Packer baseball fans might remember Matt Olson

Mar. 21—When the Atlanta Braves recently traded for Matt Olson to play first base after it appeared they had little chance to re-sign Freddie Freeman, there might have been some Colquitt County baseball fans squinting and thinking, "Olson? Olson? Where do I remember that name from?"

Those who watched the three-game Colquitt County-Parkview Class AAAAA state semifinal series in 2011 at Ike Aultman Field probably remember a mammoth three-run home run in the first inning of Game 3 that gave the Panthers a quick lead.

That homer was hit by Parkview's number 21. That number was worn by Olson, then a junior pitcher/outfielder.

That number also was retired by the Parkview baseball program in 2019.

Parkview went on to win that game 8-2 and advance to the state championship series.

Olson contributed a home run in that series as well as the Panthers won the first of two straight state championships.

Olson helped Parkview repeat its state title in 2012 with a big seventh-inning home run in Game 3.

The 2012 state championship was the culmination of a remarkable high school career for Olson.

Here are his career batting statistics: .431 average, 44 doubles, 45 home runs and 168 runs batted in. The only Parkview player to hit more home runs?

You guessed it. Former Brave Jeff Francoeur, who hit 55.

Olson was also an outstanding pitcher at Parkview.

As a senior, he went 12-1 with a 1.64 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 85 innings.

Olson holds the Parkview record for wins by a pitcher with 28, but he was out-dueled by Colquitt County's Cole Pitts in the first game of the 2011 semifinal series.

The Packers won that game in 90 minutes, 3-0, on a three-hitter by Pitts in his final start as a Packer.

The ninth win of his senior season dealt Olson one of his few losses as a Parkview pitcher.

The Panthers went into that series ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAA.

And they showed why when, after being shut out in Game 1 and trailing 4-1 in the fifth inning in Game 2, they rallied for an 8-4 win to tie the series.

Zac Goodno, who had already won three postseason games in relief for the Packers, was unable to pitch in Game 2.

The following day, the first two Parkview batters reached in the first inning before Olson's long homer to left-center put the Panthers in command. Parkview added three more first-inning runs for a 6-0 lead.

Olson later added a run-scoring single to finish the day with four runs batted in. He also had a sacrifice fly in Game 2.

The Packers were unable to hold off the Panthers the rest of the way in Game 3 as Parkview went on to raise its record to 27-9.

Colquitt had opened their playoffs by eliminating Benedictine in a first-round doubleheader.

The Packers advanced in the next two rounds, knocking out East Coweta and Alpharetta, but needed Game 3 wins in both series.

Goodno was the winning pitcher in each elimination game.

The Packers finished the season with a 22-14 record in Tony Kirkland's second season as Colquitt County's head coach. It was the first time Colquitt had reached the 20-win plateau since the 2003 team went 29-9 and won the state championship.

The 2011 Colquitt County team also included Austin Dykes, Aubrey McCarty, Matt Creech, Ryan Davis, Payne Newsome, Blake Stamps, Hayden Kudela, Tyler Brown, Daylon Connell, Taylor Barber, Blake Bennett, Mack Hathcock and Vann Pitts.

After his outstanding junior and senior seasons at Parkview, Olson appeared headed for Vanderbilt.

But after being selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, the 6-foot-5, 220-pounder signed with the Oakland A's.

He reached the major leagues in 2017 and since then has hit 142 home runs, has won two Gold Gloves and was an All-Star in 2021.