The Georgia High School Association has announced that opening day of the 2020 season will commence on Feb. 10. Programs were allowed to begin practicing in an official capacity on Jan. 13, meaning it's time for the PBR Georgia staff to break down the high school baseball scene in the state in the countdown to the first pitch thrown in 2019.Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we will be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2019 spring season, touching on programs spanning multiple state classifications, counting down the official PBR Georgia Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Our Preseason Power 25 rankings coverage starts today.

Team: Loganville
Preseason Rank: 6
2019 Record: 34-6
Region: 8-5A 
2019 Region Finish: 1st
GHSA Classification: 5A
Head Coach: Jeff Segars
Playoff Run: State Champions
Returning Starters: 11
Returning Pitchers: 6

X-Factor
Strength of depth. The Red Devils return 11 players who saw time in the starting lineup in addition to six pitchers. An unprecedented amount of talent will be at the hands of Coach Segars as Loganville makes a bid for its fourth consecutive Class 5A state title. Balance across the offense, defense, and pitching staff will be some of the top in the state and quite possibly the country. Loganville possesses top end talent offensively in SS Dylan Strickland (2020; Georgia Tech), 1B Daniel Braswell (2021; Georgia), C Ian King (2020; South Georgia), OF Brocker Way (2021) and more. 

On the mound, the team will be led by one of 5A's top pitchers, RHP Caleb Garner (2020; Garner). Garner put up incredible numbers in 2019, going 11-1 with an 1.18 ERA and 71 Ks. He will be joined by the return of LHP Riley Cruce (2021), LHP Dawson Coe (2022) and RHP Dawson Hammonds (2020; Georgia Highlands). 

Outlook
The path to a fourth straight state championship looks more than plausible for Coach Segars and the Red Devils. As we said in the X-factor section, the offense is loaded with talented returning players. Two of the stat's top hitters will lead the charge in Strickland and Braswell. Strickland stands an athletic 6-foot-1, 180-pounds with lean strength throughout his frame. He was the offensive catalyst for Loganville on their march through May in 2019. For the season he batted .308 with five 2Bs, seven HRs and 25 RBI. Strickland has the ability to change the game with one swing, as well as making highlight reel type plays up the middle. 

Dylan Strickland

Braswell is yet another game changer. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound left-handed hitter is as strong as they come and features an advanced hit and power tool at the plate. He has shown time and time again that he backs down from no one and can handle all types of velocity. Braswell was just as inflential as Strickland fro Loganville last season, batting .321 with seven 2Bs, two HRs and 32 RBI. Look for Braswell to put up even bigger power numbers in 2020.

Daniel Braswell

One returnee who may be in store for a breakout junior season is OF Brocker Way (2021). Way was a member of Team Georgia at the 2019 PBR Future Games. Way had his weekend cut short when he wore a fastball off the head, but he showed extremely well during the showcase portion, and will no doubt create waves this spring. A left-handed hitting corner outfielder, he consistently shows smooth, athletic actions in all facets of the game. At 5-foot-10, 165-pounds, he possesses lean strength, posting a 91 exit velocity at the Future Games. The strength translates to the outfield where he topped out at 89 mph.

Brocker Way

A newcomer, on the offensive side of things, to keep an eye on this season will be C Will Cawthon (2022). We got our first look at Cawthon this fall at LakePoint where he turned in a quality at-bat in almost every plate appearance. Cawthon is a hitter, and hitters find a way to put the barrel on the ball. Not only does he do that, but he does it with force. This season may be Cawthon's coming out party.

Will Cawthon

As we said earlier, Garner will reprise his role at the top of the pitching rotation. Southpaws Cruce and Dawson Coe (2022) will have even larger roles. Cruce works into the mid-80s and complements it with a curveball he can manipulate in addition to a changeup. Similarly, Coe can get his fastball into the mid-80s. He is going to be a left-handed hitters worst nightmare this spring. Working from a low 3/4 slot and striding towards the first base side of the mound, his arm whips across his body, releasing the ball behind a left-handed hitters head. What will really be the game changer for him will be his curveball. The pitch comes in with a 2/8 shape and shows both depth and late bite, diving out of the zone at-times.

RHP Dawson Hammonds (2020; Georgia Highlands) missed a lot of time last year with a season ending injury. Now back and healthy, he will be a big contributor on the mound.

Loganville has returning pieces and incoming talent to be one of the early favorites in 5A. There may be just one team that will stand in their way, and that would be the Buford Wolves. Only time will tell who is the better team, but we eagerly await the impending showdown between the two.

 

Make sure to follow @PBRGeorgia on Twitter for the most-up-to-date coverage throughout the 2020 season.

Find more information on the 2020 Red Devils below:

+ Full Schedule
+ Team Website
+ Team Twitter

Preseason Power 25 Countdown