What to watch for in WPIAL sports on May 4, 2026: Baseball schedule loaded with key games
May 3-Welcome to the final week of the regular season in WPIAL baseball, softball, boys and girls lacrosse and boys volleyball.
It is a busy day on the district baseball diamond with 30 section games having playoff ramifications.
Even though one section already is completed, Class 5A is a great example of the various important aspects of this week's games.
Some are for section championships, some are for playoff positioning and others have teams fighting for their postseason lives.
The four playoff teams in Section 1-5A have been determined. Now they go head-to-head to determine the order.
Any of the four can earn at least a share of the section title as Latrobe, Plum and Penn-Trafford are tied for first place with 8-2 records, a game ahead of Franklin Regional at 7-3.
On Monday, Latrobe visits Plum at 4 p.m. while Franklin Regional visits Penn-Trafford at the same time.
The sites are reversed Tuesday to close out section play.
In Section 2, Moon (8-2) has a one game lead over South Fayette (7-3) for first place. The Tigers and Lions, along with Bethel Park (6-6) have clinched.
However the other four teams, Peters Township (4-6), Trinity (4-6), Upper St. Clair (4-6) and Chartiers Valley (3-7) are fighting for a playoff spot.
The section lineup Monday sees Peters Township at South Fayette at 4 p.m., Moon at Trinity at 7 p.m. and Chartiers Valley at Upper St. Clair at 7 p.m.
Finally in Section 3, Pine-Richland (8-0) has clinched the section crown and only West Allegheny (5-3) has qualified for the postseason, leaving at least two more spots up for grabs.
Three teams are in the hunt with Fox Chapel at 4-4, and New Castle and Mars at 3-5.
Mars visits Shaler at 4 p.m., New Castle is at Pine-Richland at 4:15 p.m. and West Allegheny hosts Fox Chapel at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.
First place at stake
In Section 1-4A, Blackhawk is tied for first place with Beaver, both have 7-3 records.
Both are on the road Monday as the Cougars visits third-place Hopewell (6-4) at 4 p.m. while the Bobcats travel to seventh-place North Catholic (2-7) at 4 p.m.
In Section 2-4A, Elizabeth Forward is in first place with a 9-1 record, a game ahead of Belle Vernon (8-2) and West Mifflin (8-2).
The Warriors play at fifth-place Uniontown (4-6) at 7 p.m. while the Leopards and Titans meet at West Mifflin at 4:30 p.m.
If EF loses Monday, the Belle Vernon-West Mifflin winner climbs into a tie for first place.
In Section 2-2A, Neshannock is 8-2 and has a one game lead over Freedom and Laurel at 7-3.
The Lancers host tied for fourth-place New Brighton (6-4) at 6 p.m., the Bulldogs visit the other team tied for fourth in Shenango (6-4) at 4 p.m. and the Spartans hit the road to face sixth-place Northgate (2-8) at 4 p.m.
There is a logjam on top in Section 3-2A with South Side, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Riverview all at 8-2.
Two of those three go head to head Monday and Tuesday.
OLHS visits Riverview on Monday at 4:15 p.m. and South Side is home to sixth-place Brentwood (2-8) at 4 p.m.
Golden Jackets
There are 75 teams who have qualified for the upcoming district softball playoffs with one possible spot remaining.
Freeport could make it 76 softball teams that led the big parade.
Knoch (11-1), Indiana (10-2) , Derry (8-3) and Greensburg Salem (5-5) have clinched playoff berths out of Section 1-4A.
Freeport (4-7) closes out section play at home against the Golden Lions on Monday at 4:15 p.m.
Freeport needs a win and a Greensburg Salem loss at Derry on Tuesday to earn a playoff spot.
Serving semis
The WPIAL will serve up the boys team tennis semifinals in Class 3A and 2A on Monday.
All four third-round matches will begin at 3:30 p.m.
In Class 3A
No. 1 North Allegheny will face No. 4 Fox Chapel at Nichols Courts at Sewickley Academy
No. 2 Upper St. Clair will battle No. 6 Mt. Lebanon at Bethel Park
In Class 2A
No. 1 Blackhawk takes on No. 5 Quaker Valley at North Allegheny
No. 2 North Catholic goes up against No. 6 Indiana at Kiski Area
The winners advance to the 2026 WPIAL Boys Team Tennis championships Tuesday at the Janet L. Swanson Tennis Center at Washington & Jefferson College with the 3A finals at 2 p.m. and the 2A title match at 3:30 p.m.
The Class 2A consolation match will be Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.
Monday on Trib HSSN
There are 14 broadcasts and two podcasts you can watch or listen to at TribHSSN.TribLive.com.
Video Stream: Rebel Yell Podcast with the WPIAL Softball Player of the Week on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
Video Stream: Rebel Yell Podcast with the WPIAL Diamond Team of the Week on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream - Latrobe at Plum at 4 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream - Chartiers Valley at Upper St. Clair at 7 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream - Blackhawk at Hopewell at 4 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream - Franklin Regional at Penn-Trafford at 4 p.m. on the Westmoreland County Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream - Belle Vernon at West Mifflin at 4:30 p.m. on MVI Live at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream - Laurel Highlands at Ringgold at 4:30 p.m. on WMBS-AM 590, WMBS-FM 101.1 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream - Freedom at Shenango at 4 p.m. on Lawrence County Sports Net at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream - New Brighton at Neshannock at 6 p.m. on Lawrence County Sports Net at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream - California at Chartiers-Houston at 4 p.m. on WJPA-AM 1450 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream - Keystone Oaks at Washington at 7 p.m. on WJPA at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Softball Video Stream - Shady Side Academy at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at 5:15 p.m. on the OLSH Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Softball Video Stream - Riverside at Shenango at 4 p.m. on Lawrence County Sports Net at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Softball Audio Stream - Penn-Trafford at North Allegheny at 7 p.m. on the North Allegheny Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Boys Lacrosse Video Stream - The Hill Academy at Upper St. Clair at 7 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 6:04 AM.