District previews for the 14 Monroe County Region baseball teams

There are no league tournaments to end the baseball seasons for the Southeastern Conference, Huron League, Tri-County Conference or Downriver League.

But it will seem like it.

Four of the five teams in the Division 1 District at Saline are from the SEC.

The same is true of the Division 2 District at Airport.

More: Cast your vote for Monroe County Region Athlete of the Week May 18-24

The Division 1 District at Southgate Anderson is made up entirely of Downriver squads and the Division 4 event at Summerfield is an All-TCC affair.

Previews of the six districts involving Monroe County Region teams follow.

DIVISION 1 AT SALINE

Bedford gets things started at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 30, against Saline or Ypsilanti Lincoln.

“They added Saline to our district this year so I would think they are the favorite,” said Bedford coach Craig Trychel, whose team stands at 15-7. “If we play clean good hard baseball we can play with anyone. Our kids feel confident about their team and we will always play hard. They are looking forward to the challenge.”

Monroe (14-7) will take on Belleville in the second semifinal at 12:30 p.m.

“We’re playing good,” Monroe coach Greg Depew said. “We’re not senior heavy. We’ve got some young guys. It depends on how we hit. Our pitching has been solid.”

The finals are set for 3 p.m.

DIVISION 1 AT SOUTHGATE ANDERSON

Woodhaven, ranked No. 3 in the state, comes in as the favorite.

That’s the team Gibraltar Carlson will have to face in the semifinals at 12:30 Saturday, May 30.

The 23-8 Marauders are 16-4 in their last 20 games.

“In the second half of the season, we’ve kind of emerged,” Carlson coach Nick McGuire said. “We came together as a team. We’re playing really good baseball right now.”

The first semifinal features No. 19 Allen Park taking on Wyandotte Roosevelt or Southgate Anderson.

“Anyone can win it,” McGuire said.

The finals are slated for 3 p.m.

DIVISION 2 AT AIRPORT

Huron League champion New Boston Huron brings a 25-4 record and a No. 2 state ranking into the state tournament.

“As always, a tough district,” Huron coach Phil Yancey said. “Jefferson, a much-improved team, has just as good of chance as anyone. But I believe Huron is the strong favorite.”

The Chiefs need to survive a first-round game against Flat Rock at 4 p.m. Tuesday to advance to a 10 a.m. semifinal against Summit Academy Saturday.

The second semifinal that day pits Airport (19-9) against Jefferson (21-6).

“Overall, the district is set up to be very competitive,” Airport coach Jeff Goins said.

“We’re playing really well,” Jefferson coach Tyler Bondy said. “We’re coming off a huge District-type atmosphere win at Carlson. The bats are coming alive. I like our chances.”

The finals will be played at 3 p.m.

DIVISION 2 AT ADRIAN

A Region team is guaranteed to play in the finals.

After old rivals Ida and Dundee tangle at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 26, the winner moves on to play Milan in semifinals at 10 a.m. Saturday.

Ida, which won a District title last spring, carries a 14-game winning streak and a 26-6 record into the state tournament.

“We’ve got to keep playing the way we’ve been playing,” Ida coach Jimmy McMonagle said. “If we throw strikes, limit our errors and play well mentally, we have a good chance to win.”

Dundee stands at 12-19.

“Our focus is playing great defense and keeping the game tight to give us an opportunity to win,” Viking coach Paul Walters said.

The second semifinal Saturday features Tecumseh and Adrian.

The finals are slated for 2 p.m.

DIVISION 3 AT ERIE MASON

No. 11 Whiteford and No. 13 St. Mary Catholic Central loom as the favorites.

SMCC (21-7) plays Erie Mason (8-16) in the opener at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, May 30.

“We anticipate them to be excited to host and give us their best shot,” SMCC coach Jared Janssen said.

Mason coach Blain Moore says his squad is capable.

“I feel we can compete if we play our best baseball,” he said. “We have pitching that can keep us in ball games.”

Whiteford (22-6), which recently clinched the Tri-County Conference title, will play Taylor Prep in the second semifinal Saturday.

“The expectation is to see Whiteford in the finals,” Janssen said. “They are an offensive juggernaut and we will need to pitch it well and play good defense to limit their opportunities. I like our team, and need to focus on playing good baseball throughout the day for a chance to move on.”

The Bobcats are the top scoring team in Division 3.

“That surprised me a little,” Whiteford coach Terry Pant said. “I figured we would rely on our offense a little more. We’ve always relied on defense and pitching, but this year we’ve thrown 10 different pitchers and have made a few more errors than normal.”

First pitch for the finals is set for 2:30 p.m.

DIVISION 4 AT SUMMERFIELD

Summerfield (11-7) opens the district against Lenawee Christian at noon on Friday, May 29.

The winner will face Britton Deerfield or Morenci in the finals at 5 p.m.

“I think we’re probably the favorite to win this district, but really anything can happen,” Summerfield coach Reid Olmstead said. “The key to districts for us is going to be pitching. If our starters can last deep into games and take some of that stress off of our bullpen, we’ll be in great shape.”

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: District baseball pairings rekindle league rivalries for Region teams