Bearcats baseball team up to third in Class AAAA poll

In what could possible be Rock Hill’s highest-ever state ranking in baseball, the Bearcats are No. 3 in the latest Class AAAA poll released by the South Carolina Baseball Coaches Association.

An extra-inning, 7-6 Region 4-AAAA road win over Ridge View on Tuesday gave first-year coach Chris Bates’ squad a 7-0 record.

Lewisville coach Bill Keels’ Lions are No. 2 in Class A, one of the more interesting polls. Lewisville, No. 3 Chesterfield and No. 5 Buford belong to Region 3-A. Fellow 3-A member Great Falls is 3-0 and unranked.

SCBCA polls

Class AAAA

1. Wando; 2.Sumter; 3. Rock Hill; 4. Dorman; 5. North Augusta; 6. Gaffney; 7. Stratford; 8. White Knoll; 9. Summerville; 10. Wren

Class AAA

1.South Aiken; 2. St. James, 3. A.C. Flora; 4. Belton-Honea Path; 5. Lugoff-Elgin; 6. Brookland-Cayce; 7. Airport; 8. Blue Ridge; 9. Union County; 10. J.L. Mann

Class AA

1. Bishop England; 2. Chesnee; 3. Mid-Carolina; 4. Palmetto; 5. Hanahan; 6. Batesburg-Leesville; 7. Andrews; 8. Walhalla; 9. Marion; 10. Gilbert

Class A

1.Bamberg-Ehrhardt; 2.Lewisville; 3.Chesterfield; 4.Johnsonville; 5.Buford; 6.Lamar; 7.Blacksburg; 8.Landrum; 9.East Clarendon; 10. Lake View

GIRLS SOCCER: The fourth annual BB&T Fort Mill Invitational high school girls soccer tournament begins at 5 p.m. on Friday and runs through Sunday at Manchester Meadows in Rock Hill.

The field includes 22 teams divided into two pools. The Blue Division includes Clover, Fort Mill, Hilton Head, Kettle Run, Va., Lexington, Nation Ford, Northwestern and Rock Hill. Those eight teams are allowed to play on Sunday and will be seeded from results of pool play for the placements games on Sunday.

Teams assigned to the Gold Division are: Ardrey Kell, N.C., Charlotte Catholic, Country Day, N.C., Crest, N.C., First Presbyterian Day, Ga., Forsyth Porter Ridge N.C., Lake Norman, N.C., Marvin Ridge, N.C., Olympic, N.C., Providence, N.C., South Mecklenburg, N.C., Weddington, N.C., and York.

Ten Gold Division teams are not allowed to play on Sunday’s and tournament director Bill Tooley said York opted to follow suit.

“We learned today that Hickory Grove Christian is not coming,’’ Tooley said. “We are busy looking for a replacement and might have one. We could know later tonight.

“By adding Virginia’s Kettle Run, we now have schools from four states. Most are from the Carolinas. First Presbyterian Day, a private school from Georgia, is a state champion and will be back. They were 3-0 last year but couldn’t play on Sunday.’’

Schedule

Friday

MM 1: 5 p.m. – Olympic vs. Northwestern; MM 2: 5 p.m.– Marvin Ridge vs. First Presbyterian Day; MM 1: 6:45 p.m. – Forsyth Country Day vs. Porter Ridge; MM 2: 6:45 p.m. – Fort Mill vs. Lake Norman; MM 1: 8:30 p.m. – South Mecklenburg vs. Nation Ford, MM 2: 8:30 p.m. – Weddington vs. Clover

Saturday

MM 1: 10 a.m. – Rock Hill vs. York; MM 2: 10 a.m. – Northwestern vs. Forsyth Country Day; MM1: 12 p.m. – Lexington vs. First Presbyterian Day; MM 2: 12 p.m. – Kettle Run vs. Hilton Head; MM 1: 2 p.m. – Providence vs. Crest; MM 2: 2 p.m. – Clover vs. Marvin Ridge; MM 1: 4 p.m. – York vs. TBD; MM 2 – 4 p.m. – Nation Ford vs. Rock Hill; MM 1: 6 p.m. – Hilton Head vs. Charlotte Catholic; MM 2: 6 p.m. – Ardrey Kell vs. Lexington; MM 1: 8 p.m. – Lake Norman vs. Kettle Run; MM 2: 2 p.m. – First Presbyterian Day vs. Fort Mill

Sunday (Blue Division only)

MM 1: 10 a.m. — No. 7 vs. No. 8; MM 2: 10 a.m. — No. 5 vs. No. 6; MM 1: 12 p.m. — No. 3 vs. No. 4; MM 2: 12 p.m. — No. 1 vs. No. 2 (Championship)