ACE baseball ready for playoff series against Haralson County

If you could only use one word to sum up Bubba Pool’s feelings ahead of his first playoff series as the ACE baseball coach, it would be excitement.

That was all Pool could talk about ahead of ACE’s first-round matchup in the GHSA Class A-Division I state tournament.

“The guys are so excited for this. It’s what we’ve worked for all season. They’re a really close group and I’m so excited to watch them play,” he said.

The Gryphons finished the season 21-7 and second place in Region 2, which got them the No. 9 seed in the playoffs using GHSA’s Post Season Ranking system. They will face No. 24 Haralson County at home Friday. Game 1 begins at 4:30 p.m.

While the second place finish was not the best possible scenario, Pool said the key for ACE was getting home field advantage, which they secured with a 3-0 victory over region opponent Washington County to end the season.

“That’s what we really focused on: getting that home game. We’ve had great fan support all year and the guys really feed off the crowd,” Pool said. “As far as travel, there’s a lot of logistics for (Haralson County). We don’t have to worry about those when we’re at home.”

In that win over Washington County, pitcher Slade Hodge finished a complete game and only allowed five baserunners while striking out seven batters.

“Slade has been really huge for us pitching lately. He’s 4-0 in his last four starts, think he’s got an ERA below 1.00,” Pool said. “We didn’t really throw him as much early in the season, he had some injury stuff, but now he’s contributing for us. He’s a really important guy on this team.”

Also anchoring the Gryphons’ rotation are William Makowski, Chase Sasser and Will Mincey. Makowski has been a fixture on the mound for ACE this year, boasting some of the best velocity on the team.

The lineup is relatively balanced, Pool said, as the Gryphons get knocks in big moments from almost every spot in the order. Sasser, Hodge and Trey Barton have all hit well. Makowski often helps himself out at the dish. Sebastian Falduti — “Mr. Clutch,” as his head coach called him with a chuckle — came up with multiple walk-off hits against region opponents this year.

The way the Gryphons produce runs reflects how the team has bonded this year, Pool noted.

“It’s really been a team effort, different guys each night. It’s wild how this team loves each other and wants to play for each other. They compete against each other in practice, but in a game they don’t care who gets the big hit,” Pool said. “There’s something about these guys, they’re just excited.”

That all goes back to before the team even began practicing together. Pool recalled a “brotherhood week” where coaches got to know the players and “put ‘em through it.”

“Ever since then, it’s just been excitement (for them). That’s when I started thinking this team could be a really special group of guys,” the head coach said.

As for their opponent, there’s not a ton to go on. Haralson County has no stats listed publicly on MaxPreps or Gamechanger, the two predominant sources for high school baseball, but Pool is doing some scouting.

“We know (Haralson County) played in a really strong region. They’re 13-16, but that record can be deceiving because they’ve played good teams, so we don’t want to look at that. I’ve been asking around about them,” Pool said. “It’s not as much about Haralson County as it is about us. We just have to be consistent.”

The Rebels played in Region 6 with Bremen, the No. 2 team in the bracket. Other formidable region foes included Model (No. 10) and Pepperell (No. 14). Even the region’s fifth-ranked team, Heard County, made the playoffs as the No. 27 seed. Haralson County lost to No. 2 Bremen three times, but did keep it close in two games that ended 4-0 and 5-3.

ACE will also need sharp defense in the playoffs. The Gryphons have done well defensively for the most part this season, but some of their losses came in part because of some miscues at the field. Pool wants the team focused on fundamentals as they attack the goal they’ve focused on all year.

“If we can go out there and throw strikes and make the routine plays, that’s what’s most important,” Pool said. “Then if we get the bat on the ball, then we can win this series.”