2026 GHSA State Playoffs: 4A Playoff Preview

START DATE: APRIL 22

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: Benedictine (4A-1), Locust Grove (4A-2), Starr’s Mill (4A-3), Maynard Jackson (4A-4), Marist (4A-5), Blessed Trinity (4A-6), Cartersville (4A-7), North Oconee (4A-8)

Final Four Sleepers: Wayne County, Walnut Grove, Harris County

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.

Kell @ Locust Grove

Out of all the games in the bracket this one feels like it is going to come down the wire in a 3 game set. Locust Grove pieced together an impressive season going 27-2 with 1 region loss. They have a high powered offense led by Jamir Johnson and Liam Collier. We have seen Locust Grove a number of times in a mid-season win over Jones County and this month at LakePoint. Ayden Elliott and Landen Lunsford are a pair of seniors who bring reliable bats to pace the order alongside Johnson and Collier. As well as offering upside on the mound and strengthening the depth of the staff. Elliot Arant, AJ Davis, and Ryland Meredith are other names to note that could factor. Freshman, Corbin Baird, has made a strong impression amongst staff and myself as he consistently flips the lineup over with a budding feel to hit. Baird also bolsters the pitching staff as a key piece in the pen and lives in the upper 80s (T89 MPH). Christian Colon and Liam Collier provide a potent 1-2 punch atop the rotation, as Colon anchors the staff as SP1 with strong pitchability in the low 90’s. The depth upon both sides of the ball really stands out for the Wildcats as they can beat you in a multitude of ways which bodes well for a successful postseason.

Despite the 4 seed, the Longhorns battled a tough schedule in a region with defending state champs Blessed Trinity where they ended up having 2 1 run losses to finish the season against them. Their resume is littered with quality wins and losses, so they are battle tested for the state playoffs. It all starts with Georgia Tech commit Evan Brand leading the way for the offense as he boasts an immense feel to hit from both sides of the plate. Lives in the mid-upper 80’s mound and is going to compete in-the-zone as he holds down a rotation spot and will give the Longhorns key innings. A pair of committed seniors consisting of Kaleb Narcisse and Patrick Honeyman hold two-way value as key pieces both on the mound and in the box. High-floor tools litter the profile for a pair of juniors including Preston Bottoms and Brock Burrus who can pace the offense alongside Brand with potent hit/speed combos. Sophomore Jayden Bibby has been a quality transfer addition as a major source of power in the middle-of-the-order. Other upperclassmen that have shown well this Spring are Alex Hahn, Sam Castleberry, and Ashton Murphy who strengthen the depth of the lineup. This is an upper class heavy littered team that has been tested this Spring and could very easily make noise in the 4A bracket.

Centennial @ Union Grove

The 2 seed vs 3 seed games are always intriguing match ups that could bring some of the best action during the 1st round. This one feels like it has a chance to go 3 with quality line ups and pitching on both sides. Union Grove is going to send 2 quality arms out for the double header in Derrick Aull and Colton Burtch. Burtch has put together some impressive numbers throughout the spring. Centennial came up with a couple big region series wins against Cambridge and Kell, which were pivotal getting them into the 3 spot instead of squaring off against Locust Grove. The Knights have an upper class heavy squad that are experienced for this setting. Seniors Diego Crespo and Daniel Bustillos have thrown the bulk of the innings alongside junior Tilden Reams. If the series go 3 games with Union Grove getting into the bullpen look for Sophomore Manuel Albornoz and junior James Gillispie to throw some key innings. We always get excited for match ups like these for teams that we have may have missed during the regular season but will get to see in playoff form for the double header on Friday. 

Dalton @ Maynard Jackson

Dalton with double-digit wins in region for the second year in a row, finishing 13-8 this spring and will be looking to make an underdog run as a 4 seed. The offense runs through a talented trio up the middle in seniors OF Charles Chappelle and C Asher Renfroe alongside sophomore SS/QB1 Caine Woods. All three finish the regular season hitting over .400 while combining for over 40 extra-base hits. Multi-sports Athletes in the lineup provide good depth for the Catamounts including junior Kamdon London and sophomore Landon Cox, who have come along strong this spring. Senior RHP Drew Brown will anchor the rotation as he’s done all spring, and if Dalton can piece together some quality innings behind him then you can see this club put some pressure on in round one.

The Maynard Jackson Jaguars put together another undefeated season in region play at 14-0. We have seen Maynard a couple of times this Spring both at GDC and a home game against Northgate. The pieces on the mound stand out with a pair of committed seniors leading the way in Charlie Schrope and Taver Harden who offer big-game dependability. Sophomore, Thornton Wilder has made big strides this season and really fills the zone up and gives the Jaguars a chance amongst anyone. Senior Leon Alford is a versatile piece out of the pen who lives in the low 90’s and immediately adds a high-leverage arm to the staff. The offense is paced by Vanderbilt commit Maceo White and uncommitted junior Pearce Henry who bring potent hit/power combos to the offense. Transfer additions Stanley Matthews and Anthony Higgins could be x-factors in the lineup that push this club over the hump of the first round. A pair of freshmen consisting of Felix Joiner and Malachi Owens have carved out quality roles throughout the lineup and could prove pivotal. Junior, Fletcher Howard is another name to note who holds two-way upside and will be a key piece throughout the series. Head Coach Des Stegall has been here before and knows what it will take to advance to the next round.

Central @ St. Pius X

This series is going to be a must see with talented upperclassmen and underclassmen as two-battled tested squads square off amongst one another.

The Central Lions are home to one of the most competitive regions and all of 4A as they look to bring that gritty matra to the playoffs. It starts with a strong offense that will be a pivotal piece to success on a nightly basis. 2028 Grant Chaffin sets the tone of the top of the order with a high-level hit/speed combo and just broke the school record with 43 stolen bases in the regular season. The sophomore talent rolls on in the lineup with two former junior future gamers in Asher Allen and Bradley Willingham who are major pieces in the middle-of-the-order. Committed senior Jaylon Allen has been a massive transfer addition as he brings plus speed with advanced bat-to-ball skills to the lead-off spot while anchoring the infield defense at shortstop. Bradyn Grimaldi is a staple in the top 3 of the order and has done nothing but hit in each look as he provides a veteran presence to the offense. A talented pair of backstops man the duties behind the plate with committed senior Bryce Knight leading the way and sophomore Jacob Conaway, who has stepped into his role nicely this Spring. The duo of Joe Turner and Cale Barnes hold senior leadership and bolster the depth of the lineup. A pair of talented freshmen consisting of Grayson Parker and Tripp Davis have been impressive in our looks this Spring and have a chance to be the pivotal x-factor for this ballclub. 2028 RHP Trent Harrison has settled in nicely to the SP1 role and will look to give the staff quality innings from the jump. A pair of committed seniors in Austin Ayers and Rhett Nelson follow Harrison in the rotation and bring a much needed veteran presence to the mound while Ayers offers a steady bat to the lineup as well. Other names to note in the Lions staff are Warren Hawkesworth and Palmer Beverley. Head Coach Riley Presnell has been in this spot before and knows what it will take for the Lions to advance to the Sweet 16.

For the Golden Lions, collectively as a staff we have seen St. Pius X a couple of times now with quality showings all-around. The offense is paced by a pair of committed seniors in JP Apgar & Royce Woodson as both are tough outs at the dish and supply the lineup with consistency. Nolan Newsham has impressed me out of the 2-hole with the ability to reach base at a high-clip and provides a tone-setter atop the order. The upperclass talent rolls on with names like Aidan Brown, Grayson Granberry, Easton Bailey, and Pete Kostopolous who strengthen the depth of the lineup as it’s evident that 1-9 in the order can beat you on any given night. A potent Sophomore class rounds out the lineup with names like Connor Tysver and Andrew Biggers who have made strides this Spring with key roles in the lineup. Juniors Colton Sumpter and Cole Cirone have put together strong campaigns and will be pivotal for the Golden Lions pitching staff as they square off against an opposing scrappy lineup. The pieces are in place for St. Pius X to make a run and it starts with a tough draw against a battled-tested Central squad.

Ola @ Cambridge

This just feels like the prototypical 3-game series with a pair of squads that have shown extremely well for staff throughout the entirety of the Spring.

Cambridge went on a big run to kickoff the season and quickly solidified themselves in the top 10 of the 4A classification, especially after a big series win over Blessed Trinity. They have a team full of competitors with Ethan Herrington leading the rotation. They lost Gavin Gebhardt on the mound a little over halfway through the season, but have had arms step up since with Gebhardt continuing to contribute in the line up. Seniors Patrick Spencer and William Degenhard are leading the offense. Calloway Holmes and Sebastien Peralta patrol the middle of the field and have been on the bases heavily for the Bears. Charlie Paulus, William Berny, Ethan Rasper, and Hudson Blevins are going to big on the mound across the series. Look for freshman Carson Clark to be a power piece in the line up and see some key AB’s in his first playoff performance. The Bears are put together as a squad with good team chemistry that is going to create a strong atmosphere on Friday night when Ola comes to town.

I have been able to get eyes on Ola across three games this Spring against quality competition and they have won all three. A quartet of committed seniors lead the way for the Mustangs offense including Rece Leathers, Daniel Mendez, Timothy Clark, and Bryson Long. Mendez, Clark, and Long will all be tasked to produce high-level innings across the series and so forth. A pair of freshmen, Chaz Cave and Avery Lamb, have stood out in both my looks as they carry key roles in the heart of the order. Junior outfielder Cam Wilder could be an x-factor for this club and he had a crucial homerun against East Coweta in my look. Sophomore Luke Hill holds a pivotal role in the offense and will be looked upon to be a quality run producer. This team is going to be tough to beat when the seniors are rolling like this as they seem to be clicking at the right time.

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