Diamond quandary
Many in contention for elite tourney field
In past years, most of the teams have done enough to cement their place in the Super Eight baseball tournament. That is clearly not the case this time.
One of the biggest issues facing the Super Eight committee tonight is this: Do you put more stock in a team with a glowing record, or one with a lesser record due to a tougher schedule. Teams like Taconic and Lynn Classical put together 19-1 seasons, yet are facing some criticism due to their overall strength of schedule. On the other hand, you have Xaverian and BC High, who will point to their strength of schedule as a reason for a so-so record.
St. John’s (Shrewsbury) should certainly be the No. 1 seed. The Pioneers went 19-3 facing a challenging schedule and have earned the right to claim the top spot.
It will be very interesting to see how the committee deals with the Catholic Conference and the Merrimack Valley Conference, both leagues which have three teams believed to be among the final 12 in consideration.
The Catholic Conference has received three bids in each of the past two seasons. St. John’s Prep (15-5) is all but in, leaving BC High (128) and Xaverian (13-7). The Eagles can argue that they are the Catholic Conference champions, while the Hawks are on a six-game winning streak, including one over St. John’s (Shrewsbury).
Unlike the Catholic Conference, the Merrimack Valley Conference has struggled to earn recognition from the committee. Since Lowell earned a berth in the inaugural Super Eight in 2014, the league has been shut out of the proceedings.
Central Catholic (15-4) should end the drought for sure, while Methuen (17-5) and Andover (14-5) have made compelling arguments as well. The Rangers split with Andover and recently captured the Haverhill Tournament, defeating both Nashoba and North Andover. Andover is the north version of Xaverian, a team flying down the stretch.
Two-time defending champion Braintree (14-6) is another compelling argument. The Wamps have some terrific wins on their resume (BC High, Walpole, Newton North and Peabody), but also lost to the likes of Hingham and Weymouth. One has to believe they’ve done enough to warrant a fourth straight trip.
It looks like the Middlesex League may finally have a team in the field. Belmont (17-3) stepped up big in the final week of the season, beating Reading in a winner-take-all game to capture their first league title in 26 years, and then defeated an 18-2 Lynnfield team in a nonleague matchup.