MIKE BROWN: Mahoning Valley baseball teams eye long tourney runs
The OHSAA recently held their baseball tournament draws throughout the state and many Mahoning Valley-area teams fared extremely well. The postseason gets under way this week.
Austintown Fitch gets highest seed for Division I teams in Mahoning Valley
In Division I, Austintown Fitch (12-6 at the draw) earned the 12th seed, the highest for area teams in the big school division. The Falcons took a first-round bye and will play the winner of No. 24 seed Solon against No. 29 seed Cuyahoga Falls for a sectional crown on Thursday, May 18 at 5 p.m. at Fitch’s Coppolo Field.
Lots of strong Mahoning Valley teams in Division II
Division II is loaded with powerful teams poised for deep tourney runs.
Traditional power Canfield (10-3 at the draw) earned the second seed behind top-seeded Alliance (17-4), which won the outright Eastern Buckeye Conference title this season. The Cardinals took a first-round bye and will play the winner of No. 22 Ravenna vs. No. 23 Youngstown East for a sectional title on Wednesday, May 17 at Canfield at 5 p.m.
Another high seed in D2 included third-seeded West Branch (13-4 at the draw). The Warriors also opted for a first-round bye and will play the victor of the No. 12 Streetsboro vs. No. 16 Salem for a sectional championship at West Branch on Wednesday, May 17 at 5 p.m. in Beloit.
Lakeview gets top seed in Division III
In Division III, the Lakeview Bulldogs, who have had an outstanding season, earned the top seed with their 13-1 record at the draw, while another area power South Range (14-4 at the draw) is seeded second and the LaBrae Vikings (16-3 at the tourney drawing) are the third seed.
Lakeview drew a bye and will play the winner of No. Middlefield Cardinal vs. No. 25 Youngstown Liberty for a sectional title on Wednesday, May 17 at 5 p.m. in Cortland. South Range also accepted a bye and will face the winner of No. 17 East Palestine vs. No. 20 Brookfield for a sectional crown on Wednesday, May 17 at 5 p.m. at South Range. No. 3 seed LaBrae also took a bye and will meet the victor of No. 15 Newton Falls vs. No. 19 Mineral Ridge for a sectional championship Wednesday, May 17 at 5 p.m. at LaBrae.
Warren JFK looks to be strong Division IV tournament team
In Division IV, Warren JFK looks to be a strong tournament participant again. The Eagles (10-3 at the draw) are the second seed, while the Mathews Mustangs (12-3) are the No. 3 seed. JFK took a bye and will play the winner of No. 16 Southern Local vs. No. 22 Leetonia for a sectional crown on Thursday, May 18 at 5 p.m. in Warren. Meanwhile, third-seeded Mathews also received a first-round bye and will meet the winner of No. 15 Lowellville and No. 17 Windham for a sectional crown on Thursday, May 18 at 5 p.m. in Vienna.
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