The WPIAL midweek spotlight will shine on Lawrence County where a pair of section softball contests will garner plenty of attention in the northern part of the district Wednesday.
Last spring, New Castle just missed a playoff spot in Class 5A, finishing in fifth place in Section 1, one game from a postseason berth.
The Red Hurricanes were 5-7 in section and an even 10-10 overall.
However the ‘Canes have come flying out of the gates in the early part of the 2026 season.
New Castle opens up section play by hosting North Hills at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The Red Hurricanes have scored double-digit runs in each of their four wins this season, outscoring their four opponents 66-22.
New Castle routed Penn Hills in their Section 1-5A opener Monday, 15-0 in three innings.
The runs may not be as plentiful in a tough stretch with three of their next four games against 2025 playoff teams North Hills, Fox Chapel and Shaler.
This is the section opener for the Indians, who are 0-1 this season after falling last week to last season’s district runner-up in 5A, Penn-Trafford, 6-0.
Also on Wednesday, Neshannock hosts Laurel in a Section 1-2A opener.
It is a rematch of the 2023 WPIAL Class 2A championship game won by the Lancers over the Spartans, 12-2.
A year ago, Neshannock was undefeated section, district and state champion.
Laurel finished in second place with only two section losses, both to Neshannock by scores of 14-4 and 6-2.
The Lancers have only lost one game (Everett in the 2023 PIAA semifinals) in the last four years.
The last time Neshannock lost to a WPIAL team was in the 2021 WPIAL quarterfinals, falling to Ligonier Valley, 1-0.
That same year five years ago, the Spartans swept their two section games from the Lancers, winning by scores of 3-0 and 7-0.
Laurel went on to win the 2021 WPIAL 2A title.
Tribe time again
The Indiana baseball team had a dream season in 2025, highlighted by one of the craziest and longest postseason runs in high school baseball history.
The Little Indians finished the season 26-1 with WPIAL and PIAA gold in their back pockets, a year after settling for district and state silver.
If the Indiana march toward their two championships a year ago was a walk in the park, if must have felt like a stroll through Death Valley.
The Little Indians played seven postseason games; of those, four went into extra innings, including an 11-inning victory over Elizabeth Forward in the WPIAL title game and a 17-inning, two-day affair in a PIAA semifinal victory over East Pennsboro, 6-5.
Having had plenty of offseason rest, Indiana is set to open up defense of this WPIAL championship Wednesday when it hosts Kiski Area in a nonsection game at White Township Park.
The Cavaliers lost their season opener last week to Knoch, 11-1.
Finalists hit the field
Last spring, Mt. Lebanon upended Pine-Richland in a district title game thriller to win Class 3A gold, 16-15.
Both teams are in action Wednesday, one in section and one out of section.
The defending champion Blue Devils host Bethel Park in a Section 1-3A contest.
The Black Hawks are 1-1 overall while Lebo has won both of its first two matches this season.
Pine-Richland is also 2-0 as it hosts Penn-Trafford in a 3A nonsection match.
The Warriors are 2-1 overall this season.
In Class 2A, Oakland Catholic is 3-0 and Quaker Valley is 2-0 overall in 2026.
The Eagles host the Quakers in a nonsection match Wednesday.
Wednesday on Trib HSSN
There are six broadcasts you can watch or listen to at TribHSSN.TribLive.com on the 25th day of March.
WPIAL Softball Video Stream – Burrell at West Mifflin at 4 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Softball Video Stream – Laurel at Neshannock at 5:30 p.m. on Lawrence County Sports Net at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Softball Audio Stream – Hempfield at North Allegheny at 7 p.m. on the North Allegheny Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream – Burgettstown at Chartiers-Houston at 4 p.m. on the TribLive High School Sports Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream – Connellsville at Laurel Highlands at 4 p.m. on WMBS-AM 590, WMBS-FM 101.1 at TribHSSN.TribLive.com
WPIAL Baseball Video Stream – Obama Academy at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart at 5:30 p.m. on the OLSH Network at TribHSSN.TribLive.com