Classical among NEC softball teams in postseason mix

The regular season is history and now it?s time for the area softball teams who made the state tournament cut to see how they measure up on a bigger stage.In Division 1 North, three Northeastern Conference Large foes will try to make some noise. Revere, which won the NEC Large title for the first time in the program?s history, will be in the mix along with Classical and Peabody. Bishop Fenwick rounds out the local contingent in Division 1 North.When the initial Division 1 seedings came out, it looked like Revere would have a bye and then a first round home game, but the addition of Framingham into the Division 1 pool forced the MIAA to reseed the bracket and Revere?s fate changed. The Patriots are now playing Dual County League team Lincoln-Sudbury in a preliminary round game on Sunday at Revere (1). Coach Joe Ciccarello rolled with the change.?I?m just glad we?re not sitting and watching,” he said. “I want to keep playing. I?m not mad at the reshuffling. If you want to win, you?ve got to play the best.”Classical coach Chris Warren initially thought his team would be facing Lowell, but that also changed and the Rams will be playing Central Catholic Friday at 4 p.m. in Lawrence.?We played Lowell two years ago (Classical lost). We were looking forward to playing them, but no matter who we?re playing, it?s a tournament game. We?re playing well, winning six of our last seven games. We?re playing as good softball as anyone around,” Warren said.Warren said he doesn?t know much about Central Catholic other than that it?s always in the hunt for the North title.?They?re a strong program,” he said.Peabody coach Butch Melanaphy?s team hit a few bumps in the road towards the end of the season with losses to Danvers, Beverly and Salem, but he was encouraged by how well the Tanners played against the Falcons despite a loss.?I?m really feeling good going into the tournament. The girls are really looking forward to this,” he said.Peabody, which has only missed qualifying for the tournament once in Melanaphy?s eight years as head coach, will be at Lowell Thursday at 4 p.m.Bishop Fenwick the No. 14 seed at 13-7, will be home Friday against Westford Academy, the No. 19 seed. Game time is 4 p.m.The St. Mary?s girls are the No. 8 seed in Division 3 North. Joining the Spartans in D3 are Winthrop, the No. 7 seed at 13-7, and Lynnfield, the No. 13 seed at 11-9.The Spartans finished the season strong, winning the John Holland Tournament over the weekend and losing 3-2 to a very tough Concord-Carlisle team coached by Lynner Lisa McGloin, who registered her 300th coaching win that day.Coach Colleen Newbury has a strong 1-2-3 punch in the circle with Michaela Hamill, Mia Nowicki and Jordan D?Orsi getting the job done in various combinations. The Spartans will play Latin Academy Saturday at Breed?s Grace Rogato Field (1).Lynnfield will test the tournament waters on Thursday when it plays Marian at home at 4 p.m. and Winthrop is off until Saturday when it plays host to Lowell Catholic (1).There will also be plenty of familiar faces in Division 2 North. Danvers is the No. 2 seed with a 17-3 record. Swampscott is the 12th seed at 11-9 and Marblehead the 13th.Swampscott will play North Reading (14-6) Thursday at North Reading (3:30). Coach Frank Kowalski is expecting North Reading to be strong, but he?s hoping the Swampscott team that had played well against some of the better teams in the NEC will be the one that takes the field that day.?We?re going to bring our A game,” he said.The Big Blue?s main pitcher, Danielle Mayblyum, hasn?t pitched the last three games due to a pulled muscle in her back. Kowalski said they?ll see how she feels on Thursday.Marblehead has a tough first-round draw in Arlington Catholic (16-5). That game will be Thursday at Arlington at 4 p.m.