I just wrote a similar post for baseball. To see that, click here. I'll also have a column to preview the upcoming week in Monday's newspaper.

Remember, teams need a .500 record in league play to qualify for the playoffs. There are, however, a few modifications to that rule. There is a convoluted formula for teams with sub-.500 records to apply, which takes into account the winning percentage of their opponents and their classifications.

Big 10 Conference

Troy, 9-1, 10-5
Catholic Central, 8-1, 13-3
Amsterdam, 5-4, 6-6
Schenectady, 4-4, 7-7
Albany, 3-6, 3-13
Bishop Gibbons, 2-7, 2-9
Bishop Maginn, 0-10, 0-11

This was a two-horse race from the start and the finish line is set at home plate at Troy High School at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. These teams will meet again in the game that will likely determine the league champion. CCHS won the first game, 2-0.

Both of those teams believe they can compete with the big dogs from the Suburban Council in the Section II Class AA playoffs, but a team from the Big 10 hasn't appeared in a Section II large-school title game since 1994 when Troy fell to Saratoga Springs.

Troy defeated Columbia in 1987 - the most recent Section II championship for a Big 10 softball team.

Suburban Council

North Division
Shenendehowa, 14-0, 18-0
Saratoga Springs, 8-5, 9-5
Shaker, 7-5, 7-5
Niskayuna, 6-6, 6-6
Burnt Hills, 4-8, 4-8
Ballston Spa, 1-11, 1-11

The Lady Plainsmen have allowed just a handful of earned runs this season and have locked up the North Division title.

South Division
Bethlehem, 11-3, 15-3
Columbia, 11-3, 15-3
Colonie, 6-8, 8-8
Guilderland, 6-8, 7-10
Averill Park, 5-9, 5-9
Mohonasen, 2-10, 2-10

The South Division race, however, is a bit closer. Bethlehem travels to East Greenbush Monday afternoon for a showdown with the Blue Devils. Averill Park is a likely participant in the Section II Class A tournament with wins over Class AA teams, but Colonie and Guilderland can really help their case with wins this week.

Colonial Council

Patriot Division
Mechanicville, 10-0, 12-2
Schalmont, 5-6, 7-7
Cobleskill, 2-7, 2-7
Albany Academy for Girls, 1-7, 1-7
Watervliet, 1-7, 2-7

Liberty Division
Cohoes, 10-1, 10-2
Lansingburgh, 7-4, 9-6
Ravena, 5-5, 8-7
Holy Names, 4-5, 4-5
Voorheesville, 4-7, 4-10

Cohoes and Mechanicville have clinched their respective division titles and will face each other in the Colonial's crossover championship game on Friday. The second-seeded teams will also play each other, and so on.

It will be interesting to see how Cohoes and Mechanicville approach the Colonial crossover game. They are the early favorites to meet again in the Section II Class B title game on June 4.

Wasaren League

Hoosick Falls, 11-2, 14-2
Schuylerville, 8-3, 8-3
Stillwater, 7-3, 9-3
Granville, 7-4, 8-4
Hoosic Valley, 6-6, 8-7
Greenwich, 4-8, 5-11
Tamarac, 3-8, 6-10
Cambridge, 0-11, 3-12

Defending Section II Class CC/C champions Hoosick Falls is on the verge of winning the Wasaren League title a season after finishing in second place behind Schuylerville.

The Wasaren League has seemed to develop strong pitchers in recent years, so the top four teams in the league all must be considered contenders in the Section II playoffs.

Patroon Conference

Taconic Hills, 9-0, 14-1
Ichabod Crane, 12-1, 12-1
Chatham, 10-2, 12-2
Greenville, 6-6, 6-6
Maple Hill, 5-6, 7-7
Hudson, 5-7, 7-9
Catskill, 0-0, 0-0
Cairo-Durham, 1-10, 1-10
Coxsackie-Athens , 1-12, 1-12

At last report, Taconic Hills was 14-1 overall. I'm not sure how many extra wins that is for the Titans that is in the Patroon. Either way, Taconic Hills (Class B) and Ichabod Crane (Class A) will be tough first-round opponents in the Section II tournament, but Patroon Conference teams haven't had much success in the tournament in recent years even with spotless won-loss records.

CHVL

Germantown, 12-1, 16-2
Loudonville Christian, 12-1, 12-2
Waterford, 11-2, 11-3
Berlin, 7-5, 8-9
Rensselaer, 6-7, 6-7
Emma Willard, 3-9, 3-9
New Lebanon, 3-9, 3-9
Heatly, 1-9, 1-9
Doane Stuart, 0-12, 0-12

Loudonville Christian hosts Germantown Monday afternoon in the game that could well determine the league champion. Waterford has been near the top of the league for the past few years as well, so don't forget about the Lady Fordians in the playoffs.

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Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m., I'll open a chat window here for you to debate the final week of the season with fellow fans from around Section II. If you can't make it, email your questions in advance and I'll be sure to paste them into the chat for you.



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