2023 7A Baseball State Championship

Welcometo the 2023 GHSA Baseball State Championships! The games are sure to be exciting as all of the schools represented are looking forward to their team achieving the title of “Champion”. However, we all know that all of our teams are outstanding and are definitely winners. This has been an outstanding season and this year’s championship games will include familiar faces as well as teams that have worked hard and peaked at just the right time. Our congratulations are in order for all of the teams, coaches, administrators, students and parents who have supported the athletes through this year’s journey to the final games.

I would also like to thank you for your support of high school baseball throughout the season. Your attendance and support is integral to the success of high school athletics and for the team you are here to cheer on. Good sportsmanship is expected from our athletes and I urge you to be positive in your support of all of our teams. Let’s work together to make today’s games a great experience for all involved.

To put on an event of this magnitude takes many volunteers who have worked tirelessly to provide a “first class” event. The GHSA staff has been working for weeks as well to ensure a special event for all involved.

Finally, I would like to thank our corporate sponsors who make it possible to put on these championships. Their advertisements can be seen throughout this guide and I encourage you to support them whenever possible. The GHSA wants to thank these exemplary companies for their involvement, we appreciate their support.

Thank you for your attendance and I know you are going to enjoy the best high school baseball anywhere!

Executive Director

The 2023 Georgia High School Association Baseball Championship Guide is published by Score Media, a division of Score Atlanta, in conjunction with the GHSA. The guide was designed by Laura Grieve, and edited by Craig Sager II, Seth Ellerbee and Graham David. Information provided by the GHSA and photos on the cover and inside the guide are courtesy of Unforgettable Moments. For more information on Score Media, go to Scoreatl.com or call 404-246-7819.

WORD

� GameStream scoreboard integration

� Highlight clip sharing

� Video Archives

� Live play-by-play announcer

� Automatic hit clips, downloadable & shareable

� Pitch velocity displayed in stream (if recorded)

Ball In Play

� Simple and powerful scorekeeping

� Pitch Count Tracking & Reporting

� MaxPreps integration

� Pitching spray charts

� In-app stat editing

� Better opponent stats & spray charts

� Starting lineup capabilities

Who is bringing snacks?

I think the Smith’s will be bringing a snack pack.

� Stay on top of your team with messaging and alerts

� Keep track of events with scheduling & calendar sync

� Share exciting moments with photo sharing

� RSVP with your availability

PITCH PITCH

Coach Johnson, 3:00PM

Maria Hanson, 3:11PM

PARKVIEW, LOWNDES TAKE TO TRUIST PARK FOR 7A TITLE

TThe2023 GHSA Baseball State Championships begin at Truist Park on Tuesday, May 16 with an epic showdown between the Parkview Panthers and Lowndes Vikings. Parkview celebrated the program’s ninth all-time state title in 2021 at the same venue before falling short to Woodstock at last year’s finals. The Panthers swept their way to the Area 4 title this season with a 15-0 record and have dropped just two in-state games this season without any series losses. Parkview scored a dramatic 8-7 Game 3 win over Dacula in the quarterfinals and responded with a swift 2-0 sweep over Mill Creek in the semifinals— earning a 10-0 Game 1 victory and 12-2 rout in Game 2.

Parkview was down 7-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning in the decisive Game 3 win over Dacula and rallied with a three-run effort before clinching the series in the top of the seventh. Juniors Ford Thompson and Kason Gleaton combined with sophomore Porter Berryman on the mound in the victory. Parkview’s game-winning run came with sophomore Mason Davis getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. In the semifinals, Parkview outhit Mill Creek 13-4 in Game 1 and opened up a 5-0 lead in the first inning of the 10-0 victory. Garrett Lambert (1) and Cade Brown (4) were both 2-of-2 at the plate with home runs and combined for five RBIs. In Game 2, Parkview opened up a 1-1 tie game with five runs in the bottom of the fifth and six in the sixth to walkoff with the series win. Senior Landon Stripling finished 2-of-4 at the plate with a home run and 5 RBIs and Brown went 2-of-3 at the plate with two home runs. Brown (14) and Stripling (13) have combined for 27 of the team’s 48 home runs this season.

SERIES CHAMPS

Lowndes was also successful in locking down a No. 1 seed this season and swept a talented Region 1 with an 11-0 mark. The Vikings are 27-13 overall and have an opportunity to win the program’s first state title since 2000 and third all-time. A Lowndes victory would result in a team outside of the Metro Atlanta area winning a state title in Georgia’s highest classification for the first time since 2003 when Colquitt County captured the crown. Like Parkview, Lowndes has taken on a challenging slate this season and has not dropped a single series this year.

BY CRAIG SAGER II | CSAGER@SCOREATL.COM

2-0 sweep over North Paulding. The Vikings earned a 3-0 win in Game 1 and a 4-3 victory in Game 2. Lowndes did not let a lightning delay that lasted nearly an hour and 15 minutes break their focus and head coach Ryan Page celebrated the finals berth and semifinal sweep late into Wednesday night.

EYEING THE PRIZE

“It means everything,” Lowndes head coach Ryan Page told the Valdosta Daily Times. “It means everything to these boys. Since they were little children, this is all they’ve dreamed about — going to Truist and having this opportunity to play in this place. I’m so happy for them.”

“Regardless of what happens, obviously we want to fight and come back with a state title but to go play in that place and just have that opportunity, I’m just so excited for them.”

Cooper Melvin led the way with a 2-of-4 performance at the plate in Game 2 and Noah Thigpen, Tate Sirmans, Jordan Hudson, Coleman Lewis and Carson Page each had a hit in the win.

The Vikings bounced back from a 12-3 loss to North Gwinnett in Game 1 of the quarterfinals by scoring a 9-4 Game 2 victory and series-clinching 9-3 win. Lowndes carried that momentum into the semifinals and locked down an impressive

“Give the credit to our pitchers — Ashton (Bohler) threw an unbelievable game (in Game 1),” Page told the Valdosta Daily Times. “We’ve been stressing all year — we don’t have the high velocity arms, we’ve got to pitch and that’s what he did tonight. He pitched. He mixed, he hit locations and kept those guys off balance.”

THE

GHSA BASEBALL 7A CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE & ROSTER

MAY 16-17, 2023 @ TRUIST PARK

LOWNDES VIKINGS PARKVIEW PANTHERS

PAST GHSA BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS