Mike Ridaught
The high school softball and baseball seasons officially end this week.
We’ll conclude our broadcast coverage with the Oakleaf (Orange Park) at Buchholz baseball game on Thursday at 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast online (audio only) at MainStreetDailyNews.com beginning at 4:45 p.m.
A total of four area softball teams will be No. 1 seeds in next week’s district tournaments: Branford (1A-6), Dixie County (1A-7), Williston (1A-8) and Santa Fe (3A-5).
Williston (22-2) is the top-ranked team in Class 1A, while Branford (20-3) is second and Dixie County (Cross City) (16-5) is ranked third. They are in great shape for a regional bid (Thursday, May 11) win or lose in next week’s district tournament.
Santa Fe (Alachua) is currently sixth in 3A-Region 2. The top eight teams in each region will make the postseason.
The FHSAA Regional Quarterfinals for Classes 2A-4A begin on Wednesday, May 10. The 5A-7A semifinals are on Thursday, May 11.
A total of five area baseball teams will be No. 1 seeds: Newberry (1A-7), Oak Hall (2A-4), Santa Fe (4A-4), Columbia (5A-2), and Buchholz (6A-3).
Oak Hall has the offense to make a run to the final four this year, while Columbia, Buchholz and Santa Fe are in the top 20 regional rankings and could make some noise.
The FHSAA Baseball Quarterfinals for Classes 2A-5A are on Tuesday, May 9, followed by the 6A and 7A quarterfinals and the 1A semifinals on Wednesday, May 10.
The softball high school state championships will be held at Legends Way Ball Fields in Clermont (Monday-Saturday, May 22-27), while the baseball state championships will be held at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers (Wednesday-Saturday, May 17-20, and Monday-Wednesday, May 22-24).
FHSAA SOFTBALL DISTRICT TOURNAMENTS
Class 1A-District 6 at Branford
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
4 Bell vs. 5 Lafayette (Mayo), 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
2 Fort White vs. 3 Union County (Lake Butler), 5 p.m.
1 Branford vs. Bell/Lafayette winner, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 1A-District 7 at Trenton
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
4 Bronson vs. 5 Newberry, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
1 Dixie County (Cross City) vs. Bronson/Newberry winner, 5 p.m.
2 Trenton vs. 3 Chiefland, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 1A-District 8 at Williston
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
3 Hawthorne at 2 Glades Day (Belle Glade), 5 p.m.
4 Wildwood at 1 Williston, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 2A-District 4 at St. Francis Catholic Academy
Monday, May 1 – Semifinals
3 St. Francis Catholic Academy vs. 2 Father Lopez (Daytona Beach), 1 p.m.
4 Countryside Christian vs. 1 Peniel Baptist Academy (Palatka), 4 p.m.
Wednesday, May 3 – Championship, 4 p.m.
Class 3A-District 2 at Higher Seed
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
5 Gadsden County (Havana) at 4 Taylor County (Perry), 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
3 Suwannee (Live Oak) at 2 Marianna, 6 p.m.
Taylor County/Gadsden County winner at 1 Florida High (Tallahassee), 6 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 3A-District 3 at Keystone Heights
Monday, May 1
5 Bradford (Starke) vs. 4 Interlachen, 3 p.m.
2 Palatka vs. 7 Crescent City, 5 p.m.
3 Keystone Heights vs. 6 Beachside (St. Johns), 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2
Palatka/Crescent City winner vs. Keystone Heights/Beachside winner, 5 p.m.
Bradford/Interlachen winner vs. 1 Taylor (Pierson), 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 6 p.m.
Class 3A-District 5 at Trinity Catholic (Ocala)
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
4 P.K. Yonge vs. 5 Eastside, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
1 Santa Fe (Alachua) vs. P.K. Yonge/Eastside winner, 7 p.m.
2 Trinity Catholic (Ocala) vs. 3 Dunnellon
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 5A-District 2 at Middleburg
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
4 Orange Park vs. 5 Lincoln (Tallahassee), 4:30 p.m.
6 Gainesville vs. 3 Middleburg, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
2 Columbia (Lake City) vs. Gainesville/Middleburg winner, 5 p.m.
1 Ridgeview (Orange Park) vs. Orange Park/Lincoln winner, 7 p.m.
Class 6A-District 3 at Oakleaf (Orange Park)
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
5 Buchholz vs. 4 Fletcher (Neptune Beach), 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
3 Nease (Ponte Vedra) vs. 2 First Coast (Jacksonville), 5:30 p.m.
Buchholz/Fletcher winner vs. 1 Oakleaf, 7:30 p.m.
FHSAA BASEBALL DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
Class 1A-District 6 at Branford
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
6 Fort White vs. 3 Hamilton County (Jasper), 4 p.m.
5 Branford vs. 4 Hilliard, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
Fort White/Hamilton County winner vs. 2 Union County (Lake Butler), 4 p.m.
Branford/Hilliard winner vs. 1 Lafayette (Mayo), 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 1A-District 7 at Trenton
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
4 Dixie County (Cross City) vs. 5 Bell, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
1 Newberry vs. Bell/Dixie County winner, 4 p.m.
2 Trenton vs. 3 Chiefland, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 1A-District 8 at Higher Seed (Championship at Wildwood)
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
2 Williston vs. 3 Bronson, 7 p.m.
1 Glades Day (Belle Glade) vs. 4 Wildwood winner, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 2A-District 4 at St. Francis Catholic Academy
Monday, May 1 – Semifinals
2 St. Francis Catholic Academy vs. 3 Countryside Christian, 1 p.m.
1 Oak Hall vs. 4 Peniel Baptist Academy (Palatka), 4 p.m.
Wednesday, May 3 – Championship, 4 p.m.
Class 3A-District 2 at Higher Seed
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
5 Bradford (Starke) vs. 4 Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville), 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
Bradford/Bishop Snyder winner vs. 1 Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville), 7 p.m.
2 Baldwin vs. 3 West Nassau (Callahan), 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 3A-District 4 at Trinity Catholic (Ocala)
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
4 Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) vs. 5 Taylor (Pierson), 1 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Quarterfinals
3 P.K. Yonge vs. 6 Interlachen, 4 p.m.
2 Keystone Heights vs. 7 Crescent City, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 3 – Semifinals
P.K. Yonge/Interlachen winner vs. Keystone Heights/Crescent City winner, 4 p.m.
1 Trinity Catholic vs. Father Lopez/Taylor winner, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 6:30 p.m.
Class 4A-District 2 at Higher seeds
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
3 Suwannee (Live Oak) vs. 6 Gadsden County (Havana), 7 p.m.
4 Taylor County (Perry) vs. 5 Godby (Tallahassee), 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
1 Baker County (Glen St. Mary) vs. Taylor County/Godby winner, 7 p.m.
2 Wakulla (Crawfordville) vs. Suwannee/Gadsden County winner, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 4A-District 4 at Higher Seeds
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
4 Eastside vs. 5 Palatka, 7 p.m.
3 Menendez (St. Augustine) vs. Beachside (St. Johns), 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
1 Santa Fe (Alachua) vs. Eastside/Palatka winner, 7 p.m.
2 Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) vs. Menendez/Beachside winner, 7 p.m.
Thursday, May 4 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 5A-District 2 at Higher Seeds
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
1 Columbia (Lake City) vs. 4 Rickards (Tallahassee), 7 p.m.
3 Gainesville vs. 2 Lincoln (Tallahassee), 7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 3 – Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 6A-District 3 at Fletcher (Neptune Beach)
Monday, May 1 – Quarterfinals
4 Nease (Ponte Vedra) vs. 5 Fletcher (Neptune Beach), 4 p.m.
3 Oakleaf (Orange Park) vs. 6 First Coast (Jacksonville), 7 p.m.
Tuesday, May 2 – Semifinals
2 Fleming Island (Orange Park) vs. Oakleaf/First Coast winner, 5 p.m.
1 Buchholz vs. Nease/Fletcher winner, 8 p.m.