All six local baseball and softball teams are set to begin SCHSL district playoffs tonight with all our local teams hosting.
The first round games for Class A and Class 2A begin tonight with the second round on Saturday. The losing teams will face elimination on Saturday in game 3, and Saturday’s loser will face elimination in game 5 on Monday, May 4. The District Championship games are scheduled for Wednesday, May 6.
The district champs will advance to the lower state playoffs, which are set to begin on Saturday, May 9, and the lower state champion will be crowned on Friday, May 15.
Here’s a look at the district schedule and where our teams will enter the playoffs:
SOFTBALL
CLASS A
In Class A softball action, the Latta Vikings won the Region 8-A title with an undefeated 8-0 record. The Lady Vikings have a strong lineup with Madison Owens one of the leading offensive players in the area.
Latta will be hosting Timmonsville tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the first round of the District VIII bracket. Branchville will host Baptist Hill in game two of the bracket.
In District V, Lake View will be hosting Scott’s Branch tonight at 5:30 p.m. Lake View finished in second place in Region 8-A with a 6-2 record and went 14-6 overall in the regular season. Bamberg-Ehrhardt, the Region 5-A champ, will host Burke in the other bracket.
In the other lower state district playoffs, Cross will host Bethune-Bowman and Hannah-Pamplico will host Green Sea-Floyds in District VI, and East Clarendon will host Carvers Bay and Allendale-Fairfax will be at Military Magnet in District V.
Last season, Latta, Lake View, and East Clarendon all advanced to the lower state playoffs, with Lake View eliminating Latta and East Clarendon defeating Lake View for the title before falling to Dixie in the state series. The defending state champs claimed the Region 1-A title again this year and will host Brashier tonight in the first round of District I playoffs.
CLASS 2A
In Class 2A softball, Dillon’s Lady Wildcats will enter the playoffs as the defending state champions. Dillon finished in second place with a 14-5 overall record and an 8-2 record in Region 8-2A, taking losses from Aynor and Waccamaw in the last week of play. The Lady Wildcats will host Timberland tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the first round of District V playoffs, while Region 5-2A champ Barnwell will host Whale Branch.
Region 8-2A champ Aynor will host Lake Marion in the District VIII playoffs, with Silver Bluff hosting Academic Magnet. In District VI, Region 6 champ Battery Creek will host Wade Hampton and Andrews will host Waccamaw.
In District VII, Class 2A newcomer Johnsonville claimed the Region 7 title and will host Loris tonight as Bishop England hosts Edisto.
In the upper state, Crescent and Andrew Jackson, who both advanced to the upper state bracket in 2014 ,finished at the top of their regions and will host district games. Landrum and Mid-Carolina also finished at the top of their regions.
BASEBALL
CLASS A
In the Class A baseball playoffs, Region 8 champ Latta will open the District VIII playoffs at home against Scott’s Branch at 5:30 p.m. The Vikings finished the regular season with a 14-5-2 record but went undefeated in conference play. Latta finished as the state runner-up last season, falling to St. Joseph’s in the state series.
Branchville will host Military Magnet in the other District VIII matchup.
Lake View’s Wild Gators finished second in the region and will open the playoffs at home against Timmonsville at 5:30 p.m. in the District V bracket while Region 5 champ Bamberg-Ehrhardt will host Baptist Hill. The Gators finished the season with a 20-6 record overall and went 8-2 in region play, falling only to Latta.
Both Latta and Lake View took non-conference losses from Hannah-Pamplico, who will open the District VI playoffs at home tonight against Carvers Bay. Charleston Charter, who claimed the region title, will host Bethune-Bowman in the other bracket game.
In the District VII bracket, East Clarendon finished at the top of Region 7 and will host Green Sea-Floyds while Cross will host Allendale-Fairfax.
Although not ranked in the final poll of the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association, defending state champ St. Joseph’s finished at the top of Region 2-A and will host Ware Shoals tonight. Top-ranked Fox Creek will enter the playoffs with the Region 1-A title and will host Greer MC. McBee and Ridge Spring-Monetta also finished at the top of their regions in the upper state.
CLASS 2A
In Class 2A, Dillon finished at the top of the region with an 8-2 record and a 10-6 record overall in the regular season. The Wildcats will host Kingstree tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the first round of the District VIII playoffs, while Woodland will host Academic Magnet.
In District V, Region 8 runner-up Waccamaw will host Andrews, while Region 5 champion Barnwell is set to host Whale Branch.
In District VI, region champ Bishop England will host Wade Hampton while Loris will travel to Timberland, and in District VII, Class 2A newcomer Johnsonville will host Aynor while Battery Creek hosts Edisto.
Loris claimed the lower state title last year but fell to Ninety-Six, and the defending state champs are back again as one of the top-ranked teams in the state. Ninety-Six finished at the top of Region 2, while Class 2A’s number one team, Mid-Carolina, finished at the top of Region III. Buford and Woodruff also ranked in the top four teams in the state and claimed the top spots in their regions, setting up some tough competition ahead as the playoffs unfold.
Be sure to check back here at thedillonherald.com for the latest playoff updates!
