Three weeks of regular-season play remains for Johnson County’s baseball and softball teams, but after the IHSAA revealed its sectional pairings on Sunday evening everyone will have at least one eye looking ahead to the state tournaments — especially since the championship paths will be just as challenging as ever.
Center Grove, ranked first in last week’s Class 4A softball poll before dropping a pair of games and finding out that top pitcher Riley Henson is out for the season due to injury, will face a tough test right out of the gate in the Bloomington South Sectional. The Trojans drew a first-round date with No. 10 Mooresville, the same squad that knocked them out of the postseason a year ago. Greenwood received a bye on the other side of the draw and will play a semifinal against either Martinsville or Bloomington North.
In the 4A sectional at Columbus North, both Franklin and Whiteland got byes into the semifinal round. The Grizzly Cubs will meet the East Central-Shelbyville winner, while the Warriors await either the host Bull Dogs, ranked third, or Columbus East.
The champions of those two sectionals will meet in regional play.
In Class A, Greenwood Christian will play a first-round game against host Edinburgh, with the winner to take on Morristown in a semifinal contest. Defending champion Indianapolis Lutheran, sitting in the top half of the bracket, is the likely title game opponent should either local team make it there.
Indian Creek drew an opening-round bye in the Class 3A Northview Sectional and will face either West Vigo or Owen Valley in the semifinal round. The Braves beat the Vikings 11-0 last week and will play the Patriots on May 10. Edgewood and the host Knights square off in the other semifinal; Creek has lost to both this season.
Center Grove’s baseball team — which was also No. 1 in last week’s state poll — got a bye through the first round and will take on Bloomington South in a 4A semifinal at Mooresville. Greenwood meets Bloomington North in an opening-round game on the top side of the draw.
Also receving a first-round bye was Franklin, which will play Columbus North in a semifinal tilt at the Class 4A East Central Sectional. On the other side of the bracket, Whiteland will meet up with Shelbyville in the opening round.
In Class 3A, Indian Creek was granted a bye into the semifinal round of the Owen Valley Sectional, where it will face South Vermillion. Four of the Braves’ Western Indiana Conference rivals (Northview, Edgewood, West Vigo and the host Patriots) reside on the other half of the draw.
Edinburgh faces host Morristown in the opening round of its Class A sectional. Greenwood Christian drew a first-round bye on the bottom half of the same bracket and meets Indianapolis Metropolitan in the semifinal round.
