward Academy (4-5A), Villa Rica (5-5A), Pope (6-5A), Gainesville (7-5A), Loganville (8-5A)

Final Four Sleepers: Habersham Central, Thomas County Central, Creekview

The round of 32 boasts some major match ups that are likely to be 3 game series. Here are a few that we are keeping our eyes on.

Greenbrier vs Habersham Central

This series has a chance to be one of the more exciting of the first round. Greenbrier is coming off of a strong year with a young team, and Habersham Central picked up right where they left off from their playoff run a year ago where they return everyone on the mound and nearly everyone in the line up.

Habersham Central is led by Maverick Chitwood on the mound and at the plate. He has been the leader on this team nearly his whole high school career. Hudson Gailey has been a staple at shortstop for the Raiders with Tyler Rothell and Kreed Barrett being big senior pieces as well. Lucas Machado stepped up last year on the mound and is doing more of the same this year. The line up has been consistent all year Micah Huff, Mason Witt and Ethan Wheeler. We have a feeling they are going to bring the energy, so should be for an exciting double header of baseball.

Greenbrier pieced together an impressive year with over half their line up being underclassmen. Rylan Farlow has emerged as one of the top arms in the 2028 class and can beat anyone if he is on his game. He has been key in the line up too alongside fellow sophomores, Devon McLoughlin and Cole Manning. Jonathan White has found his way into the heart of the order with a strong bat from the left side, followed by junior Leland McCook that has been a steady performer of the years. It will be interesting to see where they stack up with their arms after Farlow against a scrappy Habershan Central line up. If they can get the win with Farlow on the mound I think we have a 3 game series that goes down to the wire.

Lassiter vs Houston County

The Trojans have been a little inconsistent at times this Spring but the talent throughout the roster is undeniable and makes this team a sleeping giant as a 4-seed going against a 1-seed. It starts a trio of upperclassmen including Jon Walker Brown, Caden Lenzi, and Kyle Montgomery who boasts trying approaches at the plate with an immense feel to hit and big-time thump in the barrel as well. Caden Fox may hold some of the most raw strength at the plate in the state and it shows often as he’s a major source of power in the heart of the order. Tone-setter type profiles come from more upperclassmen consisting of Conner Lee, Sean Wilson, and Miles Nelson all who have shown well over the years. Upperclassmen Simon Tarnoff and Chase Campbell bolster the depth of this lineup. Sophomore right-hander Keegan Loadwick has made significant strides this Spring and will have to fill a significant role as the potential SP1 of the staff as he looks to provide high-level innings. Caden Lenzi knows what it takes to pitch at this level and will be another key piece on the mound. On paper, this is one of the deepest lineups across the state and if it can come together at the right time this could be a Cinderella story in the works.

Houston County has done what Houston County always does and that is win games. Coach Hopkins knows how to get the most out of his team and he has done that perfectly this year with 4 or 5 freshmen in the starting line up on any given night. They are led by a core of seniors in Isaiah Galason, Noah Odom, Ethan Kenney and Raymond Bryd that have been big contributors to this Bears program over the years. Tyson Ganas has been as steady as they come on the mound, so they will need him to set the tone in game 1. The x factors are going to be those underclass guys and newcomer Davian Hammonds. The arms on the mound after Ganas will see some of the biggest innings of their career, but there is no doubt that Hopkins will have them ready for the moment.

Coffee vs Creekview

It wasn’t long ago when Creekview made a late regular season push and found themselves with a favorable draw in the playoff last year with their deepest run in school history (elite 8). They did more of the same to finish the regular season, but get a tough draw in Coffee first round. They have the arms to go toe to toe with anyone in the classification, led by Luke Nitkowski who is coming off a no-hitter performance to clinch the 2 spot in the region. If their line up can piece together some runs they have the arms to make a run.

They will stack up against a Coffee team who was one of the more talented teams on paper in their region, but couldn’t seem to find their stride in region play, but are coming off of a big non-region win over Lowndes to end the season that could spark some momentum. They are led by senior Ben Fussell who is putting together a strong campaign in his final high school season. Gavin McElroy leads the rotation, so if they can get a good start out of him they have the line up that matches up well with Creekview. Eli Wood has really stepped up this year in the line up and has turned into one of the Trojans best bats. If Will Walker, Barrett Harrell, Taeven Harden and Jimmy Timothy can get rolling this line up could be hard to stop. They will need a strong start from Carter McMillan depending on where he lands in the rotation. Travelling 4+ hours in the first round is always tough, but the Trojans are a resilient team that want some revenge from their early exit a year ago.

Lakeside @ Milton

These two teams match up extremely well amongst one another with talent littered throughout the lineup that has shown well this Spring and this looks like a back-and-forth series.

It all starts with Micah Von at the top for the Vikings who kickstarts the offense as he boasts an immense feel to hit while batting over .400 this Spring. The sophomore also holds positional versatility across the diamond which will allow the Lakeside staff to mix and match throughout the series. Rory Lichtman is armed with present bat-to-ball skills in the 2-hole and has only struck out twice in 100 plate appearances as he reaches base at an extremely high-clip. The two pieces that make this offense go are 2026 OF Grant Jackson and 2027 C/Parker Burst who are significant pieces and live for the moment in the heart-of-the-order. The pair also boast strong defensive makeups as well. Senior outfielder Jorge Montano is a steady presence batting in the 5-hole with tools to project upon in the box. Sophomore Mac Vaysman was out during the middle of the season and should be back to make an instant impact in the heart of the order. Other upperclass names to note that have put together solid campaigns are Warren Gage, James Huey, Max McAuliffe, Tre White, Robert McHoul, and Maurice Underwood. The depth on the pitching side also stands out for this squad as well with a pair of committed seniors in Andrew Booth and Jason Ludnai lead the way as they bring crucial experience to the staff. Booth also holds down a key role in the lineup with offering a quality glove at shortstop. Junior RHP Noah Hathaway showed well in my look while leading the club in innings as he will compete in the zone and give his offense a chance to win. Rory Lichtman is another key piece to this staff and could prove pivotal in a bullpen role. This team has sleep appeal and the type of underdog mentality that could carry them quite far in the bracket.

I was able to see Milton play during one of their last regular season match-ups and was impressed with the depth of the lineup. It all starts with 2028 OF Caelen Frederick setting the tone at the top with an impressive blend of hit/power/speed. A pair of juniors looked the part including David Bowman and Carson Mathews who boast present tools and hold down key roles in the order. Sophomore Cade McAllister showed well in the 2-hole and can help to set the tone for the middle of the order. Miller Pierce is a major source of power in the heart of the order and has done nothing but hit over the years. Jacob Sherrill provides two-way value as he holds a key role behind Pierce in the order. Ashton Baer and David Nichols are a pair of upperclassmen to note that supply the lineup with the type of veteran presence that can push a team far in the playoffs. Junior right-hander Jackson Haug boasts quality pitchability and offers SP1 upside for the Eagles. 2028 RHP Wilson Lillard could be tasked to carry a large role and supply quality innings. If the pitching falls in place this is a squad that has all the makings to go on a run.

McIntosh @ Kennesaw Mountain

After seeing both of these teams I could very easily see this series coming down to a 3-game decision with quality talent on both sides of the ball.

McIntosh dropped a tough 1-0 game to McEachern when I saw them towards the end of the season. The young talent on this team was clear to see. Top #5 ranked player in the ‘29 class paces this offense with a high-level budding hit tool. The freshman talent rolls on with Caleb Pearson and Sky Sakuma who bring bat-to-ball skills while reaching base at a high clip. Junior backstop Jackson Heeb boasts present tools on both sides of the ball while supplying a veteran presence in the heart of the order. 2029 Gavin Dykes is a versatile piece and will fill a multitude of roles while offering value on the mound. Senior RHP Will Downing provides a workhorse atop the rotation and will give the Chiefs a chance to win against anyone.

Kennesaw Mountain is led by a pair of commits in the lineup including Isander Poventud and Austin Carter who yield big-time bats in the order while pacing the lineup. Aaron Higgins and Samik Raina are a pair of sophomores that have shown well over the past couple of circuits and will have to be key pieces if they want to advance past the first round. Braylon Paradiso put together a multi-hit game when I saw the Mustangs and only strengthens the depth of the lineup. Nate McLaughlin was a freshman batting in the heart of the order in my look and could be an x-factor for this club. Beau Lindic does an excellent job of flipping the lineup over batting in the 9-spot while providing lockdown defense at 2B. Lindic will also supply quality innings and brings senior experience to the staff. 2028 RHP Carter Jeske anchors the pitching rotation and gives the Mustangs an ace-caliber starting pitcher with tons of pitchability. This squad has plenty of sleeper appeal and if they can get past this first round draw they are one to watch.

FOLLOW PREP BASEBALL GEORGIA THROUGHOUT THE SPRING

+ Prep Baseball Georgia on X
+ Prep Baseball Georgia on Instagram
+ Prep Baseball Georgia on Facebook
+ Podcast: Peach Fuzz on YouTube

UPCOMING EVENTS