By RICHARD TORRES
For The Reporter
The Indiana High School Athletic Association announced its pairings for the upcoming softball state tournament on Sunday, May 3, and the defending sectional champion Noblesville Millers were rewarded.
While the pairings were conducted via a blind draw, the Millers, who captured their ninth sectional title all time last year, earned a first-round bye, along with Carmel, for the 41st annual state tournament series.
Both programs will begin Class 4A Sectional 8 at Zionsville in the semifinal round, while a Hoosier Crossroads Conference showdown highlights the quarterfinals with host Zionsville facing Westfield and state-ranked Hamilton Southeastern playing Fishers in a Mudsock rematch.
The sectional tournament is scheduled to run May 25-30.
HCC rivals Zionsville and Westfield kick off the sectional site’s five-game, six-team format with the Shamrocks already winning their regular-season meeting, 15-2, on the road this week.
Hamilton Southeastern defeated rival Fishers, 7-1, on April 28, to capture its third straight Mudsock softball trophy, even without senior ace pitcher Grace Swedarsky, a Virginia Tech commit, who has been sidelined with a lower extremity injury.
The winner between Zionsville and Westfield will advance to play Carmel in the first semifinal contest.
Carmel beat Zionsville, 9-4, on March 24, and lost to Westfield, 18-10, on March 25. The Greyhounds lost to HSE, 6-4, on March 27, and fell to Noblesville, 12-2, on April 15.
Carmel owns the second-most softball sectional titles in Hamilton County history at a dozen – with their last championship claimed in 2012.
HSE leads the county with 15 titles overall, including in 2024 when the Royals went on to win their third 4A state championship all time.
The winner between HSE and Fishers in the sectional quarterfinals will move on to play Noblesville, which is currently 2-0 against sectional foes. The Millers are travelling to HSE today for a 6 p.m. HCC game.
HSE is ranked fourth in 4A, according to the Indiana Softball Coaches Association, and fourth in the HCC with a league record of 2-1. Brownsburg leads the HCC at 3-0 ahead of Noblesville (2-0) and Franklin Central (3-1).
Fishers is ranked 10th in the state at 4A behind No. 9 Brownsburg and No. 8 Noblesville. The Tigers have won two sectional titles overall in 2016 and 2019.
In Class 3A, Guerin Catholic also received a first-round bye in Sectional 25 at Lebanon.
The Golden Eagles will face the winner between Frankfort and Danville with their eyes set on their potential second sectional title all time (first in 2021).
Host Lebanon and Brebeuf Jesuit will compete in the other quarterfinal game with Crawfordsville awaiting the winner in the semifinal round.
Class 3A Hamilton Heights opens Sectional 24 in Connersville against New Castle. Jay County and Delta will play in the other quarterfinal contest. Host Connersville will face the winner between Hamilton Heights and New Castle in the semifinals. Yorktown received the sectional’s second first-round bye.
Class 2A Sheridan will play Taylor in the quarterfinal round of Sectional 39 in Tipton. Lapel and Tipton highlight the other quarterfinal. Frankton will face the winner between Sheridan and Taylor in the semifinals, while Elwood Community plays the victor between Lapel and Tipton.
