The baseball and softball postseasons in the Sixth Region will look a bit different this year.
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association in November approved a plan for the Sixth Region to use a “super regional” format for its postseason this year, eliminating district tournaments.
“We think we’ll get the best four teams in the final four and have a better tournament,” Fern Creek athletics director Troy Johnson said during Friday morning’s draw. “And the regular season means more now.”
Johnson noted last fall that four of the past five Sixth Region softball tournaments have included forfeits in the quarterfinals: Doss in 2019, Iroquois in 2021 and Western in 2023 and 2024. Western also dropped out of this year’s tournament.
The super-regional format for both baseball and softball rewards regular-season district champions as hosts of their respective pods. Each pod includes one team from each of the four districts.
The winner of each pod will advance to the regional semifinals at the University of Louisville.
No. 6-ranked Pleasure Ridge Park, the defending state champion, and No. 25 Bullitt East lead the field for the baseball tournament.
No. 12 Bullitt East is the only ranked team in the softball tournament.
Here are the tournament schedules:
Pleasure Ridge Park pod
Monday, May 19 – Moore vs. Pleasure Ridge Park, 6 p.m.; Fern Creek vs. Butler, 8 p.m.
Wednesday, May 21 – Moore-Pleasure Ridge Park winner vs. Fern Creek-Butler winner, 7 p.m.
Southern pod
Monday, May 19 – Valley vs. Southern, 5:30 p.m.; Doss vs. Whitefield Academy, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 21 – Valley-Southern winner vs. Doss-Whitefield Academy winner, 6 p.m.
Bullitt East pod
Saturday, May 17 – Western vs. Iroquois, 2 p.m.
Tuesday, May 20 – Western-Iroquois winner vs. Bullitt East, 5:30 p.m.; Fairdale vs. North Bullitt, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 22 – Western-Iroquois-Bullitt East winner vs. Fairdale-North Bullitt winner, 6 p.m.
DeSales pod
Monday, May 19 – Jeffersontown vs. DeSales, 5:30 p.m.; Bullitt Central vs. Holy Cross, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 21 – Jeffersontown-DeSales winner vs. Bullitt Central-Holy Cross winner, 6:30 p.m.
Semifinals/final at University of Louisville
Monday, May 26 – Pleasure Ridge Park pod winner vs. Southern pod winner, TBA; Bullitt East pod winner vs. DeSales pod winner, TBA
Wednesday, May 28 – Championship, TBA
Butler pod
Tuesday, May 20 – Jeffersontown vs. Butler, 5:30 p.m.; Moore vs. Holy Cross, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 21 – Jeffersontown-Butler winner vs. Moore-Holy Cross winner, 6 p.m.
Bullitt East pod
Tuesday, May 20 – Valley vs. Bullitt East, 5:30 p.m.; Whitefield Academy vs. Bullitt Central, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 22 – Valley-Bullitt East winner vs. Whitefield Academy-Bullitt Central winner, 6 p.m.
Pleasure Ridge Park pod
Tuesday, May 20 – Fern Creek vs. Iroquois, 6 p.m.; Southern vs. Pleasure Ridge Park, 8 p.m.
Thursday, May 22 – Fern Creek-Iroquois winner vs. Southern-Pleasure Ridge Park winner, 6 p.m.
North Bullitt pod
Tuesday, May 20 – Fairdale vs. Mercy, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, May 21 – Fairdale-Mercy winner vs. North Bullitt, 6 p.m.
Semifinals/final at University of Louisville
Monday, May 26 – Butler pod winner vs. Bullitt East pod winner, 11 a.m.; Pleasure Ridge Park pod winner vs. North Bullitt pod winner, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, May 28 – Championship, 5:30 p.m.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Follow on X @kyhighs.
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