Latest playoff projections, RPI rankings for Midlands softball teams
With the high school sports spring season starting to wind down, it is time to take a look at playoff scenarios for Midlands softball teams and MaxPreps RPI rankings that will be used for playoff standings.
Class 5A
Region 4: Lexington (9-0) has clinched the region title and a first-round bye in the 5A Upper State playoffs. Chapin (7-2) has wrapped up second with Dutch Fork (5-4) third, then White Knoll (3-5) and Irmo (0-8).
Region 5: West Florence (9-1) wins the region with a victory next week. Blythewood (8-3) and Sumter (7-3) are next. If the teams finish tied for second, Sumter wins the tiebreaker. Lugoff-Elgin (5-5) is fourth followed by Westwood (4-6), Spring Valley (2-8) and Ridge View (0-9).
Class 4A
Region 3: AC Flora (9-0) wraps up the region with a win in one of its final three games. York (8-2) is second and Lancaster (7-3) is third. Dreher (5-5) leads Camden (4-6) for fourth with Richland Northeast (2-8) and South Pointe (1-11).
Region 4: Gilbert (13-0) wins the region by defeating Gray Collegiate (12-1) on Monday. If Gray wins, tiebreaker (runs allowed in all region games) will decide the No. 1 seed. Midland Valley (8-5) is third and followed by North Augusta (7-5), Airport (6-7), South Aiken (3-9), Aiken (1-12) and Brookland-Cayce (1-12).
Class 2A
Region 2: Saluda (8-0) leads Ninety-Six (7-1) with each team having two games left. Saluda and Ninety-Six play on April 28. Strom Thurmond (5-3) is third and Pelion (4-6) fourth, Batesburg-Leesville (1-7) fifth and American Leadership (1-9) sixth.
Region 3: Mid-Carolina (9-0) has clinched the region championship. Chester (6-2) has clinched second. Clinton (6-4) is third followed by Fairfield Central (4-5), Columbia (2-6) and Eau Claire.
SCHSL MaxPreps RPI Standings
Here are the latest MaxPreps RPI standings (as of Thursday morning), which will determine seeding for the Class 4A and 5A playoffs.
The RPI is based 50% on your winning percentage, 40% on your opponents’ winning percentage and 10% on your opponents’ opponents’ winning percentage.
Using the RPI rankings in 5A Division I and II, region champions will be seeded first in the playoffs followed by second-, third- and fourth-place finishers. All non-automatic qualifiers would make up the rest of the bracket based on MaxPreps’ RPI standings.
In both 5A divisions, there will be four six-team districts (two in upper state and two in lower state). The two Upper State district winners will play in a best-of-three series to determine Upper State champion. The format is the same for the Lower State district winners.
For the Class 4A playoffs, there will be 16 teams in the upper state and 16 in the lower state. As an example, the region champions in Upper and Lower State will be seeded based on RPI. The same goes for second place and so on. Class 4A used 1-16 seeding the past two years but didn’t use an RPI formula.
There will be four four-team districts in the Upper and Lower State with the winners of the district advancing to four-team Upper and Lower State championship round. It will be the best-of-three series for Upper/Lower semifinals and championship.
Class 5A Division I
Upper State: Byrnes 0.747048; Lexington 0.746656; Blythewood 0.639831; Dorman 0.613412; Clover 0.578519; Boiling Springs 0.531239; Spartanburg 0.482247; Dutch Fork 0.480206; River Bluff 0.453733; Wade Hampton 0.433205; Rock Hill 0.363475; Mauldin 0.265472; JL Mann 0.203913
Lower State: Summerville 0.818820;West Ashley 0.632056; Fort Dorchester 0.630528; Sumter 0.606418; Carolina Forest 0.574720; Cane Bay 0.524777; Wando 0.518329; Ashley Ridge 0.499378; James Island 0.477099; Stratford 0.421221; Spring Valley 0.314410; Ridge View 0.246243; Stall 0.244172
Class 5A Division II
Upper State: Catawba Ridge 0.807191; TL Hanna 0.664266; Indian Land 0.631657; Woodmont 0.629721; Gaffney 0.591476; Nation Ford 0.590882; Hillcrest 0.505013; Fort Mill 0.475036; Greenville 0.463513; Easley 0.463030; Riverside 0.448747; Greenwood 0.399603; Northwestern 0.380807; Eastside 0.258083
Lower State: Berkeley 0.724894; St. James 0.686949; West Florence 0.657951; Chapin 0.588617; Conway 0.550078; White Knoll 0.527495; North Myrtle Beach 0.521688; Lucy Beckham 0.514596; Lugoff-Elgin 0.476240; Westwood 0.404911; Myrtle Beach 0.362032; Goose Creek 0.340675; Irmo 0.326518; Socastee 0.286185
Class 4A
Upper State: Pickens 0.720073; AC Flora 0.688381; York 0.666978; Seneca 0.650229; Blue Ridge 0.571617; Westside 0.556812; Wren 0.553459; Fountain Inn 0.531180; Camden 0.503937; Daniel 0.491114; Lancaster 0.481521; Travelers Rest 0.471427; Berea 0.431407; Laurens 0.412635; Dreher 0.406776; Greer 0.357780; Richland Northeast 0.312956; Emerald 0.309915; South Pointe 0.253181; Southside 0.245349
Lower State: Gray Collegiate 0.745574; Gilbert 0.714227; Colleton County 0.678577; South Florence 0.662853; Hartsville 0.661456; Midland Valley 0.620947; May River 0.579344; Airport 0.552236; Darlington 0.546249; North Augusta 0.523651; Beaufort 0.498985; Wilson 0.486231; Lakewood 0.434879; Bluffton 0.418471; Hilton Head 0.352500; South Aiken 0.351299; Crestwood 0.334039; Aiken 0.314145; Brookland-Cayce 0.297444; Lower Richland 0.253365; Bishop England 0.224948
This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM.
