Here are five things to know about the regional tournament, which begins Wednesday.
Dayton vs. Cincinnati
In Division I, two Dayton-area schools will face off against two Cincinnati-area schools for a berth in the state tournament in Akron.
Centerville (15-13) will play Mason at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Indian Hill High School. The Elks eliminated Mason last season 10-1 before falling to Fairfield 1-0 in the regional final. They’ve won seven of their last eight games. The Elks are seeking their first trip to the state tournament.
Fairmont (18-8) will play Cincinnati Oak Hills at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Indian Hill. The Firebirds last advanced to the state tournament in 1984.
The semifinal winners will play at 5 p.m. Friday at Indian Hill with a state berth on the line.
Credit: Marcus Hartman
Credit: Marcus Hartman
Return trip
Division IV state poll champion and undefeated Kenton Ridge (28-0) is seeking a return trip to the state tournament.
A year ago, the Cougars advanced to Akron in Division II but fell to eventual state champion Canfield 3-0 in a state semifinal game. Kenton Ridge collected just one hit in the game.
This year, the Cougars have been dominant at the plate in the D-IV tournament, outscoring their opponents 64-2 in three postseason games. Kenton Ridge’s 2-3-4 hitters – junior Brenna Fyffe, sophomore Jayden Davis and freshman Ivee Rastatter – have combined for 38 home runs and 173 RBIs.
Kenton Ridge will play Cleves Taylor at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Mason High School. The winner will play either Newark Licking Valley or Clinton Massie in the D-IV regional final at 5 p.m. Friday at Mason.
Ross is streaking
After a loss on April 12, the Rams are 13-2 and have won six straight, including a D-III district final victory over Piqua. They advanced to face Western Brown at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Miami University Softball Stadium.
The last time Ross (20-6) reached regionals was in 2016, when the Rams lost to LaGrange Keystone 18-0 in the Division II state semifinals.
The Ross-Western Brown winner plays the winner of New Richmond and Greenville in a regional final at 5 p.m. Friday at Miami.
CBC showdown
Two Central Buckeye Conference Mad River Division rivals will meet for the third time this season in the D-V Sweet 16.
Shawnee (24-3) will play Northwestern (17-8) in a regional semifinal game at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Centerville High School.
Shawnee, which is seeking its first trip to the state tournament, beat Northwestern twice during Central Buckeye Conference Mad River Division play en route to their first conference title since 1977. The Braves have won nine straight against the Warriors dating back to the 2019 season.
In the other D-V regional semifinal, Miami East (24-3) will play defending D-IV state champion Baltimore Liberty Union at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Centerville.
The Vikings have won 11 straight games, including an 11-0 district final victory over Williamsburg that saw senior Jacqueline Kadel throw a no-hitter with one walk and 10 strikeouts. Miami East is seeking its third trip to the state tournament and second in four years. It last advanced in 2022.
The winners will advance to a D-V regional final game at 5 p.m. Friday.
New state tournament format
With seven divisions, six state semifinal games and three state final games were added to the OHSAA tournament schedule at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
The semifinal games will now begin on Wednesday, June 4 with the last of the state final games being held Sunday, June 8.
The OHSAA state softball championships are scheduled for June 4-8 at Akron’s Firestone Stadium.
All games will be broadcast live on both the NFHS Network and the OHSAA Radio Network.
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