Deerfield-Windsor to battle Valwood for second straight year in GISA baseball title series

ALBANY — The Deerfield-Windsor baseball team will be facing a familiar opponent when they open the Georgia Independent Schools Association Class AAA state title series tonight.

For the second straight year, the Knights will battle Valwood to decide who takes home the title. The series starts tonight with the first game played at 7:30 p.m. at Georgia College in Milledgeville. Game 2 will be played Saturday at 11:00 a.m. If needed, Game 3 would take place at 5:30 p.m.

Last year, the Knights won the first two games of the series to take home its first title since 2003.

“I think experience is a big factor in this,” Deerfield-Windsor’s Charles Crosby said. “We’ve been here before and we’ve been in this situation before, so it helps a lot.”

The teams played twice this season and split with the away team winning each game.

Valwood, who is 21-8, knocked out Loganville Christian in round one and Region 2 champion Frederica Academy in the second round. The Valiants went on to beat Trinity Christian-Sharpsburg in three games in the semifinals to earn their second straight state title berth.

“We have an awful lot of respect for Valwood,” Davis said. “We beat them once, they beat us once. In my book, I would say we are a pretty even matchup. It is definitely going to be a challenge.”

Despite getting swept by the Knights in the championship series last season, Valwood coach Robert Shipman is once again looking to meeting up with Deerfield with a championship on the line.

“It means we get to play the very best that the GISA has to offer,” Shipman said. “It means that we’ve got 10 seniors that were there last year. They know what it’s like and they get an opportunity to get a crack at the best.”

Deerfield earned the Region 3-AAA title and the top seed after going 17-6 during the regular season. The Knights’ offense has been on a role since the start of the state tournament, scoring 10 or more runs in six of their seven games.

“They really take the pressure off me,” Deerfield’s Tanner Ford said. “I know if I give up a couple runs the offense is going to be right behind me.”

The Knights swept first-round oppponent Bethlehem Christian and second-round opponent Pinewood Christian in two five-inning games. Deerfield has suffered just one loss in the tournament which came Friday against The Heritage School of Newnan.