To the wire

Red Land's shocking three-game winning streak in Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division games has set up a traffic jam atop the division.

Chambersburg, Cedar Cliff and Red Land all enter the final three games of the season with 6-3 records. The three teams have split two games against each other, which means we could have a three-way tie for the division title. In that case, the division's representative will be the team with the best record against the fourth-place team.

Below is a look at the remaining schedule for the three front runners.

Chambersburg
Today vs. Cumberland Valley
Friday at Central Dauphin East
Wednesday at Central Dauphin

Cedar Cliff
Today at Central Dauphin
Monday at Carlisle
Friday vs. Central Dauphin East

Red Land
Today vs. Carlisle
Monday vs. Cumberland Valley
Wednesday at Central Dauphin East

Mid-Penn Tournament info

The site is still up in the air - only Hershey's Memorial Field and Northern have lights - but other than that, the Mid-Penn Tournament pairings, times and dates are set.

Boiling Springs athletic director and Mid-Penn baseball chairman Scott Govern confirmed that the tournament's semifinal round will be Monday, May 11 at 5 p.m. and 7:30. The championship game is slated for May 13 at 7:30.

Now for the pairings. The times for these games aren't set but the Capital champion will meet the Commonwealth champion and the Colonial winner faces the Keystone winner.

As it stands, Camp Hill would meet Cedar Cliff and Northern would face Hershey. The Lions lead the Capital by a half game over Greencastle-Antrim while Cedar Cliff holds slim half-game lead over Central Dauphin in the Commonwealth. Northern is two up on Susquenita in the Colonial (Susquenita travels to Dillsburg on Thursday) while Hershey leads Mechanicsburg by one game in the Keystone.

With Hershey and Northern looking to qualify for the tournament we bring back the idea of postseason baseball invading Metro Bank Park. Sure, the Senators are at home that week with a 7 p.m. game Monday and a 10:30 a.m. affair Wednesday so why not play the Mid-Penn semifinals at noon and 2:30 p.m. Monday and the championship Wednesday night? We'd love to have postseason baseball of any king back on City Island.

(Pictured: In the 2007 Mid-Penn Tournament semifinals at Northern, Commonwealth champion Red Land fell to Colonial winner Waynesboro before beating the Indians a week later in the District 3 Class AAAA first round.)

Games of the Week (April 21-25)

We saw the predicted ugly weather for Monday and decided to hold off on this weekly entry until tonight. Tuesday doesn't look much better but we'll keep our fingers crossed that two busy days of baseball won't be lost this week. Friday and Saturday offers a chance to catch area rivalries on City Island (right), which will cap a good week of high school baseball:

Cedar Cliff at Cumberland Valley, Wednesday, 4:15 -- Cedar Cliff hasn't lost in the division since a 3-0 setback to CV earlier this month in its first Commonwealth game. The Colts then lost to Altoona and have since won five straight by a cumulative 59-14. CV has lost its last two by one run vs. Red Land and at Central Dauphin.

Waynesboro at Susquenita, Wednesday, 4 -- Tribe won the first meeting in extra innings but is riding a two-game division losing streak. If Susquenita can avoid errors this team has the talent to send Waynesboro home with a loss.

Greencastle-Antrim at Camp Hill, Friday, 4 -- The winner here is likely to take the division. Lions won the first meeting and have the advantage of being at home. The key will be keeping G-A inside the park, which isn't easy to do.

Red Land vs. Cedar Cliff at Metro Bank Park in Harrisburg, Friday, 6:30 -- The rivalry is back on City Island and we're hoping it's a little closer than last week's 8-2 Cedar Cliff victory in Lewisberry. The Patriots have a brutal schedule this week and just don't have the pitching to match the Colts.

West Perry vs. Susquenita at Metro Bank Park in Harrisburg, 7 -- Another prime time rivalry. The Blackhawks won the first meeting, 5-0, in the PECO Tournament in March and would like nothing more than to dispatch of their bitter rival along the banks of the Susquehanna.

Random thoughts from Friday

Lots of short games on one of the more beautiful afternoons we've had for baseball this spring.

In terms of area teams, Cedar Cliff moved into first place in the Commonwealth after smashing Carlisle, 13-3, in five innings. The Colts (7-4, 5-1) took over the top spot thanks to rival Red Land scoring four times in the top of the seventh to bounce previously unbeaten Cumberland Valley, 5-4.

There's also a knew leader in the Colonial. Northern downed Waynesboro, 6-2, to send the Indians spiraling to third. Susquenita, a 13-7 winner over East Pennsboro, moved into second. 'Nita heads to Dillsburg at 5 p.m. Monday in a crucial game with the P-Bears.

As for our initial thought, the Capital saw two three-inning games. Trinity didn't show up in a 17-0 loss to Greencastle-Antrim while Camp Hill cruised past Harrisburg, 17-2. The Trinity score is perplexing after the Shamrocks battled tooth-and-nail with Camp Hill 24 hours prior in a 3-0 loss.

Speaking of a head-scratching result, check out that 14-9 loss to Steelton-Highspire that Boiling Springs suffered. We're interested to see how well the Bubblers put that result behind them as East Pennsboro comes calling at 11 a.m. today. Earlier this year, the Panthers beat Boiling Springs, 14-4, in five innings.

Eagles soar into first place

The preseason buzz centered around defending champion Chambersburg and the pitching staff of Cedar Cliff.

It's still early in the baseball season but so far there's another player in the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division. Cumberland Valley, on the strength of a heart-thumping 4-3 win over Chambersburg on Monday, is perfect through three division games this year and alone in first place. Cedar Cliff beat Central Dauphin, 6-2, to bump the Rams from the ranks of the unbeatens in the division.

The Eagles (4-2 overall, 3-0 division) haven't been dominant in beating Cedar Cliff, Central Dauphin East and Chambersburg by an aggregate of 11-4 but they've been efficient and have gotten solid pitching from David Drinks, Ethan Zook and Eric Sawyer.

Still, CV has nine division games remaining and was dealt a blow in the fifth inning Monday when Zook was taken out of the game due to an injury. CV coach Mike Whitehead Jr. wouldn't elaborate on the injury but did allow he'd know more about Zook's condition Tuesday.

CV has division games this week at Central Dauphin on Wednesday and at home against Red Land on Friday.

Around the Mid-Penn:

Keystone - The log jam continues. Hershey, Lower Dauphin, Middletown and Mechanicsburg all have 3-1 records while Palmyra is still in the mix at 2-2.

Colonial - Northern, the preseason pick here to win this division, is closing in on Waynesboro. The Indians, who were idle Monday, are 3-0 while the Polar Bears are 3-1. Northern is at Waynesboro on Friday at 4. Susquenita sits third at 2-1.

Capital - Camp Hill and Trinity, set to meet Wednesday at College Park, are unbeaten at 4-0 and 3-0, respectively. Don't forget about a Greencastle-Antrim team (3-1) that is the defending champion and the pick to win the division. The Blue Devils are far from out of this race and will make some noise before everything is said and done.

Games of the Week (April 13-18)

Now we embark on the meat of the schedule. Three days full of division action. Most games on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from here until the end of the season will pit division rivals against one another. Follow along as we start to see the cream rise to the top:

Chambersburg at Cumberland Valley, Monday, 4:15 -- The Trojans and Calvin Mentzer (left) have two division losses already and can't afford many more. CV, on the other hand, can set up a huge division clash at Central Dauphin on Wednesday if they beat Chambersburg and Central Dauphin knocks off Cedar Cliff. Speaking off those two ...

Central Dauphin at Cedar Cliff, Monday, 4:15 -- The last two games, Cedar Cliff has outscored CD East and Chambersburg 32-7. The Rams should pose a more difficult test, although we thought the same about the Trojans before the Colts ripped them, 17-5.

Trinity at Camp Hill, Wednesday, 4 -- A big rivalry game has turned into a big game in the Capital Division this year. Both teams are unbeaten in the division but Camp Hill has impressive wins over Greencastle-Antrim and Boiling Springs. Trinity's wins have come against Milton Hershey and Harrisburg. For the record, the Lions also own a win over Milton Hershey.

Cedar Cliff at Red Land, Wednesday, 4 -- Back to the Commonwealth. This one isn't on City Island but it's sure to pack the same punch. In preseason Cedar Cliff was a favorite in the division while Red Land was supposed to take a step back. Neither has followed that exact route so far. Last year these two split and this should be another highly intense meeting.

East Pennsboro at Susquenita, Friday, 4 p.m. -- Both of these teams have been surprising so far but a little luster was taken off East Penn's fast start in Thursday's 3-2 loss at Big Spring. If the Panthers keep catcher Bobby Kohl from hitting home runs, they'll have a chance.

Cedar Cliff, Red Land change schedules

West Shore School District rivals Cedar Cliff and Red Land will meet at Commerce Bank Park after all.

The two Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division members are now expected to play Friday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. on City Island. Cedar Cliff was originally scheduled to play Central Dauphin East on the Island that day but will now host the Panthers on Friday, May 8. The teams also had their first meeting postponed from Tuesday to Wednesday. Cedar Cliff will travel to East for a 4:15 p.m. game today.

As for Red Land, the Patriots were set to play at Central Dauphin on April 24. That game will now be April 23 at 4 p.m. Due to the schedule change, Red Land will play five games that week: Monday vs. Central Dauphin East; Wednesday vs. Chambersburg; Thursday at Central Dauphin; Friday vs. Cedar Cliff and Saturday at Dallastown.

By comparison, Cedar Cliff plays three games that week.

Games of the Week (April 6-11)

Rain, rain go away – at least by Tuesday.

It’s a rainy weekend on the West Shore, which means very little baseball is being played outside. Such is life in Pennsylvania at this time of the year. We can only hope that Mother Nature gets the wetness (and the biting cold) out of her system by Tuesday, the next big day for Mid-Penn division play. Here’s a look ahead at the week and the top games to check out.

Mechanicsburg at Hershey, Tuesday, 4 – After the events of Thursday, Mechanicsburg can put Hershey in a bit of a hole with a win at Memorial Field. The Trojans, a preseason division favorite, fell to Middletown in the division opener while Mechanicsburg downed Bishop McDevitt. A huge early game for both entries.

Camp Hill at Greencastle-Antrim, Tuesday, 4:15 – Here’s a clash between the two division favorites. Neither team has lost yet but the Blue Devils have that strange 8-8 suspended game with Shippensburg keeping them from being perfect, at least in our eyes. Playing good Class AAA teams is old hat for Camp Hill, which will send ace right-handed pitcher Matt Spiegel to the bump.

Northern at West Perry, Thursday, 4:15 – The Polar Bears should get back on track Tuesday at home against Big Spring but, even with a win against the Bulldogs, Northern can’t afford many more losses. A brutal early-season schedule put them on the wrong end of the Mendoza line and now they need to play their best to qualify for the district field. A trip to West Perry to play a Jeff Sanno-coached team is never an easy task. The Mustangs can bite anyone at anytime.

Susquenita at Shippensburg, Thursday, 4:15 – Susquenita is making a case for itself as a true division challenger after taking Waynesboro to extra innings before falling, 4-3. Shippensburg? Despite that nice win over Northern, we’re not convinced this team is built for the long haul. A week that has the Greyhounds at Mechanicsburg and at Waynesboro on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, will tell a lot. If Shippensburg gets through the week with two wins, we might start to believe.

Friday and Saturday schedule changes

Friday's wet weather caused the entire baseball slate to be washed out. The soggy day also forced some changes to be made Saturday. Below is the revised schedule for Friday and Saturday:

Friday
Bible Baptist at Greenwood, ppd. to April 14, 4:30
Bishop McDevitt at West Perry, ppd. to April 21, 4:15
Central Dauphin at East Pennsboro, ppd. to April 28, 4:15
Susquehanna Twp. at Steelton-Highspire, ppd. to April 11, noon

Saturday
West Perry at Millersburg, 4 (originally scheduled for noon)
Central Dauphin at Big Spring, ppd. TBA
Gettysburg at James Buchanan, ppd. to April 21, 4:15
Central Dauphin East at South Western, ppd. to TBA

What we learned Thursday

The Mid-Penn Conference opened division play with a bang Thursday afternoon. On the first full day of divisional play, everything we thought we knew went flying out the window. Let's start from the top:

Commonwealth

Cedar Cliff and Chambersburg were the consensus picks to walk away with the division title by the end of the season yet both dropped their openers. Cedar Cliff failed to score a run to help pitcher Renny Parthemore in a 3-0 loss to Cumberland Valley. David Drinks (right, with catcher Nick Valek) baffled the Colts, who have scored one run in their last 14 innings.

Chambersburg also struggled to score runs in a 3-1 home loss to a Red Land team that was supposedly in rebuilding mode. Sure, the Trojans were without ace Calvin Mentzer but to win the title in this division, it'll take more than one player.

Keystone

This was supposed to be a two-horse race between Susquehanna Twp. and Hershey. Just like in the Commonwealth, after Day 1 of divisional play, both of those teams are 0-1. Hershey dropped a 7-6 decision to Middletown while Susquehanna Twp. fell to Gettysburg, 7-4. That's the same Gettysburg team that is replacing nearly everyone, including its head coach. The new favorite, at least in this circle, is a Lower Dauphin team that beat Cumberland Valley and Hempfield and pushed Central Dauphin to the brink.

Colonial

More upheaval but Waynesboro survived, it just needed an extra inning to slip past Susquenita, 4-3. This final will give hope to the rest of the division, including Shippensburg. The Greyhounds routed Northern, 10-2, Thursday. Waynesboro and Northern were tagged as the teams to battle it out for division supremacy but Shippensburg, the defending champion, might have something to say about that.

Capital

Not much changed here. Greencastle-Antrim slammed James Buchanan, 14-1, and Camp Hill eased by Milton Hershey, 7-0. If anyone challenges these two it will be a surprise.

Scheduling matters

So far this season we've been lucky with the weather. The only real trouble day was last Thursday and most of the postponed games were made up Friday. That said, there's still a few stragglers that need to be played and, as of now, most have announced makeup dates.

Shippensburg will travel to Gettysburg on Saturday, April 18 at 11 a.m. for a game that was originally listed as cancelled. Shippensburg has not announced a date to complete its game at Greencastle-Antrim. The teams are tied, 8-8, heading to the top of the eighth inning. The game was halted due to darkness on Friday evening.

Cumberland Valley announced Tuesday that it will welcome Hempfield to the CV Educational Park on Thursday, May 7 for a mutual regular season-ending game. First pitch is set for 4:15 p.m. The teams were scheduled to play Saturday but wet grounds forced the postponement. The Black Knights qualified for the PIAA Class AAAA playoffs last spring as the district's third seed and are an early favorite to compete for the district crown.

Nothing's coming easy

To say the bats have recently been silent for a few area teams is an understatement.

Prior to Tuesday's leadoff home run by Eric Dukes, Carlisle had failed to score a run in the first 19 innings it played this season. Other than the 13-0, five-inning setback on opening night, Carlisle (0-4) has been in every game since. Red Lion and Central York took identical 3-0 wins Friday and Saturday before Shippensburg sent the Thundering Herd home with a 5-3 defeat Tuesday.

As frustrating as the season's been so far for Carlisle, it's been at least as equally head-pounding for Boiling Springs. The Bubblers (1-4) have now dropped back-to-back 1-0 decisions. In both losses - to West Perry last week and to Susquenita on Tuesday - the Bubblers have not allowed an earned run yet found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreboard both times. Up next is a date with perennially woeful Harrisburg, which should be just the medicine the Bubblers need.

In terms of close calls, Red Land (1-4) has had its share already. The Patriots dropped a 4-3, eight-inning decision at West York on Tuesday in the latest of a season that could be described as a dark comedy. After losing nearly every starter from last year's District 3 Class AAAA finalist and PIAA quarterfinalist, the Patriots have been so close this year. One bad inning cost the team in losses to Northern and Central York before Red Land lost another lead Tuesday.

The season is young but 11 losses eliminates a team from postseason contention. Only teams with .500 records are eligible for the District 3 playoffs.