Weather, as it often does, has become just as big of a winner in the South State baseball playoffs recently as any one team has been.
Several South State semifinal series in various different classifications are over a week old and are still not completed. At least a trio of game threes in South Mississippi are delaying the start of the South State finals round that was originally scheduled to get underway Tuesday night in all six classifications across the state of Mississippi.
Vancleave and West Jones were slated to be back in action in Class 5A late Wednesday afternoon in Soso to try and finish the final game in that series that started eight days ago. The teams split a pair of games so far, with the Mustangs taking game one at home last week before the match-up was delayed for three days and picked up Saturday with the Bulldogs earning a victory at home at “The Landing”. Game three was originally scheduled for Monday and Tuesday but was postponed until Wednesday.
The winner of that series will head to defending Class 5A state champion East Central on Friday as the South State finals get started in Hurley.
(UPDATE: The Vancleave-West Jones series has been postponed again for the third straight day and is now scheduled to resume Thursday afternoon in Soso with game three….)
In Class 1A, another defending state champion Resurrection is still awaiting its opponent for the South State finals round as well. The Eagles will get the winner of the Class 1A South State semifinal series featuring Taylosrville and Ethel. That series also started eight days ago and the two teams split a pair of games over the past week with game three scheduled for Wednesday night in Taylorsville. And of course, there is rain in the forecast for Wednesday night in Taylorsville.
According to RCS administrators, no timetable has been set yet for the CLass 1A South State finals, of which Resurrection is playing in for the third straight season. There is a chance that if the Eagles face the Tartars, game one could be Thursday night in Pascagoula.
In Class 3A, St. Stanislaus is in the South State finals round for the first time since 2015, the same year the Rock-A-Chaws last won a state baseball championship. The Rocks and Clarkdale started that series Tuesday night in Bay St. Louis, but was suspended because of inclement weather with SSC up 1-0 in the third frame. The game is scheduled to be resumed Thursday night, with game two set for Saturday at Clarkdale.
And alas, in Class 6A, both Gulfport and defending state champion Northwest Rankin has managed to overcome the elements of the earth and are scheduled to start their South State finals series on Thursday night at Herbert Wilson Field in Gulfport. Game two is set for Friday in Brandon.
Weather permitting, of course.
