Bartow Sports Zone’s update on minor league baseball players with ties to Cartersville and Bartow County. Connor Justus started his professional career in June with the Rookie Pioneer League Orem Owlz in Orem, Utah. His early success has already earned his first promotion and the Los Angeles Angels front office moved the Cartersville native infielder to their Class A affiliate in Iowa, the Burlington Bees. Capsules for MiLB players with local ties to Cartersville and Bartow County: Grant DeBruin — Hagerstown Suns — Class A, South Atlantic League — MLB Parent Club, Washington Nationals -- (Adairsville HS) The former Adairsville High School and University of Alabama-Huntsville standout has a .333 batting average (14-for-42) over his last ten games with two homers and 12 RBIs. He has hit safely in nine of his last ten games, raising his season batting average to .252 with four homeruns and 24 RBIs. DeBruin, 26, spent the first part of the year in extended spring training and was briefly at the Advanced Class A level with the Potomac Nationals. His season stats reflect his time with both clubs. Hagerstown is 18-12 in the SAL second half, currently one-half game behind the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins affiliate) in the Northern Division. Hagerstown already clinched a post-season spot by winning the division’s first half. Dalton Geekie — Rome Braves — Class A, South Atlantic League — MLB Parent Club, Atlanta Braves -- (Georgia Highlands College) Geekie has a 2-4 record with a 5.14 ERA in 28 appearances in 2016. He has one save in 42 innings of work and opponents have a .239 batting average against him. The most recent appearances for the former GHC Charger were July 15 and July 20. Geekie earned a one-inning hold by working a scoreless eighth inning as the Braves shutout the Columbua Fireflies, 3-0. He struck out one and it was his second hold of the year. He also took the mound for a shutout eighth inning as Rome routed the Lexington Legends, 11-2. He collected a strikeout in that performance also. Rome is currently 14-15 in the South Atlantic League’s second half standings, in fourth place, three and one-half games behind the Southern Division leading Augusta GreenJackets (SF Giants affiliate). Sam Howard — Hartford Yard Goats — Double-A, Eastern League — MLB Parent Club, Colorado Rockies -- (Cartersville HS) Howard picked up a pitching win July 16 and a no decision July 22 in his two most recent starts. He went six innings and allowed only one earned run on five hits and two walks as the Yard Goats beat the Binghamton (NY) Mets 4-2 at home July 16. Howard recorded three strikeouts. He followed that performance with a five inning, no-decision at the Reading (PA) Fightin’ Phils where he yielded four earned runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out five. Reading won that game with two late runs, 6-5. The 23-year-old former Canes and Georgia Southern University southpaw is now 5-8 on year after starting the season 4-3 with the Advanced Class A, Modesto Nuts of the California League. He has a 3.77 ERA in 19 starts and 107 and 1/3 innings. Opponents have a .249 batting average against him. The Yard Goats are 55-44 on the year and in third place in the Eastern League’s Eastern Division. They trail the Reading (PA) Fightin’ Phils by 12 games. Connor Justus — Burlington Bees — Class A, Midwest League — MLB Parent Club, Los Angeles Angels -- (Cartersville HS) After an outstanding start to his professional career with the Rookie level Orem Owlz, Justus has recently been promoted to the Class A (full season) Burlington Bees of the Midwest League. Justus was selected in the fifth round of this year’s MLB draft by the Los Angeles Angels after completing his junior season with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The former Cartersville Purple Hurricanes shortstop has now played in three games with his new club, hitting in the six-spot in the Bees’ lineup. Justus is 2-for-12 since moving up to Burlington, but hit .344 for the Orem Owlz and has a .324 batting average in 29 professional games. He also has seven extra-base hits and 24 RBIs in that span. Defensively, Justus has a .955 fielding percentage in 110 total chances. He has been part of 13 double plays in just over 243 innings. The Burlington Bees are 16-14 in the second half standings of the Midwest League’s Western Division and are 48-52 overall in 2016. The Bees are currently 5.5 games back of division-leading Clinton LumberKings (Seattle affiliate). The Midwest League is comprised of 16 teams in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. Teams in the league are affiliated with the Cubs, Rays, Blue Jays, Tigers, Dodgers, Indians, Reds, Padres, Mariners, Twins, Astros, Angels, Brewers, Cardinals, A’s, and Diamondbacks. Donavan Tate — Rancho Cucamonga Quakes — Advanced Class A — California League — MLB Parent Club, Los Angeles Dodgers (Cartersville HS) Tate played in ten games after coming off the disable list to start the season. He has a .143 batting average in 35 at bats with a home run and four RBIs. He has played defensively at both corner outfield positions and has been utilized as a designated hitter, but has not seen action since July 6. The Quakes are 16-14 in the second half standings of the California League’s South Division. They are currently 3.5 games behind the Lancaster JetHawks (Houston Astros affiliate). To check on these local players any time, use the 'Athletes Beyond Bartow' page of this web site to locate active links to each players statistics, schedules, results, and other team information.

The Cartersville Little League 10U team defeated Goodlettsville (TN) Little League 8-3 Monday afternoon to clinch a spot in the 10U Tournament of State Champions single-elimination bracket that begins Tuesday at Elm Street Park in Greenville, NC. Cartersville, the Georgia state champions, finished 2-1 in pool play. The Canes lost their opener in the tournament to Northwood Little League of Taylors, SC, but defeated South Durham (NC) Little League in extra innings Sunday night and Goodlettsville to advance. Teams with winning records in pool play will be seeded for the championship bracket. The bracket will include four to six teams depending on the remainder of Monday’s pool games. The 10U state champions from the eight states of Little League’s Southeast Region are represented in the event. In Monday’s win, Caleb Daniel tossed a complete game for Cartersville scattering six hits and a walk while notching four strikeouts. He needed only 67 pitches to complete the six innings of work and threw first pitch strikes to 18 of the 24 batters faced. Cartersville fell behind 1-0 in the top of the third inning, but responded with a pair of runs that gave the Canes a lead they would not relinquish. Nick Hruby walked to get the inning started and after Turner Abernathy entered to run for Hruby, Hayden James lined a single into left field to put runners on the corners. Daniel bounced out to shortstop to score Abernathy and James crossed the plate to give Cartersville a 2-1 lead when Miles Owen reached on an infield error. Cartersville extended its lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the fourth. Gavin Shrewsbury was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and moved to second base on a single by Joseph Womack. An RBI single by Hruby scored Shrewsbury, but Hruby was put out at second trying to advance an extra base. James and Daniel followed with RBI singles and Cartersville went ahead 6-1 when Owen reached on another infield miscue. Cartersville scored two more runs in the fifth to take an 8-1 advantage. Singles by Connor Brasfield, Abernathy, and Hruby accounted for the runs. Goodlettsville managed a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning on three straight hits, but Daniel closed out the game with a groundout and a pair of infield line outs that sealed the victory. Hruby (2 RBI), James (RBI), and Daniel (RBI), had two hits each for Cartersville. Abernathy (RBI), Brasfield, Shrewsbury, and Womack added one hit each. Owen contributed one RBI and stole a base. The 10U Canes await the announcement of their first opponent in the championship bracket. Single-elimination play begins at 10am Tuesday morning. The tournament will conclude with a championship game Wednesday at 11am.

Cartersville Little League 10U has played some of its best baseball this summer with its “back to the wall.” Sunday night at the Tournament of State Champions in Greenville, NC, the youthful Canes did it again by rallying from a 10-3 deficit in the fifth inning to win 14-13 over South Durham, NC Little League in extra innings. Cartersville, who fell to the loser’s bracket and won the Georgia state title by surviving three consecutive elimination games one week ago, tied the game Sunday with 10 runs in their final two frames. The locals then won it with a Hayden James walk off single to right field that scored Turner Abernathy in the bottom of the seventh. With the game tied 13-all, Abernathy singled to center field with one out to get Cartersville’s seventh inning started. Joseph Womack followed with an infield single and the two runners moved up a base on a groundout by Nicholas Hruby. James then delivered the game-winning hit with two outs. The victory keeps Cartersville 10U in contention for single-elimination bracket play that begins on Tuesday. Cartersville, now 1-1 in the tournament, must defeat Goodlettsville, Tennessee Monday at 12:45pm to advance to the championship bracket. Only teams with winning records in pool play advance to the bracket. Goodlettsville is 0-2 in two pool games. The Tennessee representatives have losses to Loudon County, Virginia and McCalla, Alabama. Cartersville lost Saturday to Northwood Little League of Taylors, South Carolina. Cartersville 10U playing as the home team Sunday fell behind 5-0 before scoring three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Gavin Shrewsbury and Womack singled and Abernathy reached on a walk to get the frame started. Easton Elrod, a special runner for Shrewsbury, scored on an error following Womack’s hit. Hruby grounded out to drive in Abernathy, and Womack scored on a James RBI single to make the score 5-3. North Carolina pushed their lead to 10-3 with five runs in the top of the fifth, but Cartersville matched them with a five-spot of their own in the bottom of the inning. Shrewsbury and Connor Brasfield hit back-to-back solo homeruns to start Cartersville’s fifth. Abernathy was then hit by a pitch and Womack was safe on an infield error to continue the Canes’ rally. Coby Barrett, a special runner for Abernathy, scored on a ground out by Hruby to make the score 10-6 before James doubled home Womack and later scored after a pair of wild pitches to cut the North Carolina lead to 10-8. South Durham pushed their lead to 13-8 in the top of the sixth, but Cartersville would rally again. Brasfield led off the bottom of the sixth with his second solo homer that made the score 13-9. Womack and Hruby coaxed walks and scored following a James single. Caleb Daniel delivered an RBI double and Ayden Ray sent the game to extra innings with a two-out double that scored Daniel. Cartersville utilized four different pitchers to nail down the victory. Shrewsbury (1.2 IP, 0R, 1H, 1K) picked up the pitching win. Miles Owen (3.1 IP, 5R, 4ER, 3H, 2BB, 4K) was the Cartersville starter on the mound. Brasfield (1 IP, 4ER, 4H, 0BB) and Daniel (1 IP, 4R, 2ER, 3H, 0BB) also saw time on the bump for the Canes. James went 5-for-6 with four RBIs and two runs scored at the top of the Cartersville order. Daniel was 4-for-4 with a walk, scored a run, and drove in one run. Brasfield (2 RBI), Shrewsbury (RBI), and Womack finished with two hits each. Abernathy, Elrod, Ray (RBI), and Owen each added a hit in the Canes’ 19-hit attack. The 10U Tournament of State Champions continues through Wednesday at Elm Street Park in Greenville, NC.

The Bartow County Senior Little League Softball team was eliminated Sunday at the Southeast Regional with a 7-3 loss to the North Carolina state champions. Washington (NC) Little League lost in the first round to Cape Coral/Ft. Myers (FL) Little League 2-0, but will advance to the championship game with the win over Bartow County. Bartow, the Georgia state champions, also lost in the modified double-elimination event to the Florida state champs earlier in the tournament. Washington and Cape Coral/Ft. Myers were to play for the Southeast Regional title and a berth in the Senior Little League World Series Sunday night. Bartow County went 3-0 to win the Georgia state championship tournament and finished 2-2 at the Southeast Regional. The Bartow County Senior League roster includes: Sarah Fox, Taylor Queen, Hope Elrod, Sierrah Gani, Loren Harris, Madison Harrison, Alexia Najarro, Makenzi McIntyre, Morgan Deboard, Maggie Collum, Sarah Moore, Emily Collum, and Havyn Isaac. Coaches: Greg Hight, Hannah Hight, and Haley Hood.

Cartersville’s Philip Schiltz hit a two-run homer in the top of the sixth inning Sunday afternoon to lift Cartersville Little League 12U to a 10-8 win over Smyrna Little League at the Georgia State Little League Tournament in Peachtree City. Cartersville built an 8-4 lead going to the bottom of the fourth inning, but Smyrna rallied to knot the game 8-8 prior to Schiltz’s heroics. In the bottom of the sixth, Drew Rothschild struck out two and induced a ground ball to second base to close out the victory. Blake Sutton, who had three hits, and Rothschild also hit homeruns for Cartersville. Schiltz was the starting pitcher for Cartersville. He went four innings allowing only one earned run on three hits and a walk. He struck out ten. Rothschild recorded five strikeouts in two innings. Rothschild was 2-for-3, scored three runs, and drove in a run. Schiltz was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in. Tanner Wall, Ernesto Cortes, Jake Lawson, and Elliott Eastin added hits for the Cartersville offense. Cartersville took a 6-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Smyrna narrowed the lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the first. Cartersville then added single runs in the third and fourth innings to go up 8-4 before Smyrna tied the game in the bottom of the fourth.

The Cartersville Little League 10U baseball team suffered an 11-1 loss Saturday to Northwood Little League, SC at the Tournament of State Champions in Greenville, NC. South Carolina scored in all four of their offensive innings and pounded out nine hits. They led 5-0 after two innings, when Cartersville narrowed the margin to 5-1. Northwood answered with a run in the bottom of the third and closed out the game in the bottom of the fourth with a five-run frame. Hayden James and Ayden Ray had the only Cartersville hits. Both were doubles. Caleb Daniel had the RBI for Cartersville with a sacrifice fly in the top of the third inning that brought home James. Five different Cartersville players took the mound in the loss. Miles Owen, Connor Brasfield, Joseph Womack, Gavin Shrewsbury, and Daniel each pitched in the contest. Cartersville has two more pool games remaining. Cartersville 10U plays South Durham Little League (Durham, NC) at 6:15pm Sunday night and will take on Goodlettsville, TN Little League Monday at 12:45pm. Teams with winning records through pool play advance to bracket play Tuesday. In other tournament games Saturday, McCalla, AL defeated Goodlettsville, TN, 9-3 and Loudon, VA shutout Ona, WV, 11-0.

After winning twice on Friday, the Bartow County Senior Little League Softball team did not fare so well Saturday at the 2016 Southeast Regional in Salisbury, NC. Bartow, the Georgia state champions, were blitzed by Cape Coral/Ft. Myers American Little League, 18-0 in five innings. Florida scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take an initial lead, then added three, five, and eight runs in each of the next three innings for the mercy, run-rule victory. Bartow managed only two hits off Florida starter, Nicole Rodriguez. Hope Elrod and Morgan Deboard each had singles. Hannah Holloway had three hits and two RBIs to lead Cape Coral/Ft. Myers American and five other Florida players had at least two RBIs each. Bartow used three different pitchers in an effort to slow down the Florida club. Loren Harris, Sarah Moore, and Elrod each took the circle for the locals. Meanwhile, the Bartow defense struggled by committing five errors. The victory puts Florida in the Southeast Regional championship game. Bartow plays the Moorefield, WV vs. Washington, NC winner Sunday at noon with a chance to get back to Cape Coral/Ft. Myers American in the finals at 3pm. ______ Bartow County Junior Little League, who advanced to the Southeast Regional as Georgia champions, was eliminated with two straight losses. Bartow fell to Richmond County, VA Friday and Keystone/Northside, FL on Saturday. The Bartow roster includes: Harper Powell, Caitlynn Tincher, Kyla Jenkins, Holli Elrod, Alexis Ellison, Madison Sheppard, Aniya Bailey, Maranda Thomas, Haley Owens, Kaliabel Carson, and Christina Higginbotham.

The Georgia state champion Bartow County Senior Little League Softball team won twice Friday at the Senior Little League Softball Southeast Regional in Salisbury, NC. In their morning opener at the Regional, Bartow County shutout Shore, VA Little League, 7-0 behind a two-hitter tossed by Loren Harris. Bartow then defeated Smoky Mountain Little League of Newport, TN 4-2 to complete an opening day sweep. Against Shore, VA, Harris went the full seven innings and needed only 97 pitches for the shutout victory. She walked one batter and collected 13 strikeouts. On offense, Bartow scored twice in the top of the first inning and added runs in the third, fifth, and sixth innings on their way to the win. Sierrah Gani and Sarah Moore had two hits each for Bartow County, while Morgan Deboard homered to help lead the locals. Emily Collum, Havyn Isaac (double), Taylor Queen, and Harris had the other Bartow hits. Hope Elrod added one RBI with a sacrifice. Gani and Deboard had one stolen base each. No details, other than the final score, were available regarding the 4-2 win over Smoky Mountain Little League. Please check future reports for information on that victory. Bartow County and Cape Coral/Ft. Myers American Little League, FL are the only 2-0 teams remaining in the tournament after Friday’s games. Cape Coral/Ft. Myers American defeated Washington, NC 2-0 and Moorefield, WV, 12-2. The two unbeaten teams will square off Saturday afternoon with the winner guaranteed a spot in the Southeast Regional championship game. Saturday’s schedule: 10:30am — Washington, NC vs. Smoky Mountain, TN 1pm — Shore, VA vs. Moorefield, WV 4pm — Cape Coral/Ft. Myers American, FL vs. Bartow Co., GA 6:30pm — Washington/Smoky Mtn. winner vs. Shore/Moorefield winner The 2016 Senior Little League Softball Southeast Regional continues through Sunday. The Southeast Regional champion will advance to the Senior Little League Softball World Series in Sussex County, Delaware July 31-August 7. The Bartow County Junior Little League Softball team lost its opener Friday at the Junior Little League Softball Southeast Regional also being held in Salisbury, NC. The Bartow Junior team dropped a matchup with Richmond County Little League, VA. Bartow will look to bounce back Saturday in a matchup against Keystone/Northside Little League of Miami, FL. The Junior Little League Softball Southeast Regional also continues through Sunday.

The Cartersville Little League 10U all star team won the state championship last Sunday and will compete in the 2016 Tournament of State Champions Saturday, July 23 through July 27 at Elm Street Park in Greenville, NC. Cartersville 10U defeated Smyrna Little League twice in the Georgia state championship round to win the title. In addition to their 2-1 mark in matchups with Smyrna, Cartersville had wins over Northern Little League of Columbus and Oconee County Little League to finish the state tournament with four wins and only one loss. Opening ceremonies will take place Friday, July 22 and Cartersville will open the TOSC at 10am Saturday morning against Northwood Little League of Taylors, SC. Other teams in the Tournament of State Champions include: McCalla Little League (McCalla, AL); Plant City Little League (Plant City, FL); South Durham Little League (Durham, NC); Goodlettsville Little League (Goodlettsville, TN); Loudoun South American Little League (Loudoun County, VA); and Ona Little League (Ona, WV). Cartersville Little League 10U will also have pool play games against South Durham Sunday at 6:15pm and Goodlettsville on Monday at 12:45pm. All teams finishing pool play with winnings records will advance to a single-elimination championship bracket. Format: — Eight state champions will each play three games against three random opponents during the course of “pool play” beginning on Saturday. At the conclusion of the pool play round Monday, the top four seeds as well as any team with a winning record (2-1 or better) will advance to the single elimination bracket round. — Teams will be seeded based on Little League seeding procedures. — The tournament will seed 4, 5, or 6 teams advancing to the single elimination bracket round. The schedule for Tuesday will depend on the number of teams that finish pool play with winning records. — Ties that cannot be decided by head to head or defensive runs per inning will be decided by a blind draw if the teams involved have at least 2 wins and the only reason for needing to break the tie is for seeding purposes. If 1 win teams are needed to fill out the four team semi final field then the head to head and Defensive runs per inning will once again be applied to fill out the field. — If there are two teams tied, that haven’t played each other and have the same Defensive runs per inning then there would be a 1 game playoff to determine who gets in the four team single elimination. If three teams are tied and head to head and Defensive runs per inning don't break the tie then a blind draw would eliminate one team and the other two would have a 1 game playoff to advance to the final four. If only 4 teams advance to the single elimination round, Tuesday’s schedule will be as follows: 10:00 – Semi Final 1 - #2 vs. #3 12:45 – Semi Final 2 - #1 vs. #4 If five teams advance to the single elimination round, Tuesday’s schedule will be as follows: 10:00 – Quarter Final - #5 vs. #4 12:45 – Semi Final 1 - #2 vs. #3 3:30 – Semi Final 2 - #1 vs. Winner of Quarter Final If six teams advance to the single elimination round, Tuesday’s schedule will be as follows: 10:00 – Quarter Final 1 - #3 vs. #6 12:45 – Quarter Final 2 - #4 vs. #5 3:30 – Semi Final 1 - #2 vs. Winner of Quarter Final 1 6:15 – Semi Final 2 - #1 vs. Winner of Quarter Final 2 The winner of the two semi final games will play in the Championship Game on Wednesday morning at 11:00am. For live online coverage of the 10U Tournament of State Champions, use the following link: http://www.eteamz.com/tournamentofstatechampions910/news/index.cfm?cat=927286 The Cartersville 9-10 Little League roster: Easton Elrod, Nicholas Hruby, Joseph Womack, Gavin Shrewsbury, Connor Brasfield, Hayden James, Turner Abernathy, Miles Owen, Ayden Ray, Caleb Daniel, Charlie Rothschild, and Coby Barrett. Manager: Richard Daniel. Coaches: JJ James and Joe Owen.

The Bartow County 11-12 Little League softball team lost to Vine-Ingle/Western Little League Thursday night, 10-0, in the championship game of the 2016 Georgia Little League state tournament. The state title sends Vine-Ingle/Western to the Little League Softball Southeast Regional July 28-August 1 in Warner Robins, GA. The winner of that seven team tournament advances to the Little League Softball World Series in Portland, OR, August 10-17. Vine-Ingle/Western swept through the Georgia state tournament, defeating Bartow County twice on their way to a 4-0 record. Bartow defeated Pioneer Little League, 15-2, Oconee County American Little League, 24-0, and Habersham Little League, 3-2, to finish the state tournament with a 3-2 mark. In the state finals Thursday night, Vine-Ingle/Western scored five runs in the top of the second inning to take command early. They added three runs in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth for their 10-run total. Meanwhile, Bartow was limited offensively. Cassie Jones and Sayde Johnson had the only Bartow base hits. Bartow managed three more baserunners with walks , one was hit by a pitch, and one batter reached on an error. Unfortunately, the locals were unable to get the key hits and left seven runners on base. Eryn Lee, Rachael Lee, and Madison Bentley had stolen bases for the Bartow offense. Bartow had a couple of chances. They loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the first inning and had two base runners in the third inning with only one out. Bentley (3 IP, 5ER, 3H, 3BB, 2K) and Chloe Souders (2 IP, 4ER, 6H, 0BB) split the pitching duties for Bartow County. Vine-Ingle/Western will join Irmo, SC; Clarksville National/Montgomery Central, TN; Atlee/Ashland, VA; Barboursville, WV; the Florida state champion; and the North Carolina state champion at the Little League Softball Southeast Regional in Warner Robins.

Brad Stephens brings his own Southern flavored sports perspective and humor to Bartow Sports Zone. He is a Bartow County native and has his own law office in Cartersville, but he's mostly a Georgia Bulldogs' football fan. Brad will also be joining Bartow Sports Zone as a color commentator during the 2016 Bartow County Game of the Week as BSZ joins forces with WBHF AM1450 / 100.3FM to broadcast two, live high school football games each week. ________________ When I was in school, I used to pine away for the summer months. Sitting in classrooms staring out the window, ready for long days not filled with algebra, grammar rules and rectangle pizza. No more bus rides, giant literature books, or the prospect of lunch detention for running in the halls. Euphoria would begin as soon as that last bell rang and nobody, not even the teachers, could deny the happiness of crossing the parking lot one last time to head home. That euphoria no longer exists once you leave the halls of high school or college. You become a cog in the machine of capitalism, where the change in seasons means very little. The advent of summer is just another day and you realize that unlike your school years, June-August will not be spent at White Water or at the golf course. Now, you look out the window of your office and just hope the car is less than 100 degrees when you leave to head home. For those of us who follow college football, the summer has come to be a time of dread. Nothing good seems to happen and in the case of my beloved Dawgs, we just assume that something awful is bound to occur before kickoff. When Steve Spurrier said that he likes to play Georgia early because we always have two or three key players suspended, people wanted him burned at the stake. His words, while snarky and delivered with the typical Head Ball Coach smirk, are not without truth. This summer has been marred by arrests and injuries….again. Sony Michel broke his arm riding an ATV. Jonathan Ledbetter has been arrested twice for alcohol violations and will probably go to rehab. Juwan Briscoe is suspended for one game for driving with no valid license. Chad Clay was dismissed from the team before he ever played a down. The once promising Chauncey Rivers is history after the police saw marijuana smoke billowing from his car in a parking lot and arrested him for the second time in less than six months. Then there was the BB gun incident, which was more comical than anything. The aforementioned Clay and freshman Julian Rochester face felony charges for criminal damage and possessing a weapon in a school zone for shooting solo cups in their dorm room. If the UGA Police investigated the rooms of Creswell Hall during my freshman year, every single one of us would have gone to jail. That was back in the day when UGA was not run by the Dean Wormers and Douglas C. Niedermeyers of the world. Kirby Smart has weathered the storm and seems to be dead set on moving forward without these distractions thwarting preparation for the upcoming battle with North Carolina in the Georgia Dome on September 3rd. Recruiting seems to be picking up steam and all reports indicate that the team is responding to the new staff in a positive way. A culture change is the pervading theme and Smart’s moniker “Win the Day” has taken a life of its own in Athens. I guess “Finish the Drill” has gone the way of the dodo bird because it is not echoing off the walls of Sanford Stadium anymore. While I am annoyed that legal trouble reared its ugly head again this summer, I am encouraged. There is a difference in this team, an energy that has been missing for several seasons. Maybe it is the newness of the Smart Era, but the excitement cannot be denied because it is as palpable as the Georgia humidity in July. If you need any further notice, see the G-Day game turnout and the vibe in the stands as the players trotted out the tunnel. Watch the video of Kirby Smart addressing 93,000 Dawg fans with “it’s good to be home.” I get chills just thinking about it. With questions at several positions and two new coordinators at the helm of the offense and defense, the Dawgs have their work cut out for them. Apparently, the writers agree with me, as Georgia is picked to finish third behind Tennessee and Florida in the East. Smart cannot work miracles overnight and I hope the Dawgnation as a whole comes to grips with that right now. I cannot tell you what the future holds for the 2016 Georgia Bulldogs, but you better believe the hype machine will be in high gear if North Carolina takes a beating. That begs the question, is this possible? Can Georgia open and close strong? The end of Mark Richt’s tenure was marked by losses at inopportune times to inferior opponents and lopsided blowouts to favored opponents that further illustrated Georgia’s inability to perform on the big stage. Now, they have a coach that has been on the biggest stage of all and won several times. He knows what it takes to succeed at the highest level and he learned from the best. Smart hails from a program that is a machine. A juggernaut. Alabama’s success is indisputable and honestly, the envy of college football right now. I think Smart is taking the blueprint he learned in Tuscaloosa and bringing it to Athens. Love him or hate him, Nick Saban knows what he is doing. He is recruiting bigger players, literally and figuratively. The Dawgs are garnering interest from higher rated players and based on the current commitments, sit at number three on Rivals.com’s team rankings. The new coaching staff is hitting the trail with a fervor not seen since Richt’s early days and many recruits remark about the new energy within the Georgia coaching staff. With several five stars still on the table, the Dawgs could move into one of the two top spots. I remember thinking while watching Alabama warm up in Athens last season, how much larger their players seemed. It was no figment of my imagination and they bullied Georgia all over the field in an embarrassing blowout that saw most Dawg fans leaving in the third quarter. I don’t think the Dawgs will be a small team on Smart’s watch. He has reiterated time and time again how the Dawgs need to get bigger and I do not think Smart is in the business of polite suggestions. So, eat up, fellas. It is my sincere hope that Georgia can overcome their obstacles and surprise people. I am not expecting any miracles, but what I do expect is a new look and new attitude. One that eliminates our penchant for folding up in the big game and letting inferior opponents hang around. I expect us to fight to the finish and “Win the Day,” no matter what. Welcome home, Kirby. ______________________ What do you think? Post your comments on the Bartow Sports Zone Facebook page or on Twitter @bartowsportszon Use #bradstephens Interested in writing for Bartow Sports Zone? Use our contact page on this website to inquire.

In a battle to reach to championship round of the 2016 Georgia Little League Softball state tournament, Bartow County Little League and Habersham County Little League were entrenched in a battle to the very last inning. Pitchers for both teams were in control for most of the contest. Habersham took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, but Bartow rallied with a three-run, sixth inning for a come-from-behind victory. With the win, Bartow will get a rematch with Vine-Ingle/Western Little League for the state championship Thursday night. Bartow’s only loss in the tournament came to Vine-Ingle/Western Tuesday night, 3-1. Wednesday night, Bartow County pitcher Madison Bentley went the distance for the win in the circle. Bentley scattered four hits and a walk while allowing only two runs in the fourth inning. One of those runs was unearned and she struck out four in the game. Trailing 2-0 going to their final chance in the sixth inning, Bartow’s offense came alive to pull out the win. Cassie Jones reached on a bloop single into left field to get things started with one out. Following a second out, Chloe Souders lined a single into left field and Jones eventually scored when the Habersham infield mishandled the ball. Ansley Hight walked for another base runner in the sixth inning and Hallie Owens followed with a single into centerfield that allowed Souders to score and tie the game, 2-2. Bentley reached on an error by the Habersham pitcher and Hight scored Bartow’s go-ahead run. Although Habersham County had one base runner in the bottom of the inning that reached on an infield error, Bentley was able to retire the next batter with a pop up to Sayde Johnson at third base to end the game. Eryn Lee, Jones, Souders, and Owens had the only Bartow hits as the locals improved to 3-1 in the state tournament. Lee also stole two bases. The finals between Bartow County and Vine-Ingle/Western will take place at Hamilton Crossing Park Thursday night beginning at 6pm. If Bartow can force a second championship game, it will be played at approximately 8pm Thursday.