Here comes the rain again. And again. And probably again.
The 2018 Florida High School Softball State Championships have been pushed back for the second time in four days, the FHSAA announced Thursday afternoon.
Oxbridge Academy will have to wait an extra five days to play its Class 4A state softball semifinal. The game was postponed because of rain. (Bruce Bennett/Palm Beach Post)
The four-day tournament at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach was set to get underway Wednesday with semifinals in the Classes 1A-4A brackets. Championship games and semifinals and finals for Classes 5A-9A were to follow.
But with rain expected to pound much of the Treasure Coast throughout the week, the event was pushed back to a Saturday start date.
Classes 5A-9A teams were to play Saturday and Sunday, with Classes 1A-4A teams following Monday and Tuesday.
But the tournament was pushed back again Thursday afternoon after more rain was forecast for this weekend.
Barring any changes, the tournament now is set to begin Monday with eight semifinal contests in Classes 1A-4A.
Action continues Tuesday with a total of 14 games – semifinals for the big schools and championship contests for the small schools – followed by championship games for the big schools on Wednesday.
Check out the schedule here.
FHSAA spokesman Kyle Niblett said the two postponements of the organization’s annual state softball competition – before one pitch had even been thrown – appears to be unprecedented.
Two area teams are set to compete Monday.
Lake Worth Christian plays Land O’Lakes-Academy at the Lakes in a Class 2A semifinal at 11:50 a.m., and Oxbridge Academy takes on Miami-Westminster Christian in a Class 4A semifinal at 7:20 p.m.
We’ll have previews of those games beginning Sunday.