Indiana Preps | The State

The IHSAA spring postseason is here. Sectionals are being decided, regionals are on the horizon, and for most programs across the state, the season is either about to peak or about to end. That’s Indiana high school sports in May — brutal, beautiful, and unforgiving.
Every bracket has a team that everyone is secretly hoping to avoid. These are ten of them across track, tennis, baseball, softball, and boys volleyball. These aren’t necessarily the favorites to win state. They’re the programs that, when your name lands next to theirs in a bracket, you feel it in your stomach.

Boys Volleyball — Roncalli Royals
Roncalli won the inaugural IHSAA Boys Volleyball State Championship last spring, sweeping Cathedral in the title match at Mackey Arena — the culmination of a dynasty that produced four IBVCA state titles before the IHSAA even sanctioned the sport. The Royals are the gold standard of boys volleyball in Indiana. They’re back in the 2026 tournament field and drawing from a program culture that has been operating at championship level for nearly a decade. Nobody wants to see Roncalli.

Boys Volleyball — Cathedral Fighting Irish
Cathedral went 31-6 last season, reached the inaugural state championship game, and pushed Roncalli in sets two and three before falling. The Irish don’t rebuild — they reload. Cathedral is back in the 2026 bracket on the Indianapolis regional side , which means another deep postseason run is entirely possible for a program with the talent and tradition to make the Royals work for every set.

Boys Volleyball — Lake Central Indians
Lake Central reached the state semifinals last spring and has built one of the most consistent programs in Northwest Indiana. They’re back in the 2026 field on the Munster regional side . A team that knows how to win in May in a region that produces its share of quality volleyball programs is exactly the kind of opponent that can end your season before you realize it’s happening.

Baseball — Center Grove Trojans
Center Grove entered the spring as one of the top teams in Class 4A and has the talent to back it up. Drake McClurg — the highest-rated position player in Indiana’s Class of 2027 — is hitting at the top of a lineup that has been one of the most productive in the state. The Trojans were the 2023 state runners-up and have been in the postseason conversation every year since. Nobody in 4A wants to open a bracket and find Center Grove waiting.

Baseball — Crown Point Bulldogs
Crown Point has been one of the most dominant baseball programs in Northwest Indiana for years and enters the postseason among the 4A contenders. The Bulldogs produce consistent pitching, play clean defense, and understand how to win in tournament format — a different skill than winning in the regular season. Their experience in big moments is the most dangerous thing about them.

Baseball — Snider Panthers
With Isaiah Snavely — one of the top-ranked prospects in the country — in the middle of the lineup, and a program that just reached semi-state for only the third time in school history, Fort Wayne Snider is dangerous in ways that go beyond the star player. A team that has tasted that level of postseason success doesn’t forget what it costs to get there.

Softball — Roncalli Royals
Roncalli is Indiana’s most decorated softball program and has been a state championship contender in virtually every postseason since the Keagan Rothrock era. The Royals have consistently been ranked among Indiana’s top 4A programs by the Indiana Softball Coaches Association , and tournament experience is something this program carries like a credential. Opposing coaches don’t enjoy seeing Roncalli show up in the regional bracket.

Softball — Fishers Tigers
Fishers entered the spring undefeated and with freshman pitcher Caroline Smock already posting a 2.72 ERA across five games. A 9-1 start, a pitcher who pounds the zone, and a program with the depth to make a deep run — this is the kind of team that can beat you in multiple ways. A talented young roster with nothing to lose is a dangerous combination.

Track — Brownsburg Bulldogs
Brownsburg has been one of the most complete track programs in Indiana for years, producing state-caliber athletes in sprints, distance, and field events. The Bulldogs operate at a program depth that most schools simply can’t match. Individual stars can win events. Depth wins team titles. Brownsburg has both.

Track — Carmel Greyhounds
Carmel’s track programs have consistently been in the state title conversation and have the tradition, facilities, and talent pipeline to compete at the highest level in any event group. When Carmel shows up to a sectional with a full roster, they change the scoring math for every other team on the sheet.

The IHSAA spring postseason runs through May 30. Brackets are set, and the field is wide open — but these ten programs are the ones making other coaches check the draw twice.

Indiana Preps covers high school athletics across the state of Indiana.