Pittston Area and Wyoming Area are the top seeds in District 2 baseball playoffs after each going 17-3 in the regular season.
The Patriots are 18-3 overall, but their playoff victory over Hazleton Area on Friday to win the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 title was not part of the records used to determine power ratings that decide playoff seeding.
The ratings were not to be finalized until the completion of four Saturday games, but the Patriots and Warriors were far enough ahead in Class 5A and 4A to be sure to hold on to the top spots.
The Saturday baseball games all involved District 2 small schools. Games involving those seven small schools (and one outside the district) could still impact ratings of large school teams that they had faced, but playoff matchups can be anticipated based on ratings going into Saturday.
Class 5A baseball
Pittston Area has earned one of the two quarterfinal byes in the six-team field.
The Patriots will be home Friday against the winner of Tuesday’s semifinal between Abington Heights, one of three teams that tied for first place in Lackawanna League Division 1, and Dallas. The Comets are 13-6, and the Mountaineers are 14-6.
Wallenpaupack, another of the first-place finishers in Lackawanna Division 1, is the second seed in a tournament that also includes North Pocono (10-10) and West Scranton (5-15). The Buckhorns are 15-5.
The final is set for May 28 on a neutral field.
Class 4A baseball
Wyoming Area (17-3) beat out Mid Valley (15-5) for the top seed in a tournament where the top eight schools out of 10 qualified.
The Warriors will open Tuesday at home with a quarterfinal game in which Valley View (5-15) is the likely opponent. Berwick (4-16) is another possibility.
Hanover Area (13-7) and Honesdale (9-10-1) are the most likely semifinal opponents for Wyoming Area, which will get to host again Friday if it wins the quarterfinal.
Scranton Prep (11-8) and Crestwood (5-14-1) complete the field.
The final is scheduled for May 29 on a neutral field.
Class 2A baseball
This is the bracket most likely to have undergone late adjustments on Saturday.
Old Forge went 4-10 to finish seventh of eight teams in Lackawanna League Division 2. The Blue Devils are 9-10 overall and had a .472 power rating going into Saturday, in fifth in the race, just behind Wyoming Seminary, which was 10-9 with a .474 rating, but a game remaining.
Mid Valley was close behind at 11-8 with a .453 rating.
The playoffs are set for Tuesday, Friday, and May 29.
Class 5A softball
This tournament is a six-team District 2-4 Subregional.
Pittston Area will open at home Tuesday, likely against sixth-seeded Shikellamy (4-15), unless they slipped behind Crestwood Saturday. The Lady Patriots finished 11-8 and took a .608 rating into Saturday, while Crestwood was at 12-8 and .591, with the teams possibly minimally impacted by some of the seven games involving 10 district teams that were being played Saturday.
Abington Heights (19-1) is the top seed.
North Pocono (15-5) earned the other bye and is positioned to host Pittston Area in a likely Thursday semifinal matchup.
The final is on May 27 on a neutral field.
Class 4A softball
Wyoming Area will be home for Monday’s quarterfinal before likely hitting the road in a potential Wednesday semifinal. The neutral field final is set for May 26.
The top four teams in the eight-team field start at home.
Wyoming Area, which finished 12-6 and had a .598 rating, went into Saturday in third place in the power ratings, just in front of Wallenpaupack, which was 10-9 with a .586 rating, with a game against West Scranton remaining.
Tunkhannock (19-1) is the top seed. Valley View (17-3) is a potential semifinal opponent for Wyoming Area.
The rest of the field includes Dallas (10-10), Berwick (10-10), Hanover Area (6-13), and likely Nanticoke (4-16).
Class A softball
Old Forge went 10-4 to place third in Lackawanna Division 2 and brings an 11-6 record into the four-team district tournament.
The Lady Devils are the second seed behind Lackawanna Division 2 champion Holy Cross (16-3).
Old Forge will probably open Monday against Susquehanna (4-12).
Forest City (3-13) is the other team in the field.
Semifinals are on Wednesday, with the final set for May 26.
