Columbus North denied Shelbyville a sectional championship in 2021 and now the Golden Bears know when a potential postseason rematch will take place in Bloomington.
On Sunday, the Indiana High School Athletic Association released the softball sectional pairings for the 37th Annual Softball State Tournament.
A total of 372 teams will vie for four state championships June 10-11 at Purdue University’s Bittinger Stadium in West Lafayette.
Sectional tournaments run from May 23-28 with 64 champions advancing to one-game regionals on May 31. Four-team semistates follow on June 4.
The Class 4A Bloomington North Sectional features a pair of state-ranked teams and two more teams with winning records as the month of May begins.
In the sectional opener, 4A No. 6 Columbus North (14-2), the defending sectional champion, takes on East Central (9-5). The Bull Dogs defeated East Central, 11-0, on March 31.
In the second quarterfinal contest, 4A No. 9 Shelbyville (11-3) battles Bloomington South (11-3). The two teams will not meet in the regular season.
The Columbus North-East Central winner advances to face Bloomington North (5-8) in the first semifinal game.
The Shelbyville-Bloomington South winner draws Columbus East (6-11-1) in the second semifinal.
The winner of the Bloomington North Sectional will host the Mooresville Sectional champion in the one-game regional.
The Mooresville Sectional features No. 3 Mooresville and No. 11 Center Grove, who will meet in the first game of that sectional.
The regional champion will travel to Bedford North Lawrence for the semistate round.
Eastern Hancock, ranked No. 12 in this week’s state coaches poll, is the host school for a Class 2A sectional.
The Royals (8-2-1) will open the sectional in the first game against Knightstown (6-7). The winner advances to face Heritage Christian (6-6) in the semifinals.
The other semifinal pits Triton Central (3-6) against Indianapolis Scecina (3-7). Those two teams meet later this month in an Indiana Crossroads Conference contest.
The sectional champion will host the Union County Sectional champion in the regional round. Union County is ranked No. 4 in this week’s poll.
The 2A semistate is hosted by Forest Park.
Indianapolis Lutheran hosts a Class A sectional that features both Morristown and Waldron.
The host Saints (6-6) kick off the tournament against Edinburgh (8-7). The winner faces Waldron (0-5) in the semifinals.
The other semifinal pits Greenwood Christian (3-3) and Morristown (6-5).
The Lutheran Sectional champion will play at the Rising Sun Sectional champion in the regional round. Class A No. 4 Hauser and No. 5 Rising Sun are on track to meet in the sectional championship game at Rising Sun.
The Class A semistate tournament is hosted by North Daviess.
