SBLive’s Top 25 in Georgia high school baseball: Buford starts the season at No. 1

Led by potential No. 1 overall MLB draft pick Dylan Lesko, the Wolves look poised to bounce back from a disappointing finish last season.

By Darren Nichols | Photo by Willie Prince

The high school baseball season started this week in Georgia, and in our first all-classification top 25, we'll focus more on what happened last season than what's happened in the past week.

1. Buford

Last season's record: 32-2

Buford finished the regular season with an undefeated record of 29-0 and was arguably the best regular-season team in Georgia last year. Unfortunately for the Wolves, their season was cut short due to some late-inning losses to Pope in the playoffs. Buford should come back this season and assert its dominance with one of the best pitching rotations in the state, featuring possible No. 1 overall MLB draft pick Dylan Lesko.

2. Parkview

Last season's record: 30-10

Parkview thrived in last year’s postseason, going undefeated en route to winning its ninth state championship and third in the last four years. The Panthers have a ton of returning talent and will look to notch their fifth 30-win season in a row. 

3. Houston County

Last season's record: 33-7

Houston County is the reigning 6A state champion after taking down Lassiter in two games and going 10-1 in the state playoffs. The Bears lost some big-time players to graduation but they always seem to reload and will look for their fourth state title in the last eight years. 

4. Marist

Last season's record: 33-9

Marist is the reigning 4A state champs after taking down Benedictine in the finals and going 10-1 in the playoffs. The War Eagles will be looking to capture their 15th state title this year.

5. Loganville

Last season's record: 30-10

Loganville fell short of capturing its sixth state title after falling to Starr’s Mill in the final round of the playoffs. The Red Devils bring back a ton of talent from last year’s roster, so they look like the early favorite in Class 5A. 

6. Allatoona

Last season's record: 32-7

Allatoona fell short of its goal to become state champions last season after losing to Houston County in the semis. The Buccaneers look prime for another deep run in the playoffs as they return key players such as Aidan Jolley, William Mosley and Ethan Sutton. 

7. North Paulding

Last season's record: 30-10

North Paulding made it to the championship round last season after going 8-1 through the first rounds. North Paulding fell to Parkview, but with a good amount of returning players this season, the Wolfpack can definitely make another deep playoff run. 

8. St. Pius X

Last season's record: 28-12

St. Pius X has been trending upward for the past couple of seasons, surpassing 20 wins last year for the first time since 2015. The Golden Lions will look to ride the momentum from last season’s regular and postseason success, as they went to the final four and came a game away from playing in the championship round. 

9. North Oconee

Last season's record: 31-6

North Oconee has one of the most talented senior classes coming into this season, with six committed to play in college. With the experience of last season’s deep playoff push, the Titans should be primed to at least match their success from last season. 

10. Lassiter

Last season's record: 32-8

Lassiter made it to the final round of the state playoffs last season but lost to Houston County. The Trojans will rely on the right arms of Caden Pierce and Trey Griffin, and catcher/outfielder Ryan Martin will also be a key contributor. 

11. Woodstock

Last season's record: 27-10

Woodstock will try to surpass its success from last season and make it past the third round of the state playoffs. With the help of outfielder Kameron Douglas and ace pitcher Blake Aita, the future is bright for the Wolverines. 

12. Carrollton

Last season's record: 30-5

Carrollton had a dominant regular season last year and feasted on in-state competition. The Trojans were 24-1 against in-state opponents in the regular season and started the playoffs with three straight wins before losing to Lassiter. Carrollton is bringing back a lot of talent from last year's team so a deeper playoff run is possible. 

13. North Hall

Last season's record: 33-6

North Hall captured its second state title in school history last season. The Trojans have consistently been a 20-plus-win team but last year had a season high in wins. The Class 3A favorites are poised to break that record again this year. 

14. Mount Paran

Last season's record: 29-4

Mount Paran’s dominance last season carried into the postseason, as the Eagles won the Class A Private championship and ended their season winning 24 of the last 25 games. The Eagles outscored opponents 232-60 last season and will be led this season by the battery of catcher Tyler Minnick and pitcher Tate McKee, both junior Georgia Tech commits.

15. Pope

Last season's record: 29-12

The Greyhounds made it to the semifinals last season, falling one game shy of yet another 30-win season. Pope took down Buford in the second round of last season's playoffs and gave the Wolves their only two losses. The Greyhounds will be led this season by Georgia Tech commit Carson Kerce and Georgia State commit Jack Butler. 

16. Wesleyan

Last season's record: 32-6

Wesleyan will look to take one step closer this season after losing to Mount Paran last year in the championship round. The Wolves should have every team's attention throughout all classifications. With returning stars like Bryce Hubbard (Mississippi State), Druw Jones (Vanderbilt), Carson Ballard (Georgia Tech), Cooper Blauser (Clemson) and Dominick Scalese (Tulane), Wesleyan has put together a dream team, so opponents beware. 

17. Lambert

Last season's record: 24-15

Lambert had its most wins in a season last year, and the Longhorns have been increasingly improving in recent years. This could be the one of the best seasons Lambert has had in years with the arms it has ready to go on the mound. Headlined by Colin Linder (Texas A&M) and Nathan Dvorsky (Clemson), the Longhorns will have one of the best one-two pitching punches in the state.

18. Greenbrier

Last season's record: 27-7

Class 5A Greenbrier will show off some serious talent every time it is on the diamond. With five players already committed to play college ball, the Wolfpack will be tough for all opponents regardless of classification. 

19. Pace Academy

Last season's record: 21-8-1

Pace Academy will look to push past a second-round playoff exit last season and has the firepower to do so. The Knights are bringing back Vanderbilt commit Reginald Austin, plus Jae Williams and MJ Morris, who both had great years at the plate. 

20. Benedictine

Last season's record: 33-6-1

Benedictine was on the cusp of winning its fourth state title last season, as the team got accustomed to playing in 4A. Marist ended the Cadets' run in the championship round, and future Georgia Bulldog Justin Thomas will try to lead them back.

21. Denmark

Last season's record: 19-17

Denmark finished last season strong and was knocked out of the playoffs by eventual state champ Parkview. The Danes bring back a senior-laden roster this season but are led by a junior, North Carolina commit Francesco Capocci, who's an ace on the mound and a slugger at the plate.

22. Metter

Last season's record: 29-9

Metter will look to protect its throne after winning the Class A Public state championship last season. Kyzer Anthony and John Luke Glanton headline a talented senior class for the Tigers, but the team's superstar is Rustan Rigdon, an all-state shortstop who is already committed to Vanderbilt as a sophomore. 

23. Walton

Last season's record: 22-11

Walton lost in the first round of the playoffs last season but looks poised for a much deeper run this year. With returning talent like Jared Jones, Barrett Eldridge and Nicholas Cubides, the Raiders are expecting big-time improvement this season. 

24. Lowndes

Last season's record: 26-13

Lowndes had a great 2021 season, making it to the final four and earning the program's most wins in over 15 years. The Vikings have been trending upward, and things seem like they will stay that way with a young, talented team. Lowndes has two of the top recruits in the 2024 class in Tate Sirmans and Carson Page, who played huge roles as freshmen. 

25. Troup County

Last season's record: 29-5

Troup County made a complete 180 last season. After going 6-10 in the COVID-plagued 2020 season, the Tigers more than quadrupled their win total. Brett Haynes will be returning this season, and he played a big role for the Tigers last season. 

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Just missed: East Coweta (24-9), Decatur (28-6), Grayson (29-8), Vidalia (29-6)