SOUTH MADISON COUNTY — If a sectional title is in the making, both Lapel and Pendleton Heights baseball teams will get a chance to celebrate on their home fields.
With the IHSAA announcement of tournament pairings for the 54th Annual Baseball State Tournament on Sunday, both schools know what teams they will open post-season play against in their quests for titles.
Lapel (8-7) will play host to Class 2A Sectional 40, and Pendleton Heights will welcome guests for Class 4A Sectional 9.
Specific dates and times for games have not been set for either site. The tournament is scheduled to run from May 26-31.
Tough tasks lie ahead for both local teams.
The Lapel tournament features the top two ranked teams in the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 2A poll, No. 1 Monroe Central and No. 2 Wapahani.
An eight-team tournament, the host Bulldogs open in Game 1 against Muncie Burris (1-9). Game 2 pits No. 1 Monroe Central (13-2) and Frankton (9-7). Game 3 will feature Alexandria (4-13) and Winchester (3-8). The last quarterfinal matchup has No. 2 Wapahani (15-1) taking on Elwood (2-5).
Game 1 and Game 2 winners play in the first of two semifinal games, with Game 3 and Game 4 victors battling in the second. Semifinal winners will play for the title.
Lapel is 3-1 against tournament teams. It has defeated Alexandria twice, 7-5 on April 13 and 11-0 on April 17, and has also beaten Frankton, 13-3 on April 23. Its lone loss is to Monroe Central, a 7-2 defeat on April 19.
Wapahani beat Monroe Central in the 2019 championship game.
The sectional champion will advance to the Lafayette Central Catholic Regional.
Greenfield-Central is the last champion of the Pendleton Heights Sectional, defeating the host Arabians 5-3 in the 2019 championship game.
This year’s tournament opens with a title game rematch.
Pendleton Heights (7-10) will take on Greenfield- Central (9-4) in Game 1 of the six-team tournament. This week features a preview of the tournament opener when the Arabians and Cougars play their Hoosier Heritage Conference two-game series Wednesday (May 5, at PH, 6 p.m.) and Thursday (May 6, at G-C, 5:30 p.m.).
Richmond (4-7) and Anderson (13-6) play in Game 2 of the sectional tournament.
The Game 1 and Game 2 winners play in Game 3, the first of two semifinal contests.
Game 4 has Mt. Vernon (11-5) taking on Muncie Central (2-12).
Semifinal winners will meet for the championship and berth into the Plainfield Regional.
Pendleton Heights is 0-2 against potential sectional opponents. It was swept in an HHC two-game series with Mt. Vernon, 10-6 and 13-5 on April 27-28. Along with the two games left against Greenfield-Central, Pendleton Heights also plays host to Richmond on Monday, May 17.
