By By Austin Bishop / EMG regional sports director
April 19, 2004
Two area high school baseball teams will be hosting four-team first-round double elimination tournaments to open the MHSAA playoffs this weekend, while another will be involved in a two-out-of-three series and several others will be on the road to participate in first-round tournaments.
Northeast Lauderdale, winner of Region 5-4A plays host to D'Iberville, Florence and Vancleave on Friday, Saturday and Monday, while Enterprise entertains Wesson, Taylorsville and St. Andrew's in Class 2A action the same three days.
Meridian High School begins its best-of-three series on the road on Thursday against Olive Branch, before returning home for a single game on Saturday. The two teams will play an if-necessary game at Olive Branch on Monday. The only classification not to play a double-elimination tournament to open the playoffs is 5A.
At NE Lauderdale, D'Iberville and Florence play at 4 p.m. on Friday, while NE Lauderdale hosts Vancleave at 7 p.m. Games are scheduled for noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Saturday in all classifications except 5A, with the championship games set for 4 p.m. on Monday.
If any of the undefeated teams lose in Monday night's 4 p.m. championship games in the double-elimination tournaments, a final game will be played at 7 p.m.
At Enterprise, Wesson and Taylorsville play at 4 p.m., while Enterprise hosts St. Andrew's at 7.
West Lauderdale (runner-up in Region 5-3A) and Newton County (third) travel South to Greene County to open the playoffs on Friday. The Knights face Columbia at 4 p.m., while Newton County takes on host Greene County at 7.
In Class 4A action, Quitman plays at 4 p.m. against Bay St. Louis at East Central High School. Other teams in that tournament are East Central and West Jones.
In Class 2A play at Lumberton, Philadelphia faces Mercy Cross at 4 p.m. and Lumberton hosts Newton at 7. Union faces Enterprise-Lincoln at 4 p.m. in Class 1A action at Natchez Cathedral, while Cathedral hosts Scott Central at 7 pm.
Other 1A tournament action has Sebastopol playing St. Aloysius at 4 p.m. and Edinburg taking on West Lincoln at 7 at Edinburg. Noxapater travels to Wheeler to play a 4 p.m. game against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.