The high school postseason is coming around the mountain. Here are 5 things to watch.
Just a few weeks ago, we were pondering the future of the sun. Now we're already talking tournament time.
Time passes as quickly as a hiccup during the spring sports season, especially compared to the drudge of fall and winter. One week you're waiting for the rain to stop, the next you've got games six straight days.
High school baseball and softball are officially in the home stretch in the Muskingum Valley, with softball tournaments beginning this week. Baseball teams will start their postseason ventures soon after. Track starts to get real in a big way starting next week.
Here are five things to watch as the tournaments begin:
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1. Tri-Valley baseball
The veteran Scotties have been on a mission to avenge last year's district final loss to New Philadelphia, leaning on a deep well of right arms to win 14 straight games in the MVL, led by hard-throwing junior Brady Kaufman.
They entered Friday at 17-2 and enter the Division II sectional tournament draw with hopes on the No. 1 seed, but seeding doesn't matter with this group. They are built to win in the postseason with a bonafide ace and plenty of other solid arms in tow.
Will they hit enough? That's always the question with this team. Part of the reason this team is 17-2 is because of a penchant for close wins in low-scoring games.
It should be noted, however, that they've scored 41 run in four games since Monday, and scored at least eight runs on four other occasions.
In the end, there is plenty of reason for optimism.
More: Tri-Valley baseball cleared a major hurdle when it swept Sheridan. Now it wants more.
2. Can Sheridan softball stay hot?
The Generals have been on a tear for the ages since losing consecutive one-run games to John Glenn in early April.
Coach Mark Paxton's squad, led by senior stalwarts Cora Hall and Avery Mueller, have won 16 straight games and are the top seed in the Division II Southeast District draw. Two teams advance to the regional.
The question at this point isn't about whether or not the Generals are good enough — a win at two-time defending Division III state champion Wheelersburg is all the answer one needs. This is also a team with a core of players who saw plenty of action during last year's run to the district finals.
The question is whether they can maintain their edge. A nonleague tilt on Thursday against Division I Hilliard Bradley, 21-1 entering the weekend, should be the perfect tune-up.
3. Perry County baseball prospects
New Lexington and Sheridan were a combined 37-5 entering Friday, with three of those losses coming to Tri-Valley in Muskingum Valley League play. Otherwise, both teams have been stellar.
The red-hot Panthers' 5-4 win against the Generals on Wednesday wasn't just big for tournament seeding in the Division II Southeast District. Both were getting high seeds, regardless of that result.
This game proved to New Lex, which lost a pitcher's duel to Kaufman and Tri-Valley, that it could beat a team that is regional caliber. Make no mistake, the Caden Sheridan-led Generals are just that when their pitching and defense are on point.
Should they wind up in opposite brackets — the good ol' boy network in the Southeast District will determine that fate — it's not a fantasy to think these two will meet again.
That would be in the regional with, potentially, Tri-Valley. And that would be a sight to behold.
4. Sydney Marshall's right arm and bat
It's no secret that much of John Glenn's softball fate lies on the performance of their All-Ohio pitcher, who also happens to be one of the state's most fearsome No. 3 hitters. The Muskies are the No. 2 seed in the East District, behind Dover and ahead of Morgan.
It was Marshall who pitched the Muskies to both wins against Sheridan and two wins against Tri-Valley. She also shut down Dover early in the year.
A 5-4 win against Meadowbrook, a game Marshall took a shutout into the seventh, kept her team one game up on Sheridan for the Big School lead. It was the team's third straight win after losses to Division IV power Strasburg and Indian Valley.
This John Glenn team isn't the offensive force of recent years, when Marshall and Alivia Boothe had plenty of protection in the lineup. It's a combination of youth and veterans, with Marshall and Boothe the leaders of the pack.
Make no mistake, though, this is still a tall order for opponents with Marshall in the circle. That gives them more than a fighter's chance at the regional.
5. Surprises
There is always someone who comes out of the woodwork at tournament time, regardless of what district one resides. It's most always a .500 team or a little better with an ace pitcher that catches fire.
We have multiple candidates.
Chief among them are West Muskingum baseball and softball, both of which started fast and hit some snags down the stretch as the games became more difficult. Baseball took an 11-8 record into Friday; softball was 14-6, which included a 5-5 record in its last 10 games.
Tri-Valley softball, coming off a 4-3 win against West on Thursday, has four losses against John Glenn and Sheridan. Otherwise, they have been stellar against a schedule that included four wins against Division I teams. They are seeded 10th in the D-I Central District.
Don't sleep on Rosecrans baseball, either. The Bishops should have 17 or 18 wins by the time the tournament comes around with a veteran roster. They also have multiple pitchers capable of winning a game, something that can be a weapon in Division IV.
Don't be surprised if there is another. That's the beauty of one-and-done.
The only thing left to do is play the games.
sblackbu@gannett.com; X: @SamBlackburnTR
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Sam Blackburn column: 5 things to watch this tournament season
