The regular season is now a fond memory for high school baseball and softball teams, but for many local squads, the work is not yet finished.
The Maine Principals’ Association Heal Points standings were released Thursday afternoon for softball, while baseball standings were expected to be finalized Friday.
Playoffs begin Monday, June 4, and Tuesday, June 5, with preliminary round games, followed by quarterfinals on Thursday, June 7, and semifinals on Saturday, June 9.
Baseball
In Class B North, Presque Isle and Caribou have secured playoff spots.
The Wildcats (6-10) are ranked 13th and will play No. 4 Oceanside (13-3) in a prelim matchup Monday, June 4, at 4 p.m. in Rockland. The teams did not meet during the regular season.
The Vikings (4-12) grabbed the 14th and final playoff position and make the trip to Mount Desert Island to play the No. 3 Trojans (11-5) Tuesday, June 5, at 4 p.m. The teams split their April 28 regular season doubleheader, with the Vikes winning 5-2 in the first game before MDI earned a 5-4 win in the nightcap.
In Class C North, Houlton (11-3) is the top-ranked squad and earns a first-round bye. The Shires will host a quarterfinal on Thursday, June 7, (time to be determined) against the prelim winner of No. 8 Orono (7-9) versus No. 9 Central (6-10). Houlton beat Orono 10-1 and 3-2 during the regular season, but did not face Central of East Corinth.
In Class D North, Fort Fairfield, Central Aroostook, Katahdin, Greater Houlton Christian, Hodgdon, Ashland and Southern Aroostook are in the playoff mix.
Fort Fairfield (12-2) is the top-ranked team in the region and earns a first-round bye. The Tigers will host a quarterfinal on Thursday, June 7, (time to be determined) against the prelim winner between No. 8 Stearns (7-9) and No. 9 Jonesport Beals (9-3). The Tigers did not face either squad during the regular season.
Central Aroostook (8-6) is ranked fourth and will face No. 13 Wisdom (5-7) in a prelim contest Monday at 4 p.m. The two Aroostook County squads did not play each other during the season.
Katahdin (10-4) is ranked fifth and will host No. 12 Ashland (5-8) Tuesday, June 5, at 4 p.m. (tentative) in a prelim. It will be the first meeting this season between the two squads.
Hodgdon (5-9) finished 11th and will play at No. 6 Penobscot Valley of Howland (13-3) Tuesday, June 5, at 4 p.m. The teams did not meet during the season.
Greater Houlton Christian Academy (11-3) is ranked seventh in the region and hosts No. 10 Deer Isle-Stonington (4-12) Tuesday at 4 p.m. in Hodgdon. GHCA does not have its own home field and plays its home games at Hodgdon. The two teams did not meet during the regular season.
Southern Aroostook (4-10) is ranked 14th and will be at No. 3 Woodland (14-2) for a prelim game on Tuesday, June 5, at 4 p.m. The squads did not square off during the regular season.
East Grand (5-7) and Washburn (1-12) missed the cut and will not compete in this year’s postseason.
Softball
In Class B North, Presque Isle (7-9) is ranked 11th and will make the long, 230-mile trek to the coast for a 4 p.m. prelim on Monday, June 4, against No. 6 Medomak Valley of Waldoboro (10-6). The two teams do not play each other during the regular season.
Caribou (4-12) finished 16th in the region and did not qualify for the playoffs this year.
In Class C North, Houlton (9-5) is ranked fourth and earns a first-round bye. The Shires will host No. 5 Orono (9-7) in the quarterfinals on Thursday, June 7 (time to be determined). Houlton narrowly beat Orono 5-4 on May 28 and fell to the Red Riots 10-4 in the season-opener April 20. The game will likely be played earlier in the day as Thursday, June 7, is also the date for Houlton’s graduation ceremony.
In Class D North, Southern Aroostook (14-0) secured the top billing ahead of No. 2 Penobscot Valley (16-0). The Warriors earned a first-round bye and will host a quarterfinal game Thursday, June 7, against the winner of the prelim game between No. 8 Central Aroostook (5-9) and No. 9 Madawaska (7-7). That prelim game will be played at Mars Hill Tuesday, June 5, at 2 p.m. The Panthers and Owls did not compete against each other during the regular season.
Katahdin (11-3) is ranked third in the region and also will receive a first-round bye. The Cougars will host a quarterfinal on Thursday, June 7, (time to be determined) against either No. 6 East Grand (11-2) or No. 11 Fort Fairfield (6-8). Those two teams meet Tuesday, June 5, in Danforth at 3 p.m. East Grand did not face Fort Fairfield during the regular season.
Ashland (9-5) finished fourth in the region but will have to play a prelim game against No. 13 Schenck (3-13) of East Millinocket. That prelim game will be played Tuesday, June 5, in Ashland at 4 p.m. The Hornets and Wolverines are not regular season opponents.
Hodgdon (2-12) and Washburn (1-12) did not qualify for the playoffs this season.
