Playoffs are closer than ever; both Oswego State Lakers softball and baseball find themselves in very different positions. For baseball, the path is clear. For softball, the margin for error is gone.

The Oswego State baseball team has already secured its place in the SUNYAC playoffs, holding an 18-14 overall record and a 13-4 mark in conference play. The Lakers have guaranteed the No. 2 seed and will host SUNY New Paltz in the SUNYAC semifinals, putting themselves in a strong position as the postseason begins.

Softball, on the other hand, enters the final stretch fighting to stay alive. Oswego sits at 15-7 overall and 8-6 in SUNYAC play, coming off a recent loss that does not reflect some of the momentum built earlier in the season. After opening the year with a historic 12-0 start and breaking the program record for consecutive wins, the Lakers now face the reality of needing results late in the season to secure a playoff spot.

Despite the contrasting scenarios, one topic connects both teams: adversity.

For baseball, that adversity comes from instability. The weather across New York has forced constant schedule changes, limiting practice time and turning much of the season into a travel session.

“We’ve been on a bus for most of the year,” head coach Scott Landers said. “We’ve only played four home games. It’s been tough, especially just trying to get on our field for practice.”

That lack of consistency showed early. Injuries and roster turnover also played a major role, with many new players joining the team this season. But as the year progressed, Oswego began to stabilize, mainly in conference.

“I think we’re in a position where we expected to be,” Landers said. “We’re getting better each and every day and just looking forward to the playoffs.”

Now, the focus shifts to execution. The Lakers will face a strong New Paltz team in the semifinals, a real challenge despite Oswego’s higher seed.

“We can’t look that far ahead,” Landers said. “We’ve got to beat a good New Paltz team first.”

While a potential matchup with SUNY Cortland appears, the Lakers are keeping their attention on the immediate task. The advantage of hosting the semifinal could play a role, but even that comes with limitations, given the lack of time spent on their home field.

“I would say it’s an advantage,” Landers said, “but we haven’t practiced on our field all that often.”

Still, with key contributors stepping up and team chemistry improving, Oswego enters the playoffs with great momentum. On the softball side, things get more complicated.

Earlier this season, Oswego looked unstoppable. The team’s 12-0 start not only set a new program record, surpassing the previous mark of 11 set in 1980, but also established the Lakers as one of the top teams in the conference.

Now, the challenge is sustaining that level.

“It’s great that our hard work’s finally paying off,” head coach Grace Van Horn said. “They put so much into this and we’re finally starting to see some results.”

That success did not come easily. Like the baseball team, the softball team has dealt with frequent cancellations and disruptions, making it difficult to maintain rhythm.

“It’s tough with the weather this time of year,” Van Horn said. “We’re doing our best to balance that and prepare ourselves for SUNYAC play.”

Conference games have proven especially challenging. Unlike nonconference matchups, SUNYAC competition brings a higher level of intensity, with every game carrying postseason implications.

“SUNYAC’s always tough,” Van Horn said. “Conference play is always a little bit more challenging.”

After a dominant start, the Lakers’ utility player, Delaney Wiley, has a strong belief within the team that has not changed.

“I think we have something special here,” said Wiley. “I think we can go pretty far into the playoffs, if not all the way.”

That confidence will be tested in the coming days. With an 8-6 conference record, Oswego is firmly in the middle of the SUNYAC standings, where a single result can shift postseason positioning dramatically.

They will prepare to face SUNY Morrisville, the team that is last in the standings and has only one conference win so far. Now, the focus is less about history and more about survival.

Both teams enter this stretch shaped by similar challenges, including weather disruptions, limited practice time and schedule uncertainty. As SUNYAC play continues, the margin for error shrinks.