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TSSAA baseball: Which Midstate teams have the best chance to win a state championship?




Austin Hunley threw a complete game 3-hitter, leading Mt. Juliet to a 2-1 win over Beech Monday. The Tennessee signee struck out 14 and did not walk a batter.Steve Wampler file

Austin Hunley threw a complete game 3-hitter, leading Mt. Juliet to a 2-1 win over Beech Monday. The Tennessee signee struck out 14 and did not walk a batter.Steve Wampler file

With region tournaments set to close this week, the baseball state title picture is starting to come into focus.

Which teams have the best chance to win state titles in May?

Here are 12 Midstate squads – two from each classification – to watch during the TSSAA postseason.

Class 1A

Local front-runner: Eagleville (31-2)

With just two losses, to Silverdale Academy and Rockvale, the Eagles know how to win. They have averaged more than 12 runs over the last month. In a 20-2 win over Culleoka in Monday’s Region 5-1A semifinal, Eagleville tallied 11 hits, including three apiece from Nathan Brewer and Kolten Daniel

Not far behind: Gordonsville (24-11)

A championship would be a tall task for Gordonsville. But the Tigers have won four in a row going into Wednesday’s region final against East Robertson.

Class 2A

Local front-runner: Watertown (20-9)

The Purple Tigers have won their last five games by a combined score of 48-4. Steven Whitlock is batting .444 with four home runs this season.

Not far behind: Loretto (21-10)

The Mustangs have turned in a solid season, and with plenty of recent experience in the state tournament — appearances from 2016-19 and a state title in 2017 — the pedigree is in place for a run. Loretto and White House Heritage face each other in a region final Wednesday.

Class 3A

Local front-runner: Greenbrier (21-7-1)

What a year for the Bobcats, who after going unbeaten in district play are trying to make a state tournament appearance for the second year and a row and fourth all time. Greenbrier routed MLK Magnet 12-1 on Monday to reach the region finals. Before that, the Bobcats cruised by Montgomery Central for the District 9-3A championship, driving in 11 runs on 11 hits, while also getting a four-hit shutout from Braxton Laney.

Not far behind: Tullahoma (24-13)

The Wildcats had a special autumn with their football team capturing a state title. Success can be contagious. The baseball team will play Upperman for a region title after Colton Emory’s 2-for-3, 2-RBI performance led Tullahoma to a 7-3 win in Monday’s region semifinal.

Class 4A

Local front-runner: Mt. Juliet (26-9-1)

Luckily for fans, Hendersonville and Mt. Juliet will play each other for a region title in what figures to be a good matchup. The Golden Bears survived a great test Monday in a 2-1 win over Beech in the 5-4A semifinals and have won 12 in a row. Senior pitcher Austin Hunley, a Tennessee signee, is unbeaten at 9-0 and has a 0.69 ERA. Senior Justin Lee is batting .384 with five home runs and 30 RBIs.

Not far behind: Hendersonville (27-9)

Could this be the year Hendersonville baseball claims its first title? Its last trip to the finals came in 2000. The Commandos have won seven in a row, including Monday’s 8-1 win over Lebanon in the Region 5-4A semifinal, in which pitcher Ryan Oden scattered four hits and one run over seven innings, striking out eight.

Division II-A

Local front-runner: Grace Christian Academy (34-5)

The Lions have been lights out this season, winning 26 of their last 27. In an anticipated DII-A Middle Region final matchup with highly rated Goodpasture, GCA ran away with a 9-4 victory. Need an illustration for how good the GCA offense is? Against Goodpasture, the Lions hit three two-run home runs in the first inning, from Dean Bechman, Jordan Carter and Cade Fuller.

Not far behind: Goodpasture (35-3)

The Cougars are not forgotten. With eight state championships in program history and a runner-up finish as recently as 2017, Goodpasture will be a factor. The team’s lone in-state losses this season are to GCA and Hendersonville.

Division II-AA

Local front-runner: Christ Presbyterian Academy (25-7-1)

The Lions are the defending state champions, and that experience can go a long way. With Vanderbilt signee Cade Law back in the fold as well as slugger Langston Patterson, CPA has put itself in position for more success.

Not far behind: Montgomery Bell Academy

The Big Red last reached the state semifinals in 2013 and have made plenty of noise this season, including reaching the Middle Region finals where they fell to CPA. MBA has won 3 of 4 against Lipscomb Academy, which also has title aspirations. Luckily, we won’t have to wait long to find out who’s moving forward. Lipscomb and MBA meet in a three-game state quarterfinal series beginning Thursday.

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