This week marks the final week of April. So it’s not too early to start thinking about May and the high school postseason.
For example, would you like to know when Clark County 4A and 3A baseball teams might be playing in bi-district tournament games next Monday up in the Tacoma area?
Well, so would we. So would everyone.
But the brackets for the 4A and 3A bi-district tournaments have not been posted yet. And that’s probably because this spring very soggy weather has wreaked havoc in on high school baseball schedules.
Let’s take the 4A Greater St. Helens League for example.
Each team is scheduled to play 12 league games. That’s three rounds against each of the other four teams in the league.
As of Monday, Camas has played nine games of its 12 league games. However, Skyview and Battle Ground have only played six of 12 league games each. And the league schedule is supposed to conclude next week.
There are league games scheduled Monday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, and Monday, Wednesday, Thursday of next week.
After every team has completed its regular-season schedule, the Nos. 1 and 2 teams from the 4A GSHL will advance directly the bi-district tournament. The Nos. 3 and 4 teams in the league will play a playoff game to decide the third and final berth to bi-district. That’s the same postseason format for 4A GSHL softball and baseball.
Now assuming the 4A GSHL baseball teams are able to finish league play on schedule, that would place that playoff game on Friday, May 5 or Saturday, May 6. That’s also assuming that no tiebreaker games are needed.
And if all that happens, we can expect the 4A bi-district tournament to take place over the week of May 8-13.
But looking at the forecast this week, Monday looks very wet, and Tuesday doesn’t look much better. Wednesday and Thursday look more showers and sunbreaks. But the rain early in the week could be so heavy that it might inundate already soggy fields, so …
Things hopefully dry out Friday and Saturday, and maybe — at long last — that will actually be the start of a sustained stretch of dry weather. Don’t bet on it, but we can hope, can’t we?
Now the 3A GSHL baseball schedule is in slightly better shape. Each 3A GSHL team plays a 15-game league schedule, and as of Monday, every team has played at least nine league games.
League games are scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Thursday this week, and Monday and Wednesday next week.
The 3A GSHL will not have any league playoff games. The top four teams in the six-team league will advance directly to the bi-district tournament. Softball and soccer follow the same format.
Baseball teams in the 2A GSHL are a bit worse off. Teams in that league play a 12-game league schedule. No team has played more than six league games, and Columbia River has only played four. League play is supposed to conclude on May 2.
There are full rounds of league play scheduled this week for Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with makeup games set for Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Ridgefield is scheduled to play games Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday AND Saturday.
I’m guessing organizers were hoping to start the district tournament on Saturday, May 6. But I have my doubts.
Now, by and large, postponements are non-issue in soccer. And in softball, district tournaments are scheduled until May 19-20, so there’s time to spare.
But right now, baseball teams are feeling the crunch to get games in.
So please, Mother Nature, give the guys a break.
Tim Martinez is the assistant sports editor/prep coordinator for The Columbian. He can be reached at (360) 735-4538, tim.martinez@columbian.com or follow his Twitter handle @360TMart.
