By John Nolan
Assistant Director of Scouting 

The Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association has announced its playoff pairings for its 2015 Championships. The Semi-finals and Finals will be played this weekend at Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights as all three champions will be crowned on Saturday. Here is a breakdown of the brackets and what to expect:

visaa division i preview:

Liberty Christian is the defending Division I State Champs and received the number one seed in the tournament after an outstanding spring that saw the Bulldogs win the Virginia Independent Conference championship and not lose a game to an opponent from Virginia. The Bulldogs are led on the mound by Zachary Hess (2016, Virginia Tech) and have Derek Horton (2015, Liberty) keying their offense from the leadoff spot and their defense from shortstop.

Collegiate received the number two seed and has been hot after a 3-3 start, winning 16 games in a row to finish the season in second place in the Prep League. The Cougars have a deep lineup that is led by Will Allocca (2016, UVA) and David Angstadt (2016, William & Mary).

Benedictine grabbed the third seed and holds wins over Steward, St. Christopher’s, Flint Hill, and Greenbrier Christian this spring. Benedictine is experienced and very deep on the mound, with a rotation featuring seniors Jake Ottinger (VMI), Michael Geary (VMI), and Wesley Steelman (Lynchburg).

St. Christopher’s is the number four seed after finishing third in the Prep League and enters the postseason on an eight game winning streak. St. Christopher’s is the only school from Virginia that has played Liberty Christian this spring and not lost, playing the Bulldogs to a 1-1 tie in March.

The rest of the Division I bracket includes Bishop O’Connell, St. Anne’s-Belfield, Paul VI, and Flint Hill. O’Connell came out of spring break hot, but has lost four of their last five, including two losses to St. John’s in the WCAC tournament. O’Connell is anchored by two-way standout Rafi Vazquez (2016, Coastal Carolina). St. Anne’s-Belfield won the Prep League and is a dark horse to win the VISAA tournament, featuring a trio of Virginia commits, Bobby Nicholson (2016), Jalen Harrison (2016), and Tanner Morris (2017). Paul VI has been solid all spring and has a talented squad that is young. If the youth plays well, the Panthers could be dangerous, too.

visaa division ii preview:

The Miller School of Albemarle grabs the number one seed after finishing second in the VIC this spring. Miller is 19-1 this season against schools that are not Liberty Christian Academy, with that lone loss coming in Florida early in the season. Miller has a dominant pitching staff that is led by Jacob Rich (2015, Radford), Mike Dailey (2015, VCU), and Connor Gillispie (2016). The Mavericks’ line-up is anchored by Jack Morris (2015, Virginia Tech).

Greenbrier Christian was awarded the second seed in the Division II playoffs after winning the Tidewater Conference championship. The Gators are a young team that only has one senior and the youngsters have been playing like seniors down the stretch. Greenbrier’s lineup is deep and they have plenty of talent on the mound to win the championship.

Steward School is the defending Division II State Champions and received the third seed in this spring’s tournament. The Spartans enter the tournament on a three-game losing streak, but Steward has Nic Enright (2015, Virginia Tech) and are capable of beating any team in the state when he pitches.

Atlantic Shores Christian received the fourth seed in the tournament after winning the Metro Conference championship. The Seahawks dominated conference play, posting a record of 20-4 this spring and strong offensively and defensively. Atlantic Shores has scored double digit runs nine times this spring and have allowed one or zero runs twelve times.

The rest of the bracket includes Covenant School, Norfolk Christian, Hargrave Military Academy, and ChristChurch School. Covenant is a solid squad that is young and talented. Hargrave will also be dangerous as their lineup has posted some prolific numbers this spring.

visaa division iii preview:

Southampton Academy was awarded with the number one seed after a regular season that saw them only lose one game and win the Virginia Colonial Conference championship. The 2014 Division III runners-up have dominated its opponents, outscoring them by over 150 runs on the season as the pitching staff combined to post a team ERA under 1 for the season.

Walsingham Academy received the second seed despite posting a losing record this spring. The Trojans will benefit from having played against tough TCIS competition all spring as they look to go deep in the small school tournament. Walsingham has won two of its last three and has lefty Thomas Chisam (2015, JMU) anchoring its rotation.

North Cross was awarded the third seed and has had a strong spring after reaching the 2014 VISAA Semi-finals. The Raiders are 11-7 and will benefit from having played multiple games against quality opponents such as Liberty Christian and Miller School this spring, including a tight loss to the Miller School in the VIC semifinals last week.

Isle of Wight received the fourth seed after a solid spring that saw them reach the Metro Conference semifinals. The rest of the Division III bracket includes Tidewater Academy, Brunswick Academy, Broadwater Academy, and Blessed Sacrement-Hugenot.

The complete VISAA Tournament Bracket can be found HERE.