To win a state title in high school baseball in the state of Georgia it takes winning five rounds. Head coach Justin McDonald and his Wayne County Yellow Jackets have three in books beating some of the best competition in the state. Here’s a quick recap of the first three series.
Jones County were the Jacket’s first round opponents as they came calling at Howard “BO” Warren field. They were not kind to their host as they bashed the baseball all over the field scoring 17 runs in the first game of the series winning 17-4. Most teams would have laid down in game two and the series would be over. Not the Jackets. They dug in their heels and played Wayne County baseball getting great pitching from Josh Gordon and timely hitting up and down the line up and battled back to win game two by the final score of 5-4. In game 3 the Yellow Jackets and the Greyhounds would stage an epic battle. Trailing going into the seventh inning, Grant Starling had the game tying base hit and in dramatic fashion the Jackets would win on a walk-off walk to Mason Robertson to propel them into round two.
Winning your region does account for something in the Georgia playoffs. If you win round one you are guaranteed to host round two. This brought the Unive….. I mean Buford to Jesup to take on the Yellow Jackets. In a repeat of round one the visitors from the north were not kind to their host pounding out hit after hit and winning game one by the final of 10-6. The Jackets righted the ship in game two behind, you guessed it, another great pitching performance from Josh Gordon beating the Wolves of Buford 5-1 to force a deciding game three on Saturday. I’m still puzzled how a baseball team can carry 25 plus kids and run out of pitching but that is exactly what happened to Buford. The Jackets held batting practice through five innings and run-ruled Buford 19-7.
In round three of the State Playoffs, sometimes luck comes into play, and ole Lady Luck was on the side of the Jackets as they won the coin flip and the right to host Carrollton. People who say home field doesn’t matter have never been to an electric atmosphere like there was in the BO that night. The Jackets sold over 900 tickets and sold out the concession stand twice. Carrollton showed up with 30 victories on their resume but it didn’t faze the Jackets with that crowd behind them. The Jackets quickly took control in Game one and cruised to the 8-2 victory over the visiting Carrollton. Game two would be tight all night with Carrolton holding a 1-0 lead through most of the game. The Jackets battled back in the top of the sixth to tie it. (home team are the visitors in game 2). In the top of the seventh, the Jackets were able to get down a perfect safety squeeze to take the lead 2-1. In the bottom of the seventh the Jackets right fielder threw a strike to home plate to get the out to preserve the 2-1 victory and the right to play in round four.
Unfortunately, Lady Luck is fickle and she turned her back on the Jackets for the coin toss with Locust Grove in the semifinals. The Jacket swarm will have to take the “BO Show” on the road but don’t count this team or this community out. It would not surprise me if they show up with 300 plus fan and bring this team a victory and a chance to play for a State Title.
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Three Down, Two to Go!
Written by Shawn Smoak
Photography by Shawn Smoak
