This is the plan the Souhegan baseball program has for the entrance into their field, which will be renamed for former longtime coach Bill Dod in a dedication ceremony this Saturday. (Courtesy photo)

It will be an interesting week with regard to some sports and their respective New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association committees.

Especially baseball, where coaches are trying to head things off at the pass.

Sources say a letter will be delivered to NHIAA officials requesting that baseball, which is expected to use the regional pods that sports have been using since the fall, not be randomly seeded.

In other words, try to seed the teams according to record rather than random blind draw out of a hat. Football basically did that in the fall and hockey did the same in the winter.

A lot of that has been to be fair to teams who may have not been able to play as many games as the pandemic, etc.

The worry is with the blind draw, two good teams may face each other too early in the tournament. That was the opinion when Exeter and Winnacunnet faced each other in the Divsion I boys basketball prelims, with the Warriors upsetting the Blue Hawks while making it all the way to the finals, where Bishop Guertin won the crown.

The local example? It’s in Division II,with good teams Hollis Brookline (7-1) and Souhegan (9-2). Being in the same scheduling pod, they could see each other early – or even 6-1 Milford, which is having a good season as well. So someone could be missing once things get deeper into the tournament.

“It’ll be interesting to see what they do this week,” Souhegan coach Tom Walker said. “Again, everybody saw it with Exeter and Winnacunnet. I’m looking around the state following things, and it would be a shame, as we’re both talented, a game or two ahead, and one of us knock the other out early if we were to match up early.

“But I mean, we’ll do what they tell us to do. We’ll be ready to go.”

“I feel like we’re positioned well but it’s hard to strategize,” Hollis Brookline coach James Sartell said, “not knowing what the NHIAA is going to do with the seeding.”

There may be some clarity soon, as the tournaments are set to begin on Memorial Day.

DOD FIELD DEDICATION

Saturday is ceremony day, first with the Nashua Hall of Fame virtual induction link being activated in the morning.

But around noon, or 12:15 p.m. or so, it will be a special day at Souhegan High School as there will be a special field dedication ceremony in honor of former longtime Sabers coach — and the state’s all-time winningest coach — Bill Dod in between the Sabers games vs. Division I opponents Bedford (10 a.m.) and Portsmouth at 2 p.m.

Saber Field will be renamed “Bill Dod Family Field” and there’s a brick walkway that will be constructed behind the new backstop at the field, according to Sabers coach Tom Walker.

“The fundraiser will kick off next week and includes a plan to fund an annual scholarship (in Dod’s name),” Walker said.

Dod has been to a couple of Saber games this spring and was at Saturday’s 5-2 win over Hollis Brookline. There will be more here later this week on his thoughts on his newest honor, but on Saturday, but he said, “I just can’t fully explain my feelings, because watching all the programs at Souhegan grow from when there was nothing here. … and this was trees here …. it’s just marvelous to see the growth what the baseball programs and all the programs have gone through.”

MERRIMACK SOFTBALL A CONTENDER

When he took over the Tomahawks softball program a couple of seasons ago, Merrimack High School softball coach Greg Cochrane said his job was to restore the program and make softball a viable sport again at the school.

The ‘Hawks were competitive his first season, then had last year obviously scrapped. But this year? Mission accomplished, as their 10-2 record and six straight wins say.

“We have a very committed group of 14 players this season,” Cochrane said. “They are very gritty and resilient They pick each other up when down and celebrate success. More important than their softball talent is they are 14 great human beings.”

Some key players have included Morgan Goodspeed, who is hitting .603, and a .667 on base percentage and great fielding at second at .967. “A super dynamic leadoff hitter,” Cochrane said.

Then power hitting Grace Lawton, with 30 hits (including five homers) and 25 RBIs in just 11 games. The ‘Hawks have also benefitted from catcher Ashlynn Cassetty’s leadership, an important factor because their top pitcher is a freshman Avery Hui, who had to fill that role due to an injury. “She stepped right up and filled a big void,” Cochrane said. “She is very composed and confident in the circle.”

There’s also leadership from seniors Erin Knauer, Lindsey Hui, Ally O’Brien, Ava Melinn and Tori Tacito.

Overall, Merrimack is hitting .508, with a .589 OBP and 54 extra base hits out of their 168, plus 145 runs.

They’ll be at Nashua South on Monday at 4 p.m.

YEAR LOST, PLAYER GAINED

Sartell’s Cavaliers won their first seven games, buoyed by the return of Brandon Hsu, who was at prep school as a junior but returned to HB for his senior year.

“A big pickup for sure,” Sartell said. “We talk about culture, and that’s part of it. We do have that missing year, being able to connect with those kids growing up in the program. But to bring someone back that is part of that program, made it a little easier to get right back out there. I think you’re seeing the same type of ‘Dirt dawgs’.”

Sartell felt like all high school spring season coaches. The lost year of 2020 would have some negative impact.

“When you miss a year, you miss a year of ingrained culture and being able to have the chalk talks and the life lesson connections and stuff like that,” Sartell said.

MILFORD COACHING OPENINGS

Milford will have a couple of new varsity coaches next fall, as the Spartans are openly advertising for a new girls volleyball coach and new boys soccer coach. They also have openings for a bass fishing coach and JV boys soccer coach.

Applicants should apply at the district website at www.milfordk12.org. Click on Human Resources and then the Career page. Any questions, contact Spartans athletic director Marc Maurais at marc.maurais@milfordk12.org.

BRACKETT FEAT

The other night Hollis Brookline’s Jonathan Brackett recorded his 500th career kill in the Cavs’ big 3-2 win over Timberlane, which has been an established boys volleyball power…

Baseball coaches aren’t the only ones wondering how the tournaments will be set up, as tennis coaches have just one more regular season week remaining, starting their tourneys on May 25-26…

One tournament that won’t be held this spring due to the pandemic will be the state individual tennis tournaments. It’s likely that event will return in 2022.

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