By David Knox, Sports Editor
TRUSSVILLE – The Hewitt-Trussville baseball team took care of business after being nosed out of the playoffs last season. Now, the Huskies will get a chance to make some noise in the Class 7A postseason.
The Huskies of Jeff Mauldin, Area 6 runners-up to Vestavia Hills, will hit the road to Hoover to face the Buccaneers on Friday as the playoffs get underway.
Since Class 7A has but 16 playoff teams, the state’s largest class is a week behind the other classes, which are in second-round play. All classes will crown their champions in Montgomery the week of May 17-21. The 7A final series will be Friday and Saturday of that week.
Hoover, the Area 5 champion, will host the games at its on-campus baseball field. First pitch of game one is at 4:30 p.m. Game two will follow. A Saturday rubber game, if needed, will be at 2 p.m.
The Bucs (31-18) and the Huskies (28-10) have not met this season. The Huskies have been hot, having won six of their last seven games and going 5-1 in area play. They closed out the regular season last weekend with a sweep of Spain Park, 8-1 and 2-0.
In the final Alabama Sports Writers poll of the season, Hoover was ranked No. 7 and Hewitt was No. 9. Rankings meant little during the season, however, and absolutely nothing as the playoffs swing into action.
Here is the complete schedule for round one of the 7A playoffs.
South Bracket
Area 3 RU: Auburn (26-9) at Area 4 W: Enterprise (20-13), Fri., Apr. 29, 4:30 & 7 p.m. (Sat., noon, if needed)
Area 4 RU: Prattville (13-20) at Area 3 W: Central-Phenix City (25-12), Fri., Apr. 29, 4 & 6:30 p.m. (Sat., noon, if needed)
Area 1 RU: Davidson (19-11) at Area 2 W: Fairhope (19-11), Fri., Apr. 29, 4:30 & 7 p.m. (Sat., noon, if needed)
Area 2 RU: McGill-Toolen (24-8) at Area 1 W: Theodore (21-12), Fri., Apr. 29, 5 & 7 p.m. (Sat., 2 p.m., if needed)
North Bracket
Area 5 RU: Oak Mountain (23-11) at Area 6 W: Vestavia Hills (28-4), Fri., Apr. 29, 4:30 & 7 p.m. (Sat., 1 p.m., if needed)
Area 6 RU: Hewitt-Trussville (28-10) at Area 5 W: Hoover (31-18), Fri., Apr. 29, 4:30 & 7 p.m. (Sat., 2 p.m., if needed)
Area 7 RU: Grissom (22-22) at Area 8 W: Sparkman (33-7), Fri., Apr. 29, 4:30 & 7 p.m. (Sat., 1 p.m., if needed)
Area 8 RU: Bob Jones (29-15) at Area 7 W: Huntsville (28-18), Fri., Apr. 29, 4:30 & 7 p.m. (Sat., 1 p.m., if needed)
