High school baseball tournament capsules

No. 8 Midview at No. 1 Amherst

What: Division I Lorain District sectional final When: May 8, 5 p.m. Where: Marion L. Steele High School, 450 Washington Street, Amherst

For the record: Amherst (20-4) enters the tournament having won its first outright conference championship since 2004 and is easily the favorite in the Lorain District. The Comets have struggled to score at times, but with a dominant pitching staff led by arguably one of the best in Ohio in senior Evan Shawver (60, 0.00 ERA, 88 K), they’re a hard team to beat if they get on the board first. Midview (11-13), however, has already beat Amherst once this season in a walk-off, eight-inning affair on April 2. The Comets took the second game, 6-1, more recently on April 23. But with the strength of the SWC, it’s unwise to ever count out one of its teams. The Middies will likely face Shawver, however, and if that’s the case, it’s hard to imagine Amherst not coming out with the win. McNees’ pick: Amherst

No. 5 Avon Lake at No. 4 Olmsted Falls

What: Division I Lorain District sectional final When: May 8, 5 p.m.

Where: Olmsted Falls High School, 26939 Bagley Road, Olmsted Falls

For the record: Avon Lake (14-7) beat North Ridgeville, 4-1, in a sectional semifinal behind quality pitching from starter Ryan Shinko and reliever Dakota Dudgeon. Shinko had thrown a nohitter against the Rangers in a regular-season game on April 29and has rounded out the Shoremen’s pitching staff nicely. However, Olmsted Falls (14-5) has beaten Avon Lake twice during the regular season, most recently in a 6-5walk-off victory on May 4. Both teams finished in the top four of the always-tough Southwestern Conference and are equally familiar with each other’s lineups, and this game will likely come down to which team can come up with a timely hit. McNees’ pick: Avon Lake

No. 7 Lorain at No. 2 St. Edward

What: Division I Lorain District sectional final When: May 8, 5 p.m. Where: St. Edward High School, 13500 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood For the record: Lorain (13-8) put on a convincing performance in a 9-1win over Westlake (5-11) in a sectional semifinal. It was the Titans’ first playoff victory since 2013. The team played like it had something to prove, and it will against second-seeded St. Edward. Defense has carried Lorain all season with one of the fastest outfields in Northeast Ohio, but the offensive output will need to match the defensive effort and more in what is the Titans’ biggest game of the season. In high school baseball, every team has a chance no matter the opponent, but St. Edward might be a little too much for the Lorain pitchers to stifle. McNees’ pick: St. Edward

No. 6 Avon at No. 3 Elyria

What: Division I Lorain District sectional final When: May 8, 5 p.m. Where: Elyria High School,

601 Middle Avenue, Elyria

For the record: Elyria (158) had an impressive run this season and surprised a lot of people when it was named the No. 3 seed in the stacked Lorain District. The Pioneers sport a relatively young roster but have a handful of talented seniors who have led the charge all year including Tristan Arno and Devan Nail. Arno is one of the top hitters in the area and Nail is headed to Kent State next season to join the Golden Flashes baseball team. On the other hand, Avon (12-10) struggled to score runs against North Olmsted in a sectional semifinal and won by a slim 2-1 margin to advance in the playoffs. As defending district champions, the Eagles are playing with a target on their backs, but with an overhauled roster, will likely meet their end at Elyria if the run support is not there. McNees’ pick: Elyria

No. 9 Buckeye at No. 8 Bay

What: Division II Parma District sectional semifinal When: May 8, 5 p.m. Where: Bay High School, 29230 Wolf Road, Bay Village

For the record: Bay (7-9) has struggled the better part of the season after starting 4-0. They lost the next eight games in a row before finally getting back in the win column, while Buckeye (9-11) hovered near the middle of the PAC Stars Division all year. Both teams average near six runs per game, and the Rockets have some quality pitching that can hold off Buckeye for a few innings.. McNees’ pick: Buckeye

No. 12 Cleveland Central Catholic at No. 5 Keystone

What: Division II Parma District sectional semifinal When: May 8, 5 p.m. Where: Penfield Community Park, Wellington

For the record: Keystone (13-8) is still reeling from last season’s upset to then-No. 8 seed Buckeye when, as the top seed, the Wildcats were the favorite for the district and more. This season, Keystone finished near the top of the PAC Stars Division again, but fell 3 1⁄2 games short to 2018 champion Firelands, which finished in second place to the Wildcats last year. This season’s team is a well-rounded group with power hitting and a handful of quality pitchers led by Kyler Yusko, Mike Mileski and Cameron Emerick, so don’t expect a repeat of last year’s one-and-done postseason outing. McNees’ pick: Keystone

No. 11 Lincoln West at No. 6 Fairview

What: Division II Parma District sectional semifinal When: May 8, 5 p.m. Where: Fairview High School, 4507 213th Street, Fairview Park

For the record: Fairview (7-13) finished near the middle of the PAC Stripes Division and has lost its last six games in a row heading into a sectional semifinal against Lincoln West. The Warriors have scored four or less runs in each of those games save for a wild 17-14 loss to defending Lakewood District champion Lutheran West. As the tournament progresses, the lack of run support would be concerning but Fairview has what it takes to pull off a win in the first round at the very least.

McNees’ pick: Fairview McNees’ record: 4-0