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Dominion District Playoff Picture

Midlo DadMidlo Dad10,000+ posts
Standings as of May 9 are as follows:

1. Cosby 9-0
2. Manchester 7-3 (has tie-breaker on James River)
3. James River 7-3
4. L.C. Bird 5-5
5. Clover Hill 3-6
6. Monacan 2-8
7. Midlothian 1-9

Only the top 4 teams make the district playoffs. Barring a collapse of 1969 Cubs/2007 Mets proportions, Cosby will finish first and take the automatic berth in the regional tourney. After that, it's not certain, but it's getting pretty clear.

I looked ahead at next week's schedules to see who plays whom to close out the regular season.

Clover Hill has a non-district game Monday against Freeman and then three district games against Midlothian, Bird and Cosby on Tues/Thurs/Fri. With all due respect to Clover Hill, no one has enough pitching to cover three games and still have something left worthy of going toe-to-toe with Cosby. Meaning, Clover Hill is toast, so the 4 playoff teams are pretty much set, it's just a question of in what order.

Next week, Manchester plays Cosby and James River. James River plays Bird and Manchester. Bird plays James River and Clover Hill. So the seedings are all up in the air, except that Bird will have a tough time getting out of the # 4 seed, since that would require it to win both games and then also have one of JR or Manchester lose both of theirs just to create a tie.

So, it looks pretty certain that Cosby will play Bird and Manchester will play JR in the opening round on Tuesday, May 20.

If Cosby beats Bird in the tourney opener, then the winner of the James River-Manchester game would go to regionals even if that winner were to lose to Cosby in the district championship game.

The # 2 team will play Hanover from the Capital District. Cosby will draw the Capital's # 2 team which will depend on the outcome of that district's tournament. Lee-Davis and Henrico are your best bets.
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Midlo DadMidlo Dad10,000+ posts
There was to have been a makeup game Friday between Cosby and Clover Hill, but it was rained out yet again. Its outcome would not affect the final standings in any event, so it will not be made up.

These standings are final:

1. Cosby 11-0
2. James River 9-3
3. Manchester 7-5
4. L.C. Bird 6-6
5. Clover Hill 3-8
6. Midlothian 3-9
7. Monacan 2-10

Tuesday's playoffs will feature Bird v. Cosby in the 5:00 game, Manchester v. James River to follow (likely starting time between 7:30-8:00 p.m.).

Both games are at L.C. Bird.
Last edited by Midlo Dad
Midlo DadMidlo Dad10,000+ posts
L.C. Bird edges Cosby, 4-3, in 8 innings, behind the pitching of Andrew Deal, who survived three solo homers to win it with a complete game effort. Ronnie Shaban was the tough luck loser, though he had 2 of the homers, Jake Lowery the other. Shaban hit a blast in the bottom of the 7th to force extra innings but Bird got a key hit to plate the winning run in the 8th.

James River just barely avoided a second upset on the night against a tough Manchester squad, overcoming an outstanding pitching performance by Blake Hauser to win, 4-3. Daniel Marrs pitched around some troublesome defense, going 6 innings with one earned run -- albeit a towering homer by Chris Ayers. Austin Stadler hit a 2-run homer and closed for the save. Jack Cleary provided the winning margin with a 2-run double in the third inning, then James River hung on over the final 4 innings.

Despite the loss, Cosby advances to the Central Region tourney as the district's # 1 seed. Bird and James River will face off Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at L.C. Bird to determine which team will get the district's second berth. Stadler will start for James River; likely Bird starter is southpaw Jamie Hendrick.
S Spartan81100+ posts
So, your district tournament is just bragging rights and the district champ designation and means nothing in terms of regional seeding?

The Northern Region does it different. Regular season determines seeding for district tournament. Regular season winner is an autoregion qualifier and can't fall below #2, but if they lose in semis or finals of the district tournament, then they don't get the regional #1 seed.

Maybe I'm just more familiar with it, but I like the NR way better.
Midlo DadMidlo Dad10,000+ posts
We don't give top seeding based on the tournament, but the tournament allots the second regional berth, so it's more than just "bragging rights".

Had Cosby won as expected, James River would already be in the regionals. That's because Cosby is already in, so the tourney runner-up would go if Cosby won the tourney, so JR would've advanced win or lose in a finale vs. Cosby.

But Bird's upset win makes Thursday an elimination game for both teams. Win and you're in, lose and the season ends.
S Spartan81100+ posts
I get it. Your regional tourney is only 8 teams, correct, with 3 games to win? The NR has a 16 team format (4 games to win), with 4 teams making it out of each district.

Maybe that's because our region is so much closer between schools, and yours is more spread out geographically.

No better or worse, just different.

Good luck tomorrow.
Midlo DadMidlo Dad10,000+ posts
You can probably drive from the two schools furthest apart in under 40 minutes. We may have longer distances, but we don't have northern VA traffic to deal with!

I think there's just a decision to place more emphasis on the results of the season, instead of adding even more to the one-and-done single-elimination format. The season ought to count for something.

From the standpoint of a team like Cosby, it's good to have one low-pressure week before heading into regionals. James River lost the district tourney finale last year, yet went on to win the state title.
Midlo DadMidlo Dad10,000+ posts
James River won the tournament championship, 3-0, over L.C. Bird. Austin Stadler dominated on the mound with 12 K's, allowing only 2 singles, 1 BB and 1 HBP. No Bird runner reached 3rd and only 1 reached 2nd.

Bird's junior lefty Jamie Hendrick was an undeserving loser. He K'ed 13 in 6 innings but was betrayed by his defense for the game's first 2 runs. Stadler homered to tack on an insurance run in the 5th and finished 2-3 with a double to go with the homer, was also intentionally walked with men already on 1st and 2nd in the 6th. (The strategy worked that time, so you can't say as you blame 'em.)

James River takes the Dominion's # 2 seed into the Central Region tourney and will face Hanover at Hanover Tuesday, time TBA. Looks like a matchup of former Richmond Braves teammates Daniel Marrs and Jake Mayers, should be a tough one!
L Local8SS10+ posts
I think the phrase "betrayed by his defense" is wrong. A pitcher relies on his defense and while they might not always play well they hardly "betray" him. Does a pitcher who walks a lot of hitters betray the defense or the coaches. It seems to me that the attitude is one of there is the pitcher and the defense and they are two separate teams while I prefer to think they are all one team.
L Local8SS10+ posts
how did the pitcher get outs by himself....if they were strikeouts was a catcher there to catch the ball? If it was a ground ball to the pitcher did he run over every time and tag the bag or did he throw it and run over and catch it himself. If he throws a wild pitch does he chase it or does a catcher chase it. Did he throw the pitch and when the batter hit a fly to centerfield did the pitcher run out and catch it? I don't dispute that errors hurt the TEAM not just the pitcher but I think you fail to understand the dynamics of what playing on a team is all about. A win is a win, a loss is a loss and the best team in baseball does not always win especially in the format used in tournament play in Va.....one loss and your season is over. Still until I see a game where the pitcher goes out on the field and takes on the other team all by himself then I will not blame any one segment of the game on a loss....if the offense had all hit homeruns the team would have not lost either. You win and lose as a team.
L Local8SS10+ posts
quote:
If you want to engage in a philosophical discussion about team play, I'm all for it, but start your own topic


Obviously you don't like to be questioned or have your point of view examined. I feel "betrayed" as someone who also has a point of view.

My objective here is to promote the positives about the kids on the field, and in this case, I felt it was appropriate to mention that although Hendrick took the loss, he certainly did not merit blame.

I find it more than a little inconsistent that you promote the positives and then proclaim that a defense "betrayed" their pitcher.

Again you promote positives but you look to assign blame to young kids....I don't see that as a positive.

and forgive me please but I don't have to ask permission to post on any topic...even yours
Midlo DadMidlo Dad10,000+ posts
What I don't like is someone coming on a thread that's basically set up to promote the positives, and try to pick a personal fight, whether it's with me or any other poster.

What I'm going to do is go back and delete my posts in response to yours. I don't want to go on and on with a bunch of back and forth petty bickering. You can continue if you like, but you'll have to do it by yourself.
Last edited by Midlo Dad

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