Earlier this week, Columbus East knocked off Columbus North 2-0 in the annual city baseball battle.
If things go according to form, the Olympians and Bull Dogs could meet again in the semifinals of the Bloomington North Sectional. Both teams drew first-round opponents that they’ve already beaten this season in Friday night’s draw conducted by the IHSAA.
Columbus North (9-7) will play East Central (8-9) in the sectional opener at 6 p.m. May 24. The Bull Dogs beat the Trojans 7-3 on April 3.
“We won’t look past East Central,” North coach Ben McDaniel said. “That’s the game that we have to win. We played them earlier in the year, and it was a good matchup. East Central has gotten a lot better. They have a lot of senior leadership, and we expect a good game.”
Columbus East (11-5) will play Shelbyville (8-7) around 8 p.m. May 24. The winner will play the Columbus North-East Central winner at 6 p.m. May 26.
The Olympians beat Shelbyville 7-2 on April 11.
“They’re always a well-coached team, and they’re a veteran team,” East coach Jon Gratz said of the Golden Bears. “They have a lot of guys back. We have to make sure we’re prepared and ready to go.”
Host Bloomington North (6-9) and Bloomington South (8-6) will meet in the second semifinal May 26. The championship game will be at 6 p.m. May 29.
Meanwhile, in Class A, second-ranked Hauser (11-4) will play Oldenburg Academy (6-9) in the second opening-round game at Madison Shawe, likely on May 24. If the Jets win, they would play Class A No. 9 Rising Sun or Shawe in the semifinals, likely on May 29. South Decatur will play Jac-Cen-Del in the second semifinal, and the final would be that night.
The Jets do not play Oldenburg during the regular season.
“They’re usually a good team,” Hauser coach Nate Long said. “They usually hustle and put the ball in play, and they usually have a good pitcher. We’re going to have to play good baseball to move on.”
Also in Class A, Edinburgh drew a first-round bye and will play Morristown in the semifinals of the Morristown Sectional. Trinity Lutheran will play Orleans in the semifinals of the four-team West Washington Sectional.
Jennings County drew a bye in the Class 4A Bedford North Lawrence Sectional. The Panthers will play the host 4A No. 7 Stars in the semifinals.
In Class 3A, Brown County will play Owen Valley in the second opening-round game at Northview. The winner will meet Sullivan or 3A No. 10 Northview in the semifinals.
