Can game live up to the hype?

If you haven't already heard, you need to cancel that fantasy baseball draft Monday. Turn off ESPN and mute the talk of bubble teams and bracket busters. NBC's Heroes is on a break, anyway, and all your St. Patrick's Day partying should have been wrapped up by early this morning.

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All eyes need be on Lake Olmstead Stadium at 6 p.m. Monday.

Greenbrier-North Augusta. Nolan Belcher-Marty Gantt.

The game has the billing of Ali-Frazier, but these guys are left-handed and throw nasty curves, not punches.

Greenbrier is the defending back-to-back Class AAAA state champion. North Augusta was the South Carolina AAAA state runners-up last season.

The game has been in the works since last summer, and most of the talk has hyped the game as a prizefight between the area's top two lefties.

Greenbrier's Belcher and North Augusta's Gantt have both verbally committed to at the University of South Carolina, and both are capable of delivering the fireworks to make the game match the hype.

My colleague Jeff Sentell set the over/under on strikeouts at 22. You can set it at whatever you like. Just show up to see what happens.

I haven't been here long, but I've been convinced by others that this is the biggest game in area history. It's got to be the biggest regular-season matchup.

The question is, then: Will the coaches follow through with expectations and start their aces?

Greenbrier begins region play the next day against ARC and plays Statesboro on Friday. From a strategic standpoint, it would make sense if Wolfpack coach Rodney Holder didn't start Belcher, but, man, would it be cruel.

The big picture won't be shaken for either team. This game won't affect region standings. It won't affect state playoff seeds.

This game is only for the viewing pleasure of area baseball fans -- a made-for-TV event.

Think back to those ridiculous television matches Tiger Woods played, when no real rival emerged so the networks shoveled in boatloads of cash and tried to create one.

Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson and crew took their money and lost to the game's best in a finish under the lights.

Monday's game is similar.