There are storylines aplenty surrounding the four northwest Georgia baseball teams still alive in the GHSA semifinal round of the state playoffs.
There are first-time semifinalists in Heritage and Coahulla Creek. There is the rare No. 4 seed still going in Calhoun, and there is a Gordon Lee team with a shot at redemption.
Here's a closer look at each best-of-three series, which start today with doubleheaders spread across the state:
CLASS AAAA
* Heritage (30-7) at Blessed Trinity (33-4)
The visiting Generals face arguably the most talented team in Georgia - BT is listed as the No. 1 overall team in the state by MaxPreps - based in large part on its dominant starting pitching.
The Titans, state champions in two of the last three seasons, are led by a pitching staff with an ERA hovering around 1, including lefty ace Peyton Glavine (8-1, 1.00), son of former Atlanta Braves star Tom Glavine. He's backed by brothers Paul (8-0, 0.71) and Patrick McNamee (8-0, 0.34) and an offense that takes advantage of its speed.
"The biggest thing that stands out when you look at them is their team speed," Heritage coach Eric Beagles said. "They put a lot of pressure on you offensively, and they take a lot of things away from you defensively with their speed. They are very talented and have a lot of depth on the mound.
"We're going to have to play extremely fast on defense and play very, very clean."
Of course, Heritage has its own elite pitchers in ace Cole Wilcox (9-2, 1.16) and Alex Barbee (8-3, 1.42) and a lineup that has erupted for 71 runs in seven postseason games.
CLASS AAA
* Coahulla Creek (26-9) at Pierce County (26-7)
Elite pitching also will be on display when the upstart Colts, the No. 2 seed from Region 6, try to extend their magical run.
Pierce's mound staff, led by Cody Grant and Cody Williams, has held 17 teams to one run or zero this season, including five times in the postseason. Coahulla Creek counters with game one starter Trent Collins, who is 10-0 with a 0.51 ERA, and game two starter Eli Turso (6-1, 1.13).
The Colts also don't mind playing on the road, where they are 19-2 this season.
"We have played really well on the road, where it seems we don't get distracted," Coahulla Creek coach Michael Bolen said. "Early in the season we go to Savannah to play and stay in a hotel for a few days, so the guys get accustomed to it.
"To win this series we will have to match their pitching and do what we've been doing, which is relying on every member of this team."
* Calhoun (23-13) at North Hall (26-11)
The visiting Yellow Jackets have won six road playoff games in their surprising semifinal run after a regular season in which they went 12-6 in tough Region 6. Four of those losses were by one run, including three 1-0 defeats.
Those losses, according to coach Chip Henderson, helped toughen the team for this postseason.
"We had some tough losses, but we learned from them and grew as a team," Henderson said. "Our region was very tough, as you can tell by having two of the final four teams, so we've seen some very talented teams."
To keep the run going Henderson's team will have to beat an equally hot North Hall team that just dispatched No. 1-ranked Ringgold. To do that the Jackets again must rely on a pitching rotation led by Brett Potts, Jackson Braden and emerging sophomore lefty Davis Allen, who shut out Lovett in game three of the quarterfinal round.
CLASS A PUBLIC
* Charlton County (24-6) at Gordon Lee (25-5)
The Trojans have been itching to play Charlton's Indians since falling in a pair of epic championship series in Folkston in 2013 and 2014.
"Hopefully we can get some revenge for losing down there," Gordon Lee senior catcher Dylan Minghini said. "They are very good, but so are we and hopefully we can prove it."
Pitching is likely to be the deciding factor this time around. Charlton has two ace-type starters in Austin Knowles and Jack Gowen, while Gordon Lee's deep staff is led by Austin Thompson and Ethan Clark, who have a combined 18-1 record.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22