NOTEPAD: Wesleyan moves to NAIA, softball playoffs nearly set

Wesleyan College’s sports teams will begin competing at the NAIA level starting in 2027, the school announced this week.

The Wolves currently play in NCAA Division III and will stay in that division for the 2026-27 season before making the move up to NAIA the following year, according to a press release from the college. 

The move comes after another Macon school, Middle Georgia State University, got approval and moved from NAIA to Division II earlier this year. The Wolves will join the same conference Middle Georgia State was a member of, the Southern States Athletic Conference.

“Wesleyan opened doors for women in 1836 – and we’re still opening them,” Wesleyan president Meaghan Blight said in a press release. “NAIA and SSAC membership expands access to a world-class college education for talented student-athletes right here in Middle Georgia. 

“It means more opportunities to compete — and, true to Wesleyan’s focus on nurturing each student’s individual gifts, personalized mentorship and care from coaches and professors, on the court and in the classroom — all within a college experience rooted in leadership, character, and academic excellence.”

Wesleyan’s sports currently include basketball, soccer, volleyball, beach volleyball and softball. The college is set to add flag football, cheer and wrestling as it joins the conference.

Wesleyan will have less travel in the new conference as well, according to the press release.

The Southern States Athletic Conference features six other schools in Georgia, including nearby Thomas University in Thomasville, Life University in Marietta and Point University in West Point, among others. Other SSAC schools include William Carey in Mississippi and Faulkner in Alabama.

“On behalf of the Southern States Athletic Conference, I am thrilled to welcome Wesleyan College as the newest member of the NAIA and the SSAC,” SSAC commissioner Mike Hall said in the press release. “Wesleyan is a perfect geographic and competitive fit for our league, becoming our seventh member from Georgia.”

FPD, Tattnall softball solidify spots atop region

Macon teams are fighting for region championships as the softball season nears its end.

FPD and Tattnall are still vying for the GIAA Class 4A/3A District 6 championship, though the Vikings have the decided edge since defeating the Trojans 11-8 in an extra-innings thriller last week.

FPD, on the back of a seven-game winning streak, holds first place right now thanks to splitting the series with Tattnall and holding the run differential tiebreaker. John Milledge was in the mix for a three-way tie atop the region but 8-3 to Stratford on Sept. 25.

The victory put Stratford in position to potentially tie with FPD and Tattnall, but a loss against the Trojans on Tuesday gave the Eagles their third district loss.

Barring unlikely region losses for one of FPD or Tattnall, the two will each finish with only two region losses and finish first and second, respectively.

The GIAA Class 4A state tournament begins Thursday, Oct. 16 in Columbus.

ACE locks down region, power rankings in flux

The ACE Gryphons defeated Dublin 14-5 on the road to secure firm control of GHSA Region 2-A Division I. The Gryphons play Southwest, which they defeated 18-1 earlier this year,  in their last game of the season Thursday.

The Gryphons lost the region championship to East Laurens last season but defeated the Falcons last week to claim sole possession of first place. A first-place finish in Region 2 would give ACE priority seeding in the Class A-Division I playoffs.

That seeding, though, will remain a mystery until the season ends next week, even though the Gryphons complete their season Thursday. 

ACE is guaranteed a top-eight seed if they win the region title as expected. The Gryphons cannot mathematically finish any lower than second place, guaranteeing them a home series to start the playoffs.

The first-place finish will be helpful, as ACE is only ranked No. 18 in the GHSA’s Post Season Formula because of its tough schedule and 18-9 record. Oddly enough, East Laurens remains one spot above the Gryphons in PSR at No. 17 as of Tuesday.

The only other Macon school in Region 2 with playoff hopes is Central, which currently sits at 10-11 overall with a 7-8 region mark. 

The Chargers are outside the top 32 in the PSR at No. 42, but there are eight private schools currently ranked in the top 32 and another two in the 10 spots above Central. An at-large spot is still in the cards for Central as a result, thanks to the private schools having their own bracket in GHSA.

The Chargers must face Dodge County and Washington County, two teams it has lost to already this season, to finish the schedule.

The GHSA state softball tournaments begin Oct. 13.