IHSAA baseball Fab 15: Final regular season rankings with postseason predictions
The IHSAA baseball state tournament begins Wednesday with sectionals. Sectional championships will be Monday. Regionals will be June 1. The semistate round is June 8 and the state finals at Victory Field will be June 14 and 15.
Here's the final Fab 15 of the regular season including some postseason predictions.
IHSAA baseball sectional predictions: Our Insider makes his postseason picks
1. Center Grove (25-2)
Last ranking: No. 2
Center Grove takes the top spot in our Fab 15 with a strong finish to the season. The Trojans have a nearly plus-200 run differential, showcasing the well-rounded nature of the team. Unfortunately for state title hopeful Center Grove, Sectional 13 features another championship contender in Mooresville. I think Mooresville's experience will be too much for the young Trojans.
Postseason Prediction: Sectional runner-up
2. Zionsville (21-7)
Last ranking: No. 5
There may not be a hotter team in the state than Zionsville. The Eagles have won four in a row and have impressive wins over Center Grove and Noblesville (twice) this month. I think the Eagles will be another casualty to the loaded Sectional 8. I think Zionsville gets past Westfield, setting up a matchup against Noblesville, but beating a team three times is extremely difficult.
Postseason Prediction: Sectional semifinal
3. Noblesville (22-6)
Last ranking: No. 1
Noblesville just misses going wire-to-wire as No. 1 on our Fab 15. The Millers finish tied atop the Hoosier Crossroads Conference with Zionsville, giving them their second-consecutive conference title. In most sectionals, the Millers would be state championship contenders but making it out of Sectional 8 is daunting.
Postseason Prediction: Sectional runner-up
4. Mooresville (25-3)
Last ranking: No. 3
Mooresville ends the regular season with a loss to Bloomington South, snapping a 24-game win streak. Despite the loss, I think the Pioneers enter postseason play poised to make a deep run.
Postseason Prediction: Class 4A state champion
5. Fishers (21-8)
Last ranking: No. 4
Fishers is a battle-tested and experienced team, but the bracket does the Tigers no favors. If they can advance out of their loaded sectional, I predict the winner of the almost-as-loaded Sectional 13 awaits.
Postseason Prediction: Semistate semifinalist
6. Lawrence North (25-3)
Last ranking: No. 10
Lawerence North enters the postseason red-hot on a 16-game winning streak. In this scenario, the Wildcats win their sectional and get passed Mt. Vernon in the regional championship before falling to Mooresville.
Postseason prediction: Semistate semifinalist
7. New Palestine (21-5)
Last ranking: No. 6
The postseason is all about pitching, and the Dragons have a budding ace in Jacob Morris. But I predict the Dragons will run into another ace in Cam Sullivan who will lead Mt. Vernon to victory.
Postseason Prediction: Sectional runner-up
8. Guerin Catholic (20-5)
Last ranking: No. 8
I predicted Guerin to make it out of its sectional, and I think the rest of the bracket plays out well for the Golden Eagles. They have multiple talented arms and a deep offense, making them primed for a deep run.
Postseason Prediction: Class 3A state runner-up
9. Brebeuf Jesuit (20-9)
Last ranking: No. 12
The Braves have rounded into form down the stretch, ending the regular season on a five-game winning streak. The Braves have a plus-98 run differential and two quality starters in Maverick Geske and Christian Forniss. They'll likely need to get past a Guerin Catholic squad that swept them during the regular season.
Postseason prediction: Sectional runner-up
10. Perry Meridian (19-6)
Last ranking: No. 15
The Falcons have found their groove when it matters most, winners of seven in a row to end the regular season. The Falcons are young, but having an ace in Austin McNabb gives them a chance to hang with most teams.
Postseason prediction: Semistate semifinalist
11. Park Tudor (17-4)
Last ranking: No. 11
As a Class 2A school, Park Tudor plays a schedule featuring several larger class schools which should make the Panthers poised for a deep postseason run.
Postseason prediction: Semistate runner up
12. Bishop Chatard (16-10)
Last ranking: No. 9
Chatard opens the postseason with a Brebeuf team it struggled with during the regular season. Anything can happen in tournament play, but I think the Braves have the high-level pitching to pull out the win.
Preseason prediction: Sectional semifinalist
13. Roncalli (15-9)
Roncalli opens the postseason against Perry Meridian. The Royals dropped a 6-4 game to the Falcons during the regular season. Jayden Simpson pitched five strong against Roncalli during the season. Roncalli may fare better against Simpson the second time around. If Perry chooses to start ace Austin McNabb, I think the Falcons get the win.
Postseason prediction: Sectional first round loss
14. Avon (15-15)
Last ranking: No. 14
The Orioles ended the regular season with quality wins over Greenwood and Cathedral. The Orioles 15-15 record is a product of their difficult schedule, possibly giving them a chance to catch some teams by surprise in the postseason.
Postseason prediction: Regional runner up
15. University (13-11-1)
Last ranking: Unranked
The Trailblazers have struggled to play consistent baseball, but the talent is there to make a postseason run. Sophomore Ryan Castetter leads the offense batting .392 with three home runs. Fellow sophomore Beckett Suh is their top pitcher with 34 strikeouts over 31⅔ innings. The young Trailblazers will need to play like upperclassmen to advance in the postseason.
Postseason prediction: Regional runner-up
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA baseball: Final regular season rankings, playoff predictions
