Dickey says he doesn’t know much about Lassiter, but he does know one thing — they’re good.

“They’re always a good program. They’ve always got a good pitcher,” he said. “They’ve got a North Carolina signee (.600-hitting Kelli Wheeler) and a Georgia Tech signee (slugger Jessica Sinclair).”

Lassiter was the opponent in one of Lowndes’ most memorable wins. In the 2002 state tournament in Columbus, the Vikettes beat the Lady Trojans 3-2 in eight innings. That Lowndes team wound up the state runners-up.

“I’d put that win up close to the top,” Dickey said. “But right now, I’d have to put last Saturday’s win at the top, with Sarah Santana hitting the home run to put us in the state tournament.”

Lowndes is one of three Region 1 teams playing in Columbus. Regular season champion Warner Robins and Tift County are also making the trip.

“I’ve been saying all year that Region 1 is the toughest region in the south,” Dickey said. “This is the second year in a row that three teams from our region have advanced. Had it not been for Tift having to play Houston in a loser’s bracket game the last two years, we might have had four teams in there.

“It helps us, going up there, to know we’ve played the toughest competition in the south.”

The other AAAAA teams playing in Columbus are: No. 2 Mill Creek, No. 3 Grayson (which beat Lowndes earlier this year), No. 8 Peachtree Ridge and East Coweta. Four of the top seven teams in the most recent state poll lost in Sectionals, including No. 1 Kennesaw Mountain.