Class 6A Preview: Region 8
January 25, 2019
Welcome to PBR Georgia’s 6A week!
We continue our Georgia high school coverage, now that we’re about 18 days out from the first pitch of the GHSA season. Today, we’ll conclude the 6A regional breakdown by honing in on Region 8, after covering regions 1 and 2 on Monday, regions 3 and 4 on Tuesday, regions 5 and 6 on Wednesday, and Region 7 yesterday.
We kicked off our GHSA coverage last week by analyzing the entire 7A class. Here are links to those preview posts, in case you missed them:
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Regions 1, 2, and 3 here.
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Regions 4 and 5 here.
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Region 6 here.
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Regions 7 and 8 here.
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7A Playoff Predictions here.
Keep checking back all throughout the week for 6A content spanning all eight of the class’ regions.
REGION 8
This year might not be your typical neck-and-neck race between Region 8’s two heavyweights. We’ve grown accustomed to seeing the Gainesville Red Elephants and the Winder-Barrow Bulldogs perennially fight over their region – with the Bulldogs having won the last two titles. While Gainesville’s been, historically, the most accomplished program between the two, the Red Elephants might use 2019 to prepare their young and inexperienced roster for the next couple of seasons. Gainesville’s only set to return three starters, while the Bulldogs – back-to-back Region 8 champs – are returning virtually their entire team from a season ago.
Winder-Barrow Head Coach Brian Smith won’t have to change much from a season ago. In fact, if he kept any of last year’s lineup cards, they’d probably be just as accurate this spring. Really, there are around 10 of last season’s key contributors back in uniform this year – and there are only six seniors among them, meaning this Bulldogs run atop the region has some staying power.
Back among them is sophomore Brady House. The uber two-way prospect is already committed to Tennessee and is truly a star in the making, ranked No. 4 on PBR’s overall 2021 board. Despite his advanced 6-foot-3 frame, House is equipped with the elite athleticism that might allow him to stick to short. He’s also filled potent power potential from the right side. And, to top it off, he’s also an imposing force from the rubber. Winder-Barrow will be capable of taking home regional titles, and more, as long as House is in the dugout.
What’s most impressive about this Bulldogs team isn’t that there’s one amateur star in the making, it’s that there are several. Senior RHP Cain Tatum is only the next one for Winder-Barrow, after transferring from a smaller private school in the area for his final season of prep ball. Standing in at 6-foot-8, 205 pounds, the Georgia commit works in the upper 80s with his lively fastball, and his frame makes it abundantly clear that there’s more in the tank as he continues to mature physically. He’s the state’s No. 50-ranked senior prospect.
Continuing down the list of impact seniors, you’ll find standout two-way prospect 3B/RHP Zack Smith, an Ole Miss commit, as well as OF/LHP Trace Jeffers, LHP Austin Lockridge, OF Sam Darling, and UTL Lance Sikes. All of the aforementioned will play pivotal roles in Winder’s attempt at a third straight regional championship.
While you’re at it, jot down these three juniors: INF/RHP Hunter Marsh (Walters State CC), UTL Blake Friend, and INF Trevor Maddox. Each of there 2020 grads were heavily featured as sophomores in Winder’s 2018 season.
While Winder-Barrow has a deep run in the state playoffs in mind, it’s hard to erase the manner in which they were eliminated from last season’s second round. The Bulldogs met River Ridge in the round of 16 and were outscored by a combined 30-2 in two consecutive losses. At the time, no one seemed to be able to silence the Knights, so it might not be fair to blame the Bulldogs for running into that buzzsaw, too.
Still, for this nearly identical group of players, it must have left a bad taste in their mouth. It’ll be fascinating to see how this experienced and wildly talented group responds to that loss this spring.
Hunter Marsh (10/5/18)
Another program returning a ton of talent – though not to the extent of Winder-Barrow – is the Dacula Falcons. Senior Marcerio Allen (Kennesaw State) is a superb athlete with quick-twitch actions across his game. He’s Dacula’s starting shortstop but he might be better off as a second baseman once he reaches Kennesaw. For the time being, Allen will help lead the Falcons back to the state playoffs, where they earned a No. 4 seed last year and were matched up with back-to-back champs Pope in round one.
Junior Jarrett Jenkins is probably Allen’s replacement at shortstop in the spring of 2020, but for now, he’ll pair up with Allen to combine for one of the region’s most electric double play tandems. Jenkins is a Georgia Southern commit and also thrives on the gridiron as Dacula’s starting quarterback.
Seniors RHP Gage Felton and 1B Jojo Lopez (Lawson State CC) should also factor into the Falcons’ run back to state if all goes well in 2019.
If Dacula is striving to earn a better playoff seed come the end of April, they won’t just have to fend off the likes of Winder-Barrow and Gainesville, they’ll likely be competing for the same spot Lanier is fighting for.
The Longhorns were Region 8’s No. 3 seed in 2018. They, too, drew a tough opponent in round one, facing semifinalists Alpharetta. Regardless, Lanier is returning nine starters in 2019, after going 8-7 in regional action last spring.
In fact, you could make a robust argument that Winder-Barrow’s most capable challenge for the region crown is Lanier. They might have one of the area’s top pitchers to lean on in big games, and an advantage like that can go a long way. RHP Zachary Murray, the No. 32-ranked prospect in the state’s junior class, pounds the strike zone with mid- to upper-80s fastballs and knows how to spin and navigate his offspeed. He’s committed to Louisiana State and might be able to push the Longhorns into regional title contention with a few clutch performances this spring.
Senior Jadyn Jackson is ranked in the state’s top-50 seniors for his athleticism and next-level defensive skillset at shortstop. The Georgia Tech commit is contact-oriented in the right-handed batter’s box, but could provide real run production if he’s bulked up at all over the offseason.
Zachary Murray (2/4/18)
Apalachee’s 4-11 record in Region 8 play last spring doesn’t really tell the whole story. The Wildcats still managed to finish 15-13 overall and the future is bright. Head Coach Allan Bailey is getting back six starters from last spring’s team, including his entire pitching staff. Senior righty Alex Cook, a Georgia Gwinnett College commit, is primed to take on ace duties. Two-way junior Hunter Parks should be the one called upon to flank Cook in the rotation. He’s versatile in the infield, so he’ll bounce around wherever it’s most convenient for Coach Bailey.
Cook and Parks are set to be battery mates with starting backstop Jake Hopkins, a senior who’s still uncommitted. Also, junior A.J. Forbing and senior Austin Holbrook can be counted upon to return to the outfield, where they started predominantly last spring – Forbing especially looked comfortable, despite being just sophomore.
Apalachee is well within reach of a top-four place at the end of regional play, which would obviously earn them a seat at the state tournament.
It’s a similar story for Habersham Central. The Raiders won 13 games in 2018 but only five of them were within their own region. They have a strong nucleus of talent, but they aren’t returning as many of their best players as, say, Apalachee, putting them at a disadvantage. Still, they might actually have Region 8’s top arm.
Incumbent senior ace Alex McFarlane is a live-armed righty who’s committed to the University of Miami and is stirring some real draft buzz, too. He’s the No. 7-ranked senior in the state and is the No. 99 prospect on the PBR Draft Board. At 6-foot-3, 172 pounds, McFarlane is oozing with potential and has the kind of upside that could allure a Major League team into giving him the kind of opportunity to steer him away from Miami. He regularly sits in the low 90s and is only just beginning to figure out his offspeed – the sky is the limit here. In his final prep season, it’s his first as a Raider, after transferring in last year.
McFarlane will be accompanied by two fellow seniors in the rotation: righties Peyton Irvin and Colby Jones. Having three quality starters – including one exceptional talent – might be enough for Habersham to sneak into the playoffs. We’ll see how they’re able to generate runs, however.
Lastly, we can’t go without really dissecting the question marks surrounding Gainesville. The Red Elephants are welcoming in a new coach at the helm on the heels of a 22-11 season. Coach Adam Miller had been a long-time assistant for this program, so not much we’ll change behind the scenes, but it’ll still be a learning process for both Miller and his inexperienced squad.
We last saw Gainesville after they snuck past Cambridge in three games of the opening round in last year’s state tournament and were swept in two games by the eventual runners-up Allatoona.
With the pressure off in a season of unknowns, it’ll be interesting to watch Coach Miller and the Red Elephants on their journey in 2019 to see what they’re capable of.
Thank you for following along with us this week as we broke down the state’s skilled 6A class. We’ll continue breaking down Georgia’s talented baseball scene as the calendar counts us down to the first pitch of the season. In the meantime, you can follow us on Twitter @PBRGeorgia for the latest prep baseball news and notes.