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GHSA Playoff Round Up: Thursday, April 30th

May 1, 2026
Prep Baseball Georgia
Staff

It is playoff time in the state of Georgia, the best time of the year. As we nearly hit the 300 game mark in the regular season, we have 400 games in site with a full slate of playoffs the next month.

We will be recapping each day of games, so be sure to check back daily to see how the games went

North Hall @ Whitewater (DH)

Score: GM1: Whitewater win, 5-4. GM2: North Hall win, 2-0.

Standouts:

Joab Bolton C, 2028, North Hall

Paxton Benoit, OF, 2026, Whitewater

Zach Hicks, 3B, 2027, Whitewater


Brayden Allen, SS, 2028, North Hall

Brenden Sholar, OF, 2027, Whitewater

Kenny Foudy, C, 2026, North Hall


Smith McGarvey, OF, 2026, North Hall


Michael Temples, C, 2028, Whitewater


Branson Crawford, C/OF/RHP, 2026, North Hall

Key Moments:

GM1: North Hall jumped out to an early 1-0 lead thanks to a Joab Bolton RBI single. A 3-run inning for the Trojans came in the 5th after a lead-off single from Custis Honeycutt followed by a pair of walks. Smith McGarvey came through with a 2-RBI single and Jayzen Johnson added on with a sacrifice fly as the Trojans now led 4-0. Whitewater took advantage of a couple of errors and walks to scratch across a pair in the bottom of the 5th as it was 4-2. The Wildcats tied things up at 4-4 in the 6th after a couple of walks and an RBI single from Brenden Sholar. The score remained tied going into extras. After a Brenden Sholar lead-off walk in the 8th, Michael Temples delivered an RBI walk-off single for the Wildcats to take game one by a final of 5-4.

GM2: The offense on both sides were quiet in this one up until the 3rd inning. Where North Hall opened the scoring via a Custis Honeycutt RBI single, the Trojans tacked on another run in the 4th after a Kenny Foudy RBI single. Branson Crawford delivered an electric start in a complete-game shutout with 13 strikeouts to send North Hall to a game 3.

Avery’s Takeaway: Both of these games were extremely close with quality pitching on both sides of the ball. North Hall was held in check on offense for the majority of the night but scratched out a game 2 win on the heels of a masterful performance from Branson Crawford on the mound. The sophomores in the North Hall lineup stood out with names like Joab Bolton and Brayden Allen who paced the offense in both games. The Trojans carry momentum into game 3 and the Wildcats will lean on their upperclassmen as they look to rekindle the spark from game one going into the rubber match.

Lovett @ Fellowship DH

Score:

GM1: 9-0, Lovett W

GM2: 10-2, Fellowship W

Standouts:

Reed Joslin, RHP, 2027, Lovett

Will Forte, C, 2026, Lovett

Jackson Schmidt, OF, 2026, Lovett

Griffin Brogan, SS, 2026, Lovett

Chase Michelson, 3B, 2029, Lovett

Jack Rees, OF, 2026, Lovett

Coe Puckett, C, 2027, Fellowship

James Sharp, 3B/RHP, 2027, Fellowship

Luke Stefl, 1B, 2027, Fellowship

Trummie Patrick, 2B, 2027, Fellowship

Key Moments:

GM1: It was a game dominated on both ends by Lovett as they took a lead in the 3rd and didn’t look back. The first few innings went by quickly as Will Bracken and Reed Joslin pitched well for their respective squads, but Lovett got to Bracken as Hall Kollme reached on a hit in the 6 hole, followed by a Jackson Schmidt bunt 1B and Cade McKenzie ROE. Jack Rees and Griffin Brogan both got out, but not before bringing home a run each, then Will Forte ripped a 2B for another RBI, making it 3-0. The next inning was more quality ABs as Chase Michelson led off with a 1B and came around to score on a Jackson Schmidt RBI 1B, making it 4-0. The Lovett bats gave some insurance T7 as 8 came to the plate and 4 scored: Cade McKenzie and Jack Rees picked up hits and were brought home by Griffin Brogan, and Charlie Jones left the yard on a line for a 2R HR. On the hill, Reed Joslin was in control early and often as he attacked for weak contact and didn’t let a run score all 7.

GM2: What looked to be a pitchers duel within the first 2 innings quickly turned into a game in which Fellowship took command and bounced back. T2, they send 7 to the plate as 2 scored; Luke Stefl reached on a BB and Trummie Patrick got an IF 1B, a BB by Reid Harke and 6-5FC by James Sharp brought them home, making it 2-0. Lovett quickly responded, though, as Jack Rees smoked a ball out to dead center, tying it at 2s. Fellowship made sure to answer back as Luke Stefl launched a 2R HR of his own to regain the 2 run lead (4-2). From there on out, the Lovett bats were totally shut down by James Sharp, Jack Dart, and Dylan Ivkovich. An RBI 1B by Coe Puckett T5 made it 5-2, then a 5 run 6th extended the lead to 10-2 as Eli Latora, Trummie Patrick and Jake Brannon were among those who picked up a knock and scored that frame. It was a quiet B7 from Lovett as the Paladins took G2 to force G3 tomorrow.

Takeaway:

Both games were dominated by the offenses and defenses of the winning team as Lovett and Fellowship split to force G3 tomorrow. G1 was an impressive showing by the Lovett bats as they came out with an aggressive attack plan and executed it well. They hit early in the counts often, turning on inner pitches and doing damage with XBHs and 1Bs alike. They were able to work PS with strong ability, but still had the wherewithal to work oppo and take what was given to them. It was a total 180 for G2 as Fellowship played a team game as everyone produced in a positive manner. BBs, Sac’s, 1Bs, and the occasional gapper and/or long ball was the recipe for success in G2. Leadoff hitters reached often and pushed the issue on the bases by stealing or taking 90 on dirt balls, and hitters giving up ABs by sacrificing, while a handful of bunts turned into 1Bs. The young team has no starting seniors, yet they rally around one another well and it can be anyone in the lineup who assumes that leader role. G3 between these two will be exciting as Lovett has a couple of big names and bats that can do damage and Fellowship has a very tight knit group of Juniors who lead this squad.

Cherokee Bluff @ Troup County

Score:

GM1: Cherokee Bluff win, 8-6

GM2: Troup County win, 4-2

Standouts:

Bubba Coleman, SS, 2026, Cherokee Bluff

Ethan Johnson, OF, 2027, Cherokee Bluff

Davis Moncus, OF, 2027, Troup County

Chase Mosley, SS/RHP, 2027, Troup County

Beau Bruns, C, 2027, Cherokee Bluff

Jake Perry, RHP/SS, 2026, Troup County

Key Moments:

GM1: Bats would be ready early on both sides with Bluff jumping out to a quick 4-run lead in the first courtesy of a couple early mistakes and RBI knock from Jordan Wilkerson. Troup would get 3 back in the bottom half with both Davis Moncus and Courtney Wilson producing RBI barrels in the inning. Tigers would keep it going in the 3rd and jump out to a 2-run lead thanks to a backside RBI 2B from Torreion Delaney. Cherokee Bluff would not go away though as the Bears would tie things up in the 5th with a leadoff HR from Ethan Johnson and Bryce Fontenot doing backside damage with an RBI 2B that would bring all the momentum to the road team. Bubba Coleman would provide the game-winning swing in the 6th with a 2-run 2B in the LCF to give Bluff the two run lead that they’d hold onto for the big GM1 win on the road.

GM2: Coming off the big GM1 win, Bears would come out hot and jump out to the early lead with a 2nd inning Beau Bruns pull-side HR. Troup would get that run back quickly with another Moncus RBI 2B in the next inning before Bluff would add an unearned error in the bottom half to retake the lead after three. A big 3-run 5th inning from Troup would be the deciding factor in the game highlighted by a 2-run knock from Jake Perry. Chase Mosley was outstanding on the mound for the Tigers with 13 K over 6.0 IP in a clutch must-win performance.

Ian’s Takeaway: This was expected to be a heavyweight matchup as a rematch from last year’s 3A state championship and both games lived up to the bill. Bubba Coleman has been the engine for the Cherokee Bluff lineup all spring long and that proved true in the GM1 victory as the Alabama commit was finding barrels throughout the zone. Beau Bruns and Ethan Johnson would continue to show the power with each launching a solo HR and provide impact at each level of the lineup. Davis Moncus paced the offense for Troup County and came through with a 5-for-7 night with multiple XBH to all-fields. Brady Willis and Jake Perry added multiple hits on the night and will look to bring the confidence into a win or go home GM3. These teams match up extremely well and will have high-level arms ready for this massive matchup in Lagrange this afternoon.

Dawson County @ Oconee

Score: GM1: Oconee win, 2-1. GM2: Oconee win 8-0

Standouts:

Nate Roberson, SS/RHP, 2027, Oconee County

William Resutek, SS/RHP, 2027, Oconee County

Zeke Dotson, C/RHP, 2029, Dawson County

Dylan Edwards, OF/3B, 2026, Dawson County

Traynor Mooney, C/1B, 2027, Oconee County

GM1: It was a pitcher’s duel in Game 1 between two talented arms. William Resutek got the start for the Warriors and was in control from the jump, showing the ability to mix and match effectively throughout the lineup while limiting hard contact. Zeke Dotson took the ball for Dawson County and competed on every pitch, giving his team a chance to win. He worked around some early walks and kept the game scoreless heading into the fifth. Oconee broke through in the fifth, starting with a leadoff walk, followed by a single from Nate Roberson and another walk to Hagan McCormick to load the bases with two outs. Traynor Mooney battled through a deep count and delivered a clutch base hit to right field, driving in two runs. Dawson County answered in the sixth with a two-out double from Dylan Edwards to cut the lead to 2–1. Dotson continued to battle on the mound, escaping a jam in the sixth to keep it close. Resutek shut the door in the seventh, securing a complete-game win for his team in Game 1.

GM2: Oconee, the away team in Game 2, came out swinging and quickly set the tone, jumping to a 3–0 lead early. Nate Roberson delivered a two-run single to get the scoring started, and Blake Thomas followed with a clutch two-out knock to extend the advantage and keep the pressure on. Roberson also got the start on the mound for Oconee and was lights out from the first through the seventh. He showed the ability to mix pitches and locate in any count, attacking the zone while keeping hitters off balance. He worked with a slow heartbeat and stayed composed throughout, limiting hard contact and pitching efficiently deep into the game. Oconee continued to string together tough at-bats and add on to the lead as the game went on. Traynor Mooney highlighted that approach by working a deep count before delivering a two-run double to right field, stretching the lead to 7–0. The lineup did a good job passing the baton and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. Roberson helped his own cause later in the game with a double to push the lead to 8–0, capping off an all-around strong performance. Dawson County couldn’t get anything going offensively, as Roberson controlled the tempo from the start and never let up.

Takeaways: This was a competitive two-game set between two talented teams. Oconee did a great job of throwing strikes and taking care of the baseball. They showed a strong one-two punch on the mound with Resutek and Roberson, setting the tone all series. The lineup for Oconee is scrappy, and the bottom of the order came through in Game 1 to help secure the win. Brody Christopher and William Resutek are key bats in the lineup, but the supporting cast stepped up and strung together competitive at-bats to help push them into the Elite 8. They consistently applied pressure by putting the ball in play and forcing the defense to make plays. The approach at the plate remained disciplined, with hitters staying within themselves and not trying to do too much. Expect Oconee to continue playing with confidence and competing on both sides of the ball. Both teams also did a good job utilizing small ball to their advantage to move runners and create scoring opportunities. Their ability to execute the little things ultimately made the difference in a tight series.

Greater Atlanta Christian @ Hebron Christian

Scores:
GM 1:
GAC 3
Hebron Christian 2
GM 2:
GAC 5

Hebron Christian 8
Standouts:
Austen Kitchings, OF, 2029, Hebron Christian

Gus Steve, C/3B, 2028, Hebron Christian

Griffin Treadwell, 1B, 2028, Hebron Christian

Brodie Lewis, SS, 2028, Hebron Christian

Zach Koons, SS, 2028, GAC

Ian Cobbs, 1B, 2026, GAC

Key Moments:
GM 1:
It looked like GAC was jumping out to the early lead in the first, but ran into an out at home with a runner on 3rd and 1 out. They were able to bounce back in the 2nd after a double by Dahn Fernandez and single by RJ Pierre to drive him in. Hebron Christian led off the 5th with a triple by Austen Kitchings, but GAC was able to work out of it to keep them at bay. Brodie Lewis led off the 6th with a single that got by the RF and got thrown out trying to stretch 3, but They were able to fight back and rally to make it 3-0 to send it to the 7th. Jacob Todebush pitched an outstanding game, but ran out of steam in the 7th, so they brought Zach Koons in to try to get the final out with the bases loaded. He immediately produced a ground ball, but it took a wicked up and got by Cobbs and the score was 3-2. He was able to get another ground to secure the game 1 win.

GM 2:
After a pitching duel in game 1, GAC wasted no time in game 2 with a leadoff double by Zach Koons. Dallas Rice was able to escape with only 1 run in that innings, which was huge to limit the damage that early on. Rice was able to help himself out with a double, followed by a Griffin Treadwell home run to make it 2-1. From there Hebron was able to get a few more mistakes and Gus Steve came through with a loud barrel off the CF wall to make it 3-1, followed by another Treadwell hit for the 4-1 lead. Hebron was in control for most of the game, tacking on a few more to get it to 8-2 after the 6th. In the 6th things got interesting after a Koons 1B and a flyball that got lost up in the sky. Cobbs then delivered a barrel off the RC wall to clear the bases and make it 8-5. Brodie Lewis came in to shut things down and got 3 K’s to force a game 3. Dallas Rice came up big on the mound when they needed him in a win or go home game.

Huddy’s Takeaway’s:
I actually got a chance to see this exact match up around the mid way point in the season at Cool Ray field. The match up on the mound was a bit different, but the line ups were near identical. Hebron’s underclass talent really carries this team paired with Dallas Rice and Demtri Watts as the senior leaders. All the sophomores (Lewis, Steve, Treadwell, Dowdy, Meers) continue to stand out with freshman Austen Kitchings carrying his own weight as well. Tyler Rogers has been a huge piece with a couple hits in the DH as well. As for GAC, Zach Koons paces the offense at the top of the order with Ian Cobbs continuing to swing it well. Koons made a couple web gem type plays at SS and is going to be fun to watch this summer. Game 3 should be interesting with both teams not having a ton of depth of the mound, but could imagine we see the competitive short stops (Koons and Lewis) get the call for each team and battle it out at some point.

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