In a sense, it’s fitting that St. Aloysius has to face Stringer this week.

After all the grief the Red Devils have dished out to St. Al the past few years, playing for a state championship without going through them just wouldn’t feel right.

Playoff schedule

St. Aloysius vs. Stringer

Game 1: Thursday, 6 p.m.

at Stringer

Game 2: Friday, 6 p.m.

at Bazinsky Field

Game 3: Saturday, 4 p.m.

at Stringer (if necessary)

St. Al and Stringer will meet this week in the playoffs for the third time in five seasons. The stakes have never been higher than now, though, as they prepare for the Class 1A South State championship series. The winner advances to next week’s state finals at Trustmark Park against West Union or Ingomar. The loser heads home for a long offseason, tantalizingly short of its ultimate goal.

“It’s pretty unique that we came out of the same district. It’ll ultimately be decided this series,” St. Al coach Clint Wilkerson said. “I kind of had a feeling when we played them the last time that we might see them again.”

For as much as they’ve bumped heads, St. Al and Stringer have developed a number of similarities.

St. Al enters the series with a 24-3 record, while Stringer is 20-4. Both teams have deep, talented pitching staffs anchored by a dominant ace — St. Al is led by Stephen Evans (10-1), who has earned four wins and a save in six playoff games; Stringer is led by hard-throwing right-hander Andrew Pierce (7-0), a Jones County Junior College signee.

Each team has been tested in the playoffs. St. Al won Game 2 of a second-round series with Cathedral in eight innings, and rallied in the sixth inning to win Game 2 of last week’s third-round series against West Lowndes. Stringer swept defending state champion East Webster with a 4-3 win in nine innings in Game 1, then a six-run rally in the seventh inning to take Game 2 by a score of 7-5.

St. Al and Stringer have even split their last four meetings, all in the regular season, the past two seasons.

Neither team, however, has been able to reach the promised land. Neither St. Al nor Stringer has been to the state finals with their current groups of players.

“It’ll make it more intense and competitive knowing each other,” Evans said. “We’re pretty similar. They’ve got the same kind of make-up that we’ve got.”

Stringer coach Tommy Perkins said the constant run-ins have created a mutual respect between the teams.

“I think being in the same division and playing like we have, you get to know them a little bit,” Perkins said. “We have the utmost respect for Clint and his guys. They’ve got a real good ballclub.”

So does Stringer, which has kept the Flashes from looking ahead to next week. Smelling the lush outfield grass and hearing the booming sound system of Trustmark Park from the stands, rather than on the field, will be a bitter pill to swallow. And without a strong effort this week, that’s exactly what they’ll have to do.

“We’re not getting all dressed up for nothing,” Wilkerson said. “I’m proud of my guys. They’ve worked hard all year and battled. But at the same time, we’re on a mission and we have to finish strong.”

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Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com