The 2026 Georgia high school softball season officially began on August 1 and will culminate with the playoffs running from October 28-31 at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, Ga.

Line Drive Media contributor Steve Hickey tracks the prep fastpitch journey in the Peach State for the seven public divisions (1A through 7A) and the one private division.

This is Week 3 of what will be a baker’s dozen of articles throughout the season to provide highlights and spotlights for journey in Georgia to crown its champions.

• Click HERE for Week 1’s report
• Click HERE for Week 2’s report

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A Season Coming into Focus 

The third week of Peach State softball has wrapped up with some interesting story lines, there are some old familiar faces, there are some new faces, and there are some new familiar faces emerging from the pack. 

Just as interesting, there are some struggles to pre-season favorites to watch. 

We here at Line Drive Media don’t dance on anyone’s grave, but the competition of softball brings you results.  A look at championship teams don’t reveal perfect teams, but rather teams that handle their problems faster and better than others. 

Injuries, slumps, new roles, new positions, new coaches, old coaches, everyone has their own issues.  The best competitors see each one of these as an opportunity. 

Are you ready for your one chance?  Players make plays…

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Playoff Power Ranking System Explained – Take 1 

For the long-form analysis adverse, here is your takeaway: the GHSA power ranking system rewards winning.  Region winners will be assured of a playoff spot. 

After that, the PSR will determine who else gets in, what their respective seedings will be, and the host sites. 

So, if you are Buford and have now won 41 games in a row, don’t worry about it. 

But, as you look closer at the formulas, you will see the magic in the math: quality scheduling, because the next major driver is quality wins against other winning teams and the third most important driver is opponents’ opponents win percentages. 

The big change from last year is that home wins counted less (90 percent) than away wins (1.10%). 

That is no longer the case as all GHSA wins are now worth 100 percent.  Games against GISA teams are discounted to 90 percent. 

You will begin hearing about a Maxwell Ratings system that takes a national view of games and has the ability to include wins for these out-of-state contests. 

Currently, out of state contests are not awarded any points, and that silence in the team’s PSR may hurt them in the final seeding. 

Typically few GHSA play out of state opponents, mainly due to the off-cycle nature of our season, but, there is at least one invitational in Chattanooga each year that does draw in some teams. 

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Our Q&A with Mount Vernon Coach Mike Edmonson 

We sat with Coach Edmonson to look back at his program’s emergence on the GHSA scene as a perennial softball power, some thoughts on this year’s club, his scheduling for the season, and some special players across the landscape for this year. 

Line Drive Meda: Coach, as recently as 2017, Mount Vernon did not have enough players to field a varsity team.  Compare that to today… 

Mike Edmonson: It’s a blessing, really.  When that happened, we played up a group of 8^th graders to JV, and then we had a core group of dedicated and talented players that turned the corner for the program. 

We could begin scheduling harder programs, on weekends, and began paying the price for what would eventually be considered success.  It wasn’t easy there.   

We broke through in 2021 and achieved our first trip to Columbus.  We made some noise down there that year, and defeated the reigning state champion, but ran into a buzzsaw pitcher that is currently pitching at UCLA. 

Still, it has now become our program’s off-season and season long goal is to travel those 128 miles to Columbus.

Fortunately, we have now made five consecutive trips to South Commons and that success has allowed us to continue to field a solid middle school team and also maintain a JV team. 

I think going way back, girls would matriculate here and then leave to other schools to pursue their ambitions.  We have been able to flip that around, and I think families see our academics, our school mission, and the additional opportunities that softball allows their daughters to see Mount Vernon is a destination for North Atlanta families.   

There is a fallacy that private schools cast this net to recruit.  That’s funny. I spend so much time focusing internally on our own girls, I don’t have capacity to chase talent, but what is true is that young girls with dreams of playing at the highest level, they are not leaving us now. 

That is the inherent problem of being a small school, you are 1 class of players away from not having enough numbers to field a team.  We see it in our region.  A really good program, competing for region championships, and boom.  Not enough players.  It’s really hard to come back from that. 

LDM: You are nearing a career milestone coming up, 250 wins.  That would put you in the top 50 of all-time winningest coaches in GHSA. What do you think about that? 

ME: I didn’t know that.  I don’t look at it like that. I guess it means that we have had some pretty good players come through here.  It means that the school, families, and our coaching staff have been able to do things together that I could have never dreamed about. 

I enjoy the small things about the game; I try to umpire local parks during my off-season, I will just go and watch my players when someone else is coaching them, I will drive the bus for my middle school girls when I can. 

I just enjoy what this game means to our community.   

It took me several seasons to get quality assistant coaches.  In fact, I could not keep doing this if I didn’t have Coach Trey Lang and Coach Stan Jones. 

Trey originally came to our school as the baseball coach.  He had nothing going on in the fall, so we drafted him to help with softball.  He’s a young guy, and at first, he was reluctant… but, tell me if you have heard this story before. 

He started working with the players, and he realized these athletes are actually more coachable, and he enjoyed this sport more.  Now, he won’t go back!

I have tendered over offense play calling and third base duties and now he loves the fall season.  This sport is just as competitive as anything he has done in his athletic career, but he has quickly come to understand what makes softball so special. 

Coach Stan is a legend across the north Atlanta softball community.  He is a true believer as well.  He has been coaching for 30 years and is a highly respected hitting coach.  In his off time, he is working with hitters just because he enjoys it so much. 

All that work he puts in with other people’s daughters, it is showing up with his own daughter.  His wife is a nationally highly respected pitch coach.  She has worked with just about every great pitcher out of the Southeast.  His, truly, is a softball family. 

When you have a staff of coaches that are actually leaders, it is a secret sauce to any team environment. 

Now, that you make me think about it, I would like to answer it this way. 

We have a player who is a senior this year who hasn’t played softball in a couple of years.  She approached me in the spring and asked if she could come back out.  We have a good team, and I encouraged her to try out.  We have found a great role for her, she is faster than grease lightning, so we courtesy run her for our pitchers. 

Just last week, she had a terrific play where she went sliding in and broke up a fielder’s choice and kept us in the inning.  She ended up scoring, and it mattered. 

We have had several girls come through our program that went on to play college softball, and that’s cool.  It’s what everyone will talk about. 

But to me, it’s those types of small things, it’s not going to show up in any official record, but it’s that kinda stuff that makes me proud of these girls and getting them into winning opportunities. 

LDM: Looking forward to this year’s team, how does your team look?  Are there any players to keep an eye on? 

ME: We have a very talented junior class.  They all showed up as freshmen and played but we knew they would struggle early. That season started even worse than feared, we had a very good pitcher who was hurt and couldn’t go. 

And, compounding expectations from a state championship game and runner up finish the year before, we got off to a really poor start and things looked bleak. 

We had a parent ask if it would even make a difference if and when she would return to play, but those freshmen walked through the fire, and by the time October rolled around, they were not freshmen anymore. 

Now, it’s their time, that investment is paying off.  And they believe it and they are hungry and getting after it. 

Most importantly, we have outstanding leadership.  We are led by 2027 Alex Schiff.  As a freshman, that team only had one hole and that was at shortstop.  She stepped in, was the captain of the infield, and she led our team to that state championship game.  She has always done whatever the team has needed her to do. 

This past spring, Alex approached me.  We have just graduated out our four-year starter at catcher, and this team has only one question, but its “who can backstop this team at catcher?”

She set aside her own self-interests and asked to catch.  She submitted her role to another freshman at shortstop. 

Can you imagine that? 

Alex has put that catcher gear on and we have not missed a beat.  In fact, I think our pitching has leveled up because of her high game I.Q.  She’s been relentless on and off the field serving this team. 

In the weight room, dugout, at practice and in critical moments of each game—she’s one of those glue girls you see come through a program.  We are fortunate to have her. 

LDM: What does your schedule look like and how do you see the season coming at you? 

ME: The Private Classification playoffs are very tough.

There are some very good players and teams that cannot even spell “Columbus,” because they get shut out each year so you have to schedule tough opponents to get you ready. 

We played Riverwood, they have a Power 4 commit pitcher, we have played Wesleyan, a four-time defending state champion, we have Eastside, the defending state champ and Prince Avenue, which is always a threat to win state.

We also have Lassiter, Grayson, and Walton–some big schools—so, we need to stay healthy and take every opportunity to prepare, learn, and develop in order to be Columbus-worthy in October. 

LDM: Thanks Coach.  Best of luck to you and your squad this year. Always fun to check in. 

So, that was our meeting with Coach Edmonson.  He is bullish on the Mustang’s season.

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Now, let’s look at this week’s results across the Peach State…

Class 7A 

Harrison has secured several nice wins to start the season against Cartersville, Carrollton and Pope.  Cherokee has started 6-0 with wins against Creekview, North Forsyth, and Pope.  Led by 2028 Brooklyn Evans, the Hoyas are a dangerous team to threaten I-85 to Columbus. 

North Cobb started 1-7 after challenging in Columbus last year is left with a young squad.  Leah Byrd, the do-everything unicorn has headed to Auburn, and left new coach Bailey Arnaud with a lot of questions in order to compete.  7A is a tough place to grow up. 

Dacula has announced itself as a contender at this classification with a 7-1 start and quality wins against Prince Avenue, Loganville, Hebron Christian, and Grayson.  Those are some impressive wins, and we may need to get Head Coach Bobby Burford on record for the season to come.   

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Class 6A 

The Lee County Lady Trojans are out fast with an 8-1 record with its only loss to 5A power Perry, and quality wins against Columbus, Thomas Central, Perry, and maybe what could be considered a good win against a young East Coweta. 

The squad is led by 2029 Porter Butler with a strong start to the young season.  This will be fun to continue to track this team this fall. 

South Effingham is 5-2 with wins over Lassiter, Bacon County, Wayne County, and Vidalia. 

Creekview has a target on its back, as the reigning state champion, and has started 6-1 against a thick schedule.  It has quality wins against Cherokee, West Forsyth, and Eastside. 

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Class 5A

North Oconee, the alma mater of current Oklahoma Sooner Kendall Wells, has started 9-0.

It always strikes me when an immensely talented player leaves a program and then the individuals left behind rally to become greater than the sum of the parts. 

Peyton Manning at Tennessee, Dominique Wilkins at UGA basketball and now Kendall Wells. 

I guess it was all the additional pitches and at bats as Kendall got 148 walks in her career, and opposing pitching staffs went after everyone else in that lineup.  Those extra pitches are now paying off for 2029 Hartley Hurt, and North Oconee is trying to get back to Columbus.   

Perry started 5-0 with a great win over Lee County. 

Wayne County is 8-2 with great wins against Appling County, Thomasville, Coffee, and Effingham. 

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Class 4A 

Pickens is 5-1 and has 2 wins against Lumpkin County.  We will continue to watch this team and see if their schedule proves them to be a contender for Columbus. 

Long County is 5-1 in the young season with quality wins against Blessed Trinity and Glyn Academy. 

Columbus is 5-1 with three wins against Monroe.  A suspect has been identified in the early season rankings.   

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Class 3A 

Appling County is 6-0 with nice wins against Emanuel County Institute, Effingham, and Wayne County. 

Pike County is 4-0 with wins against Harris County and Union Grove. 

Defending state champ, Sonoraville is 8-0 with wins over Gordon Lee and Bremen.  2027 Lakelin Hall is driving the bus to Columbus, saving the best for last. 

Based on my last check, college coaches, this one remains uncommitted.  Someone is playing to prove everyone something.  I have heard about sleeping on players, but not on state champs.  

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Class 2A 

Cook is 9-0 with wins over Worth County, 2 wins over Tift, and Berrien. 

Bacon County is 5-0 with a quality win over Effingham. 

Dade County from the far northwestern corner of Georgia is 10-0 with 2 good wins over Trion and Christian Heritage. 

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Class 1A 

Our inaugural coverage over this classification sees Lanier County off to a 4-0 start and has a quality win over Irwin County.  Wheeler is 7-1 with quality wins over Telfair and Vidalia. 

The entirely too-soon-to-publish ITG Next ranked Lanier as a Top 10 team in the state regardless of classification. 

Wow, someone got into the Starbucks pumpkin spice early. 

That’s pretty heady, but last year’s senior class did win two state titles and one third place finish.  Problem is they graduated four girls to go play college ball. 

I think I know which fanbase was writing letters to cover this classification last year; regardless, we will continue to cover their journey this season. 

Irwin County has a 2-1 start with good wins over Coffee and Lanier County. 

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Private 

Pace Academy and Westminster petitioned to be reclassified into this breakout category for the 2026 season. 

Pace Academy has a beautiful facility with an active elevated railroad track across the left field outfield fence and dares hitters to hit the train when one rolls through during the middle of the game. 

The railroad track is not the only elevated thing in its softball program, as it has a lofty 5-1 record to start the season with quality wins over Cambridge, Dunwoody, and Northside, Columbus. 

Led by the talented 2028 Wrigley twins, Katie and Megan, Pace may be new face in Columbus this year.   

We will track prohibitive favorite Hebron Christian each week, and their strong schedule has yielded wins against Dacula, Loganville, and Westminster. 

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Wrap-Up 

Amaze, Amaze, Amaze.

That’s all we can ask for, and it is the difference between good and great.   

The fun part about softball in the fall in the Peach State is learning all the new names, rising up through the ranks each year. 

For these young players, one year is huge. 

Last year’s seniors graduated and made way for a youth movement.  Last year’s role players levelled up, and you can see sparks flying as they begin making noise. 

This year’s senior class either puts the pedal to the metal, and you can see urgency, consistency, and excellence or some are coasting making them vulnerable to competition on their team. 

Did I mention it’s really hard as well? 

Some schools are terrific at recognizing and touting their players, and conversely, some schools clearly don’t give a rip.  Listen, it should not be hard to look into a program’s results and roster and see the stars that make the engine go.   

For pundits who wish to understand my process: I will attend two or three games a week in person for the season, and I track the remaining schools of interest via X, Gamechanger, and the GHSA power rankings (which took them forever last year to figure out, calculate, and publish. 

Those rankings were not dropped until September.  Fortunately, these have been straightened out and are already live). 

I also rely on the Georgia Dugout Club’s rankings to point me in the right direction, but we don’t have power of subpoena, nor do we have a warehouse of investigators to search all over for game schedules, results, highlights, and interesting storylines. 

Parents of players can take this as a call to arms not very different from the dugout snacks dilemma; if you look around and it’s not being done well or not being done at all, pick up a rifle and join the battle. 

If you look around and cannot find your team’s hype man, congratulations.  You are now your team’s hype man. 

So that is Week 3. 

How many miles is it to Columbus from your school?  If you know it, feel free to drop me a line and give me the insider’s look at your team and the journey ahead this season. 

Many thanks already to coaches that have already reached out and included me in their Gamechanger updates.  Hopefully, you will see me following your Gamechanger feeds. 

Coaches, tout your players.   

You can reach me at hickeysd1@yahoo.com and I will be happy to include an update and do a player or coach profile.   

— Steve Hickey/Line Drive Contributor