The week high school baseball teams have been waiting for all season has arrived. Playoffs begin this week with preliminary round games on Tuesday. Quarterfinal and semifinal games will be played Thursday and Saturday, respectively

Some teams are in better shape than others, though. Those that play in Tuesday’s prelim games must decide whether to pitch their aces or save them for Thursday’s quarterfinals.
They include Hall-Dale, which hosts Jay, and Monmouth which hosts Telstar. If this sounds like a no-brainer, it’s not, unless you’re simply satisfied with a prelim win.
Cony, Gardiner, Winthrop and Maranacook all received byes to Thursday’s quarterfinals based on their record while Richmond has a bye to Saturday’s semifinal round.
Cony coach Ray Vallee thinks Oxford Hills may save ace Ryan Yates for a potential matchup on Thursday. Yates held the Rams to three hits in a 3-0 win in Augusta on May 7. But first the Vikings will have to get past a good-hitting Mt. Ararat team. It’s a calculated risk.
Although it has a bye to Thursday, Winthrop will play Tuesday against Livermore Falls for the Mountain Valley Conference championship. Game time is 4:30 at Thomas College in Waterville. Livermore was scheduled for a prelim game against North Yarmouth Academy.
The Andies handed Winthrop its only loss this season and will have a tough decision whether or not to save one of their top two pitchers for the MVC game.