As districts throughout the Rio Grande Valley hit the halfway point in their league schedules, district title and playoff races are beginning to heat up, none more so than District 32-6A.
As teams throughout 32-6A prepare to play their final game of Round 1 of district competition today, six squads are primed to contend for four postseason berths while four teams sit within one game of a share of first place.
Harlingen South and Los Fresnos — the 16th and 19th ranked Class 6A teams across the state, according to the latest Texas Girls Coaches Association poll — are locked in a tie for first place with each team tallying a 5-1 mark in district play thus far.
The Hawks currently own a head-to-head tiebreaker after handing the Falcons their first loss of the season in mid-March in Los Fresnos.
Harlingen High, the 23rd-ranked Class 6A team, and Weslaco High, sit a game back of both Harlingen South and Los Fresnos tied at 4-2 in the district thus far.
The Cardinals own a tiebreaker for third over the Panthers after defeating them in the district opener in Weslaco, but have struggled to generate consistent offense against the upper crust of 32-6A.
Harlingen and Los Fresnos have the most daunting paths forward of the four teams best positioned to make the playoffs with two games against each other.
The Falcons will also have to go on the road to face the Hawks and San Benito, while the Cardinals must travel to Brownsville Rivera and Harlingen South, the only two teams to beat them in district competition thus far.
Brownsville Rivera and San Benito, meanwhile, are looking to crash into the postseason picture during the final weeks of the season.
The Raiders have pulled off the district’s most impressive turnaround since dropping their district opener in an 18-0 loss to Los Fresnos. Since then, Rivera has reeled off wins in three of its last four games, including a 10-0 victory over Harlingen.
The Raiders’ next three games could make or break their postseason dreams, though, with a home game against Weslaco today followed by grudge-match games against the Falcons and Greyhounds next week.
San Benito, however, will be looking to generate some positive momentum after being mired in a March losing streak. The Greyhounds soundly defeated Brownsville Hanna in their district opener, but have since dropped four straight to Los Fresnos, Harlingen, Weslaco and Harlingen South
They’ll look to get back on track against Donna North before facing a tough district slate that includes trips to Harlingen, Harlingen South, Rivera and Weslaco.
PIONEER PULLS AHEAD IN TIGHT 31-5A DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP HUNT
Sharyland Pioneer prevailed in a battle for first place in District 31-5A on Tuesday against PSJA Memorial, giving the Diamondbacks a leg up in a tight district championship race to close out the first round of district play.
The D’backs are unbeaten in 31-5A after topping each of their district opponents to this point, but the Wolverines remain hot on their heels at 6-1 in district competition.
While Pioneer and PSJA Memorial appear to be the two district title favorites at the midway point, McAllen Rowe could emerge as a darkhorse challenger during the final weeks of the regular season.
The Warriors are 4-2 in 31-5A and possess the most dangerous offense within the district, which could pose problems for the Diamondbacks and Wolverines, who have each struggled to score with consistency lately by comparison.
Rowe hung 20 runs on crosstown rival McAllen Memorial after back-to-back losses to Pioneer and PSJA Memorial, as the Warriors appear to be finding their mojo at just the right time.
MERCEDES, PSJA NORTH HOLD DOWN TOP SPOTS IN 32-5A, 31-6A
The two most clear-cut district title favorites throughout the RGV as March comes to a close are the Mercedes Tigers and PSJA North Raiders.
The Tigers, who are 6-0 in District 32-5A, have yet to be seriously challenged to this point.
Mercedes has outscored its district opposition 84-10 so far, an impressive stretch of softball that included a pair of shutouts and two victories by double digits.
PSJA North, meanwhile, has withstood every test so far to become the Valley’s lone remaining unbeaten team.
The Raiders, the seventh-ranked team in the TGCA 6A poll, are 13-0 overall and 9-0 in District 31-6A after a dominant start to the season.
North possesses the RGV’s most potent offense, which has helped the team blow out many of its opponents to this point. Only three teams have played the Raiders within three runs this season.
PSJA North also looks poised to potentially run away with the district crown after crushing Edinburg Vela in their second matchup of the season Tuesday. That gives the Raiders a two-game lead and a head-to-head tiebreaker over the second-place SaberCats, who sit at 7-2 in district competition.
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