DUDLEY — Despite losing six seniors and a seventh starter in the offseason, Trae McKee felt like Southern Wayne could be a playoff contender on the baseball diamond this spring.
He wasn’t wrong.
The Saints cobbled out a 15-win campaign and shared third place in the Quad County 3A ranks. Their solid, season-long effort provided a much-deserved reward early Monday afternoon.
McKee is taking his team to the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs. Southern Wayne drew the No. 19 seed and travels to QCC rival Hunt, which is seeded 14th in the 32-team east bracket.
Game time is 7 p.m.
“I felt like this team was going to hit, get on base and play, for the most part, good defense. We’ve had some growing pains,” McKee said. “Now we have the same opportunity as the other 32 teams have. Hopefully we can make a run at this thing..
Southern Wayne (15-7 overall) seeks its first playoff win since 2014.
The Saints’ softball team is going dancing, too.
Perennial powerhouse South Central, the Big East 3A-4A runner-up, entertains Southern Wayne (10-10) on Tuesday. The teams competed in the old Eastern Carolina 3A-4A Conference.
First-year head coach Andy Sullivan hopes to guide the program to its first postseason victory since 2008. The Saints have dropped six consecutive first-round games with the last occurring in 2022.
In the 1A ranks, North Duplin is seeded fourth in both baseball and softball.
Atlantic 5 member Cape Hatteras (29th seed) is traveling from the Outer Banks to face the Rebels in Calypso.
North Duplin (17-2) has emerged victorious in eight consecutive opening-round contests since 2014. They claimed the state title in 2015 and finished runner-up to eventual state champ Princeton in 2016.
Game time is 5 p.m.
The Rebels oppose 29th-seeded East Columbus (5-15) in baseball.
Last spring, second-year head coach Colton Chrisman guided North Duplin (20-3) to a third-round appearance for the first time since 2015.
It’s the first postseason meeting between the two schools since 2010 – a mercy-rule victory by the Gators in Lake Waccamaw.
First pitch is 6 p.m.
