2026 GHSA State Playoffs: Private Preview

START DATE: APRIL 24

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: King’s Ridge Christian, North Cobb Christian, Hebron Christian, Holy Innocents, Savannah Christian, Calvary Day, Providence Christian, Fellowship Christian

Final Four Sleepers: Lovett, Mt. Paran, Walker, Trinity Christian

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.

Mount Vernon @ Wesleyan

The last month of the regular season was a majority of these teams beating up on each other while gaining invaluable experience for moments like this. Now when you’re looking at a matchup like 11 vs. 22, it’s hard to find an underdog.

We have seen Mount Vernon a couple of times this Spring and I feel like they have only gotten better with each look as they are hot at the right time. These two squads battled it out earlier in the month and Mount Vernon came out victorious by a slim margin in a 1-run victory. A pair of committed seniors including Will Flowers and Hudson Forrest pace this club on both sides of the ball as they bring veteran experience and leadership. Junior SS Bobby Bastek joins Forrest up-the-middle and provides Coach Beckham with a table-setter at the top. 2027 3B Carson Albert possesses a clutch factor in the box and yields a significant piece in the 3-hole. The catching tandem is extremely strong with senior Hayes Hudson and Andrew Moran both who boast strong defensive skills and can be dependable bats in the order. A trio of upperclassmen make up the outfield with names like Rigby Anderson, Collin Roberts, and Graham Cawthon who only strengthen the depth of the lineup. Freshman Jacob Dockter has really turned it on of late batting in the cleanup spot and can be the engine that makes this team go as well as holding upside on the mound. This is a scrappy squad that put together a really good finish to the year and has a shot to make noise as they know what it takes to make a deep run after last season.

Wesleyan has been one of those teams that our staff has felt bullish on throughout the entire spring, and now this strong mix of experienced and young talent will have a chance to show it instantly in a tough first-round matchup. Pitching has been a strength for the Wolves with Maddox McCollum continuing to stack quality starts and the Kennesaw State commit brings a frontline ace demeanor to lead this club. Another senior in Thomas Pressman provides stability and production behind him with the emergence of freshman Hudson Pursell that gives Wesleyan some of the best starting depth in the classification. Lineup has been potent this spring to match with the senior duo of Carter Hayes and Brice Gillis leading the way with both running an OPS over 1.400 while showing the clutch factor all spring long. Andrew Waite is quickly developing into a leadoff threat for this team with excellent bat-to-ball and speed that shows both at the plate and in the grass. Depth behind in the likes of Knox Bingham, Quin Brown, William Wright, among others who can get hot quickly and give this team tremendous depth in the lineup.

Darlington @ Mt. Paran

With very similar rosters and records alike, this 22 vs. 11 matchup has the chance to play a lot closer with a three-game series feeling likely.

I had the opportunity to get up to north Georgia this spring to see the Tigers and it’s hard not to be impressed by the lineup construction. It starts at the top with Knox Merritt and Thomas Hargett, who offer true tablesetter profiles with strong bat-to-ball with sneaky foot speed that puts pressure on defenses constantly. Jackson Loy is the impact bat needed in the heart of the order with legit juice from both sides of the plate and the UAB commit is catching fire at the exact right time. Imposing, multi-sport athlete in Henry Ledbetter fills holes across the field for the Tigers as the senior patrols CF at a high-level while providing a strong hit/power to help strengthen the lineup. Darlington will need to get strong performances on the mound from the likes of Cooper Norris and Mac Cannon with multi-year experience and pitchability to succeed.

I was finally able to get my eyes on Mt. Paran during the last game of the season where they completed the late comeback for a walk-off winner to cap the regular season on a high note. The underclass pieces for this squad really stood out to me. Sophomore Cash Cauley brings a high-level skillset to the lead-off spot and has been impressive amongst staff throughout the Spring. Polish jumps out for the 2-hole hitter, Rylan Long, the #3 ranked player in Georgia for the ‘29 class. The backstop is armed with an immense blend of hit/power and looks mature beyond his years in the box. The underclass talent rolls on with 2028 Brody Conner and 2028 Andrew Akopov who hold down key spots in the order and bring steady bats to the offense while Akopov offers an advanced defensive profile in centerfield. A trio of upperclassmen including Rhett Bonner, Jackson Gore, and Ethan Wearing provide veteran experience and leadership to the lineup. Another underclassmen to note is James Hankins who mans duties behind the plate alongside Long. The potential x-factor for this club could be RJ Westbrook who has settled into his role nicely in the lineup. The southpaw also boasts budding pitchability on the mound and could be tasked with taking on a high-leverage role. Sophomore LHP Evan Litschke has taken on the SP1 role as he has gained invaluable experience while providing impressive looks amongst staff throughout Spring. Committed senior RHP Gabe Hester offers versatility on the mound and can give quality innings in whatever role that may be which will be huge for the Eagles staff. This team is young on paper but they have the talent to face any adversity head on that might come their way in the first round and so forth.

Greater Atlanta Christian @ Trinity Christian

I was able to get the chance to see both of these teams as the season came to a close during the last week of the regular season. These two teams matchup extremely well with one another in what looks like a 3-game set that will decide the winner.

GAC comes over to the private bracket after competing amongst a loaded 6-3A region and are a battle tested group. Sophomore SS Zach Koons is the spark-plug atop this order while also providing high-level defense at the 6. A pair of committed seniors consisting of Ian Cobbs and Jared Givins are significant producers and major sources of power in the middle-of-the-order. The upperclass talent rolls on with names like Trust Stopner, Emerson Hill, Miles Trojanowski, Matthew Lazarus, and Roe Williams strengthening the depth of the lineup and could make a real impact. Sophomore backstop, Pierce Wilson has made a strong impression amongst staff over the past couple of circuits and will be a must know name across the series. Dahn Fernandez is another underclass name to note who has shown well down the stretch. Committed senior Jacob Todebush holds down SP 1 duties as he possesses quality pitchability and confidence to go toe-to-toe with anyone. If the pieces on the mound can come together behind Todebush, this is a squad that has confidence on any given night back by strengths throughout the lineup.

It was a full circle moment as I was able to see Trinity opening night and during one of their final games of the season. The pieces littered throughout the lineup stand out as truly anyone could hurt you on any given night. Oglethorpe commit Evan Osterman paces this team on both sides of the as a significant piece in the middle-of-the-order as well as anchoring the staff as SP1. Alongside Osterman on the mound is 2027 RHP Chase Porter who showed well in my look as he lives in-the-zone and will look to give quality innings. A pair of Curaçao natives in Zazil Schoop and Fran-J Confesor have made strong impressions throughout the Spring. Both bring high-level energy with tools to project and could be the types of players that thrive in the heat of the moment during playoffs. Uncommitted senior is an instant tone-setter at the top as he boasts an immense feel to hit while reaching base at a high-clip. Thomas Thigpen could be the x-factor for this club with a blend of raw tools and projection that could prove pivotal if he gets hot down the stretch. Jake Anderson and Brady Rainwater are a pair of seniors to note that have shown well this Spring and only strengthen the depth of the lineup. Freshman Tristan Drangle looked the part as he holds quality tools throughout and has a chance to be a key piece in the series. This was one of my favorite teams to watch all Spring and they certainly have the pieces to make a run if everyone can gel together.

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