It's time for the playoffs

The high school softball and baseball playoffs begin in earnest this week and a number of local and area teams  look to be in good shape for sustained postseason runs.

The Mankato West and East softball teams, who have just two losses apiece, are the top seeds in the Section 2AAA tournament. West is first, East is second and both have first-round byes in the competition at Miller Park in Eden Prairie.

In the southern half of the Section 2A softball tournament, Mankato Loyola is not only the No. 1 seed in the field but is also ranked No. 1 in all of Class A. Nicollet is the No. 2 seed. In the northern half, New Ulm Cathedral is first while Sleepy Eye St. Mary's is second.

In Section 2AA, St. Peter is the top seed in the south and NRHEG is second. Le Sueur-Henderson is No. 1 in the north followed by Belle Plaine at No. 2. New Ulm Public is second behind Pipestone Area in the southern half of Section 3AA. 



In baseball, Loyola again is a top seed in the southern part of Section 2A. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown is second. Sleepy Eye St. Mary's and Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart are the first two seeds in the northern half.

The Section 2AA baseball bracket looks a lot like the same bracket in softball. Le Sueur-Henderson and NRHEG are the first two seeds in the south. Holy Family Catholic and Belle Plaine are tops in the north.

New Ulm is second behind Fairmont in the southern half of Section 3AA. Mankato East and West drew bottom-half seeds in Section 2AAA and will have win play-in games to reach Saturday's quarterfinals.

East must defeat Chaska in a 1 p.m. game before taking on No. 1 seed Eden Prairie at 3:30 p.m. The Scarlets must knock off Waconia before meeting No. 2 Hutchinson in a 3:30 p.m. game.