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Baseball talent level grows stronger in Class AAAAAA

john bednarowski, marietta daily journal, ga.
·4 min read

Feb. 14—During the 2021-22 baseball seasons, the Georgia High School Association put powers Allatoona, Lassiter and Pope in Region 6AAAAAA, creating arguably the most difficult region in the state.

What it did was create a playoff atmosphere for nearly every game the trio played and prepared them for the postseason. As proof, all three advanced to the state semifinals both years. It paid off with a Pope-Allatoona championship series last season, one the Greyhounds won.

For two years, it also meant that there were a number of good teams in that region — including Kennesaw Mountain, Wheeler, Kell and Sprayberry — that were left hunting for the final playoff spot.

While Allatoona is the only remaining member of the trio in Region 6AAAAAA following reclassification and realignment, and Kennesaw Mountain, Wheeler and Kell having moved on to different classifications, other movement may have created two super regions within Class AAAAAA.

Allatoona (35-6) lost Pope (33-7) and Lassiter (27-13), which moved on to Region 7AAAAAA, but the Buccaneers now face 2022 Class AAAAAAA state champion Woodstock (33-7) and runner-up Etowah (31-11).

In addition, River Ridge (21-7), which won Region 5AAAAAA last season, and Sequoyah (18-14) will challenge for playoff spots, while traditional playoff contenders Rome and Creekview could also work themselves into the mix.

"It's tough," Allatoona coach Keith Hansen said. "You always want to play good competition. If you play in a good region and get out of it, it doesn't matter who you play. You'll be ready. To get out of this region, it's going to be a battle.

The Buccaneers lost 12 seniors off last year's squad, but they return key members in pitching ace Ethan Sutton, left-handed pitcher Drew Fields, shortstop Ethan Crawley and first baseman Aidan Guilbeau.

Hansen said much of the remainder of the roster are players who have talent, but limited experience, with 14 players on the roster making their varsity debuts.

"To win in this region, you better have a rotation," Hansen said. "I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Pope may not have to deal with Allatoona during the regular season, but that does not mean the Greyhounds' road to the postseason got any easier.

Lassiter remains as a region foe, as does Sprayberry. Blessed Trinity, a team that has made it to the second round of each of the last two seasons, moved up from Class AAAAA, while Alpharetta, a second-round playoff team last season, dropped down from Class AAAAAAA.

"Class AAAAAA is going to be-super competitive," Pope coach Chris Turco said.

Turco also said he can sympathize for Hansen's quest.

"Their region is insane," Turco said.

To make things even more difficult, Region 6AAAAAA and Region 7AAAAAA will meet one another in the second round of the state playoffs.

Like Allatoona, Pope graduated a lot of talent, but it still has a solid core remaining. Kent Schmidt returns to anchor the infield and will move from third base to first, Carson Kerce returns at shortstop, Cooper Orr is back at second and Jack Meyers will play third.

"We had the best defense in Pope history last year," Turco said. "We have a chance to be really good there again."

Because of the turnover, Turco said the fact his team won the state championship last year does not mean a thing in 2023. He said the Greyhounds are treating it the same way Georgia football coach Kirby Smart attacked this past season.

Turco wants Pope to be the hunter, not the hunted.

"'Defending state champions' is not in our vernacular," Turco said. "We want to go out an be attacking."

Two of the state's other premier teams are foes in Region 6AA.

Mount Paran Christian, the 2021 Class A Private state champion, and North Cobb Christian, last year's Class A Private runner-up, will match wits twice this season, and both have ambitious non-region schedules. Mount Paran will face Peachtree Ridge, Harrison, Pike County and Walnut Grove, while North Cobb Christian has North Cobb, Pope, Norcross and Woodstock twice.

North Cobb Christian has already beaten state champion Woodstock in the first meeting, 6-1.

Mount Paran and North Cobb Christian will like need that competition as much of the remainder of the team's in their region were not playoff programs a year ago. Only Therrell made the postseason.

Walton, Cherokee and North Cobb all made the second round of the playoffs a year ago and will join Kennesaw Mountain and Wheeler to make a competitive Region 5AAAAAAA.

Harrison, under new coach Jake Storey, and McEachern will try to return to the playoffs in the reworked Region 3AAAAAAA. Hillgrove is expected to take a step forward, while Marietta has new coach Josh Davis taking the reins.