On the heels of one of the best weeks in CCA Patriots baseball history, the Patriots have emerged as the GIAA’s #1 Class A team in the state. The top 12 teams make the playoffs; the top four receive first-round byes and the top two get home field advantage through the playoffs up to the state finals. The state championship series will be played in Columbus at Synovus Park, the home of the Columbus Clingstones, a Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.
The Patriots were expected to be the top team after going 4-0 last week to finish the season. In the process, CCA defeated the #2, #5, and #12 teams in 3A as well as the #4 team in 2A. The GIAA uses a power ranking system instead of the traditional region rankings to determine playoff match-ups and home field advantage. Even though the Patriots’ wins were against non-region opponents, they still counted toward the playoffs. It didn’t hurt that CCA also won its region for the second year in a row.
The playoffs begin this weekend; however, because of the first-round bye, the Patriots won’t play until Friday, May 16. The only thing CCA knows for sure is one way or another, they will play the Jaguars. The Patriots will face the winner between the Atlanta Jewish Academy Jaguars (#8) and the Thomas Jefferson Academy Jaguars (#9) in Douglas.
All of the playoff series will be best-of-three. The teams will play two games on day one. Game three, if necessary, will be played the following day. The starting time for the May 16 doubleheader has not been released yet.