The Floyd Central and Henryville softball teams will each go up against area rivals in their respective sectional openers later this month, as both squads will try to repeat as sectional champions. Teams across the state learned the pairings for their sectionals on Thursday when the IHSAA conducted the state tournament draw in Indianapolis.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
• Whitney Zollman (IU Southeast softball, Charlestown graduate, Fr.) — home vs. Midway, Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, semifinal, May 3, 7-1 win: winning pitcher, 6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 5 K, 3 BB; home vs. Union, NAIA Region XII Tournament, May 7, 6-0 win: winning pitcher, 4 IP, O R, 4 K; home vs. Milligan, NAIA Region XII Tournament, May 7, 4-3 win: winning pitcher, 3.1 IP, 2 H.

Starting pitcher Kelsey Markland tossed a no-hitter, leading the Providence softball team to a 5-0 triumph over South Central on Wednesday at home.

The Indiana University Southeast softball team advanced in the NAIA Region XII Tournament on Wednesday by winning two games at home.

So the entire sport of horse racing is under fire for what happened to the filly Eight Belles after last weekend’s Kentucky Derby.
One question — why now?

NEW ALBANY — It seemed somehow appropriate for Election Night, as the Hoosier Hills Conference came together for a race that was too close to call most of the way.

The Floyd Central girls’ tennis team only dropped four games to win its opener in the Hoosier Hills Conference Tournament over visiting Madison on Tuesday, 5-0.

FLOYDS KNOBS — Ask Floyd Central girls’ tennis coach Rick Miller what spot in his lineup he’d be most willing to bet all his chips on and he’d likely be quick to answer his No. 1 doubles team.
The tandem of Kayla Prusinski and Emma LaDuke just keeps finding ways to pay off.

NEW ALBANY — This meeting between the Jeffersonville and New Albany baseball teams was much closer.
In fact, it came down to just two swings of the bat.
But those two swings belonged the Red Devil slugger Cody Poole, who crushed two home runs, had five RBIs and led Jeff to a 10-4 victory over their archrivals in the first round of the Hoosier Hills Conference Tournament at Mt. Tabor Field on Monday.

Cydney Wilcoxson and Erin Harper each had an RBI single on Monday, helping Jeffersonville to a 2-1 opening-round win over Columbus East in the Hoosier Hills Conference Tournament.

After a strong second-place finish, word came that an equine ambulance was coming for Larry Jones-trained filly Eight Belles, lying prone on the track near the start of the backstretch.

Both the Indiana University Southeast baseball and softball teams captured Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championships on Saturday.

LOUISVILLE - All week, Big Brown trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. walked with a confident swagger on the backside of Churchill Downs because he knew had the horse to beat in the 134th Kentucky Derby.
On Saturday, he showed why he was so confident.

LOUISVILLE — Richard Dutrow Jr. talked. Talked a whole bunch about his entry in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
Told anyone who would listen to wager whatever amount you wanted on his Big Brown Derby favorite.

While I may not be as famous as my son, I have spent 38 years watching and handicapping the Kentucky Derby. In that time, two things have become quite clear.

LOUISVILLE — Larry Jones was already attempting to make a bit of history this weekend at Churchill Downs.
Now he’s got a chance to do something unprecedented.

Larry Jones was waiting for a sign from God. Or any sign, really.
“Even if it’s some nitwit putting a sign on I-64,” said a laughing Jones outside of Barn 43 on the backside of Churchill Downs. “With ‘don’t do it’ painted on there.”

NEW ALBANY — One thing is guaranteed when New Albany and Providence play on the baseball diamond — there is going to be a lot of fireworks.

JEFFERSONVILLE — While most talk about racing and Kentucky this week has centered on Kentucky Derby 134, two teams from the Bluegrass State ran circles around the field Thursday night at the Jeffersonville Invitational.

Morning line favorite Big Brown turned in a three-furlong workout on Thursday in his one final tune-up for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby 134.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
• Katie Maggard (Rose-Hulman softball, Floyd Central graduate, Sr.) — home vs. St. Mary-of-the-Woods, April 24, Game 1, 7-1 loss: 3 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 5 K, 1 BB; home vs. St. Mary-of-the-Woods, April 24, Game 2, 7-4 win: R; at Hanover, April 26, Game 1, 10-2 win: winning pitcher, 7 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 H, 4 K, 2 BB; 2-3, 2 RBIs, 2B; at Hanover, April 26, Game 2, 2-0 loss: 2-3, RBI; notes: Maggard helped Rose-Hulman clinch a share of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season title. She went 2-0 last week with a 0.41 earned-run average and 15 strikeouts, allowing eight hits and four walks. She also batted .417 for the week. The HCAC title helped the Engineers clinch being the host site for the conference tournament.

In a showdown between two of the area’s top powers, the Floyd Central boys’ golf team proved that it’s still the one to beat

Jeffersonville hung with perhaps the best team in Louisville for five innings, but St. Xavier scored four times in the sixth inning and eventually downed the Red Devils, 8-5.

The skeptics have been out in full force this week at Churchill Downs, and one of the horses they have been questioning is Kentucky Derby contender Colonel John.

If 3-year-old Big Brown plans on winning Saturday’s 134th Kentucky Derby, he will have to duplicate his Florida Derby heroics.
The Big Brown camp picked the 20th post at the Derby post-position draw Wednesday at Fourth Street Live, which set the 20-horse field. The only horse to ever win the Derby from the 20th starting spot was Clyde Van Dusen in 1929.
Despite the outside post, Big Brown was named the morning-line favorite at 3-1 odds. He is the lone undefeated horse in the field.
“If he wins f

The Clarksville softball team staked its claim as the hottest squad in the Clark-Floyd area during its recent 10-game winning streak.
But Floyd Central may still be the toughest.

The whole world changes during the spring. New colors to replace the old and withered. Everything reset to zero, to begin the cycle again.

The gathering is small, barely cracking a dozen, but the main attraction briefly peaks around the corner, quickly shying away from the crowd and retreating back to his cozy confines inside.
That’s been the existence of potential Derby favorite Big Brown, the large but fairly unknown Florida Derby winner who made a late arrival at Churchill on Monday and yet still remains perhaps the biggest enigma for Saturday’s running of the Kentucky Derby 134.