The Rochester Royals will open section play in the Class B amateur baseball playoffs on Tuesday.
The Royals are the No. 3 seed in Section B and will face the No. 6 Austin Blue Sox in a best-of-three series to be played Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, if necessary.
The Royals finished the regular season 16-11, including a narrow 2-1 win over the Blue Sox on Saturday in Rochester.
There are six teams remaining in the section playoffs after the Blue Sox eliminated the Rochester Red Legs in a play-in game on Sunday. The No. 4 Austin Greyhounds and No. 5 Burnsville will also play a best-of-three series this week. Top seeds Eagan and Savage received byes into the second round. The top two teams in the section will advance to state.
"We just have to win this first series and try to advance," Royals co-manager Brian Ness said.
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The Royals are looking for their first state berth since 2011.
"We'd like to get back (to state)," Ness said.
The Royals will have to overcome pitching injuries if they wish to advance. Ace lefty Matt Meyer is battling a bad arm and may not get to pitch much if at all in the postseason. Ben O'Reilly, John Lundquist and Vinnie Mannesee are also unable to pitch.
"We've had a lot of arm injuries this year," Ness said.
Ness is normally an infielder but he has been pressed into action on the mound this year and has thrown 29 innings. He will start the series opener against the Blue Sox at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Mayo Field.
Josh Conley will pitch the second game at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday in Austin. Brad Pfeffer could be an option back in Rochester for the third game, if needed, on Friday.
The Royals have a veteran everyday lineup, including Dave Adams and Buzz Hannahan.
"Jordan Martini has been hitting well for us and so has Jon Opdahl," Ness said.
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"And Matt Stubbs has come back strong after recovering from a wrist injury."
The winner of the Royals and Blue Sox series will face No. 2 Savage in the second round.
