As the baseball season rounds third and the team looks for home, athletes hope to finish the season strong and slide into home.
“We are looking to catch a few more wins and finish the season feeling good about ourselves. We had a pretty rough start, losing our first four games before getting a win, but we ended up going 4-4 in the next eight games. All we are focused on is cutting out errors and playing harder. If we can accomplish that, we will do just fine once Sectionals start,” sophomore Joey Ortman, third baseman and pitcher, said
Despite the new lineup of teams, there are still similarities in competition with the new Sectional in the bigger picture.
“Moving down to 3A is not much of a change if you look at it in the bigger picture. We have teams like New Pal and Roncalli, who both have a rich baseball history. They were both moved to 3A, just like us. Shelbyville has a great pitcher who is committed to Kentucky, as well, who can throw really well. But we will not have to face teams like Center Grove, who always have great teams, and Mooresville, who have recently had great arms who throw 90-plus,” Coach Andy Bass said
However, there are still obvious changes in competition when it comes to playing top-ranked teams in the playoffs.
“In the new Sectional, the teams are overall weaker. We won’t have to play Center Grove or Mooresville anymore, who are constantly ranked top in the state and are always tough teams. The teams are still solid, however, and should not be overlooked. Shelbyville has a solid pitcher, and New Pal and Roncalli are always good teams. But I know we can beat both of them and ultimately win the Sectional,” senior Ethan King, centerfielder, said.
Despite a 4-9 record, the team has high expectations to do well in the new Sectional.
“I think we will do well in the new Sectional. There are some tough teams, but if we practice the little things and go out looking to battle, we could definitely make it far and hopefully come out with a Sectional title,” junior Blayne Reitmeyer, starting pitcher, said.
The team is well prepared for any adversity thrown their way during the Sectional tournament, giving them the upper hand when competing.
“I think we will make it pretty far. We have already come a long way since the start of the season as a team and I think with a little more time we will fix the little things and have a good chance at winning,” junior Sean Newett, catcher, said.
The team has their eyes set on the Sectional title, despite the team they may be playing on the road to the title.
“There is not really an ideal draw that we are looking for. The whole team wants to give whoever we play a fight and bring home a Sectional title. We know we can beat any team in our Sectional if we keep practicing hard and go out looking to win,” Reitmeyer said.
Having already met other teams in the new Sectional on the diamond, the team knows what to expect as they head into the playoffs.
“We have played a couple of teams in our Sectional, Roncalli and Indian Creek. We didn’t have the outcome we wanted against Roncalli, but we know we can give them a hard fight next time we see them on the diamond. We struggled on some things against Indian Creek but came out with the win. We know we can do better and beat them again,” Reitmeyer said.
Greenwood was paired with Beech Grove for round one of the tournament.
“We got the best pairing we could have asked for. We got paired with Beech Grove for game one, and that should be an easy game for us to take. After that, we play the winner of the Shelbyville versus Roncalli match-up, which is another easy game we can take. It will be challenging, but we have a really good shot of winning the Sectional title this year. We are expecting to reach the see New Pal in the championship game,” Ortman said.
The Woodmen kick off the playoffs against the Beech Grove Hornets on May 28th, 2025.
