Blackcats take on No. 8 Troy in bi-district playoffs

The Mexia baseball team got a tough draw in its first foray into the postseason playoffs in five years.
The Blackcats will play state-ranked Troy in a best-of-three, bi-district series in Waco this week.
The first game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 2, at the Waco ISD Sports Complex. Game two is slated for 7 p.m. Friday, May 3, at the Sports Complex. Game three, if necessary, will be played Saturday, May 4, at 3:30 p.m. at the Sports Complex.
Mexia enters the matchup with a 13-10 overall record. They finished fourth in District 20-3A with an 8-6 slate.
Troy is ranked No. 8 in the state and enters the postseason with a 26-3 record. They won the District 19-3A championship with a perfect 14-0 record.
Troy finished the season with a 17-game winning streak before losing a practice game to Burnett on Saturday, April 27. Before that, their only losses were to Class 6A Harker Heights, 3-1, on March 1, and to Class 5A Killeen Shoemaker, 1-0, on March 7.
Mexia's season has been fueled by the right arms of senior pitchers Hunter Murphy and Brett Swift. If they are on, the bi-district series could turn into a duel between the Blackcat duo and Troy's Joseph McMurtry and Cannon Negron, who are the top two starters for the Trojans.
In other bi-district matchups involving District 20-3A teams, Franklin goes against Rogers, Fairfield will take on Little River Acdemy and Groesbeck will play Rockdale.