Northside opens state softball playoffs at home

The Northside softball team won a region title and advanced to the Elite 8 last season.

The Lady Patriots are even more talented this season, so expectations have been high for Brandon Jenkins’ program from the start of the season in August.

Northside (25-5) won its second straight region title last week, beating Columbus 11-0 to take the 1-4A championship.

Starting Wednesday, the Lady Patriots, who have been ranked No. 1 this season in the ajc.com poll, will face those expectations head on as they open the Class 4A state playoffs with a series against Hepzibah. A doubleheader is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. If a third game is necessary, it would be played at 5 p.m. Thursday.

“I try to manage the expectations, but that is easier said than done,” Jenkins said. “I told the girls last week we were undefeated in the region during the season, but that doesn’t mean anything. We are a loss away from our season being over.

“And that is the approach we are going to take into the state playoffs. Everyone is 0-0. You have to go out and prove how good you are.”

Northside roared out to a 9-0 start this season and climbed into the No. 1 ranking in the poll. But then came the Buccaneer Bash, where the Lady Patriots dropped three of four.

“I told the girls that the other teams don’t care how good you are, they don’t care you are undefeated, they don’t care you are No. 1. That just gives them more motivation,” Jenkins said.

Northside will need to win two series to earn a berth in the Elite 8, which will be played Oct. 27-29 at South Commons.

“Our focus is on Game 1 on Wednesday,” Jenkins said. “We are not worried about Game 2. We will worry about that one after we finish Game 1.”

Other Class 4A first-round series starting on Wednesday include Cross Creek at Columbus (4:30 p.m.) and Hardaway at Burke County (4 p.m.). Harris County is at home against McIntosh (4 p.m.) in a Class5A series, and Brookstone is at home against Hebron (2:30 p.m.) in a Class A-private school series.

This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Northside opens state softball playoffs at home."