ScotSports.com Blog

HP finally set up its bi-district playoff, and will face a Frisco Wakeland team playing its third game in four days when the series opens Thursday at Wakeland.

The Scots (24-8-1) got two good scouting reports on Wakeland while the Wolverines endured a two-game mini-tournament to secure the final playoff seed out of District 9-4A. Game 1 of the best-of-three series begins at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Wakeland, with Game 2 returning to Scotland Yard at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Game 3, if needed, will be at Grapevine High School, with the time to be announced later. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students.

Wakeland is 21-9 on the season and tied for third in 9-4A. It won a district playoff game over Sherman, 6-2, on Monday to clinch its spot in the postseason. The Wolverines the crushed Frisco Centennial, 15-0, to earn the third-place playoff seed and the right to face HP instead of the state's top-ranked team, Rockwall-Heath, in the bi-district round. 

Pitching will be at a premium for Wakeland, which by Friday's Game 2 will have played its fourth game in five days. 

The series synopsis:

Game 1 - 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Frisco Wakeland
Game 2 - 7:30 p.m. Friday at HP
Game 3 - TBD at Grapevine

At least they'll have plenty of scouting reports compiled on the opponent.

HP had to wait another day to find out its opponent in the bi-district playoffs that are creeping up later this week. The District 9-4A tiebreaking mini-tournament got only half completed last night due to the rain up north. In the only game played, Frisco Wakeland beat Sherman, 6-2, thus eliminating Sherman from the postseason. 

Wakeland was to turn around and play Frisco Centennial last night, but rain prevented it. Wakeland (20-9) and Centennial (22-10) will try again at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Frisco High, and HP (24-8-1) will play the loser. Rockwall-Heath will play the winner.

HP maintained its spot at No. 2 in the LAXpower.com South Regional rankings, and is ranked No. 36 in the nation in the website's computer-scoring rankings. The Scots (21-2), who will play in and host the THSLL State Championships at Highlander Stadium this weekend, have the fifth-best strength-of-schedule multiplier within the national ranking systems.

The Scots are also the state's top-ranked team in two other prominent website's state polls. Here are the top 10 team in the various rankings.

Things keep getting worse for Chris Young, the ex-HP pitcher who is trying to rehab a shoulder injury and get back into San Diego's starting rotation.

Young, who has been on the disabled list since April 7 with a strained right (throwing) shoulder, couldn't get out of an inning in San Antonio on Sunday, allowing five runs, four walks and two hits and getting just two outs . Of the 35 pitches he threw, just 15 were strikes.

San Diego manager Bud Black said on Sunday that he had yet to receive a report about Young and how he felt after the start. If Young feels no residual pain from this outing, he'll likely make at least one more rehab start, possibly with Triple-A Portland, later in the week before any determination is made on when and if he'll return to the Padres' rotation.     

The teams and times are set for the THSLL State Championships this weekend at Highlander Stadium. And with HP in the favorite's position in the Division I bracket, even the Division II field should have a little interest for Scots fans. 

Reports from the THSLL indicate that Coppell, the defending Division II state champion and a favorite to repeat, has plans to join the Division I ranks next season. So watching what Coppell does this weekend could serve as a preview for next year's North District race. Coppell, which eliminated HP's Division II team in the district semifinals last week, would be the North District's seventh team.

Here is the schedule for this weekend's Final Four:

THSLL Championships
at Highlander Stadium

Division I Semifinals
Sat., May 8
2:30 p.m. - HP vs. Jesuit
5 p.m. - St. Mark's vs. Episcopal Houston

Division I Championship
Sun., May 9
1 p.m. - Semifinal winners

Division II Semifinals
Sat., May 8
9:30 a.m. - Coppell vs. San Antonio Reagan
Noon - Round Rock Stony Point vs. Houston Christian

HP will find out who it will face in the playoffs tonight at the end of the District 9-4A tiebreaker saga.

The 9-4A coaches elected to postpone the baseball tiebreakers until today, making for a key doubleheader at Frisco's Deeter Smotherman Field. The first game with Sherman vs. Frisco Wakeland was to be Saturday, but will start at 4 p.m. today instead. The winner of that game clinches a playoff spot, with the loser out of the postseason.

The winner of the 4 p.m. game will then turn around and face Frisco Centennial immediately following to determine the third and fourth playoff seeds. HP will play the winner of that game. 

Sherman, Wakeland and Centennial tied for third following the end of the regular season last Friday. Centennial received a bye in the mini-tournament because it had the best head-to-head record of the three teams.

Chris Young is one of the good guys in the Major Leagues. He says the right things, he plays well, and he represents his alma mater HP well wherever he goes.

Young continues to struggle with a sore throwing shoulder that has kept him out of San Diego's rotation since the season opener. Last night he threw a bullpen session before San Diego's game with Milwaukee, and his first rehab start might finally be on the horizon. Padres manager Bud Black said he may send Young to Salt Lake City for a start for AAA Portland on Sunday.

An upset in the District 9-4A ranks on Friday left three teams tied for third place, and a playoff mini-tournament will decide who HP will face in the bi-district playoffs next week.

Frisco Centennial, Frisco Wakeland and Sherman all tied with 8-6 district records. Here is the tiebreaking scenario, courtesy of the Sherman Herald-Democrat:

- Frisco Centennial, which fell into the tie after an upset loss to Frisco on Friday, clinched a playoff spot and a first-round bye in the mini-tournament nonetheless based on its sweep of Sherman in the regular season. It will play the tiebreaker winner between Sherman and Wakeland on Monday afternoon.

McKinney North, which beat Wakeland on Friday, is the second playoff seed in 9-4A. McKinney is the district champion.