Cobb County had nine high school baseball teams enter the postseason, but only four remain after the first round of playoffs, according to an April 28 announcement. Two teams in Class 4A, one in Class 5A, and one in Class 6A continue their pursuit of a state championship.
The progress of these teams is significant for local schools and their communities as it highlights the competitive level of Cobb County baseball programs. Allatoona and Kell represent Cobb in Class 4A. The Allatoona Buccaneers reached last year’s semifinals before losing to Blessed Trinity, while Kell made it to the quarterfinals but was eliminated by Wayne County. This season, Allatoona defeated Pace Academy in two games during the first round, and Kell overcame Locust Grove after three games. Both will play away games in Round Two: Allatoona faces Benedictine in Savannah and Kell travels to Harris County.
“I communicate to our players that if we play our brand of baseball, the results will take care of themselves,” said Kell Coach Todd Harris. “Playing a competitive non-region schedule and playing teams in our region have prepared us for Harris County. Our team competes no matter the score or the situation. They compete until the very last out, and that is rare with a lot of high school teams.” In Class 5A action, Pope remains after Kennesaw Mountain lost to McIntosh and Lassiter fell to Houston County. Pope won against Veterans with scores of 13-1 and 15-0; they now host McIntosh next.
Pope head coach Chris Turco said about upcoming playoff games: “Our mindset is not to try to do too much. If we stay within ourselves and play freely and under control, we believe that we will be composed enough to play up to our potential. We have steadily improved each week, and we do not have to do anything outside of our normal operations to play our best game.” Jared Parker reflected on his first season as Kennesaw Mountain’s head coach: “I’ll remember how this group improved as the season went on; starting 4-6 through the first ten games and finishing the regular season 18-12 as the number two seeds in region play…This senior class was a dream class…their long-term impact is indescribable.” Lassiter Coach Kyle Rustay also commented: “Collectively, we learned how important each game is…They had their backs against the wall a couple times…It’s always rewarding…seeing them come to understanding that team success breeds individual success.”
In Class 6A competition, Walton advances after eliminating Hillgrove over three games; Harrison lost its matchup with Etowah while McEachern was defeated by Cherokee despite finishing as top seed in Region 3-6A.
Allatoona High School recognizes scholar-athletes from grades ten through twelve who maintain at least a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 according to its official website. The school operates within Cobb County School District according to its official website and serves students from ninth through twelfth grade by providing strong academic standards alongside extracurricular activities according to its official website. Students at Allatoona can participate in advanced placement courses as well as work-based learning programs or community service opportunities according to its official website. As noted on its site,Allatoona High School functions as a public high school.
As these four remaining Cobb teams move into Round Two this week—continuing what has been described locally as proof that “Cobb baseball is Built for Beyond”—the county’s student-athletes are poised for further recognition both academically and athletically.
