EDITOR'S NOTE: Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina are playing Saturday night at 6 p.m. due to today's rainfall.

A potent Fuquay-Varina attack is expected to face Holly Springs’ Erica Nunn, one of the top high school softball pitchers in the state tonight, in the fourth round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4-A playoffs tonight.

The Holly Springs baseball program, led by a number of seniors who will graduate as the school's first four-year graduating class, is on the doorstep of a possible state championship berth. The squad became the first Golden Hawks team to reach the 4-A East final in any sport with Tuesday's win against Leesville Road.

Next up: a three-game series with Wilmington's Ashley High.

I've brought in a righty from the coast to answer some questions about the Golden Hawks' opponent.

Holly Springs and Wilmington Ashley will begin a best-of-three baseball series on Thursday.

By week's end, we'll be down to four teams in each classification for the softball playoffs. Each class' final four teams move to next week's state championships at Walnut Creek as part of a double-elimination tournament.

The regional semifinals are Tuesday. Winners will play against each other in a best-of-three series starting on Thursday for the regional titles. The state championships are next weekend, with two of the classes playing a best-of-three series at Five County Stadium and the other two at N.C. State's Doak Field.

Leesville Road, Cardinal Gibbons and Carrboro will each host East regional finals this week. The state championships are this Friday and Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Millbrook faces East Chapel Hill in 4-A and Eastern Wayne plays at Cardinal Gibbons in the NCHSAA dual-team tennis semifinals.
 

In 4-A: Wilmington Laney at West Johnston; Clayton at Fayetteville Britt; Garner at Scotland; Northern Durham travels to Holly Springs; Apex is at Wake Forest-Rolesville; Leesville Road is at Person; Riverside is at Fuquay-Varina
 

NCHSAA East bracket baseball third round games

The NCHSAA baseball playoffs are set for the second round.