The Effingham County Rebels baseball team’s reward for making the state playoffs may be no gift at all.
The Rebels, the No. 2 seed from Region 3-AAAA, will open the Class AAAA tournament today at home against the No. 8-ranked Woodward Academy War Eagles.
The War Eagles (22-4) have scored at least 10 runs in their last eight games. In that stretch, they have allowed a total of 19 runs, and 11 of those came in an 11-10 loss to Whitewater.
The Rebels finished third in the subregion standings, but knocked off Lakeside-Evans in the first round of the region playoffs, then edged Evans before falling 3-1 to No. 2-ranked Greenbrier in the championship.
In beating Lakeside-Evans, the Rebels had to win a best-of-three series. Also along the way this year, the Rebels thumped defending Class A state champs No. 4-ranked Calvary 17-7 and fell 4-3 to Class AAAAA No. 4-ranked Camden.