Quest for softball playoff berths creates plenty of suspense
Four days. Six playoff berths still up for grabs. It should be a fun finish to the Class 4A softball regular season.
Each of the four leagues still has at least one playoff spot hanging in the balance and plenty of key games still on the slate between Monday and the end of league play Thursday.
The top four teams in each league qualify for the region tournaments, which start May 12 at Majestic Park.
The Northwest and Southeast still haven’t determined a league champion.
The Northwest and Southeast still haven’t determined a league champion.
Durango claimed the Southwest’s top seed when it beat Bonanza on Friday.
Valley wrapped up the school’s first outright Northeast softball crown by beating Eldorado on Friday, but many teams are still fighting for their playoff lives or at least jockeying for position.
Here’s a closer look at each league’s playoff picture. Keep reading for a look at the smaller schools.
Sunset Region
Northwest League
Northwest League
Who’s in: Shadow Ridge (11-1), Centennial (10-2), Cimarron-Memorial (9-3)
Still in the hunt: Arbor View (6-6), Legacy (5-7), Palo Verde (5-7)
Wait ’til next year: Cheyenne (2-10), Mojave (0-12)
Breakdown: Two-time defending Sunset champ Shadow Ridge needs to win either of its two remaining games (at Palo Verde and home to Cimarron) to secure the league title and the No. 1 seed. Shadow Ridge swept Centennial and would win a tiebreaker against the Bulldogs.
Still in the hunt: Arbor View (6-6), Legacy (5-7), Palo Verde (5-7)
Wait ’til next year: Cheyenne (2-10), Mojave (0-12)
Breakdown: Two-time defending Sunset champ Shadow Ridge needs to win either of its two remaining games (at Palo Verde and home to Cimarron) to secure the league title and the No. 1 seed. Shadow Ridge swept Centennial and would win a tiebreaker against the Bulldogs.
Centennial swept Cimarron and needs a win against either Mojave or Arbor View to lock up the No. 2 seed.
Cimarron can’t get the No. 1 seed, but could still move up to No. 2 with two wins and two Centennial losses.
The scramble in this league is for the fourth spot and the right to play Durango in the first playoff round.
Arbor View, seeking its first playoff appearance, has a one-game lead over Legacy and perennial playoff qualifier Palo Verde, but the Aggies still must visit Centennial, so there are no guarantees.
Legacy (at Cimarron) and Palo Verde (home to Shadow Ridge) each has a tough game Monday before a head-to-head battle at Legacy on Wednesday.
Trying to simplify this is ... well, difficult, but let’s try.
Arbor View gets the spot with two wins or a win and a Palo Verde loss.
Palo gets it if it sweeps its two remaining games and Arbor View slips once.
Legacy probably needs to win twice and have Arbor View lose twice to get in.
Monday’s results will help clear up this league.
Southwest League
Who’s in: Durango (13-1, league champion), Bonanza (10-3)
Still in the hunt: Clark (8-5), Desert Oasis (8-5), Spring Valley (8-5), Pahrump Valley (6-8)
Wait ’til next year: Sierra Vista (4-9), Bishop Gorman (3-11), Western (0-13).
Breakdown: And you thought the Northwest was confusing.
Still in the hunt: Clark (8-5), Desert Oasis (8-5), Spring Valley (8-5), Pahrump Valley (6-8)
Wait ’til next year: Sierra Vista (4-9), Bishop Gorman (3-11), Western (0-13).
Breakdown: And you thought the Northwest was confusing.
Two head-to-head matchups among three teams tied for third place makes the Southwest near impossible to shake down.
Durango has the No. 1 seed. Despite losing players to injury seemingly every week, the Trailblazers swept second-place Bonanza and would win a tiebreaker.
Bonanza will likely collect the No. 2 seed. The Bengals swept Desert Oasis and Spring Valley, and because those teams still must play each other, Bonanza can’t miss the playoffs.
The Bengals also should beat Clark in a tiebreaker, even though the teams split. The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association’s second tiebreaker — wins by beaten opponents — should give Bonanza the edge. Basically, one Bonanza win will secure the No. 2 seed.
Spring Valley hosts Desert Oasis on Monday and visits Clark on Tuesday. Those games will have a huge impact on which teams get in. Spring Valley must at least split those games to stay in the discussion.
Desert Oasis and Clark still have a game left against winless Western, and even though there are no guarantees, don’t expect a loss by the Diamondbacks or Chargers.
The schedule clearly favors Desert Oasis and Clark, as Spring Valley is the only team of the three with two games left against the top half of the league, but save your money and don’t bet. Too much can still happen here.
Pahrump’s playoff chances are slipping away. The Trojans must beat Bonanza and Spring Valley and get boatloads of help to get in, despite a valiant effort in the team’s first 4A season.
Sunrise Region
Northeast League
Northeast League
Who’s in: Valley (11-0, league champion), Las Vegas (9-2), Eldorado (5-5)
Still in the hunt: Canyon Springs (4-6), Rancho (3-7)
Wait ’til next year: Chaparral (2-8), Desert Pines (2-8)
Breakdown: League champion Valley still takes a little getting used to in a league that has been dominated by Las Vegas, but it’s a great reward for the Vikings, who clearly earned the top spot with a sweep of the season series with the second-seeded Wildcats.
Still in the hunt: Canyon Springs (4-6), Rancho (3-7)
Wait ’til next year: Chaparral (2-8), Desert Pines (2-8)
Breakdown: League champion Valley still takes a little getting used to in a league that has been dominated by Las Vegas, but it’s a great reward for the Vikings, who clearly earned the top spot with a sweep of the season series with the second-seeded Wildcats.
Eldorado swept fifth-place Rancho and has locked up a playoff spot.
The fourth spot should go to the winner of Thursday’s Canyon Springs at Rancho game. Canyon Springs, though, could wrap up the last spot with a win over Las Vegas and a loss by Rancho on Tuesday.
Chaparral and Desert Pines lose out on tiebreakers.
Southeast League
Who’s in: Green Valley (10-2), Silverado (9-3)
Still in the hunt: Foothill (8-4), Liberty (8-4), Coronado (6-6)
Wait ’til next year: Basic (5-7), Tech (2-10), Del Sol (0-12)
Still in the hunt: Foothill (8-4), Liberty (8-4), Coronado (6-6)
Wait ’til next year: Basic (5-7), Tech (2-10), Del Sol (0-12)
Breakdown: Silverado’s remaining games at Liberty and Green Valley make this league a little cloudy.
Green Valley has the inside track on the No. 1 seed and can’t drop any lower than third. The easiest path to a Gators title is a victory over Silverado on Wednesday.
A Green Valley win over Del Sol and a Silverado loss to Liberty on Monday also would give the Gators the No. 1 seed.
Foothill swept the season series from Silverado and would win a tiebreaker between the teams. The Falcons are the only top-four team with two games remaining against the lower half of the division, but they’ve already lost once to Monday’s opponent (Basic).
Monday’s results will start to lift the fog from the playoff picture here.
Coronado must win twice and get help — lots of it — to still get in.
Class 3A
Who’s in: It’s a four-team league; they’re all in.
Breakdown: Boulder City (8-0) has turned the 3A Southern League into its own showcase, sweeping its first eight games. A win in either game against Faith Lutheran (5-3) on Tuesday gives the Eagles the top seed.
Breakdown: Boulder City (8-0) has turned the 3A Southern League into its own showcase, sweeping its first eight games. A win in either game against Faith Lutheran (5-3) on Tuesday gives the Eagles the top seed.
Faith Lutheran and Virgin Valley (5-5) will occupy the second and third seeds. Faith won three of the four meetings and holds the tiebreaker.
Moapa Valley (0-10) is the No. 4 seed.
This is the only league that uses a best-of-3 playoff series format. The No. 4 seed visits the No. 1, and the No. 3 seed travels to the No. 2. The series winners advance to state, where a double-elimination format is used.
Class 2A
Who’s in: Needles (10-0, league champion), Lincoln County (7-3), White Pine (7-3), Calvary Chapel (6-4)
Wait ’til next year: Mountain View (4-6), West Wendover (2-10), The Meadows (0-10)
Breakdown: Needles has secured the No. 1 seed.
Wait ’til next year: Mountain View (4-6), West Wendover (2-10), The Meadows (0-10)
Breakdown: Needles has secured the No. 1 seed.
Lincoln County holds the tiebreaker edge over White Pine as a result of sweeping the season series.
The Lynx head to Mountain View this week. White Pine hosts Needles.
Calvary Chapel is in and can move up with wins over The Meadows. Calvary split with Lincoln and White Pine, so those tiebreakers are a little more confusing.
A Calvary tie with Lincoln County would favor Lincoln County. A Calvary tie with White Pine would likely favor Calvary.
A three-way tie would favor anybody except the person who has to figure it out. Actually, it would go to Lincoln County based on its head-to-head record.
In short, Lincoln gets the No. 2 seed with two wins or a win and a White Pine loss.
Staying away from Needles in the opening round would be wise.
Class 1A
Who’s in: Pahranagat Valley (10-0), Indian Springs (5-1), Tonopah (6-2), Lake Mead (7-3)
Wait ’til next year: Beatty (2-8), Sandy Valley (2-6)
In limbo: Round Mountain (0-12), having forfeited the end of its season
Breakdown: Pahranagat Valley needs only a split against Indian Springs on Friday to win the league title.
Wait ’til next year: Beatty (2-8), Sandy Valley (2-6)
In limbo: Round Mountain (0-12), having forfeited the end of its season
Breakdown: Pahranagat Valley needs only a split against Indian Springs on Friday to win the league title.
The Thunderbirds, though, still have half of their league season left, including doubleheaders against Tonopah and Pahranagat.
Lake Mead still has a doubleheader with Tonopah, as well.
Lake Mead still has a doubleheader with Tonopah, as well.
There are simply too many games left unplayed for a long-range analysis.
