By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

It’ll be a special day at the ballpark.

Before LaGrange High’s softball team plays Troup on Thursday, current and former members of the military, along with first responders, will be recognized.

All of those individuals, who won’t be charged admission, are invited to be on the field at 5:30 p.m. for a pre-game ceremony as well as the playing of the National Anthem.

The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

This will be the second and final regular-season meeting between the two county rivals.

In the first go-around, LaGrange beat Troup 11-0.

LaGrange (14-8 overall) brings a 4-3 Region 5-AAAA record into the game, while Troup (7-10 overall) is 3-6 against region opponents.

LaGrange is red-hot, having won 10 of its past 12 games, with three of those victories coming in the Trojan Slam in Carrollton last weekend.

While Central-Carroll has a lock on first place in the region with an 8-1 record, four teams are in a fight for second place.

LaGrange and Chapel Hill are 4-3 in the region, Cedartown is 5-4 and Cartersville is 4-4.

Troup (3-6) and Sandy Creek (0-7) occupy the final two spots in the region.

At the close of the regular season, the first-place and second-place teams will meet in a best-of-three series.

The winner of that series will be the region’s top seed for the state tournament, while the loser will be seeded second, and both teams will be at home for a first-round state series.

The teams that finish third through sixth in the region will have their own tournament to determine the region’s final two state-playoff participants.

LaGrange has five region games remaining, including a critical doubleheader at Cartersville on Saturday.

Troup has three region games remaining.