Rocky Manuel always has believed there’s safety in numbers.

Like many of his peers, Bellaire’s longtime baseball coach is a fervent believer in playing best-of-three series throughout the postseason. It’s been a standing rule for Manuel, who earlier this season recorded his 800th win, as long as he can remember.

“If you see Bellaire playing one game instead of a best 2-out-of-3, you can bet we lost the coin flip,” Manuel said. “I’ve always felt that if someone beats us 2-out-of-3, I can live with it. If we lose one game, you wonder how things could have gone differently.”

Such is the situation facing Manuel and the Cardinals Friday when they play Nimitz in a one-game playoff at Aldine ISD’s Lansford Field. The winner will have capitalized and the loser, especially if it’s a close game, might stew over the possibilities for 10 months or more.

Coaches have the option of a one-game playoff or best-of-three series through the regional tournament. All games at the state tournament are one-and-done.

The majority of area baseball and softball teams chose best-of-three series for their opening rounds the past two weeks. Three baseball series – Westside vs. Spring Woods, Cy-Fair vs. Mayde Creek and Bellaire vs. Nimitz – are sudden-death for the bi-district round. Last week in softball, Memorial vs. Chavez, Cy-Fair vs. Katy and Lamar vs. Spring Woods were one-game affairs.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Memorial and Cy-Fair’s area-round meeting will be a one-game playoff at 3 p.m. Saturday at Memorial.

An interesting subplot affected Cy-Fair and Mayde Creek as they settled on their site – both schools are having their proms this weekend. Mayde Creek’s is Friday; Cy-Fair’s is Saturday.

“Everyone’s first option is a 2-out-of-3 because they feel like the better team will win that,” said Cypress Creek baseball coach Mike McCollum, who never has played a one-and-done. “In a one-game series you never know what can happen. One bad call and one error could end your season.”

Manuel said the decision is common-sense. He could recall only one time Bellaire opted for a one-game playoff, in 1993. The Cardinals had what Manuel called “a dynamite pitcher” that year and ended up advancing to the regional finals.

“Just look at it as sudden-death or a series,” he said. “Statistically speaking, the last time we looked 77 or 78 percent of the teams that take the series won the first game. There’s a bit of a safety cushion. That’s why historically we’ve gone 2-out-of-3, and we’ve won more playoff games than any other team in Texas.”

Despite his devout belief in the series option, McCollum goes through the decision-making process and consults virtually anyone who might be affected.

“You can take into account the past performances of your pitchers within the last few weeks and how your rotation is holding up. You have to weigh all your options,” McCollum said. “I sat down with my assistant coaches and got their input. I even ask my wife what she thinks, but ultimately it’s up to me to decide. The way I’ve always seen it, 2-out-of-3 is best.”