GREENFIELD — The three-time defending state softball champions now know their new tournament path.
The IHSAA announced its baseball and softball sectional alignments for the next two-year cycle on Tuesday, and the New Palestine Dragons are making the move to Class 4A after a 3A three-peat.
The Dragons are moving from Sectional 27 to Sectional 11, joining Franklin Central, Perry Meridian, Roncalli, Southport and Warren Central. New Palestine played — and beat — Franklin Central, Roncalli and Southport in 2018.
The new regional the defending 3A champions will feed into is with Sectional 12, made up of Avon, Brownsburg, Decatur Central, Plainfield, Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South.
Sectional 9, where both Mt. Vernon and Greenfield-Central compete, remains the same as the previous cycle. Cathedral’s drop to Class 3A changes the potential regional opponents, as Ben Davis, North Central and Pike move into Sectional 10 while Warren Central and Cathedral moved out.
Eastern Hancock stays in a changed Sectional 42, which now includes Scecina, who dropped from 3A. Irvington Prep Academy moves out of the sectional to make room for Scecina. The regional road now could include Shenandoah, which moved into Sectional 41 while Winchester moved out.
New Palestine is also on the move in baseball, switching from Sectional 10 to Sectional 11 and joining an identical sectional and regional as the softball side.
Sectional 9, with Mt. Vernon and Greenfield-Central, becomes a six-team group with Connersville’s drop to 3A. The rest of the field remains, with Anderson, Richmond, Muncie Central and Pendleton Heights rounding out the field. The regional field includes Sectional 10’s Ben Davis, Arsenal Technical, Cathedral, Lawrence Central, Lawrence North, North Central and Pike.
Eastern Hancock remains in Sectional 42, with the only change being Irvington Prep Academy moving down to Class A. The potential regional opponents from Sectional 41 are slightly changed, as Shenandoah moves in to replace both Cambridge City Lincoln and Winchester.