The postseason is heating up for Licking County baseball, and several teams have their sights set on deep tournament runs. With the Ohio High School Athletic Association Central District draw now complete, the road to Columbus is officially mapped out.
Defending state champion Licking Valley is chasing a second straight title, but this year they're doing it in a new division. The Panthers (17-3) dropped from Division III to Division IV and earned the No. 2 seed. They'll begin their journey by hosting either No. 9 Bishop Ready or No. 12 Marion-Franklin in a district semifinal on May 27. A win there would set up a district final showdown on May 29 at Denison, where they could face No. 3 Buckeye Valley or No. 5 Heath.
Heath (11-10) opens at home against No. 7 Lakewood (7-14) on May 23, with the winner likely traveling to Buckeye Valley for the semifinals. Meanwhile, Johnstown (8-11) grabbed the No. 6 seed and will host No. 8 River Valley on May 23. A victory could send the Johnnies to No. 4 Highland for a semifinal clash on May 27.
In Division V, Northridge is enjoying a resurgent season and earned the top seed. The Vikings (12-7) will host either No. 11 Utica or No. 12 North Union in a district semifinal on May 26. Utica (5-18) takes on North Union first on May 23. The winner of that semifinal advances to the district final on May 28 at Beavers Field in Lancaster, with No. 4 Mount Gilead a potential opponent.
Newark Catholic (14-6) is also a No. 1 seed in Division VII, aiming for a return to the state final. The Green Wave host either No. 4 Shekinah Christian or No. 8 Madison Christian on May 23. A win means they'd host a district semifinal on May 27 against either No. 9 Liberty Christian or No. 11 Northside Christian. The district final is scheduled for May 29 at Beavers Field, where No. 2 Fairfield Christian and No. 3 Ridgedale could be waiting.
In Division I, Newark (17-3) enters as the No. 7 seed and will face No. 12 Hilliard Darby in a district semifinal on May 26 at Dublin Coffman. The winner takes on either No. 6 Coffman or No. 8 Lancaster in the district final on May 28, with the higher seed hosting.
With tournament action set to begin later this month, Licking County baseball fans have plenty to watch—and plenty of reasons to gear up for the postseason push.