HobbsDailyReport.com
Fred T. Foard High’s baseball team and South Caldwell’s softball team are the top seeds in Northwestern 3A-4A tournaments that begin on Tuesday night.
The Tigers (13-5-1, 12-2) won the baseball race by one game over South Caldwell to earn a home game Tuesday at 7 p.m. against No. 8 Freedom (5-15, 1-13).
South Caldwell (13-1, 16-6) was the softball regular season champion, finishing two games up on Foard, and opens the tournament on Tuesday at 7 p.m. with a home against No.8 Hickory (0-14, 0-18).
The baseball tournament moves to M.S. Deal Stadium in Granite Falls for semifinals on Wednesday and the title game is at Deal at 7 p.m. on Friday.
The softball tournament’s final two rounds are at Catawba Meadows with semifinals at 6 p.m. on two different fields on Wednesday and the title game at 6 p.m.
There was one tie in baseball – Watauga and St. Stephens for fifth place at 5-9 each – and Watauga got the No. 5 seed via having split with third-place Hickory, which swept St. Stephens in the regular season.
Hibriten and Freedom tied for third in softball at 8-6 each and Hibriten gained the No. 3 seed in a draw.
As the tournament’s open these spots are locked up:
Baseball: Foard owns the No. 1 3A state playoff bid and South Caldwell, as the top-finishing 4A, owns the No. 1 4A bid into the postseason.
Hickory has the No. 2 3A bid unless a lower-seeded 3A team wins the tournament.
Softball: South Caldwell has the No. 1 state 4A playoff bid and Foard has the No. 1 3A bid unless a lower-seeded 3A team wins the tournament title.
South Caldwell is the defending champion in both league tournaments.
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS
BASEBALL
Tuesday’s games
No. 8 Freedom (1-13, 5-15) at No. 1 Foard (12-2, 14-5-1), 7 p.m.
No. 5 Watauga (5-9, 8-14) at No. 4 Hibriten (8-6, 12-9), 7 p.m.
No. 7 Patton (4-10, 8-16) at No. 2 S. Caldwell (11-3, 16-4-1), 7 p.m.
No. 6 St. Stephens (5-9, 9-13) at No. 3 Hickory (10-4, 16-8), 7 p.m.
Wednesday’s games
(at M.S. Deal Stadium, Granite Falls)
S. Caldwell-Patton winner vs. St. Stephens-Hickory winner, semifinal, 4:30 p.m.
Freedom-Foard winner vs. Watauga-Hibriten winner, semifinal, 7 p.m.
Friday’s game
(at M.S. Deal Stadium, Granite Falls)
Semifinal winners, championship, 7 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Tuesday’s games
No. 8 Hickory (0-14, 0-18) at No. 1 S. Caldwell (13-1, 16-6), 7 p.m.
No. 5 St. Stephens (7-7, 8-11) at No. 4 Freedom (8-6, 9-9), 7 p.m.
No. 7 Patton (3-11, 8-14) at No. 2 Foard (11-3, 12-6), 7 p.m.
No. 6 Watauga (6-8, 9-11) at No. 3 Hibriten (8-6, 11-8), 7 p.m.
Wednesday’s games
(at Catawba Meadows)
Hickory-S. Caldwell winner vs. St. Stephens-Freedom winner, semifinal, 6 p.m.
Patton-Foard winner vs. Hibriten-Watauga winner, semifinal, 6 p.m.
Friday’s game
(at Catawba Meadows)
Semifinal winners, championship, 6 p.m.