Who's in? Who's out? NCHSAA baseball, softball playoff picture for Gastonia, Shelby teams
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, May 3.
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 (NOTE: Updated as of 3:45 p.m., May 4).
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Baseball
3A West
Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)
Rocky River 2A/3A: Piedmont (11-13, 8-2)
Mid-Piedmont 3A: North Davidson (16-6, 9-1); Ledford (15-6, 7-3)
South Piedmont 3A: East Rowan (26-1, 15-1); Lake Norman Charter (17-7, 11-5)
Mid-State 3A: Rockingham County (19-6, 13-1); Atkins (18-7, 12-2)
Queen City 3A/4A: West Mecklenburg (8-13-1, 5-10); in playoffs as an at-large.
Big South 3A: South Point (15-5, 13-1); Kings Mountain (16-7, 11-3)
Western Foothills 3A: Foard (17-5, 11-3); North Lincoln (16-7, 10-4)/St. Stephens (14-6, 10-4), teams split regular season series. Automatic bid officially to be decided by tiebreaker, though both are playoff bound.
Northwest 3A/4A: Ashe County (13-9, 5-5)
The Mountain 3A/4A: Enka (13-10, 7-5)/AC Reynolds (12-11, 7-5); teams split regular season series. Automatic bid to be decided by tiebreaker. RPI being used for projection.
Mountain 7 3A: West Henderson (19-4, 11-1); Tuscola (17-5, 10-2)
First-round matchups (as of May 4)
32 West Meck at 1 East Rowan
17 St. Stephens at 16 North Gaston
25 Pisgah at 8 Ashe County
24 Carson at 9 Piedmont
28 Crest at 5 AC Reynolds
21 Oak Grove at 12 East Lincoln
20 Atkins at 13 Lake Norman Charter
29 Northwest Cabarrus at 4 South Point
30 South Rowan at 3 North Davidson
19 West Rowan at 14 Kings Mountain
27 Hibriten at 6 Foard
22 Enka at 11 Ledford
26 Erwin at 7 Rockingham County
23 Stuart Cramer at 10 Tuscola
18 North Henderson at 15 North Lincoln
31 Asheboro at 2 West Henderson
2A West
Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)
Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Randleman (19-5, 12-0)
Mid-State 2A: Morehead (22-2, 12-0); West Stokes (20-5, 10-2)
Rocky River 2A/3A: West Stanly (18-5, 10-0)
Central Carolina 1A/2A: East Davidson (18-5, 12-0)
Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: North Stanly (21-4, 10-0)
Foothills 2A: Forbush (23-2, 11-1); North Surry (15-9, 9-3)
Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Lincoln Charter (17-7, 13-1)
Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: Burns (25-0, 12-0)
Mountain Foothills 7 1A/2A: East Rutherford (22-1, 12-0)
Western Highlands 1A/2A: Madison (10-10, 9-3); placed second in its conference, earning a top seed.
Catawba Valley 2A: Bandys (20-4, 13-1); Maiden (17-7, 10-4)
First-round matchups (as of May 4)
32 East Burke at 1 Burns
17 East Surry at 16 McMichael
25 Brevard at 8 Lincoln Charter
24 East Gaston at 9 Bandys
28 Chase at 5 North Stanly
21 Community School of Davidson at 12 R-S Central
20 Pine Lake Prep at 13 West Stokes
29 Surry Central at 4 Forbush
30 Southwestern Randolph at 3 Morehead
19 Maiden at 14 North Surry
27 West Lincoln at 6 Randleman
22 Wheatmore at 11 Madison
26 Mount Pleasant at 7 West Stanly
23 Reidsville at 10 East Davidson
18 West Davidson at 15 West Wilkes
31 Hendersonville at 2 East Rutherford
1A West
Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)
Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Uwharrie Charter (20-5, 9-3)
Northwest Piedmont 1A: Cornerstone Charter (14-6, 9-1); Bishop McGuinness (15-5, 8-2)
Central Carolina 1A/2A: Thomasville (third place in conference; 11-11 overall, 7-5 conference)
Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: Union Academy (17-7, 6-4)
Northwest 1A/2A: Mount Airy (21-1, 12-0)
Metro 8 1A: Piedmont Community Charter (14-9, 5-1)
Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Christ the King (17-7, 10-4)
Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: Cherryville (16-9, 9-3)
Mountain Foothills 1A/2A: Polk County (9-13, 3-9); seeded as an at-large team.
Western Highlands 1A/2A: Draughn (17-4, 11-1)
Smoky Mountain 1A: Hayesville (15-3, 12-0); Swain County (13-4, 9-3)
First-round matchups (as of May 4)
32 Langtree Charter at 1 Mount Airy
17 Highland Tech at 16 East Wilkes
25 Leadership Academy at 8 Cornerstone Charter
24 Robbinsville at 9 Thomasville
28 Murphy at 5 Union Academy
21 South Stokes at 12 Bishop McGuinness
20 North Stokes at 13 Swain County
29 Bessemer City at 4 Draughn
30 Hiwassee Dam at 3 Christ the King
19 Polk County at 14 Corvian Community
27 Mitchell at 6 Cherryville
22 Mountain Island Charter at 11 Starmount
26 Bethany at 7 Hayesville
23 Mountain Heritage at 10 Piedmont Community Charter
18 Eastern Randolph at 15 South Stanly
31 Bradford Prep at 2 Uwharrie Charter
Softball
3A West
Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)
Rocky River 2A/3A: Piedmont (18-3, 11-1)
Mid-Piedmont 3A: Oak Grove (21-2, 9-1); North Davidson (17-6, 8-2)
South Piedmont 3A: East Rowan (20-3, 15-1); Central Cabarrus (17-6, 14-2)
Mid-State 3A: Rockingham County (17-5, 12-0); Eastern Guilford (17-7, 10-2)
Queen City 3A/4A: West Charlotte (8-10, 6-8); to be seeded as an at-large.
Big South 3A: Kings Mountain (18-0, 14-0); Crest (15-4, 12-2)
Western Foothills 3A: Foard (12-4, 12-2); North Lincoln (17-4, 11-3), won tiebreaker for automatic bid over North Iredell (13-6, 11-2) by winning both season matchups.
Northwest 3A/4A: Ashe County (12-9, 4-6)
The Mountain 3A/4A: North Buncombe (12-6, 9-3); has tiebreaker by virtue of season sweep over Enka (15-5, 9-3).
Mountain 7 3A: West Henderson (18-2, 11-1); Franklin (15-3, 9-3)
First-round matchups (as of May 4)
32 West Charlotte at 1 Oak Grove
17 Pisgah at 16 Enka
25 AC Reynolds at 8 North Buncombe
24 East Lincoln at 9 Ashe County
28 Stuart Cramer at 5 West Henderson
21 Eastern Guilford at 12 Crest
20 North Iredell at 13 Franklin
29 South Rowan at 4 Piedmont
30 CATA at 3 East Rowan
19 Forestview at 14 West Rowan
27 Central Davidson at 6 Rockingham County
22 Montgomery Central at 11 Ledford
26 Northwest Cabarrus at 7 Foard
23 Parkwood at 10 North Davidson
18 North Lincoln at 15 Central Cabarrus
31 Southern Guilford at 2 Kings Mountain
2A West
Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)
Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Southwestern Randolph (15-6, 10-2)
Mid-State 2A: West Stokes (17-4, 11-1); McMichael (20-5, 11-1); West Stokes winning league tournament earns it a top seed.
Rocky River 2A/3A: West Stanly (17-9, 10-2)
Central Carolina 1A/2A: West Davidson (15-7, 11-1)
Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: North Stanly (16-3-1, 8-0)
Foothills 2A: West Wilkes (18-0, 12-0); Forbush (17-9, 10-2)
Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Lincoln Charter (15-6, 12-0)
Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: East Gaston (11-8, 7-3)
Mountain Foothills 7 1A/2A: Brevard (15-5, 10-2)
Western Highlands 1A/2A: Owen (18-2, 11-1)
Catawba Valley 2A: Maiden (14-4, 13-1), West Lincoln (16-9, 8-6); Maiden advanced farther than Bunker Hill (18-2, 13-1) in CVAC tournament to earn the league’s top seed. West Lincoln claimed an automatic berth by winning league tournament.
First-round matchups (as of May 4)
32 North Wilkes at 1 West Wilkes
17 East Rutherford at 16 West Lincoln
25 Pine Lake Prep at 8 Brevard
24 West Caldwell at 9 Lincoln Charter
28 Burns at 5 Owen
21 Morehead at 12 Bunker Hill
20 R-S Central at 13 McMichael
29 Walkertown at 4 Southwestern Randolph
30 Wheatmore at 3 Maiden
19 Randleman at 14 Mount Pleasant
27 Providence Grove at 6 West Stokes
22 Chase at 11 East Gaston
26 East Davidson at 7 West Stanly
23 Madison at 10 West Davidson
18 Forbush at 15 Bandys
31 East Burke at 2 North Stanly
1A West
Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)
Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Uwharrie Charter (17-3-1, 11-1)
Northwest Piedmont 1A: Bethany (17-5-1, 8-0)
Central Carolina 1A/2A: South Davidson (9-8, 6-6); fourth place in conference, finished with a winning record to receive a top seed.
Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: South Stanly (12-5, 4-4)
Northwest 1A/2A: East Wilkes (21-3, 12-0)
Metro 8 1A: Queen’s Grant (17-3, 4-0)
Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Mountain Island Charter (10-6, 10-2)
Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: Cherryville (20-2, 10-0)
Mountain Foothills 1A/2A: Polk County (8-11, 2-10); will be seeded as an at-large team.
Western Highlands 1A/2A: Draughn (16-7, 10-2)
Smoky Mountain 1A: Robbinsville (20-2, 12-0), Murphy (12-5, 9-3)
First-round matchups (as of May 4)
32 Hayesville at 1 Uwharrie Charter
17 Mountain Heritage at 16 Swain County
25 Rosman at 8 Mountain Island Charter
24 Polk County at 9 Queen’s Grant
28 Leadership Academy at 5 Cherryville
21 Hiwassee Dam at 12 Eastern Randolph
20 Gray Stone Day at 13 Murphy
29 Piedmont Community Charter at 4 Robbinsville
30 Bessemer City at 3 South Stanly
19 Cornerstone Charter at 14 Elkin
27 Bradford Prep at 6 Bethany
22 Cherokee at 11 Union Academy
26 Langtree Charter at 7 Draughn
23 North Stokes at 10 South Davidson
18 South Stokes at 15 Starmount
31 Corvian Community at 2 East Wilkes
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: NCHSAA: Gastonia, Shelby area baseball, softball playoff picture