Two Hampshire County teams will have a chance at a Western Massachusetts championship on Saturday.
One team has a seasoned coach with an abundance of finals experience, while the other has a coach in his first sectional final.
Both teams engaged in team unity activities the day before their big games.
In baseball, Frontier Regional plays Wahconah for the Western Mass. Division 3 title at UMass’ Earl Lorden Field at 11 a.m..
The Red Hawks (17-3) last won a title in 2013, but this year is different with rookie coach Chris Williams taking the team into the finals.
Williams hosted a team movie night on Friday, screening Brad Pitt’s “Fury” for the Red Hawks.
It was “important for us to get together tonight,” Williams said. “Getting to this game was the goal from day one. It comes with the territory of a competitive program.”
The fourth-seeded Warriors (15-8) beat top-seeded South Hadley 13-9 in the semifinals.
“I know they are a talented team,” Williams said. “They have a talented pitching staff. It will be a battle.”
Wahconah should have the hard-throwing Will Genaway on the mound. The athletic Genaway also mixes in a good curveball. The Red Hawks will counter with Noah Barnes.
“If we got to the championship we knew we would use him,” Williams said. “He has a rubber arm.”
Barnes pitched a shutout against Mohawk in the quarterfinals.
Frontier avoided the top two seeds in the tournament. Second-seeded Southwick lost to Hoosac Valley in the quarterfinals.
“Whoever is winning these games deserves to be there,” Williams said.
In softball, Hampshire Regional is in familiar territory. The top-seeded Raiders (19-2) play No. 2 Palmer (17-4) at UMass’ Elaine Sortino Field, at 2:30 p.m..
On Friday, the team went out for ice cream together. The trip produced a lot of smiles and a very light mood heading into the championship game.
Hampshire won a state title last year, and won sectional titles in 2009, 2012, 2014 and 2015. With only a six-team field in Division 3, the Raiders have only played one game in the last 15 days.
The Raiders are itching to get back on the field.
“We are pretty comfortable because we have been there before,” Hampshire coach Brian McGan said. “But the girls are sick of practice. The monotony of it.”
Alexis Ferris has been borderline unhittable all season with five no-hitters, including a perfect game. Ferris and Hampshire did not face Palmer during the season.
“She gives us a chance to win every game,” McGan said. “But we have to play defense behind her. She can’t do it herself.”
Palmer will have one of the top pitchers in western Mass. in the circle in Savannah Cavanaugh.
“We are ready to go,” McGan said of Cavanaugh. “We are mentally prepared for her speed.”
The Raiders twice faced a similar pitcher in Mackenzie Phillips of Turners Falls during the regular season. Hampshire lost both games 2-0.
