Pitching lifts Edmund Burke

WHAT'S UP: The Edmund Burke baseball team will play in its first state semifinal this week.

It will travel to Tifton, Ga, to meet Tiftarea Academy in a best-of-three series beginning Friday. It's the farthest the team has ever advanced, coach Aaron Phillips said. He said the school has had a baseball team for a little more than 20 years and won its first region title this year.

"We feel like with our pitching, we can compete with anyone; we have a chance in every ball game," Phillips said.

Freshman left-hander Brandon Sharpe has won 10 games for Edmund Burke this season.

ON THE ROAD: Lakeside and Evans will play their first playoff baseball games on the road today. Lakeside is at Marist; Evans is at defending champion Loganville.

Region 3-AAAA is one of three regions in Class AAAA with two teams in the quarterfinals, joining Region 2-AAAA (Wayne County, South Effingham) and Region 5-AAAA (Northgate, Starr's Mill).

CURTIS CHAMPS: Curtis Baptist recently won several state titles at the Georgia Independent Schools Association state track meet. Ritzy Griffin, Katlyn DuBose, Jasmine Griffin and Kisha Jones took first place in the 400-meter relay. Ritzy Griffin also won the triple jump. Brandon Davis won the triple jump and long jump at the Albany, Ga., meet.

FAMILIAR FOES: Three of the four teams that made it to the Lower State semifinals in Class AAA boys soccer came out of Region 5-AAA. Brookland-Cayce and Airport met Monday night in one semifinal, while South Aiken defeated Myrtle Beach in the other.

South Aiken went 3-1 against the other two semifinalists. Airport beat the Thoroughbreds 4-3 in penalty kicks April 21. It's South Aiken's only loss in 19 games.

BIG GAMES THIS WEEK

BASEBALL

GHSA CLASS AAAA STATE QUARTERFINALS

BEST-OF-THREE SERIES

Lakeside at Marist, 4 p.m. today: War Eagles, who swept Whitewater and Sprayberry, have a deep pitching staff and University of Georgia recruit Kyle Farmer at shortstop.

Evans at Loganville, 4 p.m. today: Remember the Red Devils, Columbia County? Blitzed by Nolan Belcher in the opener, they rallied for two wins at Greenbrier to take the quarterfinal series on the way to the 2008 state title.

GISA CLASS AA STATE SEMIFINALS

BEST-OF-THREE SERIES

Edmund Burke at Tiftarea, 1 p.m. Friday: The two teams will play one game Friday and, if necessary, two on Saturday. Tiftarea has graduation Friday night. The winner will play host to the state championship series next week.

SOCCER

GIRLS

GISA CLASS AAA STATE SEMIFINALS

AT STRATFORD ACADEMY, MACON

Augusta Prep vs. First Presbyterian Day, 5:30 p.m. Thursday: Cavaliers, who won the quarterfinal 4-2 at Deerfield-Windsor, face the best team in the state; First Presbyterian Day is 21-0 and has given up only four goals.

Westminster vs. Stratford Academy. 7:30 p.m. Thursday: Westminster, coming off a spirited 3-1 win over defending state champion Mount de Sales, faces a team that has cruised to two playoff wins by a combined 20-0.

Reach Matt Middleton at (706) 823-3425 or matt.middleton@augustachronicle.com.