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Two Licking County softball teams earn top district seeds
TL;DR
Licking Valley and Newark Catholic softball teams both earned top seeds for the upcoming district championships in Ohio. Licking Valley is seeded No. 1 in Division IV and Newark Catholic in Division VII, with postseason games starting soon.
Key points
- Licking Valley is seeded No. 1 in Division IV.
- Newark Catholic is seeded No. 1 in Division VII.
- Both teams aim for repeat district championships.
- Licking Valley's record is 17-0.
- District finals are scheduled for May 22 at Marysville.
Licking ValleyNewark CatholicOhio High School Athletic Association
COLUMBUS - The Licking Valley and Newark Catholic softball teams both are in pursuit of repeat district championships, and both will have pole position.
Valley was seeded No. 1 in Division IV on May 3 in the Central District as was NC in Division VII for the upcoming postseason based on the MaxPreps RPI rankings used by the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The Division III-VII brackets were set with the Division I-II brackets to follow May 10.
Valley (17-0) hosts either No. 10 Heath (2-14) or No. 11 Columbus East in a Division IV district semifinal at 5 p.m. May 19. Heath hosts East at 5 p.m. May 13.
Potential opponents in a district final at 2 p.m. May 22 at Marysville are either No. 6 Eastmoor Academy or No. 9 Bishop Ready. The district winner heads to the southeast regional.
Newark Catholic's Avery Sullivan fields a ground ball at second base during a 10-0 loss at Johnstown on April 20, 2026.
NC (12-7) hosts either No. 4 Delaware Christian or No. 7 Shekinah Christian at 5 p.m. May 18 in a Division VII district semifinal with the winner advancing to potentially play No. 2 Madison Christian in a district final at 5 p.m. May 22 at Pickerington Central. The district champion advances to play in the northeast regional.
In Division V, Johnstown (16-4-1) earned the No. 2 seed and hosts No. 11 Amanda-Clearcreek at 5 p.m. May 14 and with a win would host either No. 7 Grove City Christian or No. 8 Fredericktown in a district semifinal at 5 p.m. May 18. The Johnnies could see No. 3 Centerburg in a district final at 5 p.m. May 21 at Pickerington North.
Also in Division V, Utica (11-8) earned the No. 6 seed and hosts No. 9 Northmor at 5 p.m. May 14 and with a win would either visit No. 5 Fairbanks or host No. 10 Northridge (7-13) at 5 p.m. May 18. Northridge visits Fairbanks at 5 p.m. May 14.
A meeting with No. 1 Liberty Union would come in a district final at 2 p.m. May 21 at Pickerington North. Both Division V winners go to the northwest regional.
In Division III, Granville (9-13) is the No. 9 seed and visits No. 5 Bishop Hartley at 5 p.m. May 14. With a win, the Blue Aces would visit No. 2 Bexley for a district semifinal at 5 p.m. May 18.
In Division VI, Liberty Christian (4-10) is the No. 7 seed and hosts No. 9 Mechanicsburg at 5 p.m. May 13. The winner visits No. 2 West Jefferson at 5 p.m. May 19.
Q&A
What are the upcoming games for Licking Valley softball team?
Licking Valley will host either No. 10 Heath or No. 11 Columbus East in a Division IV district semifinal at 5 p.m. on May 19.
Who are the potential opponents for Newark Catholic in the district finals?
Newark Catholic could face either No. 6 Eastmoor Academy or No. 9 Bishop Ready in the district finals.
What is the significance of the MaxPreps RPI rankings for Ohio high school softball?
The MaxPreps RPI rankings determine the seedings for the district championships, impacting teams' positions and matchups in the postseason.