Georgia high school baseball state championship series: 1 recap and 7 previews

The Georgia high school baseball state championships started Thursday night with two familiar foes, as Pope swept fellow Cobb County opponent Allatoona to take the 6A state championship.

Seven more champions will be decided at multiple venues from Friday through Wednesday.

Class 6A

Pope sweeps Allatoona 2-0

Pope beat Allatoona 10-0 in Game 1 and 9-2 in Game 2 to complete probably the most impressive four-game streak of any team this season regardless of classification. The Greyhounds started that stretch by sweeping Buford (8-5, 8-4) and then did the same to region rival Allatoona. Pope needed only six innings to earn the run-rule victory in Game 1 and chipped away in Game 2 by scoring in five of the seven innings to clinch the 6A state championship at Truist Park.

Class 7A (May 20-21)

Etowah (31-9) vs. Woodstock (31-7)

The 7A state championships will make a lot of these players' dreams come true, as the games will take place at Truist Park. This will be a great neutral location for both teams, as their home ballparks are about 10 minutes away from each other. Woodstock won the season series 2-1, and to get to this series did what some thought impossible by sweeping Parkview in the semifinals. The Wolverines have swept all of their playoff series. Etowah has faced top-tier competition all season, and its last two series before the playoffs were against region opponents Woodstock and Cherokee. The Eagles have had to scratch and claw their way to this point and now have a chance to get revenge on their region rival and win their second state title in school history.

Class 4A (May 20, 23)

LaGrange (31-10) vs. North Oconee (37-1)

North Oconee has won 34 straight games dating back to February, scoring 383 runs while allowing only 72, and has swept each playoff series with five of the eight games being wins by double digits. LaGrange has only one sweep in four rounds, but it's the wins that matter. LaGrange is in a select group of teams to win 30 games and score more than 340 runs, but putting up that kind of production against North Oconee, the No. 1-ranked team in SBLive's final all-classification Top 25, will be a challenge in Rome.

Class 5A (May 21, 23)

Loganville (30-8) vs. Cartersville (31-6)

Loganville (not including the COVID season) is appearing in its sixth straight championship series. In that span the Red Devils have won three times, and all five of their titles have come since 2008. The roster has changed but ultimately this is just another talented Loganville team that has only one goal in mind. Cartersville is another team with a storied history. The Hurricanes have also won five state championships spanning from 2001-2013 and are hungry to add their sixth in Rome. 

Class 2A (May 23-24)

Vidalia (28-10) vs. Thomasville (29-5)

Vidalia got its revenge against Lovett in the semifinal round after losing last season. The Indians are on a mission for their third state title, winning 24 of their last 25 games and going 8-1 in the playoffs. Thomasville is coming off a sweep in the semifinals of Pace Academy, a team with a ton of championship hype. Both squads have been in top form during the playoffs, and one will deliver the state title each has been waiting on for over 20 years.

Class 3A (May 23-24)

Redan (28-6) vs. Pike County (34-5)

Redan and Pike County are set to face off in a must-see battle between two great teams at the Gwinnett Stripers' home field. Redan has two sweeps in these playoffs and just defeated 30-win Pierce County. Redan is looking to add state title No. 2 after winning one in 4A in 2014. Pike County has been dominant all season, allowing fewer than 75 runs while scoring 316. In the quarterfinals the Pirates defeated a talented Greater Atlanta Christian team, and in the semifinals defeated the reigning 3A champs, North Hall.

Class A Private (May 24-25)

North Cobb Christian (30-7) vs. Wesleyan (33-5)

Wesleyan is back in the championship round after making it last year and losing to Mount Paran. The Wolves are a much better team this year behind Druw Jones and the dynamic offense. The Wolves got their revenge against Mount Paran in the semifinals as they won in three games after losing the opener, which was their first loss since early March. North Cobb Christian is looking for its first state championship to put an exclamation point on a turnaround season. The Eagles went 12-14-1 last season and lost in the first round.

Class A Public (May 24-25)

Metter (29-5) vs. Charlton County (32-6)

Charlton County and Metter are both looking to add a second state title to their resumes. Charlton County last won in 2014 and is red-hot at the right time. The Indians are 8-1 in these playoffs and dominated their semifinal series against Social Circle. Metter, on the other hand, is aiming to go back-to-back. The Tigers flipped a switch midseason and have been unstoppable since. Metter has not lost since March, winning 19 in a row. These are two of the hottest teams in the state meeting at Georgia Southern University.