Who's in? Who's out? NCHSAA baseball, softball playoff picture for Gastonia, Shelby teams

Joe L Hughes II, Gaston Gazette

Believe it or not, the final week of the high school baseball and softball regular season has arrived for teams in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties.

With that in mind, it’s time to check out playoff projections as they stand going into the weekend, based on results through Friday, April 26.

Here’s how it works.

  • In leagues with six or more member schools (i.e. Big South 3A, Western Foothills 3A, Catawba Valley 2A), the top two finishers automatically qualify for the playoffs. One team from Metro 8 1A receives a postseason berth due to having only five member schools. Leagues such as Southern Piedmont 1A/2A and Catawba Shores 1A/2A grant playoff spots to their top 1A and 2A finishers.

  • The NCHSAA’s RPI ranking system will be used to fill the 64-team field, with East and West brackets featuring 32 teams apiece. League champions are seeded first, ordered by their respective RPI rankings, with at-large teams following

  • There is a caveat for split conferences, however. The highest finishing team in its half of a split conference must finish first, second or third in the league, or have an overall winning percentage .500 or better to receive a top seed. Otherwise, it is seeded as an at-large team.

This page will be updated daily through the end of the week as results shift the playoff picture statewide.

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Baseball

3A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

  • Rocky River 2A/3A: Piedmont (10-12, 8-2)

  • Mid-Piedmont 3A: North Davidson (14-6, 9-1); Ledford (15-5, 7-3)

  • South Piedmont 3A: East Rowan (23-1, 15-1); Lake Norman Charter (15-6, 11-5)

  • Mid-State 3A: Rockingham Co. (17-5, 13-1); Atkins (15-7, 12-2)

  • Queen City 3A/4A: West Mecklenburg (7-12-1, 4-9); in playoffs as an at-large.

  • Big South 3A: South Point (13-5, 11-1); Kings Mountain (15-6, 10-2)

  • Western Foothills 3A: Foard (16-4, 10-2); North Lincoln (15-6, 9-3)

  • Northwest 3A/4A: Ashe County (12-8, 5-5)

  • The Mountain 3A/4A: AC Reynolds (11-9, 6-4)

  • Mountain 7 3A: West Henderson (17-3, 9-1); Tuscola (16-5, 10-2)

First-round matchups (as of April 29)

32 West Mecklenburg at 1 East Rowan

17 West Rowan at 16 North Gaston

25 Enka at 8 Ashe County

24 Atkins at 9 Piedmont

28 Hibriten at 5 AC Reynolds

21 Oak Grove at 12 East Lincoln

20 Stuart Cramer at 12 Kings Mountain

29 Crest at 4 South Point

30 South Rowan at 3 West Henderson

19 St. Stephens at 14 North Lincoln

27 Erwin at 6 Foard

22 Central Davidson at 11 Tuscola

26 Pisgah at 7 Rockingham County

23 Carson at 10 Ledford

18 North Henderson at 15 Lake Norman Charter

31 Northwest Cabarrus at 2 North Davidson

2A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

  • Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Randleman (18-4, 12-0)

  • Mid-State 2A: Morehead (21-1, 12-0); West Stokes (17-5, 10-2)

  • Rocky River 2A/3A: West Stanly (16-5, 10-0)

  • Central Carolina 1A/2A: East Davidson (16-5, 12-0)

  • Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: North Stanly (21-3, 10-0)

  • Foothills 2A: Forbush (21-2, 11-1); North Surry (13-8, 9-3)

  • Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Lincoln Charter (15-7, 13-1)

  • Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: Burns (23-0, 12-0)

  • Mountain Foothills 7 1A/2A: East Rutherford (20-1, 10-0); has series with RS Central (19-1, 10-0) in season’s final week to determine league’s automatic bid

  • Western Highlands 1A/2A: Madison (6-10, 6-3); currently third in its conference, Madison is seeded as a top seed. It has two games with Owen, as well as matchups against Rosman and Polk County remaining.

  • Catawba Valley 2A: Bandys (17-4, 12-1); Maiden (16-6, 10-4)/West Lincoln (13-7, 10-4) vying for second place and automatic bid.

First-round matchups (as of April 29)

32 Patton at 1 Morehead

17 West Davidson at 16 McMichael

25 West Lincoln at 8 Lincoln Charter

24 Reidsville at 9 Bandys

28 Providence Grove at 5 North Stanly

21 East Gaston at 12 R-S Central

20 Maiden at 13 West Stokes

29 Mount Pleasant at 4 Forbush

30 Surry Central at 3 East Rutherford

19 Wheatmore at 14 West Wilkes

27 Brevard at 6 Randleman

22 Pine Lake Prep at 11 Madison

26 Chase at 7 West Stanly

23 Community School of Davidson at 10 East Davidson

18 East Surry at 15 North Surry

31 Southwestern Randolph at 2 Burns

1A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

  • Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Uwharrie Charter (17-5, 9-3)

  • Northwest Piedmont 1A: Cornerstone Charter (13-5, 9-1); Bishop McGuinness (13-5, 8-2)

  • Central Carolina 1A/2A: Thomasville (third place in conference; 10-10 overall, 7-5 conference)

  • Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: Union Academy (15-6, 6-4)/South Stanly (12-9, 6-4); top seed will be decided during the conference tournament. Presently using RPI as tiebreaker.

  • Northwest 1A/2A: Mount Airy (19-1, 12-0)

  • Metro 8 1A: Piedmont Community Charter (12-8, 5-1)/Queen’s Grant (5-13, 5-1); top seed to be determined during conference tournament. Presently using RPI as tiebreaker.

  • Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Christ the King (16-6, 10-4)

  • Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: Cherryville (14-8, 9-3)

  • Mountain Foothills 1A/2A: Polk County (8-12, 2-8)*

  • Western Highlands 1A/2A: Draughn (15-4, 9-1); yet to clinch league as it has two games left vs. Mountain Heritage (9-7, 7-3), which can claim an automatic bid for itself.

  • Smoky Mountain 1A: Hayesville (15-2, 12-0); Robbinsville (10-5, 7-3)

First-round matchups (as of April 29)

32 Alleghany at 1 Mount Airy

17 Highland Tech at 16 East Wilkes

25 Bethany at 8 Cornerstone Charter

24 South Stokes at 9 Thomasville

26 Leadership Academy at 5 Union Academy

21 Robbinsville at 12 Swain County

20 North Stokes at 13 Corvian Community

29 Hiwassee Dam at 4 Hayesville

30 Langtree Charter at 3 Christ the King

19 Polk County at 14 Bishop McGuinness

27 Mitchell at 6 Draughn

22 Mountain Heritage at 11 Starmount

26 Leadership Academy at 7 Cherryville

23 Mountain Island Charter at 10 Piedmont Community Charter

18 Eastern Randolph at 15 South Stanly

31 South Davidson at 2 Uwharrie Charter

Softball

3A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

  • Rocky River 2A/3A: Piedmont (17-2, 11-1)

  • Mid-Piedmont 3A: Oak Grove (20-1, 9-1); North Davidson (15-6, 8-2)

  • South Piedmont 3A: East Rowan (17-3, 15-1); Central Cabarrus (16-6, 14-2)

  • Mid-State 3A: Rockingham Co. (15-5, 12-0); Eastern Guilford (15-6, 10-2)

  • Queen City 3A/4A: West Charlotte (8-9, 6-8); to be seeded as an at-large.

  • Big South 3A: Kings Mountain (16-0, 12-0); Crest (14-3, 11-1)

  • Western Foothills 3A: Foard (11-3, 11-1); North Iredell (12-5, 10-2)

  • Northwest 3A/4A: Ashe County (11-8, 4-6)

  • The Mountain 3A/4A: Enka (13-4, 8-2)/McDowell (12-5, 8-2); to be determined in season’s final week. Enka takes on North Buncombe and Asheville left in conference play. McDowell takes on Erwin and AC Reynolds.

  • Mountain 7 3A: West Henderson (15-2, 9-1); Franklin (14-2, 9-2)

First-round matchups (as of April 29)

32 West Charlotte at 1 Oak Grove

17 North Lincoln at 16 Central Cabarrus

25 East Lincoln at 8 Foard

24 Northwest Cabarrus at 9 Ashe County

28 Stuart Cramer at 5 Enka

21 Eastern Guilford at 12 Franklin

20 Montgomery Central at 13 Crest

29 AC Reynolds at 4 Piedmont

30 Freedom at 3 East Rowan

19 North Buncombe at 14 West Rowan

27 Southern Guilford at 6 West Henderson

22 Parkwood at 11 North Davidson

26 Central Davidson at 7 Rockingham County

23 North Iredell at 10 Ledford

18 Forestview at 15 Pisgah

31 South Rowan at 2 Kings Mountain

2A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

  • Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Southwestern Randolph (12-6, 10-2)

  • Mid-State 2A: McMichael (19-4, 11-1)/West Stokes (15-4, 11-1); conference tournament will determine league champion.

  • Rocky River 2A/3A: West Stanly (14-9, 10-2)

  • Central Carolina 1A/2A: West Davidson (13-7, 11-1)

  • Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: North Stanly (16-2-1, 8-0)

  • Foothills 2A: West Wilkes (16-0, 12-0); Forbush (15-8, 10-2)

  • Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Lincoln Charter (14-5, 11-0)

  • Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: East Gaston (11-7, 7-3)

  • Mountain Foothills 7 1A/2A: Brevard (13-5, 8-2)/R-S Central (12-5, 8-2); league champion could be determined during final week of season. Brevard has two games against Patton; R-S Central has a two-game set with East Rutherford.

  • Western Highlands 1A/2A: Owen (16-2, 9-1)

  • Catawba Valley 2A: Bunker Hill (17-1, 12-1)/Maiden (12-3, 12-1); both teams are in action Monday, Bunker Hill against Lincolnton while Maiden takes on East Burke. If still deadlocked, the team with the highest finish in Catawba Valley 2A tournament will claim the league championship.

First-round matchups (as of April 29)

32 Pine Lake Prep at 1 North Stanly

17 Randleman at 16 Forbush

25 East Davidson at 8 West Stanly

24 Providence Grove at 9 Lincoln Charter

28 East Burke at 5 Southwestern Randolph

21 Morehead at 12 Maiden

20 East Rutherford at 13 Mount Pleasant

29 Walkertown at 4 McMichael

30 Burns at 3 Bunker Hill

19 West Lincoln at 14 West Stokes

27 Wheatmore at 6 Owen

22 Chase at 11 East Gaston

26 Madison at 7 Brevard

23 West Caldwell at 10 West Davidson

18 R-S Central at 15 Bandys

31 North Wilkes at 2 West Wilkes

1A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

  • Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Uwharrie Charter (16-2-1, 11-1)

  • Northwest Piedmont 1A: Bethany (15-5-1, 8-0); Cornerstone Charter (10-7, 6-2)

  • Central Carolina 1A/2A: South Davidson (8-7, 6-6); fourth place in conference, must finish with a winning record to receive a  top seed.

  • Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: South Stanly (10-5, 4-4)

  • Northwest 1A/2A: East Wilkes (19-3, 12-0)

  • Metro 8 1A: Queen’s Grant (16-3, 4-0)

  • Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Mountain Island Charter (10-5, 10-2)

  • Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: Cherryville (18-2, 10-0)

  • Mountain Foothills 1A/2A: Polk County (8-9, 2-8); will be seeded as an at-large team.

  • Western Highlands 1A/2A: Draughn (15-5, 9-1)

  • Smoky Mountain 1A: Robbinsville (16-2, 9-0), Murphy (17-2, 9-1); teams meet for a two-game set the final week of the season to decide league champion.

First-round matchups (as of April 29)

32 Andrews at 1 Uwharrie Charter

17 South Stokes at 16 Hiwassee Dam

25 Rosman at 8 Mountain Island Charter

24 Polk County at 9 Queen’s Grant

28 Leadership Academy at 5 Robbinsville

21 Cornerstone Charter at 12 Union Academy

20 Cherokee at 13 Murphy

29 Bessemer City at 4 Cherryville

30 Hayesville at 3 South Stanly

19 Swain County at 14 Elkin

27 Bradford Prep at 6 Bethany

22 Mountain Heritage at 11 Eastern Randolph

26 Langtree Charter at 7 Draughn

23 North Stokes at 10 South Davidson

18 Gray Stone Day at 15 Starmount

31 Piedmont Community Charter at 2 East Wilkes

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: NCHSAA: Gastonia, Shelby area baseball, softball playoff picture

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