The MHSAA playoffs begin on Friday for area teams that have qualified for the postseason. Here’s a preview of the first-round action for the weekend. The 5A Brookhaven High Panthers won’t start their playoffs until April 26.

 

Loyd Star repeats as Region 7-2A champs ahead of West Lincoln, Bogue Chitto

It was a close race for the top seed coming out of Region 7-2A, but the Loyd Star Hornets secured first place after splitting the regular season series with West Lincoln. The Hornets and first year head coach John Smith won the first game between the school 9-1, before WL got a measure of revenge with a 5-4 victory two days later.

Both teams will be heavy, heavy favorites in their opening round matchups. Loyd Star (13-7-1) will host Scott Central (3-14) on Friday at 5 p.m. in the series opener. The second game of the series will be played at Scott Central in Forest on Saturday at a time still to be determined and in the highly unlikely scenario that a third game is needed, it will be played at Loyd Star on Monday.

The odds are strongest that Loyd Star will match up with Puckett (21-8) in the second round of the 2A bracket.

West Lincoln (13-8) and coach Anita Thornton open the playoffs up with a three-game series against Bay Springs on Friday at home. The first pitch of that opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. and on Saturday, the teams will meet at Bay Springs for game two, which will begin at 2 p.m. A third game will likely not be needed, but if it is, it will be played at West Lincoln on Monday at a time to be determined.

The likely second round opponent for the Bears will be the Pisgah Dragons (18-6).

After beating Amite County earlier this month in two games by a combined score of 40-0, Bogue Chitto heads into the postseason as the no. 3 seed out of Region 7-2A. Coach Candace McDowell and her Bobcats (5-10) will be on the road at Lake High (17-8) for their first-round opener at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Game two will be played at Bogue Chitto on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Mize (8-10) is the likely second round opponent for either Bogue Chitto or Lake.

 

Wesson awaits opponent after dominating Region 7-3A

At press time, Wesson does not have its opponent yet for the first round, but whether it be Noxubee County or Kemper County, the Cobras will be monumental favorites in their 3A playoff opener. Game one will be at Wesson on Friday at a time to be determined and the Cobras and coach Michelle Nunnery will look to then close the series out on Saturday at their opponent’s home field.

Wesson has been dominant in another year of flogging the Region 7-3A competition. The Cobras (17-3) won their first seven region games by a combined run total of 98-3. Nunnery won’t let her team look past anyone, but the Cobras will also be huge favorites in the second round too, likely facing either Perry Central (9-20) or Magee High (3-16).

If the 3A bracket follows its likely path, Wesson will meet up with either Enterprise-Clarke (12-8) or West Marion (15-6) in the quarterfinals.

 

Enterprise finishes second in Region 7-1A

The Enterprise Yellow Jackets (11-9) have wrapped up second place in Region 7-1A behind Stringer (17-5) after dropping two games to the Red Devils earlier this season.

EAC and coach Alicia Smith will match up with the third placed team out of Region 5-1A, a division made up of schools from the Mississippi Delta. Region 5 members include Leland, McEvans, Simmons, South Delta and West Boliver High. The Jackets will know their opponent later this week, but already know they’ll host a first-round opener on Friday at home.

As prohibitive favorites, the Yellow Jackets can look to the second round, where they’ll likely face Ethel (13-11). It was Ethel that eliminated Enterprise from the postseason last year.

 

Lawrence County cruises through Region 6-4A

The Lawrence County Cougars easily roared past their Region 6-4A softball foes of Richland, Raymond and McComb this season, winning six games against those schools by a combined total of 107-6.

The Cougars don’t have s set opponent yet for the first round of the 4A Playoffs, but they’ll likely face either Bay High (7-13) or Pass Christian (10-11), depending on how things shake out in Region 8-4A.

LC head coach Alexandria Harris-Roberson and her squad are 15-8 overall and could possibly face Sumrall, a team that beat them 8-4 during the season, in the second round of the 4A bracket.

Game one of the first round will take place in Monticello on Friday with LC taking to the road on Saturday for game two. If a third game is needed, it will be played at Lawrence County on Monday.