There’s more proof that Georgia is as much a baseball state as anything else in sports.
Six Georgia baseball teams are ranked are ranked among the top 25 nationally of MaxPreps’ computer rankings.
Here is the list:
5. Allatoona
7. Blessed Trinity
11. North Gwinnett
16. Cartersville
23. Parkview
24. Walton
Here's a brief look at each.
No. 5 Allatoona is 13-2 with wins over Parkview and the No. 1-ranked Class AAAAA team, Starr's Mill. Senior center fielder/pitcher Kyle Jacobsen, a South Carolina signee, is hitting .500 with two homers, a triple and four doubles. He's 4-1 with an 0.36 ERA. Other .400+ hitters have been junior shortstop Blake Evans (.447) and junior catcher David Smith (.415, two homers). But is Allatoona even the best Cobb County school in AAAAA? The AJC/Score Atlanta poll has Pope at No. 1 and Harrison at No. 4 in the second-highest class. Allatoona and Harrison split a Region 6 series last week.
No. 7 Blessed Trinity is 12-3. Its losses are to Etowah 11-4, Kell (8-7 in extra innings) and No. 1-ranked Providence of Jacksonville 4-3. BT has beaten Allatoona and No. 20 nationally ranked Cullman of Alabama. David Dunn, a Northwestern signee, is hitting .396. Colin Davis is hitting .378 with three home runs, two triples and five doubles. He has signed with Wofford. Ryan Davis, a sophomore, is batting .362. Cole McNamee (3-0, 0.91), Patrick McNamara (3-0, 0.46) and Peyton Glavine (2-1, 1.43) lead the pitching staff. BT was the Class AAA runner-up to Westminster last year and won state titles in 2014 and 2015.
No. 11 North Gwinnett is 16-0 and the last undefeated team in the state in any classification but flying under some radars as the Bulldogs didn't get out of the first round of the playoffs last year. Michael Borah, a sophomore, is hitting .565 (28-for-46). Parker Coyne is hitting .519 (27-for-52). Jake Brace is 4-0 with an 0.29 ERA.
No. 16 Cartersville, a program with six state titles and two runner-up finishes in 16 years, is 12-3 and a strong contender in AAAA along with Blessed Trinity. Cartersville has juniors who are committed to Auburn and one sophomore to Alabama. Anthony Seigler, whose best position is catcher, pitches right-handed and left-handed, depending on the batter, and uses a special six-finger glove. He bats leadoff and is hitting over .500. Shortstop Devin Warner is the other Auburn-committed junior. He has five homers. J.P. Martin, a catcher/first baseman, is going to Alabama.
No. 23 Parkview is 12-3 with a win over Cartersville. Joey DeMasi (.333, committed to North Georgia) has hit seven home runs, two triples and three doubles in 54 at-bats. Logan Cerny is batting .417 with three homers. Caleb Mitchell (4-1, 1.15, Mercer commit) and Braden Hays (4-0, 1.25, Georgia Southern) have been the top pitchers.
No. 24 Walton won the highest classification last season, though graduated several key parts of that team. Back are Georgia Tech commits Luke Bartnicki (5-1, 0.00 ERA), Jason Rooks (.426, 5 HR) and Michael Guldberg (.358, 7 doubles). Catcher Jason Avers (4 doubles, 4 triples) is going to Appalachian State. Bartnicki has allowed three runs - but none earned - in 33.2 innings pitched.
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