No. 13 Sandy, No. 11 Barlow baseball to host first round of playoffs

Published 12:15 am Friday, May 17, 2024

By Christopher Keizur

Gresham softball earned a spot in the 2024 playoffs. 

Playoffs are upon us, and local baseball/softball teams have earned their opportunity to vie for state championships.

For 6A baseball, Barlow and Sandy will both host a game as the higher-seed. For 6A softball, a trio of local Mt. Hood Conference teams are hitting the road to pull a first-round upset.

The dates for the opening games of baseball and softball are the same. Round one will be Monday, May 20, and round two will be Wednesday, May 22.

Here are the matchups:

Baseball

No. 11 Barlow (16-8) hosts No. 22 Lakeridge (13-14)

The Mt. Hood Conference champs are hoping to recapture the magic of last season, when as underdogs they snuck past No. 3 Lakeridge for a 1-0 shocker in the first round. That would be a better outcome for the Bruins than how the rematch against the Pacers went earlier this year, a 1-7 loss on the road.

No. 13 Sandy (20-7) hosts No. 20 Grant (19-7)

The silver medalists in the conference are ready to flex their muscles and make a deep playoff run. Last season was a quick out for the Pioneers, with a 4-1 loss to No. 7 Sprague. This will be the first time they face Grant this season.

Softball

No. 17 Barlow (16-11) at No. 16 McDaniel (18-7)

Few teams have been as hot as the Bruins down the stretch — they’ve won 9 of the last 12 games of the season, five times scoring at least 15 runs. Last year they were upset by Lakeridge 11-1 in the first round. With so many returners on this roster, that memory, and how to avoid it, will be on their minds.

No. 20 Gresham (13-12) at No. 13 Forest Grove (17-8)

After a rough start to the season, in large part to not having a home field for the first two months, the Gophers did enough down the stretch to earn a return to the postseason. Last year was a first-round shutout loss. This time Gresham will lean on its big bats.

No. 22 Sandy (15-12) at No. 11 Southridge (16-9)

The Pioneers battled their way back into the playoffs after a several-year drought. It wasn’t guaranteed, and in the final weeks Sandy strung together key wins — 7 of 8 — to ensure they would be dancing.