BASEBALL | Tournament Preview: A look at every local playoff district

After a hectic past few months, the weather seems to have taken a turn for the better with the state tournament arriving.

That's good news for everyone, as all 15 local teams look to play their best ball over the next several weeks, regardless of what happened during the regular season.

Here's a preview of each of those local districts:

Div. I Strongsville District

Teams: 3. St. Edward, 5. Wadsworth, 8. Wooster, 10. Avon Lake, 14. Strongsville, 21. Normandy, 22. Cleveland Heights, 24. Midview, 26. Barea-Midpark, 27. North Olmsted, 35. John Hay, 36. Maple Heights

Outlook: It's never easy for Wooster once tournaments begin as a smaller Division I school, but the Generals have the tools to make a run at a district championship. Kentucky commit Blake Bowen is one of the best hitters in the state and the Generals have plenty of pop and experience up and down the lineup, especially with Elisha Steiner recently returning from injury recently. With pitchers like Drew Becker and the Bowen brothers (Blake and freshman brother Brady) in the mix, Wooster can beat teams with offense and defense.

Div. II East 1 District

Teams: 2. Tri-Valley, 3. Cambridge, 5. New Philadelphia, 9. McConnelsville Morgan, 10. John Glenn, 12. Indian Creek, 13. West Holmes, 15. Lisbon Beaver, 16. East Liverpool, 20. Claymont, 21. Maysville

Outlook: When Noah Clark is on the mound, West Holmes has a chance to beat anyone in the district. The senior pitcher has been one of the best in the area all season and can shut down the best of lineups when his stuff is working. If the Knights can get get their other pitchers throwing their best stuff, they're a sleeper in the bracket.

Div. II North Ridgeville District

Teams: 3. Archbishop Hoban, 6. Triway, 8. Norton, 9. Firelands, 11. Padua Franciscan, 14. Beachwood, 18. Keystone, 19. Bay, 20. Akron Springfield, 22. Lincoln West, 29. Clearview

Outlook: There aren't many teams in the district with depth like Triway. The Titans can throw a variety of playoff-worthy pitchers in any game and have batters throughout the lineup who can get on base and drive in runs. A senior group featuring Griffin Braun, Carter Schmid, Brock Tisko and Kain Weaver has the pedigree to lead the Titans to big things. Defending Div. II state champ Hoban is still looming and loaded with talent, with multiple Div. I college recruits dotting its roster, but Triway would love a crack at the Knights for a district title.

Div. III Copley District

Teams: 3. Elyria Catholic, 4. Hawken, 5. Black River, 6. Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 8. Wellington, 11. Canton Central Catholic, 12. Wickliffe, 15. Northwestern, 18. Tuslaw, 19. Loudonville, 20. Trinity, 24. Oberlin

Outlook: It's crowded at the top in the Copley district, with Elyria Catholic, Hawken, Black River, VASJ, Wellington and Canton Central Catholic all looking like legitimate contenders to move on to regionals. Northwestern and Tuslaw looks to be an entertaining first-round matchup, with the Mustangs playing some of their best ball right now and the Huskies possessing the talent to beat most of the teams in the district on the right night.

Div. III Creston District

Teams: 1. Norwayne, 2. Waynedale, 7. Gilmour Academy, 9. Manchester, 10. East Canton, 13. Lutheran West, 14. Smithville, 16. Orrville, 17. Fairview, 21. Chippewa, 22. Brooklyn, 23. Garrett Morgan

Outlook: It's a pretty safe bet Waynedale wants another crack at Norwayne. The Bobcats were the only WCAL team to beat the Golden Bears during the regular season ... and they did it twice. A district final featuring the co-league champs would be one of the biggest local playoff games in recent years. That's far from a sure thing though, especially with a defending district champ in Gilmour looking to play spoiler. Smithville also has the tools to pull an upset, giving the Bobcats and Bears close games during the regular season. Orrville sophomore Brady Marshall is one of the district's top underclassmen.

Div. IV East District

Teams: 1. Shadyside, 2. Hiland, 3. Toronto, 4. Frontier, 5. Bishop Rosecrans, 6. Hannibal River, 7. Monroe Central, 8. Malvern, 9. Strasburg-Franklin, 10. Conotton Valley, 11. Caldwell, 12. Steubenville Catholic Central, 13. Shenandoah, 14. Bridgeport, 15. Tuscarawas Central Catholic, 16. Beallsville

Outlook: Hiland's regular season record (12-7) might not look overly impressive, but that shouldn't fool anyone. The Hawks have played a loaded non-league schedule and a have gone through a tough Inter-Valley Conference. Playoff time is usually when Hiland shines and that figures to be more of the same this year.

Div. IV Medina District

Teams: 1. Hillsdale, 2. Columbia, 3. Dalton, 4. Mogadore, 5. Independence, 6. Andrews Osborne, 7. Mapleton, 8. Rittman, 9. Open Door Christian, 10. Lake Ridge Academy, 11. Cuyahoga Heights, 12. Cornerstone Christian

Outlook: Hillsdale earned the 1-seed with a 14-game win streak during the regular season, showcasing a lineup that can hit one-through-nine and a pitching staff that's talented and deep. However, Dalton snapped that streak late in the season and certainly has the talent to emerge from the bracket despite an up-and-down year. If Rittman's pitching is working, the Indians have the bats to make things interesting as the 8-seed.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Baseball: Previewing the every local playoff district