As 2014 season enters the final stretch for the teams in the NCISAA Tarheel Conference, the clock tics closer and closer towards the TIC Tournament. And this time around, the table is one of the most competitive in recent memory.

With a head-to-head confrontation serving as the final game on the regular season schedule, Pungo currently sits second in the standings with a 7-2-conference record (9-5 overall), while rival Terra Ceia, boasting a 5-4 conference record (7-4 overall), is positioned a half game behind Ridgecroft for third place.

This year’s TIC Tournament will feature all six teams with the top-two seeds receiving byes in the first round, making the final two conference games – Terra Ceia vs. Pungo and Ridgecroft vs. Hobgood – vital to playoff positioning.

The Raiders, who beat in-conference foe and perennial powerhouse Lawrence for the first time in almost two decades last month, are focused on dethroning the Warriors.

“Our first goal is not the state tournament. Our first goal is to win the conference tournament,” said Pungo head coach John Scott Cutler. “We feel like we got gipped on our own accord with the first Lawrence game, losing 2-0, so we feel like we should have already beaten Lawrence twice. We’re not overlooking the first team we’re going to play at all. We understand we have beat everybody first, but we really want another shot at Lawrence.”

While Pungo has aspirations of a conference title, Terra Ceia is fixated on spoiling the opportunity at a first round bye for its cross-county rival on Monday.

“We’ll battle with all we have and we must execute in all phases of the game,” said Terra Ceia head coach Jason Wynne. “We are a very young team that has proved our worth going up against more experienced programs.”

A team with just a couple of seniors on its roster, the Knights have earned respect from the veteran squads in the conference, losing to Lawrence by just one run in March. Against Pungo, freshman Austin Roscoe went pitch-for-pitch with Raiders’ ace Cole Austin Woolard, as the Knights lost a closely contested pitchers dual, 2-0.

In regards to tournament seating, Terra Ceia can claim the second seed with a win against Pungo and a Ridgecroft loss to Hobgood. If Pungo comes out on top, it secures the second seed and a first round bye.

Ridgecroft also has the opportunity at earning the second seed with a win against Hobgood and a Pungo loss to Terra Ceia.

Pungo currently ranks No. 4 in the state for NCISAA Class 1-A.

“(We’re) right behind Lawrence,” Cutler said. “I told my guys (on Monday), the conference tournament is a good opportunity to move up in those rankings because more than likely we’re going to have to beat Lawrence to win it all. If we beat the No. 3 team in the state twice, then to me, that moves you up at least one spot.”

The tournament will take place Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2 in Merry Hill. No.1-seed Lawrence Academy will host the tournament.