and down the stretch they come
One week left before the high school tournaments get underway, and there's a lot at stake this week. So let me review some of the things most worth watching.
Most importantly, I feel like I've overlooked the Berlin softball team. During preseason previews, I spoke to coach Jason Pires and felt the Redcoats could be a good to very good team. Then I watched them in an ugly loss to NFA and put them in the back of my mind. It seemed all season like every time Berlin would start to string together wins, a bad loss would pop up. RHAM: 4-0, making RHAM look like the easy favorites in the conference race with probably the best pitcher in the league. Farmington: 4-1 followed by East Catholic 6-5.
Well, here we are. And if the Redcoats top St. Paul on Monday, they will win the conference race outright with a 13-3 record. They could also do it if RHAM loses at Middletown.
I should have more on this team later in the week in The Herald, but I'll say this is storyline number one to watch this week.
Number two: Can New Britain beat Southington? The Hurricanes have probably the best team they've had since I've been watching them, the Knights have struggled more than they ever have in that time. This is up in the air. Southington's still favored Monday at Chesley Park, but don't be shocked either way. What a win it would be for New Britain.
Number three: Can the Southington volleyball team go undefeated? Two to go on the road at Fermi and Maloney. They beat both 3-0 earlier in the season. The Knights have far bigger fish to fry down the road (state title anyone?), but a perfect regular season would be nice.
Number four: The NWC baseball race. Berlin played itself out of this. But Plainville's still alive.
East Catholic: 12-2, at Rocky Hill, at Middletown
Plainville: 13-3, with only non-conference games left.
Berlin: 10-4
Plainville will be rooting for the Terriers and Dragons. But they'll probably be more concerned with three good non-conference warmups, which will have a huge bearing on their tournament seed.
Number five: Speaking of tournament seeds:
BASEBALL
Newington: currently fourth in LL with four games this week, three against tough opponents (Fermi, Bristol Eastern, Maloney)
Southington: currently 12th in LL and needs to do well this week to get better than that. Games against New Britain, Manchester, Simsbury, all very tough.
New Britain and Farmington both in at 9-9, and hoping to avoid play-down games as 34 teams have already qualified.
Wethersfield: Can clinch a tie with Guilford for the top spot in L with a win over Weaver Monday. Eagles are the lucky team that had almost no rainouts, and have a lot of rest time here.
Berlin: Currently ninth in L, with games against St. Paul and Rocky Hill left. Redcoats would love to move up and get a bye (of which there should be seven or eight in Class L).
Plainville: currently fifth in M, with a chance to move to third if they can tie East Catholic and Lewis Mills. But the Devils have to make sure they don't drop lower with losses. (There will be no byes in M, but rather play-in games, as 32 teams have already qualified for the postseason.)
Rocky Hill: looking to get one of those play-ins, but needs to win two of three against East Catholic, Portland, Berlin. No easy task.
SOFTBALL
Southington/New Britain: amazingly tied for ninth in LL. Could that game have any more implications. Probably only two byes available in LL, so that won't matter for these teams. But second round seeding could be big for either one, and of course a first round home game.
Newington: Clinging to home game status at the 16th seed. But a game, and likely loss, against Bristol Eastern looms, meaning these Indians could be forced to travel again. They also got a bad draw on the "by lot" number, which decides between tied teams.
Berlin: currently third in L, with a good lot number, and playing to stay there if they can beat St. Paul and Coginchaug.
They should get a bye, as there will be a maximum of 27 teams in the L tourney.
Wethersfield: currently 17th, and has games against Windsor, Weaver and Conard remaining. A home game is at stake.
Farmington: needs a miracle four-for-four week.
Plainville: 15th in M, playing for a home game with games left against Middletown and Suffield.
Rocky Hill: currently the last team in the M bracket, but in. There is no risk of a playdown game, but they will have to play somebody good on the road.
So that's it. That's what everyone is playing for. We will have some bracket coverage on Friday or Saturday. And then the long weekend to relax before the craziness. And that's not even to mention the tennis, golf and track action as well. More later.
Most importantly, I feel like I've overlooked the Berlin softball team. During preseason previews, I spoke to coach Jason Pires and felt the Redcoats could be a good to very good team. Then I watched them in an ugly loss to NFA and put them in the back of my mind. It seemed all season like every time Berlin would start to string together wins, a bad loss would pop up. RHAM: 4-0, making RHAM look like the easy favorites in the conference race with probably the best pitcher in the league. Farmington: 4-1 followed by East Catholic 6-5.
Well, here we are. And if the Redcoats top St. Paul on Monday, they will win the conference race outright with a 13-3 record. They could also do it if RHAM loses at Middletown.
I should have more on this team later in the week in The Herald, but I'll say this is storyline number one to watch this week.
Number two: Can New Britain beat Southington? The Hurricanes have probably the best team they've had since I've been watching them, the Knights have struggled more than they ever have in that time. This is up in the air. Southington's still favored Monday at Chesley Park, but don't be shocked either way. What a win it would be for New Britain.
Number three: Can the Southington volleyball team go undefeated? Two to go on the road at Fermi and Maloney. They beat both 3-0 earlier in the season. The Knights have far bigger fish to fry down the road (state title anyone?), but a perfect regular season would be nice.
Number four: The NWC baseball race. Berlin played itself out of this. But Plainville's still alive.
East Catholic: 12-2, at Rocky Hill, at Middletown
Plainville: 13-3, with only non-conference games left.
Berlin: 10-4
Plainville will be rooting for the Terriers and Dragons. But they'll probably be more concerned with three good non-conference warmups, which will have a huge bearing on their tournament seed.
Number five: Speaking of tournament seeds:
BASEBALL
Newington: currently fourth in LL with four games this week, three against tough opponents (Fermi, Bristol Eastern, Maloney)
Southington: currently 12th in LL and needs to do well this week to get better than that. Games against New Britain, Manchester, Simsbury, all very tough.
New Britain and Farmington both in at 9-9, and hoping to avoid play-down games as 34 teams have already qualified.
Wethersfield: Can clinch a tie with Guilford for the top spot in L with a win over Weaver Monday. Eagles are the lucky team that had almost no rainouts, and have a lot of rest time here.
Berlin: Currently ninth in L, with games against St. Paul and Rocky Hill left. Redcoats would love to move up and get a bye (of which there should be seven or eight in Class L).
Plainville: currently fifth in M, with a chance to move to third if they can tie East Catholic and Lewis Mills. But the Devils have to make sure they don't drop lower with losses. (There will be no byes in M, but rather play-in games, as 32 teams have already qualified for the postseason.)
Rocky Hill: looking to get one of those play-ins, but needs to win two of three against East Catholic, Portland, Berlin. No easy task.
SOFTBALL
Southington/New Britain: amazingly tied for ninth in LL. Could that game have any more implications. Probably only two byes available in LL, so that won't matter for these teams. But second round seeding could be big for either one, and of course a first round home game.
Newington: Clinging to home game status at the 16th seed. But a game, and likely loss, against Bristol Eastern looms, meaning these Indians could be forced to travel again. They also got a bad draw on the "by lot" number, which decides between tied teams.
Berlin: currently third in L, with a good lot number, and playing to stay there if they can beat St. Paul and Coginchaug.
They should get a bye, as there will be a maximum of 27 teams in the L tourney.
Wethersfield: currently 17th, and has games against Windsor, Weaver and Conard remaining. A home game is at stake.
Farmington: needs a miracle four-for-four week.
Plainville: 15th in M, playing for a home game with games left against Middletown and Suffield.
Rocky Hill: currently the last team in the M bracket, but in. There is no risk of a playdown game, but they will have to play somebody good on the road.
So that's it. That's what everyone is playing for. We will have some bracket coverage on Friday or Saturday. And then the long weekend to relax before the craziness. And that's not even to mention the tennis, golf and track action as well. More later.
posted by Ryan Pipke at
2:42 AM
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