The second round of the AHSAA State Baseball Playoffs begins this week and both the Pike Liberal Arts Patriots and Ariton Purple Cats remain in play in Class 2A. 

Pike Lib (16-14) will hit the road to face Horseshoe Bend in the second round beginning Thursday, April 24, with a doubleheader at 4:30 and 7 p.m. If a game three is necessary it will be played on Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Pike Lib swept Geneva County in two games in the first round, outscoring the Bulldogs 16-4 in two games. Jack Baggett and Kade Brookins had a big series for Pike in the first round. In two games, Baggett held a .667 batting average with a home run, six RBIs and a run. Brookins pitched seven innings in game one and struck out an eye-popping 15 batters, while giving up just five hits and three earned runs. He also hit a double and scored two runs with two stolen bases in game two. 

Pike and Horseshoe Bend have not played this season but the Generals swept Highland Home in the first round. 

The reigning two-time 2A State Champ Ariton (24-9) will host Tuscaloosa Academy for a doubleheader on April 24 at 4 and 6:30 p.m. A game three will be played, if necessary, on April 25. 

Ariton is coming off a hard-fought three-game series win over Bayshore Christian in the first round this past weekend. Ariton’s Wells Ganey had a big series, earning a .545 batting average with a pair of home runs, two doubles, eight RBIs and five runs. Austin Evans also closed out the series on the mound, striking out three batters and giving up just three hits and two earned runs in seven innings pitched of the game three win. 

Tuscaloosa Academy and Ariton have not played this season but the two sides met in the first round of the playoffs last season, a 2-0 sweep for the Cats. Tuscaloosa Academy comes into the second round with an overall record of 13-18 but the Knights throttled Loachapoka in the first round, outscoring them 33-0 in two shutout wins in the sweep.