Top-seeded Mustangs focused on rebound in District 3 Tournament (updated with brackets)
2024 Berks baseball coverage presented by
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With their nemesis, the Wilson Bulldogs, now in the rearview mirror the Gov. Mifflin Mustangs can set their sights on winning their first District 3 championship.
The Mustangs (17-4) will be the No. 1 seed in Class 5A and have home-field advantage through the semifinals when the tournament opens Friday.
The Mustangs are coming off a 10-3 loss to Wilson in the Berks championship game – their third loss in three meetings against the Bulldogs – but won’t have to worry about them any longer this season. Wilson will be playing in the Class 6A tournament, where it enters with a first-round bye and home field advantage in the quarterfinals.
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Other than those three losses to Wilson the Mustangs have enjoyed another outstanding season. They are 16-1 against all other opponents and 6-0 in non-league games. Their only other loss came to Berks I rival Muhlenberg, 4-3 in extra innings.
As soon as the Mustangs lost in the Berks title game coach Chris Hole turned his focus to the next round of playoffs.
“It’s always disappointing when you lose,” Hole said, “(but) you’ve got to keep your head level and come back for the next one; we’ve got to try to regroup and get ready for the next tournament.”
Mifflin and Wilson are among eight Berks League teams to qualify for the tournament.
The Mustangs open Friday against No. 16 Garden Spot (13-7). The fourth-seeded Bulldogs (16-6) draw a first-round bye, then open May 20 against the winner of the first-round meeting between No. 5 Manheim Township (17-6) and No. 12 Cedar Crest (10-10).
Also in Class 5A on Friday, No. 3 Twin Valley (15-5) hosts No. 14 Lower Dauphin (12-8) and No. 7 Muhlenberg (13-7) is at home against No. 10 Manheim Central (13-8).
In Class 4A, No. 5 Berks Catholic (16-4) and No. 6 Fleetwood (13-8) open on the road May 20. The Saints will play at No. 4 James Buchanan (13-6); the Tigers will play at No. 3 Northern Lebanon (18-3).
In Class 3A, No. 7 Oley Valley (11-8) plays at No. 2 Trinity (13-7) on May 20.
In Class 2A, No. 4 Kutztown (11-10), the defending champ, plays at No. 1 Halifax (18-2). The Cougars beat Halifax 5-0 in last year’s championship game.
The higher-seeded team plays at home through the semifinals; the championship games will be played at neutral sites.
Gov. Mifflin was the No. 1 seed in 2022 and opened with a 12-2 win over Hempfield before losing to Manheim Township 7-6 in the semifinals and being eliminated by Cumberland Valley 7-4 in a state qualifier.
Last year the Mustangs entered as the No. 2 seed but lost at home to Exeter, 4-1.
This will be the 25th district appearance for Mifflin; it is still looking for its first championship. It reached the title game in 2016, 2017 and 2021 – each time in the highest classification – but lost.
Wilson owns three district titles, winning it 1988, 2019, and 2021. It reached the title game last year but fell to Cedar Cliff 7-1.
