Daily Reporter staff and IHSAA reports
A field of 382 teams and 7,219 student-athletes will begin play this week in the 49th annual IHSAA Baseball State Tournament Series.
Sectional competition begins Wednesday and continues through Monday, with the 64 champions advancing to a four-team regional June 6. Two semifinal games will be played early that day at each site, with the two winners returning for a championship game that evening.
The 16 regional winners will be assigned to four semistate sites and play a single game June 13, with the winners moving on to their respective state championship games.
This year’s four state championship games, scheduled for June 19 and 20, will be played at Victory Field in Indianapolis, home of the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians.
The defending state champions include Class 4A’s Noblesville, which drew host Zionsville in the Sectional 8 opening game. Last year’s Class 3A state champion, Andrean, will host New Prairie in Sectional 18. In Class 2A, Wapahani will meet Shenandoah in the Sectional 40 bye game at Lapel. And in Class A, Shakamak will play host to Bloomfield in Sectional 57’s first game.
Sectional schedule
Class 4A Sectional 9 at Pendleton Heights
Wednesday
Mt. Vernon vs. Pendleton Heights, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday
Anderson vs. Connersville, 5:30 p.m.
Greenfield-Central vs. New Castle, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Richmond vs. Mt. Vernon-Pendleton Heights winner, noon
Anderson-Connersville winner vs. Greenfield-Central vs. New Castle winner, 2 p.m.
Monday
Championship, 7 p.m.
Class 3A Sectional 26 at Bishop Chatard
Wednesday
New Palestine vs. Herron, 5 p.m.
Thursday
Marshall vs. Bishop Chatard, 5 p.m.
Saturday
New Palestine-Herron winner vs. Marshall-Bishop Chatard winner, 11 a.m.
Guerin vs. Brebeuf, 2 p.m.
Monday
Championship, 5 p.m.
Class 2A Sectional 41 at Centerville
Wednesday
Eastern Hancock vs. Union County, 5 p.m.
Thursday
Centerville vs. Northeastern, 5 p.m.
Hagerstown vs. Cambridge City Lincoln, 8 p.m.
Monday
Knightstown vs. Eastern Hancock-Union County winner, 10 a.m.
Centerville-Northeastern winner vs. Hagerstown-Cambridge City Lincoln winner, 1 p.m.
Championship, 8 p.m.
Fast facts
Number of schools entered: 382 teams, 7,219 players. Breakdown by Class: 101 in 4A; 98 in 3A; 98 in 2A; 85 in 1A. Total number of games: 378 in 25 days.
Schools playing up one class due to tournament success factor: 3. Western (Class 4A, Sectional 7 at Lafayette Jefferson). Northfield (Class 3A, Sectional 23 at Bellmont). Lafayette Central Catholic (Class 2A, Sectional 34 at Delphi).
Defending sectional champions
4A: Ben Davis, Carroll (Fort Wayne), Castle, Columbus North, Concord, Hobart, Homestead, Indianapolis Cathedral, Jeffersonville, Lake Central, McCutcheon, New Castle, Noblesville, Penn, Terre Haute North, Whiteland Community.
3A: Andrean, Batesville, Beech Grove, Edgewood, Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger, Gibson Southern, Griffith, Lebanon, New Palestine, Northwestern, NorthWood, Norwell, Rochester Community, Silver Creek, Southridge, Yorktown.
2A: Austin, Covenant Christian (Indianapolis), Elwood Community, Evansville Mater Dei, Fort Wayne Canterbury, Hammond Bishop Noll, Heritage Christian, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, Knightstown, Lafayette Central Catholic, Linton-Stockton, Providence, South Vermillion, Southwood, Wapahani, Westview.
A: Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian, Frontier, Greenwood Christian, Indianapolis Lutheran, Jac-Cen-Del, Monroe Central, North White, Orleans, Rockville, Seton Catholic, Shakamak, South Central (Elizabeth), South Central (Union Mills), Tecumseh, Vincennes Rivet, Washington Township.
Schools that won first sectional championship last year
4A: None. 3A: None. 2A: None. A: Greenwood Christian.
Most consecutive sectional championships
21 by Logansport, 1973-93.
Active sectional championship streaks (three or more years)
13: Andrean. 6: Lafayette Central Catholic. 5: Carroll (Fort Wayne), Wapahani. 4: Lake Central, Silver Creek, South Central (Elizabeth). 3: Griffith, Hammond Bishop Noll, Indianapolis Lutheran, Jeffersonville, Shakamak.
Top 10 all-time sectional championships
35: Jasper, LaPorte. 29: Richmond. 28: Logansport. 26: Evansville Memorial. 25: Andrean, Benton Central. 24: Hammond Bishop Noll, Jeffersonville. 23: Plymouth.
Most state championships
8: LaPorte. 7: Lafayette Central Catholic. 5: Jasper. 4: Andrean, Logansport. 3: Evansville Memorial, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian, Norwell, Penn, South Spencer.
Active consecutive tournament win streaks
7: Andrean, Shakamak, Wapahani. 6: Noblesville.
Final HHC standings
School HHC Overall
Yorktown 10-4 21-4
Mt. Vernon 9-5 15-12
Pendleton Heights 9-5 19-9
New Palestine 8-6 17-11
Greenfield-Central 7-7 13-15
Shelbyville 5-9 13-14
Delta 4-10 14-13
New Castle 4-10 12-16
Final MHC standings
School MHC Overall
Knightstown 9-0 23-3
Hauser 8-1 17-8
Eastern Hancock 7-2 15-10
Indian Creek 6-3 8-10
South Decatur 5-4 6-14
Edinburgh 3-6 7-13
Waldron 1-5 1-11#
North Decatur 1-6 4-12#
Morristown 0-6 1-12#
Southwestern 0-7 8-12#
#All results not reported
