Playing best-of-three series in the postseason adds an extra step to preparations, but it has not hindered Southwest Louisiana high school baseball teams’ postseason success.

Since Classes 5A and 4A introduced the best-of-three series in the regional and quarterfinal rounds in 2014, Southwest Louisiana has won 66.2 percent (88-45) of those series. Thirty-six times area teams have reached the state tournament by working their way through brackets that included series, winning 12 state championships.

Classes 3A and 2A adopted the format in 2016. When baseball split the postseason brackets between nonselect and select in 2017, Classes 5A-2A and Divisions I-III played best-of-three in the second and third rounds. Division IV added series in 2018.

When the current 10-division split between nonselect and select started for baseball in 2023, the bi-district round went from single-game elimination to a best-of-three series for Divisions I-III.

Defending nonselect Division II state champion Iowa (16-11) has been planning for postseason series since the season began and has thrived in the format. The Yellow Jackets have played in 13 best-of-three playoff series since 2016, going 10-3.

“It doesn’t necessarily (change anything),” Iowa head coach Daniel Hennigan said. “We have tried all year to plan on three-game sets whether it is in the first round, second round or third round. It is still the same idea — creating depth and creating a team approach to a game or series rather than just a handful of individuals.

“It definitely makes it tougher in the sense of the uncontrollables, the bad luck and the random things that happen. But in the same breath, at the end of the day, we are going to have to play really good teams to get to the state tournament and get to May. Whenever we happen to get them, it is what it is.”

Hennigan said he has a strong pitching rotation that includes Cole Corbello, Reed Dupre and Tyler Dartez. No. 12 Iowa will host No. 21 DeRidder (12-20) in its bi-district series, starting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Game 2 is at 4 p.m. Friday, and Game 3, if necessary, at noon Saturday.

“I think DeRidder has a really good coach,” Hennigan said. “I think at times they will play with a great deal of spirit. They beat us earlier in the year. They are definitely a solid team when they play their best. We are going to have to do the right things and focus for 21 innings. It is playoff baseball, everybody is good.”

Like the Yellow Jackets, the No. 17 Sulphur Tors (23-11) will experience their first bi-district round best-of-three series, starting on Friday when they travel to No. 16 East Ascension (18-14) in nonselect Division I. Game 1 is 6 p.m. Friday. Game 2 is 11 a.m. Saturday with the third game, if necessary, to follow.

“It is a little bit of uncharted territory because Sulphur has had a bye the last couple of years,” Tors head coach Thomas Tillery said. ‘It is a little new for us being on the road, but it is the same game and our guys are ready.

“I really feel like we are not going to see anything we haven’t seen. I think that we are battle-tested in this district.”

The Tors haven’t lost a best-of-three postseason series since 2017, and are 9-2 since 2014.

“I like it a lot,” Tillery said about playing best-of-three series in the bi-district round. “It established a true winner.

“Sometimes you may be a low seed playing a high seed and have one arm and you can get upset. You get in the bullpens and figure out a rotation instead of just running one guy out there that may be a Division I commit and flat-out beats you even though you may be the better team. Anything can happen.”

The Tors’ pitching corps is well suited for a series with a 1.64 earned run average and 217 strikeouts in 217 innings, led by Slade Shove-Knox, Carson Cauvin and Carter Wilson.

“We have the arms to do it,” Tillery said. “Our pitching has been exceptional this year. Early in the year we thought our offense would be what would drive us, but honestly, our pitching has been outstanding.

“Hopefully we can play defense a little better. We have struggled defensively, especially that last four-game stretch. It was uncharacteristic of us. I feel like if we keep pitching and running the bases the way we have we will be fine.”