State baseball playoffs start this week

The state baseball playoffs begin this week and for the first time since 2003 Starr’s Mill will not be part of it.

The Panthers lost to Alexander in the region playoffs last week, but Whitewater and McIntosh, both part of the 5-A AAAA sub-region made it.

Whitewater (19-5), the top seed, hosts Heritage, Conyers (14-12) on Thursday in a double-header starting at 4:30 p.m. and the winner will meet the winner of Hillgrove and Forsyth Central next Wednesday. If a third game is necessary in the opening round, it will take place Friday at 5:30 p.m. Heritage closed out their season winning eight of their last nine games. Whitewater is 14-1 over their last 15 games.

McIntosh (14-10), the fourth seed, travels to take on Loganville on Friday in a double header starting at 3:30 p.m. If a third game is necessary, it will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday. The winner faces the winner of the Marist and South Paulding series next Wednesday. The Chiefs are 4-1 over their last five games. Loganville has gone 9-1 over their last 10 games.

In Class A, Landmark Christian (25-1), the second seed behind Walker, opens the playoffs at home against Commerce (12-12). The winner will meet the winner of the Wesleyan-Gordon Lee series on May 12. Landmark’s only loss this year was to Walker on Apr. 13. They have won eight in a row since then, scoring 94 runs and allowing 12. Commerce has gone 4-1 over their last five games, scorng 61 runs and allowing 22.