District 9 released its 2014 baseball and softball playoff brackets Friday, and there is no shortage of intrigue or storylines in each.
Smethport softball and Coudersport baseball each earned the No. 2 seeds in their respective Class A fields, while defending Class A state baseball champion Johnsonburg chose not to enter the playoffs with a sub-.500 record.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how each field stacks up.
BASEBALL
It’s a surprise not to see the Rams in the Class A field, as visions of their state title run are still fresh in the minds of many, including then junior Cole Peterson’s complete game shutout in the state title game.
While the St. Bonaventure commit and the rest of his Rams teammates are not in the field this season, Elk County Catholic and fellow Bonnie recruit Brandon Schlimm are the team to beat, coming in with a 19-0 record and top seed.
No. 2 seed Coudersport comes in with just one loss, and will await the winner of the 7-10 matchup between Otto-Eldred and Clarion-Limestone.
The top five teams in the 11-team field received byes, with No. 4 Clarion and No. 5 DuBois Central Catholic the only set quarterfinal matchup.
The Northern Allegheny League is well-represented, with not only Coudersport and Otto-Eldred, but Smethport and Oswayo Valley as well.
The sixth-seeded Green Wave will host North Clarion Monday in the first round, with the winner to get third-seeded Cranberry.
Smethport, meanwhile, will travel to Brockway in the 8-9 game, with the winner to get Elk County Catholic.
Moniteau, Karns City and Curwensville make up the Class AA bracket, with Moniteau receiving a bye to the title game with a 13-2 record.
Punxsutawney and St. Marys will square off in the Class AAA title game at a site, date and time to be determined.
SOFTBALL
Perhaps the most interesting development is the fact that Smethport, with a record of 16-2, is the No. 2 seed, while DuBois Central Catholic, at 15-2 is the top seed in Class A despite a head-to-head win by the Lady Hubbers earlier in the season.
That’s because District 9 uses a power rating system, with DCC earning the top seed over Smethport due to the fact that they have beaten more Class AA and Class AAA teams.
As a result, DCC perhaps gets a more favorable matchup against the 8-9 winner (Johnsonburg-Clarion-Limestone), while Smethport draws the 7-10 winner between Coudersport and Brockway.
Just this week, Coudersport handed Smethport it’s second loss of the season, 1-0.
In fact, all the Northern Allegheny League teams are in the same half of the bracket, with No. 3 seed Otto-Eldred drawing the winner of No. 6 Port Allegany and No. 11 A-C Valley to be played Monday.
The top five teams in the 11-team field received byes. No. 4 Keystone and No. 5 Elk County Catholic will square off in the quarterfinals.
In the five-team Class AA field, top-seeded and unbeaten Moniteau draws a bye into the semifinals, and will await the winner of Redbank Valley and Curwensville. No. 2 Karns City and No. 3 Cranberry will square off in the other semifinal.
St. Marys is the No. 1 seed in Class AAA and will await the winner of Punxsutawney and Clearfield in the title game at a site, date and time to be determined.
