The Augusta GreenJackets' 2005 schedule lacked a team from outside Georgia, South Carolina or North Carolina.

A quick glance at the 2006 schedule, which the South Atlantic League posted on its Web site Tuesday, shows teams from West Virginia, New Jersey, Ohio, Kentucky and Maryland. The GreenJackets will play every team in the SAL next year, with road trips as far as Eastlake, Ohio, and Lakewood, N.J.

And Augusta general manager Nick Brown isn't thrilled that the GreenJackets go to nearby Savannah and Charleston, S.C., the same number of times - once - as they travel to Ohio and New Jersey.

"I just don't see how it makes sense," Brown said.

The GreenJackets start the season on the road during Masters Tournament week, as usual. Their first trip is to Charleston for four games beginning April 6. They get April 10 off before beginning an eight-game home stand against Greenville and Charleston on April 11. Augusta ends the regular season with an eight-game homestand, beginning Aug. 28 against Greenville and ending Sept. 6 against Asheville.

There are 13 Friday home games and nine Saturday home games.

RUNNING OUT OF TIME: The GreenJackets (31-29 through Monday) trail first-place Kannapolis (35-22) by 5 games in the SAL Southern Division.

Including Tuesday's games, Augusta has nine games left - including two doubleheaders - and Kannapolis has seven remaining.

Augusta has to win the division to earn a playoff berth.

LEADING THE WAY: Greenville's John Otness (.336) leads Augusta right fielder Brian Horwitz (.333) and Asheville's Matt Miller (.332) for the league batting title going into Tuesday's games. If a player's previous success against his opponent is any indication, Horwitz has an advantage over his competition.

Horwitz has batted a combined .416 against Columbus and Savannah - Augusta's final two opponents - this season. Greenville is playing Savannah and Rome, and Otness has hit a combined .363 against them, while Miller has hit .266 against Kannapolis and Hickory.

Horwitz also has a chance to finish at the top of the league in doubles. Greensboro's Brad McCann is first with 35, while Horwitz, Miller and Asheville's Justin Nelson each have 34.

Augusta left-hander Jonathan Sanchez needs 13 strikeouts to reach 171 on the season, tying Elvin Hernandez, who played here in 1996, for the GreenJackets' record for strikeouts in a season. Sanchez likely has just one start left, and 13 would be a season high, so that record might be out of reach, but finishing first in the league in strikeouts is not.

He trails Delmarva's Kevin Hart by two (160-158) and has averaged about eight strikeouts a game over his past four starts. Hart has averaged about seven strikeouts a start during that same span and has hit double-digits in a game only once this season. Sanchez has struck out 10 or more five times this season.

Center fielder Alex Requena and shortstop Marcus Sanders both have a chance at catching Hagerstown's Carlos Gomez for the league lead in steals. Gomez has 59 stolen bases, while Requena is second with 54 and Sanders is third with 52.

Reach Kristy Shonka at (706) 823-3216 or kristy.shonka@augustachronicle.com.