ST. GEORGE — Making sense out of the playoff race in baseball seems complicated, even with just this last week of the regular season left. But the best way to figure it all out is to take each team and knock out all the scenarios. It’s been an incredible season and the teams and games have been as competitive this year as we’ve seen them in quite some time.

But the bottom line is this: Two very good teams at the end of this week will have to face the knowledge that they will not be participating in the playoffs.

Here’s how it all shakes down (sorted by current standings, with this week’s opponent):

1. Desert Hills (8-2, Snow Canyon) — No scenarios to talk about. The Thunder are the champs. But they can play “spoiler” for Snow Canyon. Best case: A sweep keeps SC pout of the playoffs. Worst case: two defeats and some momentum loss.

2. Canyon View (7-5, bye) — With Hurricane’s surprise 7-6 upset at CV last Friday, the Falcons find themselves a little itchy under the collar. Canyon View needs Dixie to win one against Pine View and Desert Hills to win one against Snow Canyon to avoid tie for third place. Also, Cedar needs to drop one against Hurricane to for CV to tie for second. Best case: Cedar gets swept by the Tigers and the others split, leaving CV alone in second place. Worst case: Cedar, PV and SC all sweep, creating a three-way tie for third (CV, PV and SC).

3. Cedar (6-4, Hurricane) — Like Canyon View last week, the Redmen have second place in their own hands and just need to sweep last-place Hurricane to get it. CV couldn’t do it and the Tigers are playing better, so that is far from a given. A split could create a real mess if PV and/or SC get sweeps (imagine four teams all at 7-5). Theoretically, Cedar could still miss the playoffs with two losses. Best case: two wins and a No. 2 seed. Worst case: two losses and sweeps by SC and PV would leave the Redmen out of the playoffs.

4t. Snow Canyon (5-5, Desert Hills) — The defending-state champions face the prospect of needing at least one win, and more likely two, against the region’s best team this week. The Warriors might get in at 6-6, depending on what happens with PV-Dixie and Cedar-Hurricane, but SC fans have to figure a sweep is just about mandatory. Best case: sweep, and have Cedar lose at least one and the Warriors tie for second. Worst case: lose two and the season is over.

4t. Pine View (5-5, Dixie) — The Panthers also need at least one win to think playoffs and two wins would get them to at least a play-in or better. PV has split with everyone except Hurricane (wn two) and CV (lost two), so a split here seems likely, but will it be good enough? Certainly the Panthers are going to pull out all the stops to get two this week. Best case: two wins would tie them with CV and should earn some kind of postseason. Worst case: two losses and it’s goodnight, PV.

6. Dixie (4-6, Pine View) — The Flyers aren’t dead yet, but can’t lose now. In fact, the best they can do is sweep PV and hope SC loses at least one game to D-Hills. Losing two last week to Cedar hurt, but can be fixed some by beating PV twice this week. Best case: win two, have SC and Cedar lose two and tie for third. Worst case: lose two and get eliminated, plus give rival PV a playoff spot.

7. Hurricane (1-9, Cedar) — No playoffs for the Tigers, but they can hurt Cedar’s chances, maybe even cost them a playoff spot, with some good baseball this week. Best case: beat Cedar twice and cost them a playoff spot. Worst case: Get swept badly and lose any momentum for next year.

Soccer

The playoffs begin today for 3A soccer. Congratulations to Coach Sam Johnston and his Pine View Panthers for their region championship. As a reward, PV will host a No. 4 seed, Grantsville, Thursday at Panther Stadium in the first round of the playoffs.

Dixie finished in second place and will also host a first-round match. Bear River visits Walt Brooks Stadium Thursday. Third-place Snow Canyon goes to Ben Lomond and fourth-place Cedar is tasked with going to Stansbury, which won Region 11 and averages more than six goals a game. All games Thursday are at 4 p.m.

The second round is Saturday. The higher seeded teams that emerge victorious from Thursday’s first round will host Saturday. Pine View should cruise through to the semifinals, which are May 9 at Alta High School. Dixie would likely travel to Payson with a first-round win. SC could be headed for a second round match with Juan Diego and Cedar, if it can get past Stansbury, would likely travel to Park City.

Softball

Canyon View should wrap up at least a tie for the region crown as they host winless Hurricane today and have a bye Friday.

Cedar, at 8-2, could get there as well with two wins. The tough one is today at Dixie, another team likely headed to the playoffs. CHS hosts Hurricane Friday.

SC, last year’s champ, is hoping for upsets for both Cedar and CV, but will likely have to settle for second or maybe even third place with three losses. SC has a bye today and hosts D-Hills Friday.

Dixie, 5-5, needs two wins to assure a playoff spot, but one would get them in pretty good shape. Dixie has Cedar today and at Pine View Friday.

D-Hills, 4-6, needs to beat Pine View and Snow Canyon and hope Dixie loses at least one game to create a fourth-place tie.

TODAY
BASEBALL
Cedar at Hurricane, 7 p.m.
Pine View at Dixie, 7 p.m.
Snow Canyon at Desert Hills, 7 p.m.

SOFTBALL
Cedar at Dixie, 4 p.m.
Hurricane at Canyon View, 4 p.m.
Pine View at Desert Hills, 4 p.m.

WEDNESDAY
SOFTBALL
Enterprise at Pine View, 4:30 p.m.

THURSDAY
3A SOCCER FIRST ROUND
Bear River at Dixie, 4 p.m.
Cedar at Stansbury, 4 p.m.
Grantsville at Pine View, 4 p.m.
Morgan at Payson, 4 p.m.
North Sanpete at Park City, 4 p.m.
Richfield at Juan Diego, 4 p.m.
Snow Canyon at Ben Lomond, 4 p.m.
Uintah at Carbon, 4 p.m.
3A State Soccer Tournament Bracket

FRIDAY
BASEBALL
Hurricane at Cedar, 4 p.m.
Desert Hills at Snow Canyon, 7 p.m.
Dixie at Pine View, 7 p.m.

SOFTBALL
Desert Hills at Snow Canyon, 4 p.m.
Dixie at Pine View, 4 p.m.
Hurricane at Cedar, 4 p.m.

SATURDAY
Thursday winners at higher-seeded home sites, all games at 1 p.m.
3A State Soccer Tournament Bracket

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