Brookhaven Academy will host Tri-County Academy tonight in the first game of the best-of-three series that’ll crown the MAIS AA state champion.

Each teams won game three in its respective half’s championship series after dropping one of their first two contests.

Early runs

So many times in a baseball contest the team that’s able to jump out in front holds on to win, and it’s because it allows the coach to use his bullpen to their advantage.

The Cougars’ top of the lineup is dynamic, and it’ll give them an opportunity to put runs on the board in the very first inning.

They jumped out to an early lead on Centreville Academy, and the Tigers were never able to rebound and the Cougars went on to a blowout victory.

The Cougars have shut-down options in Dawson Flowers and Nick Ogden that can shorten games by two innings if they’re leading late in the contest, and if they’re able to get the ball to those guys with a lead it’ll likely give Brookhaven Academy a 1-0 lead in the series.

Deep outing

The key to being able to hand the ball over to a dominant bullpen involves your starting pitchers going deep into contests.

That’s what the Cougars have gotten every time Tanner Watts has taken the mound for them this postseason, and they’ll need that again with him pitching tonight.

Watts was dominant in the opening victory over Centreville Academy, going five innings with 10 strikeouts and only allowing one hit. Watts finished the series off for the Cougars, too, coming in in relief in game three.

If Watts can put up five innings and keep Tri-County Academy at bay, giving the Cougars a chance to turn to what has been a potent bullpen, they’ll be set up well from a pitching stand point.

“I think our depth on the mound is big,” Brookhaven Academy baseball coach Tyler Parvin said. “We have guys that can come in and close it out, and then we have guys that can give us starts when we need it like Dawson (Flowers).

Clean in the field

“Big games aren’t won, they’re lost.”

The quote is often stated when teams come into a championship series, and the message is painfully true.

The team that usually wins the series or the title is the one that makes the least amount of errors and executes on routine plays.

The Cougars have played well in that regard this postseason, and if they’re to keep it up it’ll help them in  a number of different avenues.

The Cougars have fielded over .960 in the playoffs, and if that remains consistent over the next three games it’ll help them win their first state title since 2010.