Four big takeaways from the opening weekend of high school baseball and softball

CHILLICOTHE − One weekend down, another month and a half to go.

The first weekend of the high school baseball and softball season is under wraps. With 20 teams, there's plenty of action to see, as well as plenty that might have slipped under the radar.

Is it still early in the season? Sure, but that doesn't mean there isn't room to make observations. Teams around the Scioto Valley Conference − as well as outside of it − have been winning big and making strong first impressions this season. Here are a few takeaways following the opening weekend for area high school baseball and softball teams:

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Hot starts

Six SVC teams won their first games to start the year. Adena, Paint Valley and Southeastern, however, have each jumped out to two straight wins to start the year.

For Adena, it's a far cry compared to last year's start. It dropped the first seven games of its 2023 slate but managed to right itself toward the end of its regular season schedule. That progress seems to have carried over. It's outscored both opponents 16-5 through its first two games, and its pitching has been consistent to match.

Paint Valley and Southeastern sit in similar positions. Paint Valley earned two significant wins overs Vinton County and Oak Hill, both fueled by superb outings on the mound from John Free and Preston Fauber. Southeastern, on the other hand, outscored Federal Hocking and North Adams 14-1.

All three teams are off to stronger starts than last year. It remains to be seen if that success will transfer over against the rest of the SVC, but there's good reason to be optimistic.

Hoover's no-hitter

Zane Trace opened its season with an 8-0 win over Wauseon, and that win came in part thanks to the efforts of Dillon Hoover on the mound. The sophomore pitched a no-hitter Saturday with five strikeouts, and he only walked four batters throughout the game.

Hoover impressed in his freshman season as well. In 2023, he held the third-lowest ERA among the Pioneers, as well as boasting the tea-low 1.29 walks and hits per inning pitched. Starting off his second season with a shutdown performance like Saturday might send a message to the rest of the conference.

Unioto softball already slugging

Three games into their schedule, and the Shermans are already swinging for the fences. It doesn't come as much of a surprise − four of the Shermans ranked in the top 10 in the SVC for home runs last year − and neither does their level of production. Four of the Shermans already have at least one home run to their name. Alexis Book already has two after wins over Fairland and South Webster.

Unioto's already rolling quick. Extra base hits are coming easy, and they've already taken down − or split a doubleheader − with tough nonconference opponents.

Adena softball working with rotation

The Warriors had a dependable starting pitcher in Greenlee Bossert last year, but following her graduation they've switched to a rotation that will fill the gaps. The results speak for themselves. They've piled up three straight wins with a doubleheader sweep over River Valley and a 13-1 win over Peebles.

Sophie Cheesebrew has pitched two complete games already and struck out five batters in each of her starts, and Hailey Howard struck out four in her own complete game on Saturday. So far, the Warriors' new rotation is working well for them, and both Cheesebrew and Howard have impressed in the circle.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: What we learned from the opening weekend of high school baseball and softball