COLUMBUS - The Licking Valley baseball team is in pursuit of a second consecutive state championship, and the Panthers now know their path.
Valley (17-3), which dropped from Division III to Division IV, received the No. 2 seed when the Ohio High School Athletic Association held its Central District tournament draw on May 10. Northridge in Division V in the midst of a resurgent season and Newark Catholic in Division VII in hopes of returning to the state final each received No. 1 seeds.
Valley begins its postseason, hosting either No. 9 Bishop Ready or No. 12 Marion-Franklin in a district semifinal May 27. With a win, the Panthers would play in a district final at 5 p.m. May 29 at Denison potentially against No. 3 Buckeye Valley or No. 5 Heath.
Heath (11-10) hosts No. 7 Lakewood (7-14) at 2 p.m. May 23. The winner likely would visit Buckeye Valley for a district semifinal May 27.
Johnstown (8-11) is the No. 6 seed and hosts No. 8 River Valley at 2 p.m. May 23. With a win, the Johnnies potentially could visit No. 4 Highland for a district semifinal May 27.
The top-seeded Vikings (12-7) in Division V will host either No. 11 Utica or No. 12 North Union for a district semifinal at 5 p.m. May 26. Utica (5-18) hosts North Union at 2 p.m. May 23.
The winner of the district semifinal advances to a district final at 5 p.m. May 28 at Beavers Field in Lancaster. That opponent potentially could be No. 4 Mount Gilead.
Top-seeded NC (14-6) hosts either No. 4 Shekinah Christian or No. 8 Madison Christian at 2 p.m. May 23 in Division VII. With a win, the Green Wave would host a district semifinal May 27 against either No. 9 Liberty Christian (5-10) or No. 11 Northside Christian, and the potential district final is set for 10 a.m. May 29 at Beavers Field with No. 2 Fairfield Christian and No. 3 Ridgedale potential opponents.
Newark (17-3) is the No. 7 seed in Division I and plays No. 12 Hilliard Darby in a district semifinal on May 26 at Dublin Coffman. The winner plays either No. 6 Coffman or No. 8 Lancaster in a district final at 5 p.m. May 28 with the highest remaining seed hosting.
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Watkins Memorial (12-8) is the No. 4 seed in Division II and hosts either No. 9 Dublin Scioto or No. 18 Mifflin for a district semifinal May 26. With a win, the Warriors would host either No. 5 Worthington Kilbourne or No. 12 Mount Vernon for a district final at 5 p.m. May 28.
Licking Heights (5-12) is the No. 14 seed and plays No. 15 Briggs in a district semifinal May 27 at New Albany. The winner likely visits the No. 1 Eagles for a district final May 29.
Granville (11-9) is the No. 6 seed in Division III and hosts No. 14 Whitehall at 2 p.m. May 23. A win likely would send the Blue Aces to No. 4 Bloom-Carroll for a district semifinal May 27 with No. 1 Bishop Watterson a potential opponent in a district final.
Granville Christian (11-8) is the No. 11 seed in Division VI and visits No. 5 Grandview Heights at 2 p.m. May 23. The winner visits No. 4 Northmor on May 26 for a district semifinal.
Softball brackets completed
The Division I and II softball brackets were finalized a week after those for the other five divisions were set.
Watkins Memorial (16-7), in pursuit of a sixth consecutive district championship, received the No. 8 seed in Division I and hosts No. 25 Westerville South for a semifinal at 5 p.m. May 18. A win would send the Warriors into a district final at 5 p.m. May 21 at London against either No. 12 Dublin Coffman or No. 14 Pickerington North.
Lakewood (15-9) is the No. 15 and visits No. 4 Delaware for a district semifinal at 5 p.m. May 18. The winner plays either No. 6 Upper Arlington or No. 11 Pickerington Central for a district title at 5 p.m. May 21 at Berne Union.
Newark (5-18) is the No. 26 seed and visits No. 3 Olentangy at 5 p.m. May 18. The winner plays in a final at 2 p.m. May 21 at Big Walnut against either No. 13 Central Crossing or No. 20 Westerville North.
Heights (13-8) is the No. 6 seed in Division II and hosts No. 9 Logan at 5 p.m. May 19. With a win the Hornets would play in a district final at 5 p.m. May 22 at Groveport likely against No. 1 Westerville Central.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate:Licking County baseball teams set OHSAA postseason path