A look at upcoming high school softball sectional-district tournaments involving area teams:
Division I
Northeast 4 Berea
Top seeds: (2) Amherst, (7) Medina Highland, (3) Brunswick
Other area teams: (12) Avon, (17) North Olmsted
Up next: Winner advances to a Division I Youngstown Regional semifinal against the district champion from Northeast 2.
Outlook: Amherst and Avon were district finalists last year, and they have tough paths if they want to meet for a district final rematch from 2022. Amherst will host the winner of (27) Cleveland Rhodes and (29) Shaker Heights. The winner advances to a district semifinal to play the winner of Highland and (31) Garfield Heights. The Hornets are capable of big wins, such as a 6-4 victory against Medina, which defeated Amherst, 12-5. They could be Amherst’s district final matchup. Avon will host the winner of North Olmsted and (23) Akron Firestone. If the Eagles win the first round, it would be a 2022 district semifinal rematch for Avon and North Olmsted. This time, Avon would be without Kayla Dykin, who struck out 20 batters and had two home runs for a 7-2 win. Brunswick is a contender to not only come out of this side of the bracket, but also win the district.
Perez’s pick: Highland
Northeast 5 Avon Lake
Top seeds: (1) Brecksville-Broadview Heights, (9) North Royalton, (10) Strongsville
Other area teams: (14) Olmsted Falls, (21) Westlake, (16) Avon Lake, (25) Lorain
Up next: Winner advances to a Division I Clyde Regional semifinal against the district champion from Northwest 1.
Outlook: As one of the top-ranked teams Ohio, the Bees at Brecksville look ready to defend their district championship. Stud pitcher Anna Wise bats over .600 and has pitched with a sub-1.00 earned-run average. Only the top teams in Ohio gave Brecksville a run for its money or handed them a loss. If Lorain comes out with a first-round win against (26) Valley Forge, it would set up a matchup against the Bees, who would be heavily favored. The Avon Lake vs. Westlake sectional final is a solid area matchup, which will see how the Great Lakes Conference stacks up against the SWC. They are on the same side of the bracket as Brecksville. Olmsted Falls will travel to play (11) Lakewood. The lower-seeded Bulldogs defeated the Rangers, 12-0. Pitcher Molly Sheehan threw a perfect game in it, but she suffered an injury to miss numerous games and recently made her return. Ashley Scott also came back from injury as another promising Olmsted Falls pitcher. The winner advances to play Strongsville. Sheehan’s health could be the difference between a first-round exit or a Cinderella run as far as the district finals.
Perez’s pick: Brecksville-Broadview Heights
Northeast 6 North Ridgeville
Top seeds: (4) North Ridgeville, (8) Midview, (5) Berea-Midpark, (6) Medina
Other area teams: (19) Elyria
Up next: Winner advances to a Division I Clyde Regional semifinal against the district champion of Northwest 2.
Outlook: Five SWC teams advanced to district finals last year. Midview, North Ridgeville and Berea-Midpark were three of them. North Ridgeville aims to four-peat as a district champion. If the Rangers defeat the winner of Elyria and (32) Maple Heights, they would have home-field advantage against the winner of (18) Wadsworth and Midview. The Grizzlies and Middies played in a sectional final last year, in which Midview won, 9-3. Midview vs. North Ridgeville would be a highly anticipated matchup, as both showdowns resulted in a one-run Rangers’ wins. Berea-Midpark and Medina are the top two contenders on the other end of the bracket. The Titans were the only SWC team to sweep North Ridgeville this year, and they split the series with Midview.
Perez’s pick: Berea-Midpark
Division II
Northeast 3 Canton
Top seeds: (2) Medina Buckeye, (9) Norton, (5) Akron Coventry, (4) Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary
Other area teams: (22) Clearview
Up next: Winner advances to the Division II Macedonia Regional semifinal against the district champion of Northeast 4.
Perez’s pick: Buckeye
Northeast 4 Akron Firestone
Top seeds: (1) Tallmadge, (8) Copley
Other area teams: (20) Brookside, (18) Fairview, (13) Rocky River
Up next: Winner advances to the Macedonia Regional semifinal against the district champion of Northeast 3.
Outlook: Only two top-10 seeds chose Northeast 4, and one of them is defending Division II state champ Tallmadge and recently defeated Highland, 5-2. For context, Keystone took the Blue Devils to 12 innings, but lost, 8-2, in a tri-team double-header with Hillsdale. Rocky River could play against Tallmadge in the district semifinal, but it would have to survive (15) Streetsboro. Expect this to be a tightly contested game. Freshman Amy Rein leads a young Rockets team with a .419 batting average and three home runs. Fairview and Brookside will face off in the first round to play Copley. Cardinals pitcher Markie-Ann Aliff surpassed 100 strikeouts as a freshman.
Perez’s pick: Tallmadge
Northeast 5 Tri-C
Top seeds: (3) Elyria Catholic, (7) Padua, (6) Firelands, (10) Holy Name
Other area teams: (25) Bay
Up next: Winner advances to a Division II Shelby Regional semifinal against the district champion of Northwest 3.
Outlook: Expect Northeast 5 to be highly competitive. The Panthers are favored and it could potentially be a great preview of the North Coast Conference that begins next school year. Future NCC teams Holy Name and Padua, Beaumont and CVCA join the battle for the district championship. Firelands cannot be discounted either, as a team that defeated Keystone. The Falcons will host the winner of CVCA and Bay. If Firelands advances, it could meet Padua in a district semifinal. Elyria Catholic will play the winner of (23) Chagrin Falls and (28) Max Hayes. The Panthers could meet Holy Name if the Green Wave can defeat (11) Akron Springfield in a sectional final.
Perez’s pick: Elyria Catholic
Division III
Northeast 3 Norwayne
Top seeds: (1) Wooster Triway, (5) Ashland Mapleton, (8) Creston Norwayne, (9) West Salem Northwestern
Up next: Winner advances to a Division III Berea Regional semifinal against the district champion of Northeast 2.
Perez’s pick: Triway
Northeast 4 — Wellington
Top seeds: (2) Jeromesville Hillsdale, (7) Keystone, (3) Akron Manchester, (4) Loudonville, (6) Massillon Tuslaw
Other area teams: (14) Columbia
Up next: Winner advances to a Division III Berea Regional semifinal against the district champion of Northeast 1.
Outlook: Keystone’s reduced flexibility to choose districts in Division III compared to its previous tenure in Division II congested the competition, making it tougher to get out of district tournaments. Two years ago, Tuslaw was a state runner-up and now the Mustangs sit at the No. 6 seed. Keystone will host (20) Waterloo first. If the Wildcats win, they would most likely play Hillsdale. The Falcons defeated Keystone, 7-6 in a tri-team double-header with Tallmadge, whom they also defeated in extra innings. Tuslaw, Loudonville and Manchester are on the other end. Columbia heads into that side of the bracket as major underdogs and will host (15) Cuyahoga Heights in the tournament’s first round.
Perez’s pick: Akron Manchester
Division IV
Top seeds: (2) Mogadore, (10) East Canton, (6) Southington Chalker
Other area teams: (17) Open Door, (29) Oberlin
Up next: Winner advances to a Division IV Berea Regional semifinal against the district champion of Northeast 2.
Outlook: Oberlin had several surprises this season, and could come up with another one. The Phoenix, who lost to Black River (2-1) and Firelands (7-3 and 8-3), host Medina Christian in the first round. The winner will take on Mogadore. If everything goes right, Oberlin could make this a close game. Open Door is on the same side of the bracket. The Patriots will get a first-round bye to play the winner of (26) Hartville Lake Center Christian and (23) Orwell Grand Valley.
Perez’s pick: Mogadore
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