BROOKLET- High school baseball aficionados in and around southeast Georgia predicted it would be a rebuilding year for the Yellow Jackets. After hosting a home state-playoff game and advancing to the Sweet 16 in the state tournament, it’s safe to say those baseball “experts” were wrong.
    After defeating Jordan 11-6 and 1-0, Southeast Bulloch will face Hart County in the second round for a chance to advance to the Elite Eight.
    Head coach Brandon Peterson said his team is focused on fundamentals against the Bulldogs and wants his team to improve in the batter’s box.
    “Obviously there’s things we could have done better, but we’re happy to move on,” Peterson said. “We just need to continue to work on fundamentals. We had too many fly-ball outs at the plate and we got to focus a little more on that.”
As the two teams prepare to square off for a chance to advance to the next round, here’s a few keys to the game to look out for:
    HOME COOKING- Before the home state playoff game against Jordan, coach Peterson noted how much of an advantage it was to play somewhere familiar to his players. Today, the Yellow Jackets will look forward to that advantage once again playing in front of the home crowd for a second-straight series.
    So far this season the Yellow Jackets (17-6) are 13-2 at home and are riding a 13-game win streak at Southeast Bulloch.
    WHO’S WHO- Pitcher Bryce Harnage is a sure thing to start Game 1 of the state playoff double-header against the Bulldogs. As for the Game 2 starter, it’s anyone’s guess.
    Coach Peterson said he was not sure who he’d send out on the mound, but felt comfortable with his five-man pitching rotation.
    “After Bryce it will all be situational. We have about five or six guys that have really logged some innings for us this season,” Peterson said. “We’ve got a couple of guys that can come in for long relief and we have about five or six guys that could go for us at any time.”
    Against Jordan High School, Coach Peterson called on Daniel Sanford to close it out for Game 2 of the opening round of the state playoffs. Sanford would go on to pitch a complete-game shutout and get the final out of the game to preserve a 1-0 victory.
    Look for Sanford or Matthew Shumate to start Game 2 for the Yellow Jackets. Coach Peterson could also mix it up late thanks to the depth in the Jackets’ rotation.
    JUNKYARD DOG- The Atlanta Hawks found a gem in “the junkyard dog” DeMarre Carroll, a player known for his scrappy style of play and work ethic. The Yellow Jackets have its own version of the junkyard dog in catcher Rigsby Stewart.
    In the opening round of the playoffs, Stewart threw out two baserunners and had a strong day from the plate in the first game. Stewart had two RBIs for the day.
    “I’ve been trying to get quicker behind the plate and get more accurate in my throw-downs,” Stewart said after completing catcher drills in practice Monday afternoon.
    Stewart said this year’s team has bonded together and he’s excited to host yet another home playoff game.
    “It feels really good and it’s pretty special for our senior year,” Stewart said. “It’s a weird feeling knowing this could be your last chance to put on a jersey, so we’ve been working hard in practice so we can keep playing. Past years we’ve had more athletes and this year we’ve heard it’s going to be a rebuilding year, so we just want to prove them wrong.”

   
     Horace Holloman may be reached at (912) 489-9408.