Rio Ricoโs baseball team found out just before 3 p.m. on Thursday who it would be playing in the first round of the Division III state tournament on Friday. The announcement came less than 22 hours to before its 12:30 p.m. game, all the way up at Surprise Baseball Complex.
Are you kidding me?
The Arizona Interscholastic Association should have never allowed that to happen. It leaves players and coaches with no time to prepare for their biggest game of the year. It also puts school officials in a bind trying to make travel arrangements.
The best scenario would be having a full day between the brackets coming out and the opening round. However, Division IV and V baseball and softball teams also play first-round games Friday.
Maybe Rio Ricoโs situation happened because the Division III tournament consists of 32 teams. But thereโs no reason first-round games could have been played on Saturday instead, as they are for Division III softball. Everything could have been pushed back from there and the only downfall would be having the semifinals and championship on back-to-back nights.
Now that Iโm done complaining, letโs take a look at eight storylines to watch as the baseball and softball playoffs begin:
1. Is Desert Christian going make it a four-peat?
Since back-to-back losses, three-time defending state baseball champion Desert Christian has rattled off three straight wins to earn the No. 1 seed in the Division IV state tournament. Third-seeded Florence and No. 7 Pueblo, which beat the Eagles a couple weeks back, are both on the opposite side of the bracket so the stage is set for a rematch in the finals.
2. Who will be Tucsonโs next softball champion?
Canyon del Oro, Ironwood Ridge and Sahuaro earned the top three spots in the Division II state tournament so the odds are pretty good one of those teams will win it all and maybe two will meet in the final. Sixth-seeded Salpointe Catholic and eighth-seeded Tucson High canโt be counted out either. All five will be hosting second-round games Tuesday.
3. Will Salpointeโs baseball team get back on track?
The Lancers held the No. 1 ranking in Division II heading into the final week and seemed like the team to beat, but three straight losses to end the regular season changed all that. Salpointe, a state semifinalist in 2015, has plenty of time to regroup before a possible second-round showdown against No. 14 Catalina Foothills on Tuesday.
4. Can San Manuel get back to the state finals?
San Manuelโs softball team was the Division IV state runner-up in 2015 after winning back-to-back championships. Senior pitcher Lyana Waddell, who is 16-4 with a 1.69 ERA and 120 strikeouts, has a chance to play in her fourth title game and maybe even get the third-seeded Miners back on top.
5. Will Walden Grove make another wild run?
Walden Groveโs baseball team was the No. 18 seed in the Division III state tournament last season when it pulled off an incredible run before an extra-inning loss in the championship game. A year later, Brent Valenti and the No. 21 Red Wolves head into the playoffs riding a five-game winning streak with another chance to wreak havoc.
6. Can Vail crown another softball state champion?
Cienega and Empire both won state championships last May, proving Oro Valley isnโt the only softball hotbed in town. Cienega comes in as the No. 12 seed in Division II action while Empire is No. 16 in Division III. If both can pull off first-round wins Saturday, theyโll be thrown into underdog roles the following round.
7. Will we see anotherย all-Tucson baseball final?
Canyon del Oro and Tucson High faced off for the Division II state championship in memorable fashion last season. Both are back in the field this spring and should contend for the title, along with Salpointe and seventh-seeded Sunnyside. If two locals meet in the deeper rounds, maybe the game can be held at Hi Corbett Field.
8. Can the Nogales baseball team be stopped?
The Apaches are the No. 2 seed in the Division III state tournament, two years after reaching the Division II championship game. Nogales (24-6 overall) takes a 12-game winning streak into Fridayโs first-round game against No. 31 Empire. Perhaps the Apaches will collide with rival and seventh-seeded Sahuarita in the quarterfinals.
POSTSEASON GLANCE
BASEBALL
DIVISION II STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, double-elimination after second round. Winner-take-all championship game)
First round โ Saturday, 11 a.m.
No. 24 Scottsdale Notre Dame at No. 9 Tucson
No. 23 Mountain View at No. 10 Ironwood Ridge
No. 19 Mesa Westwood at No. 14 Catalina Foothills
No. 21 Sierra Vista Buena at No. 21 Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain
No. 22 Cienega at No. 11 Cave Creek Cactus Shadows
First-round byes: No. 3 Salpointe Catholic, No. 6 Canyon del Oro, No. 7 Sunnyside
DIVISION III STATE TOURNAMENT
(32 teams, single elimination)
First round โ Friday at Surprise Baseball Complex
No. 31 Empire vs. No. 2 Nogales, 7 p.m.
No. 26 Glendale Cactus vs. No. 7 Sahuarita, 4 p.m.
No. 17 Payson vs. No. 16 Rio Rico, 12:30 p.m.
No. 21 Walden Grove vs. No. 12 Phoenix Washington, 3:30 p.m.
DIVISION IV STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, single elimination)
First round โ Friday at Goodyear Baseball Complex
No. 21 Flagstaff Northland Prep vs. No. 12 Catalina, 6:30 p.m.
No. 20 Tempe Prep vs. No. 13 Benson, 4 p.m.
No. 18 Phoenix Valley Christian vs. No. 15 Tanque Verde, 6:30 p.m.
No. 11 Chinle vs. No. 22 Amphitheater, 6:30 p.m.
First-round byes: No. 1 Desert Christian, No. 7 Pueblo
DIVISION V STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, single elimination)
First round โ Friday at Tempe Diablo Baseball Complex
No. 23 Sanders Valley vs. No. 10 Elfrida Valley Union, 7 p.m.
No. 22 Mogollon vs. No. 11 St. Augustine Catholic, 7 p.m.
No. 24 Tombstone vs. No. 9 Kearny Ray, 6:30 p.m.
First-round bye: No. 4 Bisbee
SOFTBALL
DIVISION II STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, double-elimination after second round. Winner-take-all championship game)
First round โ Saturday, 10:15 a.m.
No. 21 Mesa Skyline at No. 12 Cienega
No. 17 Flagstaff at No. 16 Desert View
No. 18 Sunnyside at No. 15 Buckeye Verrado
No. 19 Sierra Vista Buena at No. 14 Gilbert Mesquite
First-round byes: No. 1 Canyon del Oro, No. 2 Ironwood Ridge, No. 3 Sahuaro, No. 6 Salpointe Catholic, No. 8 Tucson
DIVISION III STATE TOURNAMENT
(32 teams, single elimination)
First round โ Saturday, 10:15 a.m.
No. 26 Lake Havasu at No. 7 Catalina Foothills
No. 23 Lee Williams at No. 10 Douglas
No. 17 Glendale Apollo at No. 16 Empire
No. 22 Sahuarita at No. 11 Phoenix Bourgade Catholic
No. 19 Rio Rico at No. 14 Avondale Agua Fria
No. 24 Nogales at No. 9 Goodyear Estrella Foothills
DIVISION IV STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, single elimination)
First round โ Friday at Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix
No. 19 Pusch Ridge Christian vs. No. 14 Willcox, 7 p.m.
No. 20 Tanque Verde vs. No. 13 Globe, 5 p.m.
No. 9 Florence vs. No. 24 Amphitheater, 5 p.m.
First-round byes: No. 1 Benson, No. 3 San Manuel, No 5 Pueblo
DIVISION V STATE TOURNAMENT
(24 teams, single elimination)
First round โ Friday at Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix
No. 20 Williams vs. No. 13 San Miguel, 3 p.m.
No. 21 Bisbee vs. No. 12 Mayer, 3 p.m.
No. 24 Academy of Tucson vs. No. 9 San Carlos, 3 p.m.
No. 22 Mogollon vs. No. 11 St. David, 3 p.m.
First-round bye: No. 4 Elfrida Valley Union
