If you want proof that this year’s Washington Catholic Athletic Conference baseball playoffs will be wildly competitive and woefully unpredictable, look no further than the previous two days of Paul VI’s schedule.

On Saturday, the Panthers fell to St. Mary’s Ryken, 4-2. It was the second upset of the season for the Knights, who knocked off St. John’s, 3-2, last week. Yet they sit in the middle of the pack in the conference and have spent the season hovering around .500.

On Sunday, Paul VI beat fellow WCAC leader St. John’s, 2-0. Senior Thomas Russell threw a two-hit shutout as the Panthers evened the season series with the Cadets.

“That’s really a good snapshot of our conference,” Paul VI Coach Billy Emerson said. “Anybody can take down anybody on any given day.”

Sunday’s win was a big one for the Panthers: It assured them one of the league’s top two seeds in the playoffs. In what has been a murky, up-and-down season for most of the WCAC, Paul VI and St. John’s have emerged as the strongest squads. Emerson knew he had to have Russell, who has not given up a run this season in 41 2/3 innings, on the mound for Sunday’s game.

Russell is one of three talented senior pitchers on the roster, something that other WCAC coaches pointed to as a distinct advantage for Paul VI come playoff time. The league’s semifinals and finals are played as best-of-three series, so the more arms you have, the better.

But to get to the semis, WCAC teams must win a one-off quarterfinal. All four of these will be played Saturday, and none of the league’s coaches knows what they will bring.

“I don’t think anyone wants to play in the quarterfinals,” DeMatha Coach Sean O’Connor said with a laugh. “We’d rather have those be two out of three and everything else be one game. Because everybody has a good guy on the mound now; everyone can win one game.”

DeMatha leads the second tier of teams in the conference. The Stags — not to mention Gonzaga, Ryken and Bishop O’Connell — could easily disrupt the dominance of Paul VI and St. John’s next week.

“It’s a fun league,” O’Connell Coach Kyle Padgett said. “But it’ll drive you crazy every week how good everyone is.”

1. (26-1) Last week’s ranking: 1

Senior outfielder Matt Day went 2 for 3 with a double and a walk in the Crusaders’ 4-2 win over Battlefield.

2. Paul VI (20-4) LW: 2

The Panthers scored both of their runs in the first inning, then relied on solid defense and Thomas Russell’s arm to carry them to a win over St. John’s.

3. St. John’s (19-5) LW: 4 

Senior Matt Rhodes hit a walk-off single to help the Cadets take down DeMatha, 3-2.

4. Sherwood (14-1) LW: 3

Rockville ended the Warriors’ undefeated season with a 4-1 win.

5. Riverside (11-2) LW: 5

A heavy dose of rain meant a 15-5 win over Park View was the Rams’ only game last week.

6. Lake Braddock (12-3) LW: 7

Seniors Ryan Baker and Will Reid each collected two hits in a 7-1 win over W.T. Woodson.

7. Woodgrove (12-1) LW: 6

The Wolverines bounced back from their first loss of the year, against Freedom-South Riding, by beating Loudoun County, 2-1.

8. Dominion (13-2) LW: 9

The Titans have a huge matchup with No. 7 Woodgrove looming Tuesday.

9. C.H. Flowers (11-2) LW: 10

Senior first baseman James Toney went 3 for 4 with five RBI in the Jaguars’ 13-3 win over Bowie.

10. Arundel (14-3) LW: NR

Friday’s 6-2 win over Severna Park was the Wildcats’ fifth in a row.

Dropped out: No. 8 Severna Park (12-3)

On the bubble: Battlefield (11-4), Freedom-South Riding (10-3), Rockville (10-2), Severna Park (12-3)