After finishing in a three-way tie for the District 9-1A championship, the Riverside Academy baseball team spent most of the week believing their season was basically over. The only game remaining on the schedule was a non-district contest Saturday at 4:30 p.m. against H.L. Bourgeois to celebrate Senior Day.

But the Rebels got a surprise Friday morning when they got the news that they did indeed earn a spot in the LHSAA Division IV playoff bracket. An original ruling had the team outside the field of playoff qualifiers, even with a share of the district title.

The Rebels earned the No. 16 seed and probably will meet the No. 1 seed Ouachita Christian next weekend in Monroe. It is the team’s first trip to the playoffs since 2019.