It's Northern"s Title For The Taking

There are so many possible scenarios about  the baseball race in the Big East that there is not enough space to cover each one before the three games happen Friday night.  The only for sure spot secured in the conference race is last which is held by Southern Nash.  Even beating Nash Central Friday night they can't tie or pass anybody.  If they do beat the Bulldogs that brings on about another set of possibilities in the conference race. 

There is two possible occurrences that if they happen nothing else that happens Friday night to change the two possible.  First if Northern beats Rocky Mount they are the outright conference regular season champ and will have the number one seed  and a bye in next week's conference tournament.  They would be 7-3 and already everybody else is  hung with four losses.  It is their championship to win.  A victory would secure the number one seed in the state tournament starting May 11th.

The second event if it happens would be if Rocky Mount knocks off the Knights they would secure the number one seed through all sorts of tie breakers.  They would be in a three way tie for first but because they swept Northern and split both Fike and Hunt they have the advantage of all tie breakers in a three way tie.  In almost every scenario if they lose they would draw between 3rd through fifth depending what else happens in other games Friday.

They would not secure the number one seed for the state tournament that would fall back on the three teams tied for first who does the best in the conference tournament.  The way this season has gone this would be the year that a five seed could win the tournament and if that happened the only safe team seedings wise would be Northern Nash by winning the number one seed.  They can't lose that seeding for the state tournament regardless of how they fare next week.

If a three,four,five or sixth did win the conference tournament  then that team moves up as the two seed in state seeding and everyone but Northern falls back.  Due to everyone's over all record this season five teams may not make the state baseball tournament because when the seedings get to filling out the brackets with teams with the best overall record  most of the Big East has losing records.  Rocky Mount 11-8 has the best record in the conference even Northern has a losing record.  Their overall record would protect them if they are the conference champion.  I would not protect them if they finish fourth.

So when the state tournament starts getting pass the 3rd seeds in the selection process  there is no guarantee a four or five seed from the Big East will make it.  If there has ever been a night in any sport at any time this statement is true for these game Winning will take care of seedings.  Lose and you could be out of luck.