Top 10 games to watch in Georgia high school baseball: Houston County takes on one of Arkansas' best

Region play continues throughout the state, but the two biggest games this week are interstate matchups.

Houston County will travel to Florida to face one of Arkansas' best teams, Har-Ber, while Parkview hosts Hoover (Alabama) to try to avenge a 1-0 loss earlier this season.

10. Tift County (11-1) vs. Lowndes (9-4), 4:30 p.m. Monday

Tift County is having its best season in seven years. The Blue Devils are coming off a 13-5 victory over Valdosta and are looking for a win in their first region action against Lowndes. Lowndes, on the other hand, has already gotten its feet wet in region action with a 2-0 start.

9. Pope (10-6) vs. Lassiter (11-4), 5:55 p.m. Wednesday

Pope recently had some struggles and is coming off a nasty losing skid but has fared well against its region. The Greyhounds have a 3-1 region record with the only loss being by one run to Allatoona. Lassiter is having a phenomenal season overall but has a 2-2 region record.

8. Metter (8-4) vs. Benedictine (10-2), 1 p.m. Saturday

This is a big cross-classification matchup between Class A Public reigning champ Metter and the 4A state runner-up Benedictine. Metter has won five of its last six games and is scoring runs in bunches. Benedictine comes into this matchup on an eight-game win streak and the bats have been blazing. In just its last three games the Cadets have put up 43 runs. This is a big game for Metter to get back in the top 25.

7. Denmark (11-5) vs. North Forsyth (12-4), 6:15 p.m. Monday

Denmark and North Forsyth are in a very competitive region that includes South Forsyth, Gainesville and West Forsyth. Everyone is chasing Lambert at the top of the rankings, so Denmark and North Forsyth will be giving their all to climb the ranks and to set the opponent back.

6. North Cobb Christian (11-2) vs. Mount Paran (15-1), 5:55 p.m. Monday

This could be a preview of this year’s Class A Private state championship. North Cobb has been great on both sides, scoring nine runs per game while allowing only three. Mount Paran is the defending A Private champ and has played like it all season. The Eagles are scoring nine runs per game and have allowed only 20 runs all season. This should be an exciting matchup with the added pressure of being region rivals.

5. Roswell (9-5) vs. Etowah (13-1), 6:15  p.m. Tuesday

Roswell is coming off a tough series loss to region opponent Woodstock. Roswell started the season winning six of its first seven games but has tailed off a bit. This game against a region opponent is key for changing the momentum. A win for Roswell won’t come easy, as it will face one of the hottest teams in the state in Etowah. The Eagles have won 13 straight, including a sweep of region opponent Alpharetta to give them a 3-0 region record.

4. Allatoona (13-0) vs. North Cobb (12-1), 1 p.m. Saturday

The No. 2 team in the state in Allatoona will square off against the newest addition to the top 25 in North Cobb. This is a makeup game for earlier in the season but is more exciting for us now as fans. Both teams are red-hot at this point in the season and deserving of their ranks in the top 25.

3. Cherokee (12-4) vs. Woodstock (10-4), 5:55 p.m. Tuesday

Region 5-7A is top-heavy with Cherokee, Woodstock and Etowah, with Roswell creeping in the fourth spot. Woodstock has held it down in the top 25 since the start of the season but Cherokee has been red-hot. Cherokee will look to extend its win streak to 10 games, and Woodstock aims to claim the No. 1 spot in the region.

2. Hoover (Alabama) (13-4) vs. Parkview (8-5), 3:30 p.m. Saturday

In the first matchup between these two this season, Hoover jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, and that was the final score. Expect a great defensive matchup again, but Parkview’s offense has started to heat up lately, so don’t be surprised to see more runs this time.

1. Har-Ber (Arkansas) (8-1) vs. Houston County (10-2), 6 p.m. Friday

Houston County will travel down to Panama City Beach, Florida, to participate in the 2022 PG Gulf Coast High School Showdown. The Bears will face off against one of Arkansas’ best in Har-Ber, which has been a perennial 20-plus-win team the past 10 seasons, including a state championship in 2018. Houston County is the defending 6A champ, so this should be a great interstate game between two of Georgia and Arkansas' best.