Who's in? Who's out? NCHSAA baseball, softball playoff picture for Gastonia, Shelby teams (2024)

Believe it or not, the final week of the high school baseball and softball regular season has arrived for teams in Cleveland, Gaston and Lincoln counties.

With that in mind, it’s time to check out playoff projections as they stand going into the weekend, based on results through Friday, May 3.

Here’s how it works.

In leagues with six or more member schools (i.e. Big South 3A, Western Foothills 3A, Catawba Valley 2A), the top two finishers automatically qualify for the playoffs. One team from Metro 8 1A receives a postseason berth due to having only five member schools. Leagues such as Southern Piedmont 1A/2A and Catawba Shores 1A/2A grant playoff spots to their top 1A and 2A finishers.
The NCHSAA’s RPI ranking system will be used to fill the 64-team field, with East and West brackets featuring 32 teams apiece. League champions are seeded first, ordered by their respective RPI rankings, with at-large teams following
There is a caveat for split conferences, however. The highest finishing team in its half of a split conference must finish first, second or third in the league, or have an overall winning percentage .500 or better to receive a top seed. Otherwise, it is seeded as an at-large team.

This page will be updated daily through the end of the week as results shift the playoff picture statewide (NOTE: Updated as of 3:45 p.m., May 4).

HOW BIG SOUTH 3A WILL BE WON:Big week ahead for Big South 3A as baseball, softball decide league champions

LAST WEEK'S HONOR ROLL:Gastonia, Shelby top performers: Forestview softball's Blair Riley hits career milestone

Baseball

3A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

Rocky River 2A/3A: Piedmont (11-13, 8-2)
Mid-Piedmont 3A: North Davidson (16-6, 9-1); Ledford (15-6, 7-3)
South Piedmont 3A: East Rowan (26-1, 15-1); Lake Norman Charter (17-7, 11-5)
Mid-State 3A: Rockingham County (19-6, 13-1); Atkins (18-7, 12-2)
Queen City 3A/4A: West Mecklenburg (8-13-1, 5-10); in playoffs as an at-large.
Big South 3A: South Point (15-5, 13-1); Kings Mountain (16-7, 11-3)
Western Foothills 3A: Foard (17-5, 11-3); North Lincoln (16-7, 10-4)/St. Stephens (14-6, 10-4), teams split regular season series. Automatic bid officially to be decided by tiebreaker, though both are playoff bound.
Northwest 3A/4A: Ashe County (13-9, 5-5)
The Mountain 3A/4A: Enka (13-10, 7-5)/AC Reynolds (12-11, 7-5); teams split regular season series. Automatic bid to be decided by tiebreaker. RPI being used for projection.
Mountain 7 3A: West Henderson (19-4, 11-1); Tuscola (17-5, 10-2)

First-round matchups (as of May 4)

32 West Meck at 1 East Rowan

17 St. Stephens at 16 North Gaston

25 Pisgah at 8 Ashe County

24 Carson at 9 Piedmont

28 Crest at 5 AC Reynolds

21 Oak Grove at 12 East Lincoln

20 Atkins at 13 Lake Norman Charter

29 Northwest Cabarrus at 4 South Point

30 South Rowan at 3 North Davidson

19 West Rowan at 14 Kings Mountain

27 Hibriten at 6 Foard

22 Enka at 11 Ledford

26 Erwin at 7 Rockingham County

23 Stuart Cramer at 10 Tuscola

18 North Henderson at 15 North Lincoln

31 Asheboro at 2 West Henderson

2A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Randleman (19-5, 12-0)
Mid-State 2A: Morehead (22-2, 12-0); West Stokes (20-5, 10-2)
Rocky River 2A/3A: West Stanly (18-5, 10-0)
Central Carolina 1A/2A: East Davidson (18-5, 12-0)
Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: North Stanly (21-4, 10-0)
Foothills 2A: Forbush (23-2, 11-1); North Surry (15-9, 9-3)
Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Lincoln Charter (17-7, 13-1)
Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: Burns (25-0, 12-0)
Mountain Foothills 7 1A/2A: East Rutherford (22-1, 12-0)
Western Highlands 1A/2A: Madison (10-10, 9-3); placed second in its conference, earning a top seed.
Catawba Valley 2A: Bandys (20-4, 13-1); Maiden (17-7, 10-4)

First-round matchups (as of May 4)

32 East Burke at 1 Burns

17 East Surry at 16 McMichael

1A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Uwharrie Charter (20-5, 9-3)
Northwest Piedmont 1A: Cornerstone Charter (14-6, 9-1); Bishop McGuinness (15-5, 8-2)
Central Carolina 1A/2A: Thomasville (third place in conference; 11-11 overall, 7-5 conference)
Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: Union Academy (17-7, 6-4)
Northwest 1A/2A: Mount Airy (21-1, 12-0)
Metro 8 1A: Piedmont Community Charter (14-9, 5-1)
Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Christ the King (17-7, 10-4)
Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: Cherryville (16-9, 9-3)
Mountain Foothills 1A/2A: Polk County (9-13, 3-9); seeded as an at-large team.
Western Highlands 1A/2A: Draughn (17-4, 11-1)
Smoky Mountain 1A: Hayesville (15-3, 12-0); Swain County (13-4, 9-3)

First-round matchups (as of May 4)

32 Langtree Charter at 1 Mount Airy

17 Highland Tech at 16 East Wilkes

25 Leadership Academy at 8 Cornerstone Charter

24 Robbinsville at 9 Thomasville

28 Murphy at 5 Union Academy

21 South Stokes at 12 Bishop McGuinness

20 North Stokes at 13 Swain County

29 Bessemer City at 4 Draughn

30 Hiwassee Dam at 3 Christ the King

19 Polk County at 14 Corvian Community

27 Mitchell at 6 Cherryville

22 Mountain Island Charter at 11 Starmount

26 Bethany at 7 Hayesville

23 Mountain Heritage at 10 Piedmont Community Charter

18 Eastern Randolph at 15 South Stanly

31 Bradford Prep at 2 Uwharrie Charter

Softball

3A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

Rocky River 2A/3A: Piedmont (18-3, 11-1)
Mid-Piedmont 3A: Oak Grove (21-2, 9-1); North Davidson (17-6, 8-2)
South Piedmont 3A: East Rowan (20-3, 15-1); Central Cabarrus (17-6, 14-2)
Mid-State 3A: Rockingham County (17-5, 12-0); Eastern Guilford (17-7, 10-2)
Queen City 3A/4A: West Charlotte (8-10, 6-8); to be seeded as an at-large.
Big South 3A: Kings Mountain (18-0, 14-0); Crest (15-4, 12-2)
Western Foothills 3A: Foard (12-4, 12-2); North Lincoln (17-4, 11-3), won tiebreaker for automatic bid over North Iredell (13-6, 11-2) by winning both season matchups.
Northwest 3A/4A: Ashe County (12-9, 4-6)
The Mountain 3A/4A: North Buncombe (12-6, 9-3); has tiebreaker by virtue of season sweep over Enka (15-5, 9-3).
Mountain 7 3A: West Henderson (18-2, 11-1); Franklin (15-3, 9-3)

First-round matchups (as of May 4)

32 West Charlotte at 1 Oak Grove

17 Pisgah at 16 Enka

25 AC Reynolds at 8 North Buncombe

24 East Lincoln at 9 Ashe County

28 Stuart Cramer at 5 West Henderson

21 Eastern Guilford at 12 Crest

20 North Iredell at 13 Franklin

29 South Rowan at 4 Piedmont

30 CATA at 3 East Rowan

19 Forestview at 14 West Rowan

27 Central Davidson at 6 Rockingham County

22 Montgomery Central at 11 Ledford

26 Northwest Cabarrus at 7 Foard

23 Parkwood at 10 North Davidson

18 North Lincoln at 15 Central Cabarrus

31 Southern Guilford at 2 Kings Mountain

2A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Southwestern Randolph (15-6, 10-2)
Mid-State 2A: West Stokes (17-4, 11-1); McMichael (20-5, 11-1); West Stokes winning league tournament earns it a top seed.
Rocky River 2A/3A: West Stanly (17-9, 10-2)
Central Carolina 1A/2A: West Davidson (15-7, 11-1)
Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: North Stanly (16-3-1, 8-0)
Foothills 2A: West Wilkes (18-0, 12-0); Forbush (17-9, 10-2)
Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Lincoln Charter (15-6, 12-0)
Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: East Gaston (11-8, 7-3)
Mountain Foothills 7 1A/2A: Brevard (15-5, 10-2)
Western Highlands 1A/2A: Owen (18-2, 11-1)
Catawba Valley 2A: Maiden (14-4, 13-1), West Lincoln (16-9, 8-6); Maiden advanced farther than Bunker Hill (18-2, 13-1) in CVAC tournament to earn the league’s top seed. West Lincoln claimed an automatic berth by winning league tournament.

First-round matchups (as of May 4)

32 North Wilkes at 1 West Wilkes

17 East Rutherford at 16 West Lincoln

25 Pine Lake Prep at 8 Brevard

24 West Caldwell at 9 Lincoln Charter

28 Burns at 5 Owen

21 Morehead at 12 Bunker Hill

20 R-S Central at 13 McMichael

29 Walkertown at 4 Southwestern Randolph

30 Wheatmore at 3 Maiden

19 Randleman at 14 Mount Pleasant

27 Providence Grove at 6 West Stokes

22 Chase at 11 East Gaston

26 East Davidson at 7 West Stanly

23 Madison at 10 West Davidson

18 Forbush at 15 Bandys

31 East Burke at 2 North Stanly

1A West

Automatic qualifiers (conference record in parentheses)

Piedmont Athletic 1A/2A: Uwharrie Charter (17-3-1, 11-1)
Northwest Piedmont 1A: Bethany (17-5-1, 8-0)
Central Carolina 1A/2A: South Davidson (9-8, 6-6); fourth place in conference, finished with a winning record to receive atop seed.
Yadkin Valley 1A/2A: South Stanly (12-5, 4-4)
Northwest 1A/2A: East Wilkes (21-3, 12-0)
Metro 8 1A: Queen’s Grant (17-3, 4-0)
Catawba Shores 1A/2A: Mountain Island Charter (10-6, 10-2)
Southern Piedmont 1A/2A: Cherryville (20-2, 10-0)
Mountain Foothills 1A/2A: Polk County (8-11, 2-10); will be seeded as an at-large team.
Western Highlands 1A/2A: Draughn (16-7, 10-2)
Smoky Mountain 1A: Robbinsville (20-2, 12-0), Murphy (12-5, 9-3)

First-round matchups (as of May 4)

32 Hayesville at 1 Uwharrie Charter

17 Mountain Heritage at 16 Swain County

25 Rosman at 8 Mountain Island Charter

24 Polk County at 9 Queen’s Grant

28 Leadership Academy at 5 Cherryville

21 Hiwassee Dam at 12 Eastern Randolph

20 Gray Stone Day at 13 Murphy

29 Piedmont Community Charter at 4 Robbinsville

30 Bessemer City at 3 South Stanly

19 Cornerstone Charter at 14 Elkin

27 Bradford Prep at 6 Bethany

22 Cherokee at 11 Union Academy

26 Langtree Charter at 7 Draughn

23 North Stokes at 10 South Davidson

18 South Stokes at 15 Starmount

31 Corvian Community at 2 East Wilkes