Key week on the baseball diamond

Published 1:14 pm Monday, April 17, 2017

By Kevin Eckleberry

kevin.eckleberry@lagrangenews.com

LAGRANGE – It’s decision time.

The Troup Tigers and LaGrange Grangers both know they’ll be in the state playoffs, but they still have plenty to play for this week as they wrap up their region schedules.

Also this week, the Callaway Cavaliers will have a pair of non-region games as they tune up for the state playoffs after winning the Region 5-AA championship.

Troup and LaGrange both have two Region 5-AAAA games remaining, and there is a lot on the line.

Troup is sitting in first place in the region with an 8-2 record, and it has a critical home showdown with Cartersville on Tuesday.

If the Tigers win that game, they’ll be the region champions, no matter what happens in their region finale at Sandy Creek on Thursday.

If Troup loses on Tuesday, it could find itself in a three-way tie for first place with Cartersville and LaGrange, who are both 7-3 in the region and tied for second.

Troup beat Cartersville 1-0 on March 24 behind a complete-game shutout from Colby Williams.

LaGrange, which lost a 2-1 heart-breaker to Cartersville on Friday, will host Sandy Creek on Tuesday before completing its region schedule at Chapel Hill on Thursday.

The Grangers can still finish anywhere from first to fourth in the region.

For Callaway, it’s all about getting ready for the playoffs.

The Cavaliers concluded their region schedule with a doubleheader sweep of Heard County to finish with a 12-0 region record.

Callaway will visit Central-Carroll on Tuesday before finishing the regular season with a home game against Jackson on Friday.

The seniors will be recognized on Friday.

OF NOTE: For a look at the Region 5-AAAA race and how things can still shake out, check out Tuesday’s sports section.

THIS WEEK’S GAMES

TUESDAY

Cartersville at Troup, 5:30 p.m.

Sandy Creek at LaGrange, 5:30 p.m.

Callaway at Central-Carroll, 5:45 p.m.

THURSDAY

Troup at Sandy Creek, 5:55 p.m.

LaGrange at Chapel Hill, 5:55 p.m.

FRIDAY

Jackson County at Callaway, 5:45 p.m.

Troup at East Coweta, 5:45 p.m.