The races are nice and warm as GHSA softball hits the postseason.

          Region play must be completed by Oct. 7, with winners reported to the GHSA within two days. Playoff action for Classes AA, AA and 4A and 5A start on Oct. 11 and 12, with Classes A, 6A and 7A on the 13th and 14th.

          Region tournament formats vary, so who’s in and who’s out won’t be determined until they’re completed.

          But there are fairly safe bets.

          Only a few area teams are ranked in the latest ScoreAtlanta statewide polls of Sept. 25. Houston County joined the 6A poll Tuesday at No.10 Jones County jumped two spots to No. 10 in Class 5A and West Laurens is No. 3 in 4A.

          The Region 3-AA tournament should be interesting, with No. 7 Dodge County and No. 9 Bleckley County. Monticello is No. 3 and Lamar County No. 6, up four spots, in AA.

          Tattnall is No. 1 in Class A private, with Stratford at No. 6, FPD No. 7 and Mount de Sales at No. 8. GMC is No. 5 in Class A public.

          Veterans in Region 1-5A is below .500, as is Warner Robins. The Greyhounds have cracked the 20-win mark, as has 2-4A leader West Laurens. That region is pretty balanced.

          Rutland is challenging for the 4-AAA title and Peach County has a fair shot at the postseason.

          The four-team Region 3-AA tournament starts Tuesday at Southern Pines in Dublin with Dodge County, Bleckley County, East Laurens and Washington County, all of whom are over .500 – according to GHSA standings – overall.

          In the GHSA Class A power ratings, Tattnall returned to No. 1 past Wesleyan in the private list, with FPD dropping one to No. 7 while Mount de Sales up one to No. 6 and Stratford up three to No. 8. GMC stayed at No. 4 in public softball.

          Class A teams are separated by public and private, with 24 teams making it in each section. It appears all three area private schools are locks for decent seeds, and only GMC won’t be sweating things out on the private side with No. 18 Hawkinsville needing to at least maintain to make it.

 

GHSA Softball Power Ratings

Oct. 3, 2017

 

Area Class A public power ratings

(1. Gordon Lee     23-3            16.01)

4. GMC                15-6            13.10

18. Hawkinsville   13-10          9.10

28. Taylor County 6-13            6.14

35. Wilkinson Co. 4-8             5.83

36. Crawford Co.  6-15            5.56

47. Dooly Co.       2-13            3.42

50 Hancock Cent. 0-3              1.33

 

Area Class A private power ratings

1. Tattnall              22-4            14.44

6. Mount de Sales 15-6            10.41

7. FPD                  9-8              10.31

8. Stratford          10-8            10.25

 

Records and rating based on information provided by each school to Maxpreps, as mandated by the GHSA.