The Jackson County Central baseball team finds itself in a familiar place for the program to open the Section 3AA baseball tournament. Playing in Fairmont.
For the fourth straight year the tournament has been held (the 2020 season was canceled) and the eighth time since 2010, JCC will play its first postseason game at Herb Wolf Field when they play Windom at noon Saturday.
The first round of the tournament is single elimination. The winner of the game between the Huskies and Eagles will play the host Cardinals about 20 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
Jackson County Central is seeded fifth in the South Sub-Section and has a record of 9-9. Fourth-seeded Windom is 10-8.
The Eagles won both regular-season meetings between the teams, which were played on consecutive days. Windom won 13-3 at Wacker Field in Jackson on May 11 and 11-0 at Island Park in Windom the next night.
Top-seeded Fairmont is 17-1. The Cardinals are the defending state Class 2A champions and are ranked first in the Minnesota Baseball Coaches Association poll.
Other South Sub-Section games Saturday will be played at second-seeded Luverne.
Host teams in the North Sub-Section are No. 1 seed Paynesville and No. 2 New London-Spicer.
Where they started
This is where the JCC baseball team has started postseason play since 2010.
2023: Fairmont
2022: Fairmont
2021: Fairmont
2020: Season canceled
2019: Fairmont
2018: Luverne
2017: Jackson
2016: Jackson
2015: Pipestone
2014: Fairmont
2013: New Ulm
2012: Fairmont
2011: Fairmont
2010: Fairmont
SECTION 3AA BASEBALL
Saturday, May 27
South Sub-Section
At Fairmont
Windom (10-8) vs. Jackson County Central (9-9), noon
Fairmont (17-1) vs. Windom-JCC winner, 2 p.m.
At Luverne
Luverne (16-4) vs. Pipestone (8-11), 11 a.m.
St. James Area (9-8) vs. Redwood Valley (6-11), 1 p.m.
Luverne-Pipestone winner vs. SJA-Redwood winner, 3:30 p.m.
North Sub-Section
At Paynesville
Minnewaska Area (15-4) vs. Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta (11-9), noon
Paynesville Area (16-2) vs. Minnewaska-MACA winner, 2 p.m.
At Spicer
New London-Spicer (13-4) vs. West Central Area (4-16), 11 a.m.
Montevideo (16-2) vs. Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (2-17), 1 p.m.
NLS-WCA winner vs. Montevideo-ACGC winner, 3:30 p.m.