We’re definitely getting there! Three regular-season days remaining; the playoffs will begin on Sunday.

Format: The structure of the playoffs is the same as in past years. Each series will be a best-of-three. The first game will be held at the higher seed’s home park on Sunday, and will move to the lower seed’s park for game two, hopefully on Monday if no games are affected by weather.

Standings *=clinch a playoff spot; x=eliminated

North W L Pct. GB
1 Strasburg* 25 15 0.625
2 Woodstock* 24 17 0.585 1.5
3 New Market 18 23 0.439 7.5
Winchester 18 23 0.439 7.5
5 Purcellville 14 23 0.378 9.5
6 Front Royal-x 13 27 0.325 12
  1. Strasburg has clinched a top-two playoff spot, and controls its own destiny. The squad has two games to play: Waynesboro, @Winchester. The Bandits hold the tie-breaker with the Express, but one Strasburg win OR a Bandits loss will equal an Express division title.
  2. Woodstock has also clinched a top-two seed. Only one game left: @Front Royal.
  3. New Market is tied with Winchester for seed #3. One game left: @Purcellville. New Market holds the tie-breaker against Winchester, so a win OR a Winchester loss will clinch third place.
  4. Winchester is tied with New Market, but NM holds the tie-breaker. One game left: Strasburg. Winchester must win and New Market must lose for the Royals to grab third.
  5. Purcellville can still finish 3rd in the North! Five games left: Staunton (doubleheader), @Covington, @Front Royal, New Market. This is where is gets a bit complicated. If the Cannons tie Winchester, the Royals hold the tie-breaker. Purcellville plays New Market yet, and the teams are 2-2 against each other right now… so the winner of that game will hold the tie-breaker. Of course, if the Rebels win that one (tonight, 7 p.m.), the Cannons will not be able to catch them anyway and will be eliminated. Phew.
  6. Front Royal was eliminated from playoff contention. The team has two games left: @Purcellville, Woodstock. (Both played today.)

Goodness.

South W L Pct. GB
1 Waynesboro* 28 11 0.718
2 Charlottesville* 25 16 0.610 4
3 Covington* 20 20 0.500 8.5
4 Staunton* 18 21 0.462 10
5 Harrisonburg-x 17 24 0.415 12
  1. Waynesboro HAS CLINCHED THE SOUTH DIVISION. Three games left: @Covington, @Strasburg, @Staunton.
  2. Charlottesville IS LOCKED INTO 2ND PLACE. One game left: @Harrisonburg.
  3. Covington HAS CLINCHED A PLAYOFF SPOT. Two games left: Purcellville, Waynesboro. Jacks hold tie-breaker against the Braves (4-2). So one Jacks win OR one Braves loss clinches 3rd place for the Jacks.
  4. Staunton has three games remaining: @Purcellville (doubleheader), Waynesboro. Braves hold tie-breaker against the Turks, so THE BRAVES HAVE CLINCHED A PLAYOFF SPOT.
  5. Harrisonburg has been eliminated from playoff contention. One game left: Charlottesville. The Turk streak of making the playoffs nine years in a row has ended.

Playoff Scenarios