Rain slows tourney schedule

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

With state competition just two-and-a-half weeks away, it’s usually time to congratulate any surviving high school baseball and softball team for being among the state’s top 64 teams in their bracket.

Not this spring. Thanks to recent downpours and proms, the tournament baseball and softball schedules are behind schedule.

Make that way behind schedule.

With more rain in the forecast, it will take a busy week (and maybe the weekend as well) to whittle the surviving teams down to Ohio’s top 16.

This week’s schedule is supposed to devoted to district competition, with just about all the baseball games played at Struthers’ Bob Cene Park.

Good weather early last week has Division IV teams ready for district competition. But the other brackets have sectional games that have yet to be played.

In Div. IV, Columbiana and Warren JFK are slated to play today at 4:30 p.m. on one of Cene Park’s three fields while Lowellville and Springfield are set to go on another. The winners will meet on Tuesday sometime after 7 p.m.

Columbiana, which was a state semifinalist last June, is looking to defend its district championship. Springfield won the district in 2009 and advanced to state.

Also Tuesday, the Div. I semifinals are scheduled to begin. One bracket has Lakewood St. Edward playing Howland at 4:30 p.m. Boardman is in the other bracket, but but must await the winner of the Painesville Heights-Shaker Heights sectional final.

Things aren’t better in Div. II and III. In the former, Cardinal Mooney and Struthers are scheduled to play sometime after 7 tonight at Cene Park. The winner will advance to Wednesday’s district semifinals.

In Div. III, East Palestine and South Range need to play a sectional opener, then the winner needs to play Ursuline before Thursday’s district semifinals.

Softball has a logjam in Div. I. Today at 3 p.m., Canfield and Austintown Fitch are hoping to finish their scoreless suspended game from last Thursday. The winner will play Howland on Tuesday.

Also in Div. I, Boardman awaits the winner of the Ashtabula Lakeside-Warren Harding contest for a game to determine the area’s other district semifinalist.

Poland will begin to defend its Div. II district crown today at the Jefferson JAGS Complex when the Bulldogs take on Notre Dame Cathedral Latin. At Alliance, West Branch takes on Field in that district’s semifinals.

On Tuesday, Div. III has games at Lisbon and Jefferson involving area teams.

At Lisbon’s Dickey Field, South Range plays Mineral Ridge followed by Ursuline against East Palestine. At Jefferson, undefeated Champion will begin its defense of its 2010 district crown against Wickliffe.

On Wednesday, Div. IV semifinals are slated at Lakeview High in Cortland.

Also being contested this week are district track and field and tennis events.

On Wednesday and Friday, Div. I track athletes will compete at Austintown Fitch while Div. III competitors will gather at Springfield High in New Middletown and Independence.

On Thursday and Saturday, Div. II track meets are set at Salem, Lakeview and Pymatuning Valley.

Canton City Courts will be where the Div. II tennis competition is set to be contested on Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Weather-permitting, of course.