Baseball: Now the fun begins

Published 8:42 pm Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The second season has arrived for three local high school baseball teams.

Gardendale, Mortimer Jordan and Fultondale have all advanced to the first round of the Alabama High School Athletic Association playoffs. The teams will play a best-of-three series beginning with doubleheaders on Friday afternoon. If those games are split, the teams return for a third game on Saturday.

The Rockets won home-field advantage for their series by going undefeated in their Class 6A Area 11 competition, Minor, which finished second, faces Spain Park, currently ranked second in the Alabama Sports Writers Association poll.

Gardendale goes against perennial power Vestavia Hills, ranked tenth in the state poll.

Mortimer Jordan, which spent much of the season in the Class 5A poll, slumped late in the season and finished second to Walker in their area. The Blue Devils will hit the road to take on sixth-ranked Boaz.

As for Fultondale, it’s their first visit to the post-season in three years. The Wildcats finished second in Class 2A Area 10 behind Victory Christian of Pell City, and so must travel to Lineville for their series. Neither team is ranked in the ASWA poll.

Winners this weekend move on to the second round, which will be another best-of-three series on April 29-30.

CLASS 6A

Vestavia Hills at Gardendale

Friday, 4:30; Saturday (if needed), 1

CLASS 5A

Mortimer Jordan at Boaz

Friday, 5; Saturday (if needed), 1

CLASS 2A

Fultondale at Lineville

Friday, 4; Saturday (if needed), 1