It's been a strong spring sports season across the board for the Times News area teams.

Eleven TN teams earned a spot in the District 11 playoffs that get underway this week. Heading the list are the Marian baseball (Class A) and Tamaqua softball (Class AA) teams who earned No. 1 seeds.BASEBALLMarian enjoyed plenty of success during Tony Radocha's first year in charge. The Colts had a 13-game win streak during the middle of the season and have quite an explosive offense. Marian, which won the Schuylkill League Division III title before falling to Pottsville in the league playoffs, has a quarterfinal round by and will take on the winner of Tri-Valley and Shenandoah Valley game in the semifinals on Saturday.The Times News area has three teams participating in class AAA. Fourth-seeded Northwestern will host No. 5 seed Tamaqua on Wednesday in a quarterfinal round game. These two teams met in a non-league contest on April 11th with Tamaqua winning, 11-6. The Blue Raiders are the two-time defending District 11 Class AAA champions.Palmerton earned the eighth seed in the AAA bracket. The Blue Bombers had a 10-10 overall record and will travel to Schuylkill League champion Pottsville in another quarterfinal.The winner of the Palmerton-Pottsville and Tamaqua-Northwestern games will meet on Saturday in the semifinals.Pleasant Valley earned a District 11 AAAA berth in its first season in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. The No. 11 seeded Bears ended the regular season with a 10-10 overall record, and will travel to sixth-seeded Freedom today in the first round at 4:30 p.m. The Bears beat Freedom, 6-2, in their regular season finale last week to clinch a .500 record and a District 11 berth. The winner will travel to Easton on Wednesday for a quarterfinal round contest.SOFTBALLSix softball teams are representing the TN coverage area qualified for districts.The young Marian Fillies are the TN's lone representative in Class A. Fourth-seeded Marian competed in Schuylkill League playoffs last week and finished the regular season with a record of 14-6. Marian will host a familiar opponent, Mahanoy Area, on Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Fillies beat the Golden Bears twice during the regular season. The winner will take on top-seeded Tri-Valley on Thursday in the semifinals.Class AA features three successful Times News softball squads.Tamaqua earned the No. 1 seed by achieving a record of 16-4 behind Bailey Pedersen on the mound and a balanced offensive attack. Tamaqua, which advanced to the Schuylkill League championship game before falling to Pottsville, will take on the winner of the first round matchup between Schuylkill Haven-Notre Dame. The Raiders will host the quarterfinal round contest on Thursday at 4 p.m.Second-seeded Palmerton is at the opposite end of the bracket as Tamaqua and will entertain Catasauqua in the quarterfinal round on Thursday. Catasauqua bounced Palmerton from the Colonial League playoffs last week although the Bombers, who had a 14-6 regular season record, shut out Catty twice earlier in the season.Northern Lehigh earned the fifth seed with an overall record of 13-7. The Lady 'Dawgs will travel to North Schuylkill and battle the fourth-seeded Spartans in a quarterfinal round game on Thursday at 4 p.m.Northwestern is the local lone representative in Class AAA, earning a fourth-seed. The Lady Tigers had a record of 11-9. They will host fifth-seeded Blue Mountain on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in a quarterfinal game. The winner will get No. 1 seed Southern Lehigh on Thursday.Pleasant Valley earned a 14-6 regular season record this year and will be the sixth seed in the AAAA bracket. The Lady Bears will host Stroudsburg in a first round game on Tuesday at 4 p.m. PV beat Stroudsburg twice during the regular season. The winner will travel to third-seeded Easton on Thursday for a quarterfinal round contest.BASEBALLAQUARTERFINALSWednesday, May 20thShenandoah Valley (5) at Tri-Valley (4), 4:30p.m.SEMIFINALSSaturday, May 23thShenandoah Valley/Tri-Valley - Marian (1)Nativity (3) - Pius X (2)FINALSWednesday, May 27at Coca-Cola ParkAAQUARTERFINALSWednesday, May 20thPine Grove (5) at Salisbury (4), 4:30p.m.Minersville (6) at Notre Dame GP, 4:30p.m.Catasauqua (7) at North Schuylkill (2), 4:30p.m.SEMIFINALSSaturday, May 23thPine Grove/Salisbury - Schuylkill Haven (1)Notre Dame GP/Minersville - Catasauqua/North SchuylkillFINALSTuesday, May 26at Coca-Cola ParkAAAQUARTERFINALSWednesday, May 20thPalmerton (8) at Pottsville (1), 4:30p.m.Tamaqua- (5) at Northwestern (4), 4:30p.m.Palisades (6) at Blue Mountain (3), 4:30p.m.Southern Lehigh (7) at Saucon Valley (2), 4:30p.m.SEMIFINALSSaturday, May 23thPottsville/Palmerton - Tamaqua/NorthwesternBlue Mountain/Palisades - Southern Lehigh/Saucon ValleyFINALSWednesday, May 27at Coca-Cola ParkAAAAFIRST ROUNDMonday, May 18thWilliam Allen (9) at Pocono Mountain East (8), 4:30p.m.Bangor (12) at Northampton (5), 4:30p.m.Pleasant Valley (11) at Freedom (6), 4:30p.m.Whitehall (10) at Emmaus (7), 4:30p.m.QUARTERFINALSWednesday, May 20thWilliam Allen/Pocono Mountain East at Parkland (1)Northampton/Bangor at Liberty (4)Pleasant Valley/Freedom at Easton (3)Emmaus/Whitehall at Stroudsburg (2)SEMIFINALSSaturday, May 23thWilliam Allen/Pocono Mountain East/Parkland Northampton/Bangor/LibertyPleasant Valley/Freedom/Easton Emmaus/Whitehall/StroudsburgFINALSTuesday, May 26at Coca-Cola ParkSOFTBALLAQUARTERFINALSTuesday, May 19thMahanoy Area (5) at Marian Catholic (4), 4 p.m.SEMIFINALSThursday, May 21stMahanoy Area/Marian - Tri-Valley (1)Minersville (3) - Williams Valley (2)FINALSTuesday, May 26thAAFIRST ROUNDTuesday, May 19thSchuylkill Haven (9) at Notre Dame GP (8), 4p.m.QUARTERFINALSThursday, May 21thSchuylkill Haven/Notre Dame GP at Tamaqua (1)Northern Lehigh (5) at North Schuylkill (4), 4p.m.Pine Grove (6) at Pen Argyl (3), 4p.m.Catasauqua (7) at Palmerton (2), 4p.m.SEMIFINALSTuesday, May 26thSchuylkill Haven/Notre Dame GP/Tamaqua Northern Lehigh/North SchuylkillPine Grove/Pen Argyl Catasauqua/PalmertonCHAMPIONSHIPThursday, May 28thAAAQUARTERFINALSTuesday, May 19hBlue Mountain (5) at Northwestern, 4p.m.SEMIFINALSThursday, May 21stBlue Mountain/Northwestern - Southern Lehigh (1)Bangor (3) - Bethlehem Catholic (2)CHAMPIONSHIPTuesday, May 26thAAAAFIRST ROUNDTuesday, May 19thEmmaus (9) at Whitehall (8), 4p.m.Stroudsburg (11) at Pleasant Valley (6), 4p.m.Pocono Mountain East (10) at Northampton (7), 4p.m.QUARTERFINALSThursday, May 21stEmmaus/Whitehall at Parkland (1)Freedom (5) at Liberty (4)Stroudsburg/Pleasant Valley at Easton (3)Northampton/Pocono Mountain East at Pottsville (2)SEMIFINALSTuesday, May 26thEmmaus/Whitehall/Parkland Freedom/LibertyStroudsburg/Pleasant Valley/Easton Northampton/Pocono Mountain East/PottsvilleCHAMPIONSHIPThursday, May 28th