The IHSAA announced all baseball sectional pairings Sunday, May 3, less than a month away from the start of the state tourney on May 27. Six South Bend Tribune coverage area teams — Goshen, Jimtown, New Prairie, NorthWood, Penn and Triton — won sectional crowns last season. Two of those squads — Goshen and NorthWood — brought home regional titles as well.
Many of those squads remain favorites to win their respective sectionals this year, but some challengers have emerged through the first month of the season. In Class 4A, the defending sectional champion Kingsmen (16-3) are ranked No. 3 and are heavy favorites in a field also featuring the hosting Mishawaka (9-2) among others.
Also, the RedHawks (9-4) look to prove their run to the semi-state championship game last season was no fluke in a sectional they host. Concord, however, could stand in Goshen’s way, as the Minutemen (8-3) have already beaten their Northern Lakes Conference (NLC) rival, 4-0, this season.
In Class 3A, South Bend Saint Joseph (11-4) and New Prairie (12-3) will face each other in a first-round sectional game that very well could have been the championship if the Northern Indiana Conference (NIC) rivals were paired on opposite ends of their Plymouth-hosted bracket.
Like Goshen, NorthWood (10-4) looks to defend its 3A sectional crown and make another run past regionals, but the Panthers will have to win three sectional games to even make it out of the first weekend. They are 10-4 to start the season and will likely run into a solid Columbia City (9-5) team in the semifinal round.
In Class 2A, the Jimmies (7-4) only have to beat Winamac (7-5) to advance to the sectional title game once again at their home diamond. Indiana Northern State Conference (INSC) foes LaVille (3-11) and Bremen face each other in a first-round game, and the Lions (9-1) look like the favorite to emerge from their side of the bracket for a championship showdown against Jimtown.
In Class 1A, defending sectional champ Triton (13-1) is rolling once again this season, ranked third in its class. However, the Trojans will also have to win three games to clinch a second straight title, and they’ll have to do so at South Central.
Full IHSAA baseball sectional brackets for South Bend area
Dates and times have yet to be announced.
4A Sectional 3 (Mishawaka)
Game 1: South Bend Adams vs. South Bend Riley
Game 2: Penn vs. Michigan City
Game 3: La Porte vs. Mishawaka
Game 4: Winner of Adams/Riley vs. Winner of Penn/Michigan City
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
4A Sectional 4 (Goshen)
Game 1: Warsaw vs. Goshen
Game 2: Northridge vs. Concord
Game 3: Elkhart vs. Winner of Warsaw/Goshen
Game 4: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3
3A Sectional 19 (Plymouth)
Game 1: Culver Academies vs. Plymouth
Game 2: Glenn vs. Mishawaka Marian
Game 3: New Prairie vs. South Bend Saint Joseph
Game 4: South Bend Washington vs. Winner of Culver Academies/Plymouth
Game 5: Winner of Glenn/Marian vs. Winner of New Prairie/Saint Joseph
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5
3A Sectional 20 (Fairfield)
Game 1: Columbia City vs. Tippecanoe Valley
Game 2: NorthWood vs. West Noble
Game 3: Wawasee vs. Fairfield
Game 4: Winner of Columbia City/Tippy Valley vs. Winner of NorthWood/West Noble
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
2A Sectional 34 (Jimtown)
Game 1: South Bend Career Academy vs. Knox
Game 2: LaVille vs. Bremen
Game 3: Jimtown vs. Winamac
Game 4: Winner of Career Academy/Knox vs. Winner of LaVille/Bremen
Game 5: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
1A Sectional 49 (Westville)
Game 1: Hammond Science & Tech vs. Marquette Catholic
Game 2: Bowman Academy vs. Tri-Township
Game 3: Kouts vs. Morgan Township
Game 4: Westville vs. Washington Township
Game 5: Winner of Hammond S&T/Marquette vs. Winner of Bowman/Tri-Twp.
Game 6: Winner of Kouts/Morgan Twp. vs. Winner of Westville/Washington Twp.
Game 7: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6
1A Sectional 51 (South Central)
Game 1: Triton vs. Argos
Game 2: Elkhart Christian Academy vs. Oregon-Davis
Game 3: Culver vs. South Central
Game 4: North Judson San-Pierre vs. Winner of Triton/Argos
Game 5: Winner of ECA/Oregon-Davis vs. Winner of Culver/South Central
Game 6: Winner of Game 4 vs. Winner of Game 5
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleMSmedley.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: 2026 South Bend area IHSAA baseball sectional pairings set
Reporting by Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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