Leading up to the Playoffs, we’ll be previewing all of the districts involving Northeast Ohio schools in Divisions I through IV.
UPDATE: To see our Playoff Predictions, click here.
All of these districts begin play on May 11 at 4:30 pm.
To save time, here’s a guide to check out the district(s) you’re most interested in.
Page 1 Euclid District
Division I
Canton Region
Euclid District
Favorite #1 Mayfield (14-5)
Contenders #2 Chardon, #3 Mentor, #4 Eastlake North
Sleepers #5 Willoughby South, #6 Cleveland Heights
Mayfield is the team to beat in this district, but most of these teams are familiar with one another from playing in the Western Reserve Conference.
Something to keep in mind with this district is that both #2 Chardon and #4 Eastlake North have beaten Mayfield this season. Chardon split its two games with Mayfield, while North won their first meeting of the season with the Wildcats, 6-1, on May 3.
Chardon (11-7) started the season slow, but is one of the hottest teams in Northeast Ohio, winning 10 of its last 11 games. Two of those wins came against North.
The North Rangers (14-7) were near the top of the WRC all season and earned impressive wins over Mayfield and Kenston (another one of the top teams in the WRC).
#5 Willoughby South (11-11) had an up-and-down year, but that potential second round match with rival North could be a great atmosphere for Playoff baseball. The Rebels have one of the best pitchers in the district and that could go a long way in helping them make a deep run in the tournament. South split its two games with Chardon and took care of business against most of its conference competition.
#3 Mentor (8-9) is “the outsider” of the contenders, but the Cardinals held their own in the competitive Greater Cleveland Conference. Some of the Cardinals’ big wins include a 7-0 shutout over North, a 2-0 shutout over St. Edward and a 5-2 win over Walsh Jesuit. Mentor’s strength of schedule should end up proving valuable in this tournament. The Cardinals nearly upset Solon, falling 2-1, and if they can hang with a team like that, they’re capable of beating anyone in the district.
Mentor fell to Mayfield, 6-5, in an early regular season game and things could be setting up for a rematch between those two in the district final.
The “Wild Card” team in this group is #6 Cleveland Heights (7-3). Playing in the Lake Erie League, the competition isn’t quite as tough as some other conferences in the area, but the Tigers dominated the conference, going unbeaten in LEL play. Bedford had them on the ropes, but Cleveland Heights came back from a 7-0 deficit to score 10 unanswered runs and hold on to first place in the conference.
The strength of schedule is a question mark for Cleveland Heights, but the Tigers are going to be a tough out for whoever they play in this tournament.
When it comes to the #7-#10 range of teams in this district, the head-to-head history between those teams and Mayfield/Chardon is not pretty, so it would take a pretty significant upset for those teams to get past the second round. That being said, #7 Madison vs. #10 Brush should be a good game, along with #8 Lakeside vs. #9 Riverside.
Some intriguing matchups in this district include the North-South rivalry (where the winner will likely move on to face Mayfield), the Chardon-Mentor semifinal, and of course the district final.
Players to Watch
Dominic DiPippo Mayfield
Michael Canganelli Mayfield
Perry Bewley Chardon
Mason Metz Chardon
Thomas Noll Mentor
Jacob Arrison North
Kenny Streb North
Juan Broom South
Jack Elliott South
High School
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