NEDERLAND — The Bulldogs had become pretty familiar — and successful — at Barbers Hill.

Nederland is 4-1 during the 5A baseball playoffs, 3-1 at the home of its future District 21-5A foe. But when it seemed at least another game there — against Barbers Hill — would be in the works, neutrality won out.

A big neutral stage in the University of Houston’s Darryl & Lori Schroeder Park is now set for the Bulldogs and Eagles when they meet in the 5A Region III quarterfinals starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

“Both teams have played well,” Nederland coach Bryan Spell said. “This is an opportunity to play in a big ballpark and make some memories, and the University of Houston is a beautiful place.”

Spell also said some of the sprinklers at Nederland’s Metreyeon-Delahoussaye Field had “died” and he didn’t feel good about hosting a playoff game as a result.

The winner of the series will take on Tomball Memorial or Tomball in the regional semifinals next week. Nederland is in the regional quarters for the first time since 2013 (lost to Montgomery then).

Barbers Hill (24-10, 15-2 in 21-5A), which beat the Bulldogs in last year’s bi-district round in two games, has reached the 5A round of 32 for the third year in a row after grinding out a 12-7 win over Fort Bend Elkins in Game 3 of the area round Saturday. Elkins avenged a 13-1 Game 1 loss Friday to begin a doubleheader with an 8-1 victory.

Still, Spell sees similarities between his Bulldogs (25-7-1) and Eagles.

“I think we’re going to be a mirror image,” he said. “You have to have great pitching and great defense and execute the finer points of baseball extremely well. They’re going to put a lot of pressure on you on the bases to run well. They’re a district champion as well coming out of an extremely tough district. They’ve got a great history as well.”

For some of the Bulldogs, the recent run to the Babe Ruth 16- to 18-year-old World Series championship with Nederland-based Mid-County seems to have carried into Nederland High’s farthest playoff run in five years, which could become the school’s longest in nine. Nederland last went four rounds deep in 2009, according to SETXsports.com.

“It was a confidence booster,” junior pitcher Conner Kemp said of the Babe Ruth World Series. “We all played well throughout the World Series with that all-star team. Everybody just came into the season ready for it.”

Senior catcher Case Babino said the Bulldogs who went to Washington state for the BRWS sharpened newfound skills.

“People found it in the summer, things they couldn’t find during the season last year,” he said. “Finding which pitch is a certain pitch, getting it down, hitters finding that rhythm, something they’ve got to do.”

The Bulldogs’ senior leadership is a testament, Spell believes, to the team’s resurgence. Just two years ago, their season ended in a one-game tiebreaker for the fourth and final seed in 22-5A.

“I think our senior leadership and follow-ship deserves a great deal of the credit,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of great players in our underclassmen as well.”

Ticket prices for each 5A Region III quarterfinal game are $7 for adults and $5 for students. Only 21-5A and 22-5A district passes as well as those from the Texas High School Coaches and Baseball Coaches associations will be accepted.

I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews