We are currently in the thick of sectional week for both baseball and softball and it is madness, games started on Monday for local softball teams and the fields are thinning daily.

I debated what to do for my picks this week and have decided to go ahead and pick the remaining games on schedule for this week, for both sectional softball and baseball. So, there are some familiar teams and some new ones that I hope I never have to worry about again.

I don’t want to take up to much space talking about each individual game, so I will try to be brief. Just trust that I know what I’m talking about, even if it looks like I don’t. Oh, who are we kidding? I know what I’m talking about. Would they give a weekly article to just any chump?

(Oh, okay I’ve just been informed that yes, yes they would do that. Moving on.)

A quick congratulations to the Tippecanoe Valley, Whitko and Warsaw softball teams on another season in the books. All three programs should be tough for opponents in the coming years.

Also, a big congratulations to the Wawasee junior varsity softball team for finishing its season 25-0. Great job, ladies.

Finally, the biggest congratulations goes to the Triton softball team which won its second-straight sectional title on Tuesday night. Way to go, Trojans/Blue Thunder!

Last week I only picked five games, I am sitting at 5-0 with those picks. There is a parade going on all day in my prowess. I’ve reached 200 wins.

Last Week: 5-0
Overall: 200-88

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Culver Community Baseball Sectional 5/28-5/31

LaCrosse (3-14) v. Oregon-Davis (5-13), 5/28, 5:30 p.m.
The Scoop: Oregon-Davis is in Hamlet, Indiana and its mascot is a bobcat. The Bobcats crushed LaCrosse 14-4 earlier this season. Those are the three things I know about this game. It’s hard to judge a high school baseball game on a prior meeting because a lot of things could have effected that first meeting, but I will go with the 10-run beat down as a good indicator as to how this will shake out.
The Pick: Oregon-Davis 9, LaCrosse 3.

South Central (10-13) v. Triton (10-14), 5/29, 5:30 p.m.
The Scoop: Judging on record alone, the winner of this game will be the favorite to win the sectional. Each team has 10 wins (assuming the records I found are accurate) and the rest of the sectional field has a combined 16 wins. South Central has won its 10 games by an average of six runs per game. The Satellites (what a weird, but awesome mascot) average seven runs per game. Triton has an issue with giving up runs and I’m not sure the Trojans have what it takes to step-up on the sectional stage.
The Pick: South Central 11, Triton 4.

Argos (6-14) v. Culver (2-14), 5/31, 12:30 p.m.
The Scoop: Culver is the defending sectional champion and gets the nice advantage of playing on its home field. Obviously this is a game between two pretty bad teams. Logic would go against picking the team with two wins but, I don’t like logic.
The Pick: Culver 5, Argos 3.

Whitko Baseball Sectional 5/28-5/30

Wawasee (10-15) v. West Noble (8-17), 5/28, 5:30 p.m.
The Scoop: These two teams just played on Tuesday night in Syracuse and it was the Warriors that picked up bragging rights for a day as they beat the Chargers 12-8. I expect about the same score on Wednesday night. Wawasee has done wonders under first-year head coach Brent Doty. The team laid out several goals to start the season and managed to accomplish at least one of those by getting double-digit wins. It’s no secret that the Warriors think they can run with the big dogs and win this sectional, but to do that they have to separate themselves from the bottom feeders like West Noble. Wawasee wins and takes on a tough Fairfield team, which got the bye.
The Pick: Wawasee 10, West Noble 5.

Tippecanoe Valley (15-11) v. NorthWood (16-5), 5/29, 5:30 p.m.
The Scoop: A battle of the past two sectional champions will not disappoint the fans that make the trip to South Whitley. NorthWood is the favorite to win this sectional, but that doesn’t mean the Panthers are unbeatable. Valley had had an up-and-down season but has been a little bit of a roll lately. NorthWood will probably roll through the field, but I am really good at making bold picks that never pan out, why change now?
The Pick: Valley 7, NorthWood 5.

Lakeland (9-18) v. Whitko (19-9), 5/30, 5:30 p.m.
The Scoop: Whitko is on a quest to win its first sectional title and I think the Wildcats are more than capable of doing that, but first they have to show that they are ready. Whitko has struggled against sectional opponents this season and already dropped a game to Lakeland earlier in the year. I fully expect for coach Erik Hisner’s boys to get some revenge here, but the ‘Cats can’t get caught up in the excitement of hosting the sectional. Stay smart and play like a sectional champion, Wildcats.
The Pick: Whitko 12, Lakeland 4.

Elkhart Memorial Baseball Sectional 5/29-5/31

Elkhart Memorial (16-11-1) v. Goshen (3-22), 5/29, 5 p.m.
The Scoop: To use the insightful words of Admiral Ackbar, “IT’S A TRAP!”
No, but seriously, this game should be a blowout but how easy would it be for a co-NLC champion, playing at home, to overlook such a bad opponent in the sectional? Pretty darn easy. Memorial will win this game AND win the sectional, but the Chargers cannot give Goshen a chance in this game, because the Redskins have nothing to lose and that is a dangerous advantage.
The Pick: Memorial 4, Goshen 0.

Elkhart Central (5-18-1) v. Concord (19-7), 5/29, 8 p.m.
The Scoop: Concord is one of those teams that is not really as good as its record. Don’t get me wrong, the Minutemen are a solid team and could win this sectional, but I don’t see them really as good as you would expect a 19-win team to be. Elkhart Central is the defending 4A state champion, but the Blazers have fallen on hard times while last year’s star, Tanner Tully, is out being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year at Ohio State. So, I’m just going to pick Concord despite the fact that Central did beat the Minutemen earlier this year.
The Pick: Concord 8, Central 3.

Northridge (15-11) v. Warsaw (10-15), 5/31, 1 p.m.
The Scoop: Warsaw split its two meetings with the Raiders this season. The first meeting was won by the Tigers, which surprised me and I am sorry for ever doubting coach Mike Hepler’s boys. Since then, however, the Tigers have struggled to find success, consistent success at least. I really, really want to pick Warsaw to win this but I just don’t know if I have faith in the Tigers to rebound on the sectional stage. Prove me wrong, boys.
The Pick: Northridge 9, Warsaw 2.

Fairfield Softball Sectional

NorthWood (15-10) v. Lakeland (14-12), 5/28, 5 p.m.
The Scoop: Both of these teams are capable of winning the sectional, but I really think this game is just to decide who the runner-up will be as Fairfield or Wawasee should win this sectional come Thursday. NorthWood was basically the laughing stock of the NLC, along with Goshen, last season. The Panthers have clearly rebounded and become a respectable and dangerous opponent. Lakeland has more experience in winning in the postseason and I think that will shine through and give the Lakers the edge.
The Pick: Lakeland 4, NorthWood 2.

Wawasee (18-10) v. Fairfield (21-6), 5/28, 6:45 p.m.
The Scoop: This game SHOULD decide who will be crowned champion Thursday night. Wawasee has an unbelievable amount of young talent and will own this sectional the next few years. The Warriors can get a nice head start on the dominance by beating Fairfield tonight, but the Falcons are defending sectional champions for a reason. I like this Wawasee team but if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Fairfield already beat the Warriors 7-1 earlier this season. The girls on Fairfield’s team were already bringing that up on Tuesday night, so they may slip up against Wawasee. Either way, Wawasee has to prove it belongs before I can pick them.
The Pick: Fairfield 3, Wawasee 1.