Welcome to the Beacon's 2011 High School Baseball Preview issue. Now I'm sure some of you are probably saying to yourselves right now, "Uh, Breech, my team has already played 11 games, aren't previews suppose to come out BEFORE the season starts. Didn't you pass eighth grade English, pre – as in preview – is a prefix that means before, you should be fired." 

All right, I should probably note that this preview was supposed to come out on March 20 before region play started for most teams. You know, a pre-region play preview. However, the school board decided to go crazy with this redistricting thing and so redistricting stole our cover spot on March 20. So I too hate redistricting as much as every parent in Roswell. 

STATE TITLE CONTENDERS

Now that we've got the whole "is this a preview or not," question out of the way, lets move on to a more exciting topic, like, can any local team win a state championship this season. From 2004-2006 North Fulton was a hot bed for state baseball championships. Milton won in 2004, Chattahoochee won in 2005 and Blessed Trinity won the AA state title in 2006. Since then, there's been nothing. However, I think the drought's going to end this year. 

So who has the best chance to bring home a state title? Lets start with Blessed Trinity. If Coach Andy Harlin is reading this right now, he's probably thinking, "Don't do it Breech, don't pick us to win the state title. You're like an ugly black cat and the Sports Illustrated cover jinx rolled into one, you have bad luck written all over you." Well coach Harlin, I'm going to do it. You went to the Elite Eight in 2009. You made it to the Final Four last year, so based on natural progression, this means you're going to win the state title. 

OK, lets see, who else do I want to jinx? How about Chattahoochee? When they moved down to class AAAA before the 2010-2011 school year, I wrote something ridiculous along the lines of "I think Chattahoochee can win a state championship in every sanctioned GHSA sport." Nine months later it doesn't seem so ridiculous. The football team won the state title, the girl's basketball team made it to the Final Four and now I think it's the baseball team's turn. Coach Tim Lemons even raided the football team for a few players. If my guess is right about the Hooch baseball team, Timmy Byerly and Kane Whitehurst are going to end their high school career with a state baseball ring and a state football ring. I had no rings. 

Finally, I think a North Fulton team from Region 6-AAAAA is going to make it to the Final Four, but not win the state title. The North Fulton teams in 6-AAAAA? Alpharetta, Roswell, Centennial, Milton and Northview. If this preview would have come out a month ago, I would have picked Milton, but it didn't, so I'm going with Alpharetta. Coach Bohn, don't let me down. 

Previews:

Alpharetta

Blessed Trinity

Centennial 

Chattahoochee

Fellowship

Johns Creek

King's Ridge

Milton

Mt. Pisgah

Northview

Pinecrest

Roswell

St. Francis