Tim Martinez: Sorting out baseball, soccer playoff possibilities

League play concludes this week for baseball and soccer teams. So we’ll spend this space attempting to make sense of what teams are playing for this week.

Baseball

4A GSHL: One thing is already settled in the 4A Greater St. Helens League: Union is the league champion, and as such, the Titans have secured a berth to the state tournament. The race is still on for the coveted second-place spot. Battle Ground (10-6) is good position with two games to play. The Tigers lead Camas (9-7) by a game, hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Papermakers and finish with games against the bottom two teams in the league. But if the Tigers stumble just once, Mountain View (8-7) could steal the No. 2 spot away from Battle Ground by winning out this week. Heritage (4-12) leads Evergreen (3-12) for the final berth to district. But the Timberwolves are hoping the Plainsmen don’t win this week. If the two teams tie, Evergreen holds the tiebreaker.

3A GSHL: OK, this one is easy. Columbia River (7-1) hosts Kelso (7-1) Monday. The winner is the league champion and will play two games Saturday in Kelso to open the bi-district tournament. The loser is the No. 2 seed and plays two games Saturday in Enumclaw. Prairie is the No. 3 seed, and the Falcons will play twice in Kent on Saturday.

2A GSHL: Woodland (8-2) can clinch the league title with a win Monday against Mark Morris. But if the Beavers fall, Hudson’s Bay could still claim the top seed to district with two wins, including one Wednesday against Woodland. Otherwise, it’s Bay (6-4), Hockinson (6-5), Ridgefield (6-5) and R.A. Long (5-5) battling it out for the last three berths to district. So, it’s possible for Bay to claim the No. 1 seed to district or to not make it to district at all. We won’t go into all the combinations, but we will say this: All four teams control their own fate. If all four teams win one game this week, they’ll advance to district. Now for Ridgefield and Hockinson, they only play one game — against R.A. Long. But having both lost to the Lumberjacks earlier this season, a second loss could be devastating.

1A TRICO: King’s Way Christian (10-2) finishes with three games against last-place Stevenson. If the Knights win out, they’ll claim the No. 1 seed to district. That because King’s Way won two of the three meetings with Castle Rock (10-2). The Rockets need at least one upset from Stevenson, otherwise they go to district as the No. 2 seed. Kalama (5-7), La Center (5-7) and White Salmon (5-7) are battling for the last two spots. Kalama and White Salmon finish with three games against each other. The team that wins at least two of those games advances. La Center has a tougher road with three games against Castle Rock. The Wildcats hold the tiebreaker on Kalama, but not against White Salmon.

Boys soccer

4A GSHL: Camas has clinched the league title. The battle for the No. 2 seed, which is just as good as a No. 1 seed in the oddball district playoff format (more on that next week), is between

Only two teams from the 3A Greater St. Helens League will advance to the bi-district playoffs in soccer this season.

Union and Mountain View. The Titans (5-3-2) hold a two-point edge on the Thunder (5-4-0). But if Mountain View beats Battle Ground on Tuesday, and Union falls to Camas, the Thunder would be in the driver’s seat to secure the No. 2 spot.

3A GSHL: Columbia River (3-0-1) needs a win either against Fort Vancouver or Kelso to secure the league title. Only two teams from the 3A GSHL advance to the bi-district. Prairie will be in good shape to secure the No. 2 berth with a win or tie Tuesday against Kelso.

2A GSHL: Pretty straightforward. Hockinson plays at Ridgefield on Tuesday for the league title — winner is No. 1 to district playoffs that open Saturday, loser is No. 2. Washougal is No. 3, and R.A. Long is No. 4.

1A TRICO: Toledo/Winlock is the league champion. White Salmon (6-1-3, 21 points) and La Center (7-3, 21) are tied for second and would claim the last two berths to district if the season ended today. Stevenson (6-3-1, 19) plays at La Center on Tuesday in what is a must-win (not tie) game for the Bulldogs.