Countdown To Another Championship
Piedmont Academy’s varsity baseball team had played its way to another state championship series. After winning its first three postseason series, the Cougars were prepared for the final steps toward another state championship trophy.
After winning the title last spring, the Cougars earned another region title and, as a result, were able to host the finals against Windsor, a fellow Region 4-AA school Windsor Academy of Macon. The Knights were the No. 2 seed from the region and advanced to the finals with a sweep of Robert Toombs the previous week.
As the first game in the state championship series approached Friday, Chris Bridges, who has covered Piedmont Academy sports for more than 25 years, made these observations.
•2:30 p.m.: Windsor players arrive at Russell Gilbert Memorial Field and head to the visitor’s side dugout. Both teams know their seasons won’t end on this day since game two is not until Saturday.
•2:31 p.m.: Piedmont Academy players go to the home side dugout.
•2:37 p.m.: Both teams begin their pre-game rituals. Windsor
players are in left field with Piedmont players in right.
•2:40 p.m.: Windsor players go to the batting cage facility. Piedmont players go through running exercises back and forth from right field to center field.
•2:49 p.m.: The song “Teenage Wasteland” by The Who is playing over the speakers, a symbolic salute to high school and youth.
•2:53 p.m.: Volunteers and coaches water down the dirt infield. Despite some rain in recent days, the infield still is very dusty.
•2:59 p.m.: Fans begin to file in.
•3:10 p.m.: Piedmont players return to their dugout.
•3:17 p.m.: Piedmont takes pre-game infield. The Cougars are wearing white pants and white jerseys trimmed in blue with blue numbers.
•3:30 p.m.: As soon as Piedmont completes infield, the Windsor players race onto the field to do the same.
•3:41 p.m.: Windsor completes pre-game infield. The final minutes to game time continue to count down.
•3:50 p.m.: The umpires gather at home plate with coaches Tyler Brown of Windsor and Daniel Funt of Piedmont. Lineup cards are exchanged.
•3:54 p.m.: Piedmont public address announces Carole Tyler welcomes fans and gives the starting lineups for both teams.
•3:58 p.m. The National Anthem is played on the saxophone by Ralph Hickman.
•4:02 p.m.: Zach Beggs takes his final pre-game warm-up tosses to catcher Josh Williams.
•4:04 p.m.: Windsor batter Josh Brooks, the teams’ left fielder, steps into the batter’s box. Beggs fires the game’s first pitch toward home. The umpire calls it a ball and the state championship series has begun.
Note: The Piedmont Academy Cougars would win game one Friday 4-0 behind another stellar pitching performance by Beggs.
The Cougars also won game two on Saturday afternoon 9-7 to claim the GISA Class AA title for the second consecutive year and the third in program history.