3 things were learned from Mahoning Valley sports scene last week

Three things we learned around the Mahoning Valley sports scene last week:

2025 shaping up as another banner year for area softball

Domination. In a word, that’s the best way to describe the early-season results area softball teams have compiled.

The Youngstown area, which has produced three state champions in the past two seasons, is loaded with state powers again.

Through the first three weeks of the season, three area teams remain unbeaten. Canfield, the defending Division II state champion, is 7-0, while perennial power Warren Champion is 4-0 and D7 Maplewood is off to a 9-0 start.

The top seven teams in this week’s mahoningmatters.com Super 7 softball poll own a combined record of 49-7-1 and that record has been compiled against many stacked schedules area teams play to prepare them for the postseason.

Poland off to an outstanding start in baseball

Poland, which has enjoyed a rich history in baseball with three trips to the state tournament, is off to another great start this spring.

The Bulldogs are 5-0 on the season and have outscored those foes, 55-6. The Bulldogs’ pitching staff has posted shutouts in three of their five games played.

Poland, which was a Division II school in past seasons, has dropped to Division IV in the OHSAA’s new seven division format.

State track meet moves back to Columbus

The annual OHSAA State Track and Field Championships will move back to The Ohio State University campus this spring at the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

The state meet was held at Welcome Stadium in Dayton last season but returns to Columbus in 2025.

The state meet will feature three divisions for the final time this spring. The OHSAA will move to a five division format in track starting in 2026.

This year’s state meet is slated June 6-7.