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Black Tornado begins its playoff march By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune In Larry Binney's postseason swan song, the fifth-ranked North Medford High girls softball team would love to land its head coach a fourth state championship. The Black Tornado (20-5 overall) begins a march today that it hopes won't end until the Class 4A crown is claimed on June 1. Southern Oregon Conference counterparts Roseburg, Crater and Grants Pass are also in action as the first round of the state playoffs unfolds. "We're hoping (Binney) goes out with a bang," says North junior ace Keri Sevano, the SOC player of the year and the conference-champion Tornado's starting pitcher as it hosts Sunset today at 4 p.m. at Fagone Field. The Apollos, the Metro League's third seed, boast a star pitcher of their own in senior Michelle Hext, who has signed on to play at Portland State next year. "She throws the ball real hard," says Binney, who is closing his 20th season at North. "What we need to do is be able to put the ball in play and try to create some runs because she's a good one and they're a solid team." Roseburg, the SOC's second-place finisher, is the only other conference team with a first-round home game. The ninth-ranked Indians open at 4 p.m. against Gresham, the third seed from the Mt. Hood Conference. Crater (18-8), which claimed the third seed by defeating Grants Pass, 2-1 in 15 innings, in a tiebreaking game Tuesday, travels to fourth-ranked Springfield for a 4:30 p.m. battle. "They're definitely going to be a challenge," first-year Comets head coach Chris Arnold says of the Midwestern League-champion Millers. "Their strength is certainly their defense and pitching. ... We're very similar teams." The Cavers, who knocked off McKay, 3-0, in a subtournament home game on Friday, have the toughest task of all, opening at No. 1-ranked Canby at 4:30 p.m. "Every one of those kids has years of ASA and high school experience," fourth-year Grants Pass head coach Clay Rounsaville says of the Cougars, who are the defending state champions. "Are we nervous, apprehensive? A little bit. Do we think we can win? You bet we think we can. If we play a good game, we should have a chance." SOC coaches believe the conference will represent itself better in the postseason this spring than it did last year, when Roseburg was the only team to win a playoff game. "Because we've faced good pitching all year that's gonna help us and help all the SOC teams," says Binney, who coached Medford High to the state title in 1984, North Medford to a co-championship in 1997 and the Tornado to another crown in 1998, when he was the national coach of the year. Adds Sevano, who boasts a 13-1 record entering today's action, "I think this season has helped us a lot because we've had a lot of one-run games. And in the playoffs, the games are always close." Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.