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Every Monday during the season, we will highlight the top matchups each night as well as give a short preview of a few games of the week. As the regular season winds to its close, we are gearing up for playoff action to get underway late this week and early next week.

Also, since this is releasing the day before the updated Power 25, we will not be putting teams' rankings with them. Be sure to check back tomorrow for the updated Power 25.

GAMES OF THE WEEK

Herndon at Yorktown and Battlefield at Patriot, Tuesday, June 2
A pair of games that will likely decide the Liberty and Cedar Run District Championships on Tuesday. Herndon enters the week with a one game lead over Yorktown in the standings and already holding a win over Yorktown. A Patriot win would even the head to head and tie them in the standings, sending it into tiebreakers. Herndon is coming in off of a walk-off win over McLean on Thursday that pushed their winning streak to six games. Yorktown's bats are on fire, having scored 43 runs in their last 3 games and both James Tallon (Duke) and Nathan Knowles (William & Mary) will be fully available to pitch. Battlefield won the first showdown between these two bitter rivals and a second win would lock up the District Championship. A Patriot win and the two of them taking care of business in their make-up games over the next week would force a third matchup between Patriot and Battlefield at a neutral site to break the tie and decide the champion. Battlefield's strength is its pitching and defense and the Bobcats score just enough runs with an offense centered on Jackson Baird (George Mason) and Adam Kuzmicki (Stony Brook). The Pioneers have a talented pitching staff that entered the season with very little varsity experience and it has shown at times. Fortunately, a deep Patriot offense with Mason Balsis (Middle Tennessee St), Bryce Demory (VMI), Kyle VanDenburg, and Brian Wilson (Louisburg CC) have been able to put up enough runs to cover for the pitching. In their first matchup, Baird and Jack Robinson kept those bats silent, holding Patriot to 1 hit.

Grassfield at Hickory, Thursday, June 3
A first place showdown in the Southeastern District pits a pair of teams that entered the week at 9-1 and in a three-way tie for first along with Nansemond River. Hickory won the first matchup, and a win here for Grassfield would likely lock the District up for the Grizzlies. A Hickory win would not guarantee them a District title as we look at the standings today, because the Hawks dropped their only meeting with Nansemond River. The Hawks will likely have junior Bobby Loper lined up for the start unless they choose to flip him with Cooper Newell (Liberty) earlier in the week. Newell was the winning pitcher in the first game between these two, as he held the Grassfield lineup under control for five innings while the Hawks bats got to Caleb Brock. Depending on what they do earlier in the week, this could be Adam Nobrega's start for Grassfield.

Douglas Freeman at Glen Allen, Friday, June 4
A Friday night rematch in the Richmond area pits the unbeaten (entering the week) Glen Allen Jaguars against the Freeman Mavericks. Freeman has been strong this season as well and the two of them were pretty evenly matched in their first meeting, with the game going to the seventh inning tied before an Andrew Harris two-run single decided the game in favor of Glen Allen. Look for Macho Santiago (VCU) to be lined up for the start for Freeman. It is hard to guess this far out who Glen Allen will throw, the Jaguars haven't played since May 21 and could go in a number of directions, but junior lefty Jaden Kinsler was dominant in relief in the first meeting between the two, and could be an option again.

 

TOP GAMES EACH DAY

 

Monday

Oakton at Chantilly
Robinson at South County
Woodson at West Springfield
Westfield at Madison

 

Tuesday

Dinwiddie at Prince George
Bethel at Menchville
Windsor at Park View (South Hill)
Cave Spring at Christiansburg
Stone Bridge at Briar Woods
North Stafford at Colonial Forge
Jefferson Forest at Liberty Christian
Nansemond River at Western Branch
Battlefield at Patriot
Potomac at Charles Colgan
Herndon at Yorktown
Harrisonburg at Broadway

Wednesday

Chatham at Nelson County
Dan River at Appomattox County
Lake Braddock at West Springfield
Forest Park at Charles Colgan

 

Thursday

Bethel at Kecoughtan
Frank Cox at Ocean Lakes
Floyd Kellam at First Colonial
Broad Run at Tuscarora
Riverside at Woodgrove
Goochland at Randolph-Henry
Grassfield at Hickory
Western Albemarle at Fluvanna County
Chantilly at Westfield

 

Friday

Eastern View at Courtland
St. Alban's at Wilson (DC)
Poquoson at Tabb
Prince George at Midlothian
Bassett at Halifax County
Christiansburg at Salem (Salem)
Douglas Freeman at Glen Allen
Lord Botetourt at Franklin County

Saturday

St. John's College at Gonzaga