BUFORD, Ga. — Buford softball opens the GHSA Class 7A state tournament at home Wednesday, October 14, hosting Rockdale County in a best-of-three first-round series. The doubleheader begins at 4:00 p.m., with the second game scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Both games take place at Buford.
If the teams split Wednesday's games, the deciding third game will be played at Buford on Thursday, October 15. The start time for that game has not been announced.
A look at the matchup
Buford enters the postseason with a 22-3 record and the No. 1 position in Class 7A in GHSA's October 9 Post Season Rankings. The Wolves hold a PSR score of 0.70587. Rockdale County is listed at 12-11, with the No. 32 PSR position and a score of 0.46899. Official GHSA PSR rankings
Across the 25 games listed in GHSA's results, Buford has outscored its opponents 282-84, averaging 11.3 runs scored and 3.4 runs allowed per game. The Wolves have won four of their last five games and closed the regular season with a 17-3 victory over Collins Hill on October 6. Buford's GHSA results
Rockdale County has won six of its last nine games listed by GHSA. That stretch includes victories over Luella, Cedar Shoals, Douglas County, Lithonia and Mundy's Mill twice. Its most recent listed result is a 19-6 loss at Alcovy on September 30. Rockdale County's GHSA results
Buford secured its fifth consecutive region championship with a 15-3 win over Mill Creek on September 22. The title was the program's 17th since moving to fastpitch competition in 2002.
How PSR works
GHSA's Post Season Ranking formula combines three measures: a team's winning percentage accounts for 35 percent, its opponents' winning percentage accounts for 35 percent, and its opponents' opponents' winning percentage accounts for 30 percent. When calculating opponents' winning percentage, games against the team being evaluated are excluded.
The system incorporates both results and schedule strength. Region champions automatically qualify and host a first-round series, while the remaining qualifiers are determined through PSR. A team's PSR ranking and its final bracket seed can differ because region-champion provisions affect placement.
The postseason path
The winner of the Buford–Rockdale County series advances to face either Hillgrove or region foe Seckinger in the second round, scheduled for October 21-22. The first two rounds use best-of-three series at the higher seed's site.
Second-round winners advance to the Elite Eight, a double-elimination tournament in Columbus on October 28-31. View the official GHSA Class 7A state playoff bracket.
