BIDDEFORD — If they’d had their “druthers,” Biddeford baseball coach Casey Roy and his Tigers would have spent Monday evening whacking fly balls under the lights at St. Louis Field.

Had they been able to do so, the exercise might have helped in their preparation for the Western Maine Class A championship game, tonight (7) against No. 4 seed Westbrook at St. Joseph’s College.

However, a late afternoon cloudburst and a drenching of the infield waylaid those plans.

Still, an uncooperative Mother Nature is about the only element that hasn’t gone Biddeford’s way in the past couple weeks.

A roll of good fortune and great baseball has brought the No. 7 seed Tigers within reach of Saturday’s state championship game.

“It’s been an up and down season,” said Roy, who is in his third season as

Biddeford’s head coach. “It’s good that the kids have gotten their feet underneath them and are playing with confidence. We’ve had the opportunity to beat some very good teams, and we’ve got a chance now to get a Western Maine championship. Hopefully we can take care of business.”

Biddeford has previously won two regional titles, in 1984, when the Tigers captured their only state championship, and in 1996, when they fell to Bangor, 2-1, in a heartbreaker.

Inching toward title No. 3 has been no easy matter.

Biddeford seemed destined to miss the playoffs until it upended Bonny

Eagle ”“ at the time the West’s Heal Points leader ”“ in the last game of the regular season.

The Tigers then upset two higher seeds, No. 2 Scarborough and No. 6 Windham, in

the first two playoff rounds.

“Needing to win against Bonny Eagle,” said Roy, “that’s when our playoff push started. It was either win or (get) out there. The kids started to get more confident, and it carried over into the last two rounds of the playoffs.”

Westbrook, which ended top seeded Deering’s three-year state title run on Saturday, will present the Tigers with big challenges.

The Blue Blazes took a 4-1 win in the lone meeting of the two during the regular season.

“They’re just a very good team,” said Roy. “That group of kids have gone through some pressure situations. Little League World Series. Babe Ruth World Series. They’ve got a lot of experience and talent. You’ve got your work cut out for them when you play them.”

— Contact Staff Writer Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com.