The NCHSAA state playoffs for baseball, softball and girls’ soccer kicks off on Wednesday and six county teams — some underdogs, others heavily favored — find themselves in the hunt.

The Northside softball is one of the favorites, earning the top overall seed and boasting a perfect 20-0 record, the last unbeaten team in Class 1-A. With a powerful lineup and an advantageous schedule, the Panthers have certainly looked like a team of destiny, activating the 10-run, five-inning mercy rule in 15 of the team’s 20 contests.

But head coach Riley Youmans is taking nothing lightly. He’s fully aware the days of double-digit runs and mercy-rule victories will soon come to an end. He’s spent the two weeks preparing to make the jump from regular season to postseason because for the Panthers to make history, a perfect 26-0, they will need to face at least one western team in the championship game.

“Going into the tournament, I hope we can keep the momentum going our way and the morale up,” he said. “I’ve coached travel ball for a while too and I’ve been to Morganton and those areas out west. They breathe softball. Live it. We’re going to face some good teams in the playoffs and we’re excited about it.”

It’s a much difference scenario for the Northside baseball team, a scenario that almost didn’t exist. With last Thursday’s loss in the season finale to rival Southside, head coach Keith Boyd likely wasn’t watching the NCHSAA website in anticipation of seeding, but rather to find out whether or not Northside would even be postseason elligable.

Receiving one of the final at-large bids, the Panthers snuck into the tournament with a No. 30 seed, a .318 win percentage just good enough to earn a spot.

And the team that almost denied them a bid, Southside (7-10), earned the No. 27 seed, as head coach Kevin McRoy is looking to continue what’s been a strong finish to the season, the Seahawks winning four of their last six games.

Appropriately, the Southside softball team (6-9) also earned a No. 27 seed, but struggled down the home stretch, dropping four-straight games against the Coastal Plains Conference’s top teams to end the season.

Like the Northside softball team, the Washington softball and soccer teams have earned a first round home game for a strong regular season campaign. After finishing 15-4 and tied for second place in a tough Eastern Plains Conference (7-3), Pam Pack softball has its eyes set on a deep playoff run, navigated by the right arm of ace Haley Hutchins and a top half of the lineup that’s exceeded expectations.

And as for the defending eastern regional champion Pam Pack girls’ soccer team, youth has not been a deterrent this season. With 10 freshmen, head coach Ed Rodriguez has led his team to a 14-5 record, a second-straight Eastern Plains Conference championship and, now, a No. 7 seed in the 2-A state tournament.

Here’s a look at the first round pairings for each of the six county teams.

 

BASEBALL

(30) NORTHSIDE AT (3) CAMDEN COUNTY @ 6 P.M.

CAMDEN — One more loss and Northside probably would have been denied a postseason berth. Now, the Panthers must make the drive up Highway 17 to take on Camden County, the Coastal Ten Conference champions and No. 3 seed.

Entering as a considerable underdog, Northside has proved formidable against solid teams this season, including East Carteret, South Creek and Bertie, and the Panthers’ schedule features mostly teams with winning records. If the Northside that played East Carteret to a one-run loss shows up, a win is not entirely out of the question, though the Northside pitching staff will have to be consistent for all seven innings — from the probable started Zack Woolard to the late-inning relief man Adam Cahoon.

The Camden County lineup features 10 regular players with averages above .300, while Northside has just one .300 hitter in freshman Parker Boyd, who has only recently worked his way into a starting role. Out of the No. 3 slot in the lineup, Jensen Hawkins leads the Panthers with a .270 average and 15 RBIs.

 

(27) SOUTHSIDE AT (6) EAST CARTERET @ 6 P.M.

BEAUFORT — Don’t let the record fool you. Coastal Plains Conference champion East Carteret may have a 13-7 record, but all seven of those losses came to teams outside of Class 1-A. The Mariners, so far, have yet to lose a single 1-A game this season.

And, if history holds true, it could be a long day for a Seahawks pitching staff that has struggled down the stretch. In two games this season, Southside has been outscored 40-5 by East Carteret. Without a true No. 1, McRoy will have to bank on his lineup scoring runs and his starter, whoever he decides to go with, to eat innings.

The Mariners find themselves in the midst of an eight-game win streak, averaging 13.5 runs per game during that stretch.

 

SOFTBALL

(15) WASHINGTON VS. (18) WEST BLADEN @ 7 P.M.

WASHINGTON — The Pam Pack has proved that it can compete with the toughest teams in Class 2-A, playing in a conference where five of the six squads finished the regular season with winning records.

Three of Washington’s four losses have come by either one or two runs and Hutchins has been a pillar of consistency, a true ace, sporting a 1.45 ERA and 167 strikeouts.

Hutchins will have her hands full with the Knights’ middle of the lineup, however, as senior Morgan Sweeney and sophomore Laiklyn Pait have averages above .500.

West Bladen, entering with a 12-8 record, has had little trouble posting double-digits runs against mediocre pitching, but the Knights have yet to face a pitcher like Hutchins. And with a 1.29 ERA, 118 strikeouts and eight losses, West Bladen ace Nicole Wyatt hasn’t had much help from her defense this season.

If the lineup can put the ball in play and Hutchins can stay true to form, Washington should be able to avoid a first round upset.

 

(1) NORTHSIDE VS. (32) CRESWELL @ 6 P.M.

PINETOWN — Standing at a perfect 20-0, Northside is on a mission to rewrite history and should have very little problem handling No. 32-seeded Creswell in Round 1.

Each of Northside’s starters have above a .400 average and after a minor mid-season slump, junior catcher Kendall Alligood has been on a tear of late — nine hits in three games.

With a 4-10 record and without a victory over a team with a winning record, the team that received the final at-large bid will likely find itself loading the bus after five innings.

 

(28) SOUTHSIDE AT (5) WHITEVILLE @ 5 P.M.

WHITEVILLE — Out of all the Wednesday softball games for county teams, it’s Southside that might have gotten the toughest first round draw. The Seahawks will have to face Whiteville, the champions of the Three Rivers Conference, one that features 1-A and 2-A teams.

The Wolfpack is led by sophomore slugger Sage McLelland, who leads a competitive softball conference in hitting with an impressive .522 average. Her 33 RBIs, 35 runs scored and .584 on-base percentage also lead the conference.

Whiteville has three regular pitchers, giving head coach Olivia Scott the ability to mix and match. The team’s ace, junior Malerie Leviner, has a microscopic 0.98 ERA and 97 strikeouts on the season.

Southside will have to put its four-game slide in the rearview, rejuvenate a lineup that has struggled as of late and, above all else, make the plays in the field in order to have any shot at knocking off the No. 5 seed.

 

GIRLS SOCCER

(7) WASHINGTON VS. (26) SOUTH GRANVILLE @ 6 P.M.

WASHINGTON — Even with freshmen sprinkled across every position, Washington continues to be one of the top teams in eastern North Carolina, despite having lost a core group of seniors to graduation.

In Round 1, the Pam Pack will meet No. 26-seeded South Granville, a team that plays in the top-heavy Northern Carolina Conference. Again the basement of the table, the Vikings have excelled. Against the top teams, South Granville has just one win, a 3-2-overtime victory over Roanoke Rapids.

If senior Caitlyn Scott can hit through balls behind the defense, finding freshman Sydney Walker or senior Warner Little, it’s going to be a long day for the Vikings. But if the underdog can contain the Pack midfield and successfully employ an offside trap, South Granville could make it a game.