Big day...The baseball and weather gods have promised me that the afternoon will be good for playing baseball.
#17 Conrad (9-4) @ #8 Archmere (12-2). This should be for the Diamond State Conference Championship. Winner gets auto bid into the playoffs. Archmere has a pretty good shot of getting in without the auto bid, but for Conrad this could be their season. Conrad has missed the playoffs the past couple of seasons by just a couple of bonus pts and it could happen again without this win. Archmere blanked Conrad 7-0 ealier in the season. Archmere has beaten Conrad 4 straight times including two shutouts.
Tower (10-4) @ Tatnall (9-5). These two play over the next two days to decide the Independent Championship. Tatnall won their first mtg. but i believe Tower Hill is still up a game in the conference standings. As i see it, if Tower Hill wins today, they clinch it (up two game in standings on Tatnall). If Tatnall wins today, then the winner of tomorrow is champ and gets auto bid.
#19 Mt Pleasant (11-2( @ #15 Hodgson (8-5). This one should decide the Flight B championship. Mt P hadn't had double digit wins in a season in 10 years. In fact they were lucky to get 1 or 2 wins for 3 years straight back in 2011. Now with 13 wins last year and missing the playoffs, they are hoping to actually win the conference and get the auto bid so they don't have to worry about points. Fact is if they don't win this game, they will be on the bubble again even if they win out. Mt P has won five straight games. Hodgson got a big win over St Georges the other day to break their three game skid. Now they are looking for another Flight B Championship. Hodgson has beaten Mt P 12 straight times since 2006, including to straight shutouts and 10 out of 12 mercy rule games.
#2 Dover (10-2) @ #7 CR (11-3). If Dover wins that should make them Henlopen North champ. Dover is back on its winning ways with two straights wins over ranked opponents Poly and Central. Dover should easily get into the tourney, but this win could give them their golden ticket. CR has won five straight games, all over ranked opponents. CR has beaten Dover 4 straight seasons, including two shutouts.
#12 Cape (7-8) @ #14 Poly (7-4). Cape trying to avoid going 7-9, they have lost 4 straight games. Poly has lost 2 straight to Dover and Smyrna. One of these teams will win and get their playoff run back on track. Cape beat Poly last year.
#16 Delmar (10-6) @ #6 Central (9-4). Delmar trying to stay on top in the Henlopen South. Delmar has won 3 straight games. Central has lost 2 of its last 3 to Dover and Tech. Delmar has beat Central the past two years.
St Elizabeth (6-8) @ #18 Concord (7-5). After a big win over Mtown, St E is trying to salvage their season. A win over ranked Concord would help. Its probably too late for St E to make the playoffs since they don't have an easy rode to finish the season (concord, sallies & Mt p). Concord is on the bubble for the playoffs. They have three heartbreak 1-run losses to top ten teams this season (A.I just recently as well as CR & Archmere).
Newark (8-6) @ Wm Penn (8-6). Not on anyone's radar. I don't think either would have enough bonus pts to make a run for the last playoff spot. But both teams could win out and possibly end up with 11 or 12 wins. Considering Newark had 5 wins last year and Wm Penn had 3 its a pretty successful season for both.
Appo (6-7) @ Charter (6-5). Both have had tough years. Hard to imagine this was a playoff matchup last year of two 13-win teams. Charter has no wins over a ranked team, while they have several blowouts by ranked teams. Appo has beaten Dover & Mtown and has had 4 losses by 2 runs or less to ranked teams. Short of winning out, these two teams won't have a shot at getting in the mix for that final spot.Appo has four ranked teams to play after Charter (A.I., Caravel, Mt P, Concord) while Charter has four ranked teams (Dover, Mtown, St Georges, Hodgson) as well as DMA and Tower Hill.
#17 Conrad (9-4) @ #8 Archmere (12-2). This should be for the Diamond State Conference Championship. Winner gets auto bid into the playoffs. Archmere has a pretty good shot of getting in without the auto bid, but for Conrad this could be their season. Conrad has missed the playoffs the past couple of seasons by just a couple of bonus pts and it could happen again without this win. Archmere blanked Conrad 7-0 ealier in the season. Archmere has beaten Conrad 4 straight times including two shutouts.
Tower (10-4) @ Tatnall (9-5). These two play over the next two days to decide the Independent Championship. Tatnall won their first mtg. but i believe Tower Hill is still up a game in the conference standings. As i see it, if Tower Hill wins today, they clinch it (up two game in standings on Tatnall). If Tatnall wins today, then the winner of tomorrow is champ and gets auto bid.
#19 Mt Pleasant (11-2( @ #15 Hodgson (8-5). This one should decide the Flight B championship. Mt P hadn't had double digit wins in a season in 10 years. In fact they were lucky to get 1 or 2 wins for 3 years straight back in 2011. Now with 13 wins last year and missing the playoffs, they are hoping to actually win the conference and get the auto bid so they don't have to worry about points. Fact is if they don't win this game, they will be on the bubble again even if they win out. Mt P has won five straight games. Hodgson got a big win over St Georges the other day to break their three game skid. Now they are looking for another Flight B Championship. Hodgson has beaten Mt P 12 straight times since 2006, including to straight shutouts and 10 out of 12 mercy rule games.
#2 Dover (10-2) @ #7 CR (11-3). If Dover wins that should make them Henlopen North champ. Dover is back on its winning ways with two straights wins over ranked opponents Poly and Central. Dover should easily get into the tourney, but this win could give them their golden ticket. CR has won five straight games, all over ranked opponents. CR has beaten Dover 4 straight seasons, including two shutouts.
#12 Cape (7-8) @ #14 Poly (7-4). Cape trying to avoid going 7-9, they have lost 4 straight games. Poly has lost 2 straight to Dover and Smyrna. One of these teams will win and get their playoff run back on track. Cape beat Poly last year.
#16 Delmar (10-6) @ #6 Central (9-4). Delmar trying to stay on top in the Henlopen South. Delmar has won 3 straight games. Central has lost 2 of its last 3 to Dover and Tech. Delmar has beat Central the past two years.
St Elizabeth (6-8) @ #18 Concord (7-5). After a big win over Mtown, St E is trying to salvage their season. A win over ranked Concord would help. Its probably too late for St E to make the playoffs since they don't have an easy rode to finish the season (concord, sallies & Mt p). Concord is on the bubble for the playoffs. They have three heartbreak 1-run losses to top ten teams this season (A.I just recently as well as CR & Archmere).
Newark (8-6) @ Wm Penn (8-6). Not on anyone's radar. I don't think either would have enough bonus pts to make a run for the last playoff spot. But both teams could win out and possibly end up with 11 or 12 wins. Considering Newark had 5 wins last year and Wm Penn had 3 its a pretty successful season for both.
Appo (6-7) @ Charter (6-5). Both have had tough years. Hard to imagine this was a playoff matchup last year of two 13-win teams. Charter has no wins over a ranked team, while they have several blowouts by ranked teams. Appo has beaten Dover & Mtown and has had 4 losses by 2 runs or less to ranked teams. Short of winning out, these two teams won't have a shot at getting in the mix for that final spot.Appo has four ranked teams to play after Charter (A.I., Caravel, Mt P, Concord) while Charter has four ranked teams (Dover, Mtown, St Georges, Hodgson) as well as DMA and Tower Hill.
