ROYAL CITY - The Royal High School baseball team needs one win today to advance to the district playoffs.

That's the good news. The tough news is that the opponent will be league-leading and always-tough Kiona-Benton.

The Knights and Ki-Be will square off in two South Central A Conference East contests at 3 p.m. on the Royal diamond. Royal will be out to accomplish its pre-season goal of making the playoffs.

Don't count the Knights out. They will have tough junior right-hander Danny Vermeer on the mound for one of the games.

Royal is 4-4 in league, and Vermeer has been the winning pitcher three times. The big question for coach Darin Christensen is whether to go with Vermeer in the first game instead of the second, as he did in the three triumphs.

"It will depend on who they throw in the first game," Christensen said. "If they go with their No.1, we'll probably hold Danny for the second game."

Vermeer is Royal's best chance for this key win. He has allowed only three runs in his last 23 innings and has three straight complete games.

Vermeer put Royal in this position last Saturday with another masterful effort in a 7-0 win over Riverview that gave Royal its fourth SCAC East split. He allowed only two hits.

Vermeer helped himself on offense with a hit and three walks in five plate appearances. He had a stolen base.

Royal dropped the first game to the Panthers, 6-3, but Vermeer was a highlight reel for the Knights. He had three hits, including two doubles, in four at-bats.

Kent Christensen worked the mound in that game and did fairly well. But six walks did him in, especially in a four-run fourth inning for Riverview.

"The team has been great at re-focusing and splitting with teams in our league, and the boys are looking forward to playing the Bears," coach Christensen said.