Top 25 Georgia High School Baseball Teams Across All Classifications
Preseason Rankings
The start to the 2026 Georgia high school baseball season is just a few days away, and ITG Next is pleased to present to you our annual preseason Georgia high school baseball all-classification top 25 rankings.
Before we take a look at the teams we think are the ones to watch moving forward into the 2026 regular season, let’s take a quick look back at the way the 2025 season ended, with the crowning of eight state champions.
The Walton Raiders won the GHSA Class 6A state championship, knocking off the Lowndes Vikings in a two-game sweep in their best-of-three state finals series.
The Newnan Cougars won the GHSA Class 5A state championship with a sweep of their own. Newnan won with their own two games to none series.
In Class 4A, Blessed Trinity came up huge after falling behind one game to zero against powerhouse Cartersville in their best-of-three series, with everything on the line and zero margin of error. The Titans came up big with two straight wins, a 7-3 win followed by the series-clinching 7-6 win.
In the Class 3A state finals, Troup County won game one 5-1, meaning a win in game two would give the Tigers a two-game sweep and the Class 3A state championship. However, a 15-0 romp by Cherokee Bluff evened things back up and evened the momentum of the series. Then in the third and deciding game, Troup County was able to win 6-3 and take the state championship.
Rockmart won consecutive games 6-0 and 6-0 to come away with the Georgia high school Class 2A state championship.
In Class 1A-Division I, Gordon Lee swept the series two games to zero with a 5-2 win in game one, then a one-run 7-6 squeaker in game two to clinch the state championship.
The Class 1A-Division II state championship saw Lanier County win their second straight title in a two games to one series win over Wilcox County.
In the Private (1A-3A) Class state final series, Calvary Day defeated Savannah Christian two games to one with a 9-1 and 7-5 win in Games 1 and 3. Savannah Christian was able to win game two 2-0 in a shutout.
As we project the Georgia high school baseball all-classification top 25 rankings, how do we think the teams that finished the 2025 season as either state champions or runner-up will start the 2026 baseball season? You’ll see some familiar names included in the top 25.
Lowndes starts the season as our No. 1 team as the Vikings return the core of their infield, including shortstop Cason Fletcher, a University of Memphis commit. The corners are secure with the return of first baseman Derrick Carter, a Maine University commit, and third baseman Weston Hancock, who is committed to play for Thomas University following his senior season with the Vikings.
The pitching will be in good shape with the return of Easton Blanton, who is committed to Georgia Highlands College. Blanton will also serve as designated hitter this season for head coach Ryan Page and the Vikings.
Lowndes will welcome back with open arms Matthew Kerrigan, the 2025 Georgia Class 6A Player of the Year. Despite suffering a season-ending arm injury before the start of last season, Kerrigan was able to hit and play outfield for the Vikings. He obviously played well enough to not only be named the Player of the Year, but he also captured the attention of MLB scouts, with whom he worked out this offseason.
The good news is that the Lowndes senior will not only bring those same offensive and defensive skills that he displayed last year but will also return to the mound as one of the team’s top pitchers. Kerrigan throws and bats left-handed and is an Auburn University commit.
Joining Kerrigan in the rotation will be Brinson Rountree and Easton Blanton.
The Vikings will be looking for a return to the state championship, where they battled Walton for the 6A state title but came up short two games to zero.
The Vikings will be challenged at the top by Matt Hopkins and his Houston County baseball Bears. They are our No. 2 team and are also hoping to make it back to the state finals, where the Bears came up short to champion Newnan. Head coach Matt Hopkins is back to lead the Bears this season, and he’ll have one of the best hitting infielders in the state returning to the lineup in senior shortstop Isaiah Galason, who batted .471 last year as a junior, with 21 extra-base hits and 34 stolen bases. Galason is a Georgia Tech commit.
The pitching staff will be led by a couple of right-handed pitchers in Raymond Byrd and Ethan Kinney.
Etowah is our No. 3 squad heading into the 2026 season, and the Eagles will have a lineup that will include one of the state’s best two-way players in Matthew Sharman, a first baseman and right-handed pitcher, and Deion Cole, an outfielder and second baseman. Etowah will be solid up the middle with junior shortstop and right-handed pitcher Nate Curcio, who is a Jacksonville State commit, and Walker May, a catcher and outfielder.
Here is the complete 2026 Georgia high school baseball all-classification preseason top 25 rankings. Check back as we update the top 25 each week.
- Lowndes (6A)
- Houston County (5A)
- Etowah (6A)
- Walton (6A)
- Blessed Trinity (4A)
- Newnan (5A)
- Troup County (3A)
- Calvary Day (3A, Private)
- Lanier County (1A-DII)
- Gordon Lee (1A-DI)
- Rockmart (2A)
- Buford (6A)
- Cherokee Bluff (3A)
- Cartersville (4A)
- Morgan County (2A)
- ECI (1A-DII)
- Loganville (5A)
- Jeff Davis (1A-DI)
- Parkview (6A)
- Pope (5A)
- Holy innocents’ (2A, Private)
- Appling County (2A)
- Charlton County (1A-DII)
- Greater Atlanta Christian (3A, Private)
- Marist (4A)
