The opportunity is there for any number of Cobb County fast-pitch softball programs to advance to the state championship tournament in Columbus this year. The question is, which team or teams will it be?

The county has a rich history in recent years of not only making it to Columbus, but also winning the state title. Lassiter won the crown in 2007, while Kell captured back-to-back championships in 2003 and 2004. In all, seven fast-pitch softball state championships have been won by Cobb County schools in the 15 years the sport has been sanctioned by the Georgia High School Association, and several squads have the personnel to win another one for the area.

Whether it's a balanced team with a mix of new and experienced players, or a senior laden group with years of playing time, the ultimate goal is well within reach for many in the county.

"There are several young teams in the area so we'll just have to see how things go," said Kell coach Kristy Simpson, who returns seven starters from her defending Region 6AAAAA championship team that went 2-2 in the 2008 state playoffs.

"In the past couple of years we've had several teams make it to the playoffs and some have gone on to Columbus. I hope this year, it will be us."

The Lady Longhorns as well as the other schools in the state will have a much different route to take to get to Columbus this season after the GHSA approved a recommendation put forth by the Georgia Dugout Club to change the format of the state playoffs.

The old format sent 16 teams each to north and south sectional double-elimination tournaments to identify the top eight teams headed to Columbus. This season, the 32 region representatives will play in first and second round best 2-out-of-3 series against a single opponent to determine the top eight squads heading to the elite eight.

"I think it's a great system," Hillgrove coach Jason Campbell said. "With so many good teams in the area, this format could help us get even more schools to the state finals."

Along with Kell, Pope, Lassiter and Walton should all be solid contenders for the Region 6AAAAA crown along with Milton. The Lady Greyhounds didn't graduate any seniors, while the Lady Trojans and Lady Raiders both return solid groups of experienced players to the roster.

Kennesaw Mountain, which is always a contender for the Region 5AAAA title, finished as runners-up to Cherokee a season ago. The Lady Warriors lost several key players from their third-place state championship finish, but should challenge again. Also in the mix for the region crown will be roughly six other teams, including North Cobb, East Paulding, Etowah, Harrison, Woodstock, and a much-improved Marietta team.

"I think this region is full of good teams," North Cobb coach JoBeth Weaver said. "From top to bottom, you could have a number of teams with 15 or more wins and more than three losses. Every game will be a battle."

Hillgrove captured the Region 7AAAA title and the team returns six of its nine starters. Allatoona should see great improvement from a year ago. Other top contenders include Sequoyah, Woodland, Northwest Whitfield, Dalton and Hiram

North Cobb Christian and Walker both advanced to the Class A state sectionals last season and both schools look to duplicate that success. Mount Paran, which made the playoffs two years ago, hopes to make it back in '09, while Whitefield Academy also looks to be in the running. Pace and Landmark Christian stand in the way.