MOUNT VERNON — Wednesday’s Ohio Cardinal Conference baseball showdown against New Philadelphia won’t be Mount Vernon’s last meaningful home game.
The Yellow Jackets, who are tied atop the OCC standings with the Quakers, earned the No. 5 seed in the central district and took a first-round bye. Mount Vernon (17-3) will host either No. 35 Logan or No. 41 Chillicothe in a sectional final at 5 p.m. May 15.
Mount Vernon and New Philadelphia are both 10-2 in OCC play and will play a home-and-home series Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Jackets are at New Philadelphia on Tuesday with the winner guaranteed of no worse than a share of the conference crown. Tuesday’s winner can claim an outright title Wednesday with a win at Mount Vernon.
As for the postseason, a victory over the Logan/Chillicothe winner would send the Yellow Jackets into the district tournament for the first time since 2017. Mount Vernon fell to Marysville 4-3 in the sectional final last year.
Division III
Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference leader Highland dropped to Division III this year. The Fighting Scots (19-2) picked up the No. 2 seed and will open tournament play at home in a sectional championship game against either No. 20 Madison-Plains or No. Northridge at 5 p.m. May 15.
East Knox (15-4) earned the No. 4 seed and opted to play a first-round game. The Bulldogs, who have clinched at least a share of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference crown, will host No. 26 Columbus International in a sectional semifinal at 5 p.m. May 13.
No. 18 Fredericktown (5-16) will open tournament play at No. 16 Cardington. The sectional semifinal game will be played at 5 p.m. May 13.
Ninth-seeded Centerburg (11-8) will host No. 22 Tree of Life in a sectional semifinal at 5 p.m. May 13.
Division IV
Seventh-seeded Danville (8-10) will host No. 10 Shekinah Christian in a sectional semifinal game at 5 p.m. May 14.