Florence-Darlington Tech plays Harford in district tournament opener

Florence-Darlington Tech will be the third seed for the NJCAA East District Tournament beginning Friday at Sims Legion Park in Gastonia.

Gaston College,  which won the  Region 10 Tournament on Monday, is the top seed for the four-team, double-elimination event, which continues through Sunday.

Harford, champion of the Region 20 Tournament, is the second seed. FD Tech won the Region 10- regular-season title to qualify for the East District Tournament. Potomac State, the Region 20 Tournament runner-up, competes the field as the fourth seed.

FD Tech (48-10) will play Harford (34-16-1) at 1 p.m. Friday to open the event. Gaston College (45-10) and Potomac State (30-16) will play at 5.

Gaston College is in its second year as a program, but its first in junior college division I.

The East District champion advances to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., later this month. Harford is the defending champion, going 2-1 against FD Tech after an opening-game win over USC Sumter.

Sims Legion Park is no stranger to playoff baseball. The NCAA held the District 3 tournament there for many years before it switched to a regional format. Clemson won the district tournament there in 1958 and 1959 to earn its first two trips to the College World Series. The Tigers lost there in the 1967 district tournament. Furman also played there in the 1965 and 1969 playoffs and The Citadel played there in 1960. 

NJCAA East District Tournament
Sims Legion Park, Gastonia
Friday
Game 1: No. 3 Florence-Darlington Tech vs. No. 2 Harford, 1 p.m.
Game 2: No. 4 Potomac State vs. No. 1 Gaston College, 5 p.m.
Saturday
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 11 a.m.
Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2:30 p.m.
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 6 p.m.
Sunday
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 7: If Game 5 winner wins Game 6, 45 minutes later.