With the NCHSAA baseball and softball playoffs nearing, teams in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties are making a late push to pad their respective resumes.
Big South 3A and Western Foothills 3A will complete their regular seasons this week. As for teams in Southern Piedmont 1A/2A, Catawba Shores 1A/2A and Catawba Valley 2A, they’ll compete in league tournaments ahead of the NCHSAA’s release of playoff brackets May 8.
The NCHSAA’s RPI formula will determine 64-team playoff brackets — 32 teams in the East and 32 in the West — for each of its four classifications. League champions and runners-up in Big South 3A, Catawba Valley 2A and Western Foothills 3A qualify for the postseason. Meanwhile, the top 1A and 2A finishers in Southern Piedmont and Catawba Shores Conferences earn playoff berths.
At-large berths and seeding are determined by the NCHSAA’s RPI rankings.
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Here’s a look at where things stand for area baseball and softball teams heading into this week.
Baseball
3A West
Much remains left to be decided in Big South 3A heading into the season’s final week.
A league title remains up for grabs, with Crest (15-6, 11-1 Big South 3A) holding the inside track toward its fifth conference championship in seven years. South Point and Kings Mountain sit a game and two games behind the Chargers, respectively, with two games remaining.
Crest needs a win in either of its two games against Kings Mountain (14-5, 8-3) to win the Big South 3A title. South Point (14-6, 10-2) needs help from the Mountaineers, along with handling its own business against North Gaston (15-6, 8-4).
Both series have significant postseason ramifications. Along with determining a Big South 3A championship, results may decide which earns a first-round home date. NCHSAA RPI currently ranks Crest sixth in 3A West, with North Gaston eighth, Kings Mountain ninth while South Point is 11th.
North Lincoln (12-8; RPI: 14), Stuart Cramer (15-6; RPI: 19) and East Lincoln (11-9; RPI: 22) are in line for at-large bids.
2A West
Though earning a share of the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A title, Burns (19-3, 11-1 Southern Piedmont 1A/2A) has its eyes on loftier goals.
The Bulldogs begin the week as 2A West’s top team, according to NCHSAA RPI playoff projections. In a virtual dead heat with East Rutherford, Burns may need to win the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A tournament to assure itself of 2A West’s No. 1 seed.
Lincoln Charter (16-5, 11-0 Catawba Shores 1A/2A) is playoff-bound after claiming its league title. The Eagles are No. 14 in the latest NCHSAA RPI playoff projections. Teams in line for 2A at-large bids include East Gaston (12-8; RPI: 13th), Shelby (11-10; RPI: 21st) and West Lincoln (11-12; RPI: 27th).
1A West
Barring a strange occurrence, the path to a 1A West title will come through Cherryville. The Ironmen (18-4, 11-1 Southern Piedmont 1A/2A) are projected to be the region’s top seed after earning a share of its league championship.
Cherryville is No. 1 in the latest 1A West NCHSAA RPI projection, overwhelmingly in front of Uwharrie Charter, Cornerstone Charter and North Stokes going into the final week of play.
Where will Highland Tech land? The Rams (11-11, 5-7 Southern Piedmont 1A/2A) are presently ranked 11th by the NCHSAA, potentially in line for a home playoff game at historic Sims Legion Park.
Piedmont Community Charter (9-7; RPI: 26th), Bessemer City (5-18; RPI: 29th) with Mountain Island Charter (4-13; RPI: 32nd) are on the playoff bubble.
Softball
3A West
East Lincoln (15-1, 11-1 Western Foothills 3A) holds a one-game lead over Foard in its pursuit of a Western Foothills 3A title. The Mustangs also are in line for a top four seed in the 3A West playoffs, according to the latest NCHSAA RPI projections.
Crest (16-3, 12-0 Big South 3A) will join them after claiming a fifth consecutive Big South 3A title. The Chargers begin the week ranked seventh in 3A West.
Kings Mountain (12-5, 9-2 Big South 3A) is closing in on an automatic playoff berth as the league’s No. 2 team. Winners of four in a row, the Mountaineers are ranked 13th and potentially in line for a first round home date.
Stuart Cramer (12-8; RPI: 17), North Gaston (11-6; RPI: 19) and Forestview (11-8; RPI: 26) are likely to earn at-large bids, with North Lincoln (11-11; RPI: 29) on the playoff bubble.
2A West
Burns (16-6, 12-0 Southern Piedmont 1A/2A) and Lincoln Charter (13-4, 9-0 Catawba Shores 1A/2A) are playoff-bound, both finishing undefeated en route to league titles. Neither is receiving much respect in the latest NCHSAA RPI rankings, however, with Burns 12th while Lincoln Charter is 14th.
West Lincoln (15-7; RPI: 13) is highly-regarded as an at-large entrant. East Gaston (7-10; RPI: 34) is currently on the outside looking in.
1A West
Cherryville (14-7, 8-3 Southern Piedmont 1A/2A) earned an automatic playoff berth after finishing as the top 1A team in its league. The Lady Ironmen are 10th in the latest NCHSAA RPI projections.
Highland Tech (11-6; RPI: 14), Mountain Island Charter (9-7, RPI: 19), Piedmont Community Charter (7-7; RPI: 23) and Bessemer City (6-11; RPI: 25) are likely to receive at-large bids.
