By RICHARD TORRES
For The Reporter
There will be no rematch in Class 4A Sectional 8 this year.
At least not in the championship final.
On Sunday, May 3, the IHSAA announced its pairings for the 59th annual baseball state tournament series, and unlike the past two postseasons, Fishers and two-time defending champion Westfield occupy the same side of the bracket.
Sectional championship finalists the past two years, Hoosier Crossroads Conference rivals Westfield and Fishers will meet for a third consecutive time in the playoffs, but this round will take place in the semifinals at Noblesville’s Dunker Field.
Westfield and Fishers both received first-round byes with sectional games scheduled to be conducted from May 27 to June 1.
Hamilton Southeastern and Carmel will open the quarterfinal round. Zionsville and Noblesville will play in the other quarterfinal with the winners facing each other in the other semifinal contest.
Westfield is seeking its eighth sectional title overall and first potential three-peat in program history after claiming back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025 and 2008 and 2009.
HCC front runner Noblesville owns the third most sectional titles among the six-team field with 14 total but hasn’t captured the trophy since 2014. Zionsville has won 15 sectional titles in program history since 1972 – most recently in 2022.
HSE leads the pack historically with 16 sectional championships all time and looks to end a drought dating back to 2023. Fishers won sectional three times (2017, 2018, 2021) and turned two of those postseason runs into state finals appearances.
Carmel, a 13-time sectional winner, hasn’t captured the crown since 2016.
Noblesville swept Westfield last week during their two-game HCC series, beat Carmel in a non-conference meeting last month and split with Fishers earlier this season.
The Millers (7-1 HCC) hold a two-game advantage in the conference standings over HSE and will play the Royals (5-3 HCC) this week.
Noblesville ends the regular season with a two-game series against Zionsville, pitting the programs against each other three straight times, including the sectional quarterfinals.
Class 3A Guerin Catholic will open its title defense against Danville in the quarterfinal round at Crawfordsville’s Sectional 25. The advancing team will face the winner between Frankfort and Crawfordsville in the semifinal.
Lebanon drew the first-round bye and will take on the winner between Brebeuf Jesuit and Tri-West in the other semifinal contest.
Class 3A Hamilton Heights heads to Sectional 24 in Jay County with a first-round bye. The Huskies will play Delta in the semifinals.
Class 2A University is looking for its potential third sectional repeat (2012, 2013, 2018, 2019) and seventh title overall since 2012. The Trailblazers open Sectional 42 against host Park Tudor in the semifinals.
Class 2A Sheridan hosts Sectional 39 and will play Tipton in the semifinal round. The Blackhawks last won the sectional in 2004.
