NATCHEZ — The formula for winning the state championship involves simple mathematics — win two more games and the Cathedral Green Wave baseball team reach the peak of the mountain.

Unfortunately for Cathedral, the math might not be as simple as one plus one equals a championship. Blame that on the fractions starting ace pitcher Thomas Garrity may be reduced to pitch.

To win the state championship series, which begins with Game 1 at 10 a.m. today at Trustmark Park in Pearl, another Green Wave pitcher not named Garrity will likely have to produce a victory. Garrity, who threw two shutout victories against Stringer High School in the South State finals, pitched seven innings against Stringer Monday, and therefore is only allowed to pitch 10 more innings this calendar week, per rules stated by the Mississippi High School Athletics Association. In other words, Garrity’s availability for Game 1 and Game 3, should he start in Game 2, will be limited.

“The Stringer game getting postponed hurts,” Beesley said. “Here I have my starting pitcher for the past two years, who’s been lights out in the playoffs, potentially only getting to pitch in one game.”

Garrity hasn’t allowed a run in 20 straight innings and has given up two runs in 32 innings pitched this postseason. Should today bring up a one-run situation late in the game, Garrity would take the pitcher’s mound in a heartbeat.

“I’m pitching,” Garrity said, interrupting a question at Chester Willis Field Tuesday during practice. “My arm feels good right now, and I can pitch one or two innings any day. I don’t know how I’ll stand pitching a full game Thursday right now, though.”

Beesley said he’s not fully against using Garrity a few innings a day either. This is the price the senior pitcher must pay for pitching a full game just two days prior of the state championship. If you asked him, though, Garrity wouldn’t have had it any other way, taking the mound in a must-win scenario and earning the 1-0 victory.

After all if winning or losing is at stake, there’s nowhere else Garrity would rather be. His coach can vouch for him.

“That’s the way he’s been forever,” Beesley said. “He loves to be the center of attention. He loves to be in the situation when the game is on the line. He thrives in that situation.”

Though he would prefer it differently, Garrity won’t start for the Green Wave today. Instead, Beesley said sophomores Pate Shirley or Sam Parker or both would take the mound.

“We’re undecided right now,” Beesley said. “We might pitch by committee tomorrow. If somebody gets into a jam, we’ll make a switch early.”

Smithville head coach Stephen Kerr watched Garrity and the Green Wave defeat Stringer Monday night in Natchez. He was impressed, to say the least.

“What I like about them is they go up there and put the ball in play, and they’re going to make you throw strikes,” Kerr said. “They’re obviously very well coached. Our kids are excited to play on this big of a stage against them.”

Kerr said his team doesn’t have a pitcher that can dominate the game like Garrity. Instead, the Seminoles rotate four pitchers. As far as offense goes, the Seminoles are No. 1 in Mississippi Class 1A in runs scored. Kerr said his team doesn’t have a superstar, though, but rather, the Seminoles have a lineup that can flat out hit. Against Tupelo Christian Prep, the Seminoles amassed 27 hits in a 3-game series that punched Smithville’s ticket to Pearl.

Cathedral’s bats have packed some sizzle as well, particularly Ty Brown, who’s led the team with a .577 batting average in the playoffs. Brown’s production soared after a mid-season slump that had him doubting himself at the plate.

“I was at a point where I was saying, ‘oh great, I’ve got to come bat now, and this is probably about to be another strikeout,’” Brown said. “But now I’m coming to the plate thinking, ‘OK, I’m about to smash a double here.’ My confidence keeps building and building, and I don’t see it slowing down at State.”

Craig Bradley is right behind Brown with a .462 average, and like Garrity, he’s had his best moments in the most critical moments of back-to-back series.

Against French Camp at home, Bradley won the game for Cathedral with a walkoff RBI single, and against Stringer, Bradley had an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Cathedral a 1-0 lead the Green Wave defense closed out. Just a freshman, Bradley, who led the team in batting average in the regular season, has grown accustomed to the big stage.

“I feel like I’m supposed to be doing that,” Bradley said. “I have confidence up there, and I feel like I can do it any time.”

With the late game heroics against French Camp and nail biting finishes against Stringer, Beesley worries the short turnaround won’t allow his team enough time to “come back down to earth.”

“It’s good in some ways and bad in some ways,” Beesley said. “It’s good to get back on the field that quick, but it’s such an emotional drain on the kids and myself. All three games with Stringer were tight and the last game with French Camp was tight. It’s been an emotional week and a half for us.”

Fans can tune into the last chapter of the emotional postseason on Kiss 97.3 to follow the action.