Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc.

9150 North Meridian Street, Box 40650, Indianapolis, Indiana 46240-0650

Phone: 317-846-6601 Fax: 317-575-4244 Website: www.ihsaa.org

Blake Ress, Commissioner

____________________________________________________________________

MEDIA INFORMATION

May 9, 2007

Contact: Jason Wille, Sports Information Director

E-mail: jwille@ihsaa.org

SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS RELEASED

The field for the 23rd Annual IHSAA Softball State Tournament Series was set this morning at the IHSAA Office in Indianapolis. This year’s state tournament consists of 367 teams, the most ever and one more than in 2006, and begins with sectional play in less than two weeks.

Competition begins with 64 sectionals conducted in four different classes on Monday, May 21, and continues through the course of the week concluding on Saturday, May 26. Daily schedules for each tournament site will be listed on the IHSAA website as they become available from the host schools. Because of possible weather postponements and other conflicts, it is advised to check with the host school for precise day and time schedules.

Each of the sectional champions will advance to regional play – four sites in each class – on Saturday, June 2. Each of the 16 regional tournaments will feature four teams with two semifinal games beginning in the morning, followed by the championship game later in the day and a berth in the state finals on the line.

The 16 regional champions – four in each class – will advance to the state finals Friday, June 8, and Saturday, June 9. On Friday night, there will be two semifinal games in each class at four different sites. The Class A semifinals will be played at Hamilton Southeastern, the Class 2A semifinals will be played at North Central (Indianapolis), the Class 3A semifinals will be contested at Pike, and the 4A semifinals are scheduled for Carmel's Cherry Tree Complex. On Saturday, June 9, the four state championship games will each be played at Ben Davis High School for the third year.

Among the top-ranked teams in the most recent poll from the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association, 4A No. 1 Hamilton Southeastern begins its tournament run against first-time participant Fishers in Sectional 9 at Noblesville. Fishers is the lone first-timer in this year’s field. In Class 3A, Pendleton Heights drew Yorktown in Sectional 27 at Mount Vernon (Fortville); Class 2A’s Indianapolis Scecina will host Heritage Christian in Sectional 43 and; Indianapolis Lutheran drew Covenant Christian as the host of Class A’s Sectional 56.

Pairings for the defending state champions include: Martinsville (Class 4A) meets host Terre Haute South in Sectional 13; Boonville (Class 3A) takes on Evansville Mater Dei in Sectional 32 at Evansville Memorial; Cass (Class 2A) drew Southwood in Sectional 39 at Northfield and; Whiting (Class A) will host Morgan Township in Sectional 49.

State Tournament Pairings

NOTES

Defending Sectional Champions

4A – Anderson, Avon, Bloomington North, Carmel, Carroll (Fort Wayne), Center Grove, Chesterton, Evansville Harrison, Floyd Central, Huntington North, Indianapolis Cathedral, Kokomo, Lake Central, Martinsville, Penn, South Bend Riley.

3A – Bellmont, Blackford, Boonville, Edgewood, Griffith, Jasper, Kankakee Valley, Madison, New Palestine, New Prairie, Northridge, Norwell, Roncalli, South Dearborn, West Lafayette, Western Boone.

2A – Cass, Delphi, Eastern (Greentown), Eastern (Pekin), Eastside, Frankton, Hammond Bishop Noll, Indianapolis Scecina, Jimtown, Linton-Stockton, North Posey, North Putnam, Switzerland County, Union County, Winamac, Woodlan.

A – Cowan, Hauser, Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter, Jac-Cen-Del, Lafayette Central Catholic, Lakewood Park Christian, Lanesville, North Central (Farmersburg), North Daviess, Northeast Dubois, Pioneer, South Central (Union Mills), Southern Wells, Tecumseh, Turkey Run, Whiting.

Most Consecutive Sectional Championships

11 by Pike Central, 1988-98.

Active Sectional Championship Streaks (three or more years)

8 years – Eastern (Greentown), Pioneer.

7 – Eastside.

6 – Lake Central.

5 – Southern Wells.

4 – Bellmont, Indianapolis Cathedral, Tecumseh, West Lafayette.

3 – Cass, Cowan, Hauser, Indianapolis Scecina, Lanesville, Martinsville, Northridge, Penn.

Top 10 All-Time Sectional Championships

17 – Eastern (Greentown).

16 – Boonville, Center Grove.

15 – Shenandoah.

14 – Lake Central.

12 – Blackford, Decatur Central, Huntington North, Jennings County, Western Boone.

IHSAA 06-07/40