GREENFIELD — There’s a lot to be excited about this spring in Hancock County, and big things are in the immediate future.
The softball sectional draw is released Sunday, giving the four county teams a clearer look into their tournament paths. But before they get there, those teams — and every other spring sports team — have some big-time games and events to get through.
Here are some games, tournaments and meets you won’t want to miss as spring sports enters its final weeks.
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Softball
County clashes ahead
While there have already been plenty of big games this spring, some of the biggest are in the immediate future. Tonight, Class 4A No. 15 Greenfield-Central travels to Mt. Vernon for a game that should provide clarity in the Hoosier Heritage Conference standings and the county pecking order. Whoever picks up the win should find themselves in next week’s rankings and will stay in position to have a shot at a conference title.
Next week, the Cougars play a huge Thursday game at New Palestine. The Class 3A No. 1 Dragons have dominated the county in recent years, but Greenfield-Central has had a strong start to 2019. If the Dragons win, they put themselves in strong position to claim another conference crown, having already topped Yorktown and Mt. Vernon.
Everyone vs. Pendleton Heights
Speaking of the conference championship, nobody in Hancock County has yet played one of the premier teams in the HHC. Pendleton Heights has jumped all the way up to No. 6 in Class 4A, starting 11-2 and only losing to No. 2 Decatur Central and No. 9 Chesterton on the same day.
The Arabians are led by one of Indiana’s best pitchers, junior Jordan Benefiel, who, prior to Thursday’s games, boasted a 0.52 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 67 innings, the second most strikeouts in the state. She’s walked only seven.
New Palestine, Mt. Vernon and Greenfield-Central all face the Arabians in a six-day span, starting with a Wednesday showdown at Pendleton Heights between the Dragons and Arabians. Mt. Vernon will host their conference foe on Thursday, and Greenfield-Central will play host to the Arabians on May 7. The results of those three games will go a long way in determining who finishes where in the HHC.
Nationally-ranked showdown
There is no bigger individual game remaining this spring than one that will take place on May 4 at Jennings County. There, the Dragons, ranked No. 8 in the latest USA Today Super 25 national poll, will face the team sitting at No. 5, Louisville Male, the No. 1 team out of Kentucky.
The Bulldogs have had an incredible start to 2019, starting 16-0 while outscoring their opponents 183 to 17. They are hitting .432 as a team and have smacked 39 home runs already this season.
It’s the second matchup between teams ranked in the national poll in two weeks, as the Dragons knocked Center Grove out of those rankings with Wednesday’s 5-2 win.
Royals vs. ranked teams
Eastern Hancock, just outside of the Top 15 in Class 2A, has several big games the rest of the way that will determine if they can climb into the rankings and if they can bring home an MEC title.
The Royals will face 2A No. 5 Frankton on Wednesday, then No. 14 Lapel in a doubleheader on May 4. A date with 3A No. 5 Franklin County awaits near the end of the season, on May 11.
Perhaps the most important game will be an MEC rivalry game against Shenandoah, also just outside the rankings, on May 6. The Royals and Raiders are the only teams still undefeated in conference play, with Eastern Hancock currently 3-0 and Shenandoah 4-0.
Baseball
County, conference collisions
While most of the county’s big nonconference games are behind them — New Palestine at Cathedral, Hamilton Southeastern at Mt. Vernon, Greenfield-Central at Fishers, among others — there are some meaningful conference games ahead.
Tonight’s doubleheaders should start to clear up the picture of who is a true contender in the HHC behind undefeated-in-conference Pendleton Heights, as New Palestine and Greenfield-Central square off in Greenfield while Mt. Vernon and the Arabians meet in Fortville.
The Dragons earned run-rule wins in both games of last year’s doubleheader with the Cougars, and the teams sit second and third respectively in the conference so far this year. A sweep by either team would put them firmly in second place, setting up key games against the Arabians in May.
Don’t forget the Marauders, either. They will be looking for payback tonight against the Arabians, the team that bested them for a sectional title last year.
Mt. Vernon and Greenfield-Central will meet on May 10 in Greenfield. New Palestine picked up a sweep of the Marauders last week, but at 3-3 in conference play, Mt. Vernon isn’t out of the race yet.
Back-to-back-to-back county meets
Starting Monday, county supremacy will be determined in tennis, golf and track on three consecutive days (barring weather, of course).
The Hancock County tennis tournament was postponed due to weather, so the four local teams will meet Monday at Mt. Vernon to see who will claim the county crown. As it has been for the past half decade, the Dragons, Royals and Cougars will be looking to unseat the Marauders, who have dominated the county in recent years. There will be new match-ups all over the courts, with three teams boasting new No. 1 singles players.
The Dragons topped the Cougars this week, but none of the other county teams have met yet this year.
On Tuesday, the county golfers will meet at Hawk’s Tail. Last year, New Palestine an eight-year winning streak of Mt. Vernon’s, taking the county championship by seven strokes. The Cougars were just five strokes behind the Marauders, and a large part of each of those teams returns, while Eastern Hancock looks to close the gap on their county opponents.
The Marauders and Dragons will meet Monday, the day before the county meet, just as they did last year. Each of those teams has faced off with the Cougars already this year, with the Dragons and Marauders each getting wins in those matches.
Last year’s medalist, Quinn Dobbins, will look to defend his individual title. Four of the top five finishers return, with Mt. Vernon’s Sam McWilliams and Greenfield-Central’s Zach Archer and Noah Mohler all back.
On Wednesday, the county track teams will meet in Fortville. New Palestine’s girls will look to get a third straight title, Greenfield-Central’s boys will be seeking a repeat and Mt. Vernon will hope to unseat one of them after finishing as runner-up to both last year.
New Palestine returns four state qualifiers on the girls side and one on the boys side, while Greenfield-Central returns a defending county champion and state qualifier, Adam Lee, in the pole vault.
The Dragons swept Greenfield-Central during a triangular meet this season. Mt. Vernon’s boys bested the Cougars in an invitational, while the Cougars girls bested the Marauders in the same invitational.
There have been numerous school records tied or broken on tracks across the county this year, and all four county teams have had some success. Wednesday’s county meet will give a clearer picture of what to expect come conference and sectional time, with the HHC meets coming up quickly. The girls will compete May 7 and the boys on May 9 at Mt. Vernon.