It’s Postseason Time for Diamond Cougars

It’s postseason time again and the Piedmont Academy varsity baseball team will begin its quest for a three-peat when the Diamond Cougars hosts Citizens Christian Friday.

The best-of-three series will begin with a 1 p.m. doubleheader Friday afternoon at Piedmont with a third game, if necessary, Saturday at 1 p.m.

Piedmont, coached by Daniel Funt, recently capped another region title, its third region championship is as many seasons. The Cougars, as a No. 1 seed, are guaranteed to host the first three rounds as long as they advance. Only the state championship series, which would be at a neutral site this year, would not be held in Monticello.

Citizens Christian is the No. 4 seed from Region 2-AA.

“Our players have worked hard and we are glad to go into the postseason as a No. 1 seed,” Funt said.

“It means a lot to be able to play at home. It’s something you work for during the regular season.”

Piedmont finished the 2016 GISA Region 4-AA schedule with a perfect 8-0 mark. The Cougars are 14-7 overall.

With each playoff series being a best-of-three format, pitching will be a key for each team looking to advance. Piedmont’s Brock Carter is arguably the best pitching in Class AA. His lone loss this season was the Deerfield-Windsor, who enters the Class AAA state playoffs as a No. 1 seed.

Carter is 6-1 in 2016 with 91 strikeouts. He has a team best 1.35 earned run average. Carter has pitched 46.2 innings, the most of any Cougar player.

Michael Edwards has compiled a 4-1 record with 23 strikeouts.

Offensively, Carter leads the team with a .420 average including four homers. Noah Quick has a .414 batting averaged with seven doubles and 11 RBI.

Edwards enters the postseason batting .387 (22 RBI, six doubles) while Jay Sheets is at .333 (13 RBI.)

Other key offensive stats include 16 RBI by Mack Brady and 11 by Wyatt Galloway.

Other first round state matchups include Georgia Christian at Flint River, David Emanuel at Brentwood, Monsignor Donovan at Robert Toombs, Brandon Hall at Southwest Georgia, Windsor at First Presbyterian Christian Academy and Grace Christian at LaGrange Academy.

If Piedmont wins the opening-round series, the Cougars will face the survivor of the LaGrange-Grace Christian matchup. The second round will be May 13-14. Piedmont would also host that round.

Admission cost to the state playoff series is $7 for adults and $4 for children.