Division championship on line for WC, VHS|[4/12/05]

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 12, 2005

One thing is certain. Vicksburg and Warren Central are both in the Class 5A playoffs. After that, trying to figure out anything else is like trying to solve a quantum physics equation.

The Gators and Vikings meet for the second time this season on Wednesday night at 7 at Bazinsky Field. Warren Central won the first game between the teams, 3-2, on March 29.

The narrow victory snapped a six-game slide against Vicksburg, but opened the door to a host of scenarios to decide the Division 6-5A champion.

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Run differentials, a series of four or five tiebreakers, and even an otherwise meaningless game between Forest Hill and Natchez will all come into play to figure out who earns the division’s top seed and who has to travel in the first round of the playoffs to defending state champion Oak Grove.

“You want to host that first playoff game. That’s a big deal,” VHS coach Jamie Creel said. “You want to try to get some type of advantage in the playoffs.”

The game was originally scheduled for tonight, but Monday’s heavy rains pushed it back one day. Even before a line of strong thunderstorms moved through the area Monday afternoon, Creel and WC coach Randy Broome were conceding defeat to the elements.

Both coaches canceled practice on Monday, and Broome released his players with a promise to discuss strategy today.

“I just got off the phone with Jamie, and it’s looking like we’re not going to be able to play Tuesday,” Broome said.

Whenever they finally hit the field, the basic playoff scenario for both teams will be simple.

If Warren Central (15-11, 5-0 Division 6-5A) wins, it will capture its first division title since 2002. And if Vicksburg (16-6, 4-1) wins by at least two runs, it will earn its second straight division crown by way of the third tiebreaker.

The tricky part is figuring out what happens if Vicksburg wins by one run – something that has happened in five of its last seven meetings with WC.

If Forest Hill beats Natchez tonight, the Rebels will finish third in the division and Vicksburg will win out based on the fourth tiebreaker – run differential against the third-place team.

If Natchez wins that game, however, Warren Central will have the tiebreaker edge and win the division.

“It really is” confusing, Creel said.

A division title would mean more to both programs than just another sign on the wall.

For WC, it would be a leg up on its crosstown rivals and completely put an end to the jinx that was broken earlier this season. It would also be a bright spot in what has been a rough second half of the season.

The Vikings have lost nine of their last 14 games, although nine of their 11 losses this season have been against teams ranked in either Mississippi or Louisiana. In addition, none of the losses in the recent swoon have been by more than three runs.

“We’ve been playing in big games all year. Playing in big games now shouldn’t be any different than the rest of the year,” Broome said. “That’s something we looked at when we made this schedule. It’s time it should start paying off.”

For Vicksburg, a division title would be a young team’s first step on the path to greatness. The Gators have no senior starters, and seem primed to enjoy a long run among Mississippi’s baseball elite.

“With the amount of seniors we’re starting, I think it shows we’re going in the right direction,” Creel said. “You just hope we can come out and battle them hard and go from there.”