The Georgia High School Association has voted to play its baseball championships at neutral sites beginning next spring.
Rome’s State Mutual Stadium, home to the Class A Rome Braves, and Savannah’s Grayson Stadium will be the sites, with each hosting four championship series May 25-27.
Two series will begin play with doubleheaders on Thursday, with the other two series beginning Friday with doubleheaders. The “if necessary” third games would be played Saturday.
The sites for each series will be determined based on geography of the teams involved to limit travel, if possible.
The change, said Ringgold coach Brent Tucker, has its pros and cons.
“The year we were able to host the finals and the year we were able to go to Columbus and play, those were the best high school environments I’ve been around,” he said. “There were an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 people there and the field was surrounded by people. If you put 2,000 people in a stadium that holds 10,000, it’s not the same in my opinion.
“Now, this might be the greatest thing ever, but there are a lot of questions. What if you have a northern and southern team playing? Is it going to be in Savannah or Rome? It wouldn’t be fair to either to have to travel. Is it going to be good financially? Both times we made the finals our program made a good deal of money. What happens if it rains and we only have those days to get it in?
“On the plus side, it would be great for the kids to get to watch other championships. I just hope we’re fortunate enough to be able to ask those questions next spring.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.