Highland Hooligans Ty Clifton rounds second and heads for third during a July 1 matchup versus the Oak Island Loggerheads.
Travis Petty Jr | The Laurinburg Exchange
LAURINBURG —The Laurinburg Highland Hooligans are set to make their playoff debut in the Coastal Division of the Old North State League, aiming to bring a championship home to Laurinburg.
Entering the first round of the divisional championship tournament as the fifth seed, they’ll be facing the fourth-seeded Oak Island Loggerheads.
This season against the Loggerheads, the Hooligans have not played well. In their six match-ups versus the Loggerheads, they have lost all six games, including a 1-11 defeat in their most recent match-up on July 15.
Nevertheless, the Hooligans enter the playoffs with momentum. In the month of July, the Hooligans have an 8-5 record and are riding a three-game winning streak going into the playoffs, including a playoff-seeding victory over the Jacksonville Ospreys. The game was called off at the top of the sixth due to weather.
Billy Norris, the Hooligans’ general manager, is optimistic about his team and believes they’ve come together at the perfect time in the season.
“We are on a run right now; we’re riding a three-game winning streak,” Norris said. “The Hooligans are playing great baseball, and they’re coming together at the perfect time, and we are hoping to make a deep playoff run.”
The Hooligans are scheduled to make their playoff debut at Bill Smith Park. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. on July 23.
Travis Petty Jr can be reached at tpetty@cmpapers.com or 910.506.3171 ext 2027. Follow him on X @T_PettySports.