Class 5A Preview: Regions 1-5

We’re less than a week away from the first pitch of the 2019 GHSA season, and after covering both class 7A and 6A over the last few weeks, we’re going to touch on the remaining classes and programs in the state leading up to opening day.

Today, we’re going to cover class 5A, a collection of highly competitive programs, including back-to-back champs Loganville. We’ll kick things off starting with a examination of the teams in Region 1, five schools spread out amongst Central and Southwest Georgia.

REGION 1

Last year’s regional champion, Veterans, went 11-1 in Region 1, but will face some real opposition in defense of their crown in 2019. The Kathleen, Ga., school needed three games to get past both Statesboro and Whitewater in postseason play last spring, but still earned a quarterfinals berth against Flowery Branch, where they ultimately fell short in two games. Look for OF Jacob Pierce to shoulder much of the Warhawks’ load this spring.

Their biggest rivals for first place within Region 1 could very well be Bainbridge, despite finishing 5-7 last spring. The Bearcats graduated quite a few of their go-to seniors last spring, but still have five starters returning and one of the region’s best pitchers: senior LHP Nick Barber, a Troy commit. Barber operated as the team’s ace last spring and struck out 98 batters in just under 67 innings, grooming an ERA of 1.16 along that stretch.

Bainbridge actually tied Thomas County Central in regional record last spring, and both programs look poised to spring up the standings. The Yellowjackets actually earned greater postseason success than the Bearcats, notching a round one series win over South Effingham, and Thomas CC could easily build off that momentum given the state of its roster, where eight starters and six pitchers are slated to return. Head Coach Ryan Strickland has his squad sound on fundamentals and an experienced senior presence could help them get to the top of the region, too. Senior Nick Herndon captains the outfield with confidence and has arguably this team’s best bat-to-ball skills. On the mound, senior righty Pace Mercer is set to lead the staff, though it might be a little thin after Mercer’s slot in the rotation.

As for Harris County, the Tigers are returning a top shelf batting order, one in which that helped them land second place in last year's region, but will be looking for one of their arms to take over the No. 1 role. Infielders Timmy Brooks and Ryan O’Steen, as well as OF Peyton McLemore, should all contribute to lighting up the Harris County scoreboard, but it’s a matter of which arms will set themselves apart as reliable run suppressors.

Finally, Warner Robbins scuffled in 2018, going winless in regional action. The Demons had some trouble finding the pitching to keep them in games, and will be looking to make some improvements in that department in order to take a discernible step forward this spring.

REGION 2

Representing the greater Savannah area, Region 2 is slated to be a two-team race for the top spot, one that belonged to a Wayne County team that went undefeated in regional play a year ago. The Yellow Jackets are returning Gant Starling, a Citadel commit who’s set to lead this staff after Wayne County graduated a few of its top arms. Starling actually pulled his weight on offense last spring, too, but fellow seniors James Maudlin and Cooper Martin can be more comfortably counted upon to provide the Yellow Jackets their offense.

Wayne County’s second-round exit from last year’s state tournament was earlier than they would have hoped for but South Effingham’s opening round defeat to No. 3 seed Thomas County Central was definitely a disappointment. Still, the Mustangs will field a robust lineup this spring, one in which they’re returning many of their most interesting names from a season ago. The two-way talent Dylan Wallace is a LaGrange College commit and operates as South Effingham’s offensive catalyst. Also, senior righty Jakob Valleroy has a legitimate claim at being one of this region’s best arms. His performance this spring will determine just how far the Mustangs can go in 2019.

Jakob Valleroy (8/12/18)

Elsewhere in the region, Statesboro might not be ready to challenge for a regional title just yet, but the Blue Devils have some interesting youth in their lineup that could put regional rivals on alert for 2020 and beyond. Sophomore backstop J.D. Kaiser is an advanced receiver with power potential, and juniors Mikal Mascarello and Jackson Proctor bring middle-of-the-lineup promise with them to the lineup, too.

Ware County is another youthful program in Region 2 and has with them among the top 2021 talents in the area: middle infielder Caleb Stewart. As a switch-hitting freshman, Stewart led the Gators in batting average and stolen bases, and is equipped to play all around the infield – he’s set to do a little pitching for Ware County in 2019 as well.

Lastly, New Hampstead struggled in regional play in 2018 but saw more success outside of it, going 12-5 outside Region 2. Seniors Armond Jackson and Orlando Carter were two of this team’s best hitters as juniors last spring and return to the middle of this lineup, and RHP Jared McKinney is back at the top of this rotation. He struck out 114 batters in 66.1 innings last spring as a junior.

REGION 3

Seven South Atlanta teams occupy Region 3, and while Starr’s Mill might be the incumbent favorites after their 16-1 record in regional action last year, Whitewater is certainly a team to look out for. Five starters and four pitchers are making their way back to the Fayetteville dugout, including senior Georgia Highlands College commits Chase Townsend and Jacob Atha. The two righties make up one of this region’s best one-two punches at the top of a rotation, setting the Wildcats up for a better postseason finish in 2019 than their second-round exit last spring. Fellow seniors Landon Busby and Dylan Morris will both contribute on both sides of the ball, shoring up Whitewater’s rotation and providing their offense with some much-needed experience. The Wildcats also have a few 2021s who could fill in the gaps when the going gets tough in the dog days of spring.

Reigning champs Starr’s Mill made it all the way to the state semis last spring, squaring off with eventual champs Loganville where they dropped two straight to end an ultimately fantastic season. The Panthers will return senior SS Brian Port, a Coastal Carolina commit, as well as a slew of juniors and sophomores. Starr’s Mill is more of an unknown in 2019 but that doesn’t mean that they should be counted out.

After a 13-5 spring in 2018, McIntosh has what it takes to build off last year’s successes. Three names to watch: Ty Butler (Kennesaw State), Andrew Pinckney (Alabama), and Landon Pope (uncommitted). Butler and Pinckney are both seniors and are both, obviously, among the top talents this region has to offer, while Pope is the No. 50-ranked junior in the state and is looking to put together a more consistent offensive season, he already has the ability to play in the middle of the infield.

Of the four other programs in Region 3, Griffin has the best chance of repeating as a state playoffs representative, after their fourth-place finish last spring. Fayette County, Morrow, and Riverdale will all look to improve upon some inconsistent play in 2018 that saw each of them finish well below the .500 mark last spring.

REGION 4

Ola made it all the way to last spring’s quarterfinals as Region 4’s No. 2 seed – pushing past McIntoshand Wayne County along the way. A two-game sweet at the hands of 2018 state runners-up Buford ended their spring, but buoyed their hopes of an even more successful 2019 spring. Southpaws Evan Boyle (2019, Georgia Tech) and Patrick Holloman (2020, Georgia) make the Mustangs one of the toughest May assignments out there in class 5A. Holloman, namely, is the No. 17-ranked prospect in the state’s junior class and is going to help Ola surge to the top of the standings this spring.

Standing in their way is Locust Grove, which finished just a game better than the Mustangs in 2018, butit was enough to secure the regional title. Though RHP Nolan Crisp is headed to Gainesville, Fla., a semester early, the Wildcats are still looking formidable enough to retain their region’s crown in 2019. Junior righty Cole English (East Tennessee State) is ready to step into the No. 1 role in Crisp’s absence. Also, look for assistance from the uncommitted Joe Roden and the two-way prospect Luke Welborn (Western Arizona), who hit .392 as a junior last spring. Locust Grove ran into Loganville in last year’s quarterfinals, and though they miss Crisp, they could make another deep state run this year, too.

At 19-11-1 overall last spring, Jones County faced an early exit in last year’s state tournament, to Whitewater in the first round. It’s tough to say how the inexperience they’re rostering in 2019 will affect them and their chances of another state tournament berth this year.

Dutchtown was just 3-13 last spring, but they have on their team one of the state’s most exciting juniors: Nate McCollum. He’s an explosive athlete with promise on the gridiron, too, and is the No. 12-ranked outfielder in the state’s 2020 class as well. He’s been gifted with game-changing speed. A boost in the rotation from an unlikely source could propel Dutchtown up the standings.

Stockbridge senior Michael Harris II (Texas Tech) has long been one of the top two-way prospects in the state, but his leap in stuff on the mound this past fall has probably elevated his stock to the point where we might hear his name called early on in the 2019 MLB Draft. Currently, the southpaw Harris is the No. 8-ranked prospect in the state’s 2019 class and is the No. 92-ranked prospect on the PBR High School Draft 100. He has a feel to pitch and was up to 93 mph on the mound in October. He’ll be a big boost for Stockbridge on offense, but he’s separating himself as Major League material on the mound once June rolls around.

Michael Harris II (7/29/18)

REGION 5

East and Northeast Atlanta are represented in Region 5, where Arabia Mountain and Chamblee each won their first-round matchups in the 2018 postseason, but both dropped their second-round series. The Arabia Mountain Rams suffered a hefty blow to their roster in graduates last spring, though seniors Micah Sanders and Justin Jordan are back to fit somewhere in the middle of this lineup. The Rams’ primary run producers are gone, so Sanders and Jordan have a big chore in making up for the lost offensive pieces. On the mound, Arabia’s losses are even greater. After a 14-1 record and a regional title in 2018, the Rams might be stuck in a bit of a rebuilding year, unless they’re able to uncover some juniors and sophomores who can pick up some of the slack lost.

As for Chamblee, the losses they suffered in graduates aren’t as substantial – in fact, they’re nearly returning their entire starting lineup from a season ago. The Bulldogs finished last spring 25-10 and are an under-the-radar pick to make some postseason noise this May. Senior middle infielder Matthew Welsh hit .443 for Chamblee, leading the team in batting average as a junior. Max Stephens was a big two-way role player for the Bulldogs in 2018, and he’ll take on an even larger role this spring, as both the team’s ace and one of its top bats.