By DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
Local teams are starting the playoffs this week and some could be on a collision course.
Mustangs No. 1, Red Raiders No. 2 in baseball sectional
The Mainland Mustangs baseball team (20-3) earned the top seed in South Jersey Group III and Ocean City (14-7) is the No. 2 seed, putting them on opposite sides of the brackets.
Mainland opens today (Wednesday), hosting No. 16 Absegami, and Ocean City hosts No. 15 Camden Tech. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday, June 5, and the semifinals for Tuesday, June 8.
Because the higher seed gets home field advantage, Mainland could be at home all the way to the finals on Friday, June 11, and Ocean City could face its cross-bay rivals at Mainland if both teams go unbeaten. Other top seeds in the bracket are No. 3 Central Regional and No. 4 Moorestown.
Ocean City No. 1 seed in boys lacrosse sectional
The Red Raiders (10-6) earned the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group III sectional, giving them a first-round bye on Tuesday, June 1. On Thursday, they will face the winner of No. 8 Brick Township vs. No. 9 Northern Burlington. The semifinals are scheduled for Saturday, June 5, and finals for Monday, June 7.
The Mainland boys (7-7) are the No. 13 seed in the tournament and opened Tuesday against No. 4 Clearview. The Mustangs would have to upset Clearview and the winner of No. 5 Colts Neck vs. No. 12 Cherry Hill West to go up against the Red Raiders in the semifinals.
On the other side of the bracket, Shawnee is the No. 2 seed in South Jersey Group III.
O.C., Mainland in girls lacrosse tournament
The Ocean City girls lacrosse team (10-3) earned the No. 4 seed in the South Jersey Group III sectional tournament and rival Mainland (12-4) is the No. 6 seed. They are on opposite sides of the bracket.
The Red Raiders just edged the Mustangs last week, 11-10.
Ocean City opened at home Tuesday against No. 13 Jackson Memorial. If they win, they would host the winner of No. 5 Cherry Hill West vs. No. 12 Brick Memorial on Saturday, June 5. If the Red Raiders make it to the semifinal round, they will likely face No. 1 seed Moorestown on June 8. Moorestown is a perennial South Jersey champion and defeated the Red Raiders earlier this season.
Mainland opened Tuesday against No. 11 Brick Township. They would face the winner of No. 3 Shawnee vs. No. 14 Toms River South in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The top seed in the bracket is No. 2 Clearview.
Red Raiders, Mustangs in softball tournament
The Ocean City girls softball team (11-7) is the No. 8 seed in the South Jersey Group III sectionals and opened the tournament Tuesday against No. 9 Lacey. If they win, they will likely face No. 1 seed Central Regional on Friday, June 4.
The Red Raiders could be upset-minded because last week they handed Hammonton, the No. 2 seed in the sectional, its first loss of the season, knocking them off 8-3.
Ocean City pitcher Hailey Neville had a whale of a game against Hammonton, striking out seven Blue Devil batters, having three hits – including a home run – and racking up 4 RBI in the game. Teammate Cristina Barbella also had a home run and MacKenzee Segich scored a pair of runs in the game.
Mainland (9-13) is the No. 14 seed in the sectional and opened Tuesday against No. 3 seed Seneca. Hammonton also is on the Mustangs’ side of the bracket.
Mustangs tennis plays
for Souoth Jersey title
The Mainland Mustang tennis team earned the top seed in the South Jersey Group III sectional with its unbeaten record of 15-0, earned a bye in the first round and then shut out Toms River East and Shawnee in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
They were playing Tuesday afternoon – after the Sentinel sports section went to press – for the South Jersey title against No. 2 seed Moorestown (18-2). Moorestown also earned a bye in the first round and then shut out No. 7 Absegami and No. 3 Ocean City to get to the finals.
Ocean City ended its season with a 16-4 record, its only other losses of the season to Mainland (twice) and Middle Township, which they beat earlier in the season.