Jason FrakesLouisville Courier Journal
The Louisville-area high school baseball and softball postseasons will kick into high gear Saturday with the start of regional tournament play.
The Sixth and Seventh Region softball tournaments will start Saturday with district champions hosting quarterfinals. Semifinals and finals will be played at the University of Louisville’s Ulmer Stadium, with champions advancing to the state tournament that starts June 1 at the University of Kentucky’s John Cropp Stadium.
Ballard (29-1) is the defending state champion and is ranked No. 1 in the state by the Kentucky Softball Coaches Association. The Bruins will host Atherton (11-18) at 1 p.m. Saturday in a Seventh Region quarterfinal.
No. 11 Mercy (24-6) leads the Sixth Region field and will get a bye into the semifinals after its quarterfinal game was forfeited by Western.
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Baseball action will start Sunday in the Seventh Region and Monday in the Sixth Region, with district champions hosting quarterfinals. Semifinals and finals will be played at U of L’s Jim Patterson Stadium, with champions advancing to the state tournament that starts June 1 at UK’s Kentucky Proud Park.
Trinity (32-6) is No. 1 in the Prep Baseball Report Power 25. The Shamrocks will host Portland Christian (10-10) at 6 p.m. Sunday in a Seventh Region quarterfinal. No. 2 St. Xavier (29-8), the defending state champion, will host Ballard (20-11-1) at 1 p.m. Sunday.
No. 12 DeSales (28-9) is seeking its third straight Sixth Region crown and will host Bullitt Central (11-19) at 6 p.m. Monday in a quarterfinal.
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Here are the complete pairings:
Sixth Region softball
Saturday (at district champions) – Bullitt East (20-9) at Butler (17-9), 5 p.m.; Bullitt Central (6-20) vs. Holy Cross (14-12), 3 p.m. at Assumption
Sunday (at district champion) - Pleasure Ridge Park (13-19) at North Bullitt (10-15), 5 p.m.
Monday (at University of Louisville) – Bullitt East-Butler winner vs. Bullitt Central-Holy Cross winner, 5:30 p.m.; Mercy (24-6) vs. Pleasure Ridge Park-North Bullitt winner, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday (at U of L) – Final, 5:30 p.m.
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Seventh Region softball
Saturday (at district champions) – Eastern (26-11) at Sacred Heart (11-16), 3 p.m.; Male (17-10) at Manual (25-6), 3 p.m.; Atherton (11-18) at Ballard (29-1), 3 p.m.; Portland Christian (16-8) at Assumption (18-10), 6 p.m.
Sunday (at University of Louisville) – Eastern-Sacred Heart winner vs. Male-Manual winner, 2 p.m.; Atherton-Ballard winner vs. Portland Christian-Assumption winner, 4 p.m.
Tuesday (at U of L) – Final, 7:30 p.m.
Sixth Region baseball
Monday (at district champions) – Butler (11-20) at Southern (18-10), 6 p.m.; Holy Cross (11-17) at Bullitt East (19-13-1), 6 p.m.; Fern Creek (13-16) at Pleasure Ridge Park (23-8), 5:30 p.m.; Bullitt Central (11-19) at DeSales (28-9), 6 p.m.
Wednesday (at University of Louisville) – Butler-Southern winner vs. Holy Cross-Bullitt East winner, 5:30 p.m.; Fern Creek-Pleasure Ridge Park winner vs. Bullitt Central-DeSales winner, 8 p.m.
Friday (at U of L) – Final, 8 p.m.
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Seventh Region baseball
Sunday (at district champions) – Ballard (20-11-1) at St. Xavier (29-8), 1 p.m.; Highlands Latin (18-11) vs. Manual (28-6), 2 p.m. at Derby City Field; Male (10-16) at Eastern (24-12), 6 p.m.; Portland Christian (10-10) at Trinity (32-6), 6 p.m.
Tuesday (at University of Louisville) – Highlands Latin-Manual winner vs. Male-Eastern winner, 5:30 p.m.; Portland Christian-Trinity winner vs. Ballard-St. Xavier winner, 8 p.m.
Friday (at U of L) – Final, 5:30 p.m.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.
