Busy Weekend for Cherry Hill West Baseball Team Heading Into State Tournament

Cherry Hill, NJ -- The Cherry Hill High School West baseball team is still in the running for the unofficial championship of South Jersey, and now the Lions know where they will begin their pursuit of the state-sanctioned title.

Cherry Hill West is the No. 3 seed in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 4 playoffs, according to the bracket posted on nj.com on Thursday.

The Lions (14-5) will host No. 14 Vineland (12-10) in the first round on Monday, May 23. The winner faces the winner of the game between No. 6 Kingsway and No. 11 Washington Township on May 25.

The semifinals are set for May 31. The final is scheduled for June 3.

Before the playoffs begin, Cherry Hill West could have a full weekend.

After outlasting West Deptford, 1-0, in the first round of the 43rd annual Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic, Cherry Hill West could play in up to three games this weekend.

The Lions will meet Eastern Regional in the quarterfinals on Saturday, 1 p.m., at Washington Township. The winner of that game plays the winner of the game between Lenape and St. Joseph Hammonton in the semifinals on Sunday, 1 p.m. The final is set for 5 p.m. Sunday night at Washington Township.

A total of 16 teams from what is traditionally considered the South Jersey area compete in the Diamond Classic, which is considered the unofficial championship tournament of South Jersey. At the state level, four South Jersey champions are crowned in four classifications based on size, so this tournament essentially determines the best of the best in the region.

Ten teams qualify because they were in first place in their division at the cutoff date, and six other teams qualify as wild-card teams. Cherry Hill West earned an at-large bid to the tournament, and a Diamond Classic title would be prestigious and give the Lions momentum heading into the playoffs.