Local high school spring sports begin on Monday, and some of the Blue Ridge Athletic Conference baseball teams jump right into league play.

The BRAC adopted a Monday/Tuesday schedule for conference baseball games, and it starts with South Greene vs. Greeneville on Monday at Pioneer Park at 4:30 p.m.

West Greene also opens conference play on Monday with a road trip to Cumberland Gap.

On Tuesday, Greeneville is at South Greene, and Cumberland Gap makes the return trip to West Greene.

Chuckey-Doak opens its season on Monday as well with a non-conference home game against Unaka at 4:30 p.m.

Pitching will be the key to supremacy in the Blue Ridge. Although Grainger, Cumberland Gap and Claiborne are new conference mates with Chuckey-Doak, Greeneville, South Greene and West Greene, the teams are familiar with one another.

Grainger seems to always have good pitching, and both Greeneville and South Greene have been mentioned among the better teams in the conference. West Greene has had a good run of success in recent years, and the Buffaloes want to figure into the mix at the top by season's end.

North Greene gets its baseball season going on Thursday with a road game at Washburn.

In softball, North Greene and Chuckey-Doak open the local season with a 5 p.m. game at Chuckey-Doak on Monday.

Chuckey-Doak is at Greeneville on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. for the Lady Devils' opener, and the Lady Knights host South Greene on Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Lady Rebs' first game.

Chuckey-Doak's pitching could make the Lady Knights one of the more dominant teams in the Blue Ridge, although South Greene and Greeneville are both expected to challenge them along the way.

Greeneville and North Greene have new softball coaches this season. Barry Carter takes over at North Greene while Bob Fortel is the new Lady Devils coach.

South Greene, Greeneville and Chuckey-Doak are all conference foes this year in soccer along with Elizabethton, University High, Cosby, Cumberland Gap, Grainger and J. Frank White.

Greeneville, under new head coach Jerry Graham, and Elizabethton are figured to battle it out for the top spot with the rest of the league fighting through a tight race to finish in the upper half of the standings.

South Greene opens at home (playing at the new fields off the Baileyton Road) with a league game against Cumberland Gap on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

Chuckey-Doak also opens at home on Tuesday, hosting Tri-Cities Christian at 5 p.m.

Greeneville is at Grainger on Tuesday for a league contest.

Greeneville should be one of the better teams in both boys and girls tennis. Chuckey-Doak's boys are thought to be solid, and the Lady Knights are much improved over last year. West Greene's girls are strong at the top of the lineup, and their boys will push the other teams in the conference. South Greene's teams will contend as well, and North Greene has some quality returning players.

Chuckey-Doak opens its tennis season at home on Monday against Sullivan North at 3:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, Greeneville is at South Greene (3:30), and North Greene is at Chuckey-Doak (3:30).

Greeneville High School gets its track campaign under way on Thursday at Dobyns-Bennett.