HCPSS Athletics Weekly Update - Softball Championship, Memorial Day and more...

Championship Predictions 💭

Below are the official predictions from County Sports Zone newsletter coordinators Adam Lipman and Jonah Spiegelman for each baseball and softball championship game!

Softball 🥎

Howard County’s last hope for the spring season is one game away from history.

The county is down to Mt. Hebron softball as the last chance to win a state title this season.

The county has won at least one in every season since 2012; combined with 2010, these are the only seasons with none since 2000.

The Mt. Hebron Vikings have posted one of the greatest seasons ever for county softball. The 20-0 team has excelled across all aspects of the game.

The pitching staff only allowed more than five runs in three games all season. Ace Abby Magdar has pitched every inning of the playoffs and entered the county semifinals with only three runs allowed.

Facing Easton, Magdar battled through poor luck and uncharacteristic errors from Mt. Hebron’s infield and outfield. She still registered nine strikeouts to just two walks, reaching a playoff high in punchouts.

Magdar’s tough outing entering the championship could be a cause for concern. She previously averaged 71 pitches per game in the playoffs. It took 122 to get through nine innings against Easton. Fatigue affected her strike-throwing ability, with her lowest percentage in the playoffs at 73% in that game.

Any pitching regression is heavily outweighed by the strength of the Vikings’ offense. The lineup opened the season with double-digit runs in eight of their first eleven games. That consistency followed in the playoffs with 9.75 runs scored per game.

An abundance of talent in the lineup has removed most opportunities for the team to need a clutch hit. That unfamiliarity did not prevent the biggest hit of the season in the state semifinals.

The Vikings dueled in extra innings against Easton and entered the bottom of the ninth still tied at seven. Giacoletto brought automatic runner Abby Magdar to third on a deep flyout. With one out and first base open, Easton elected to pitch to Green, who already had two walks and a hit that game.

Green rocketed a ground ball to second base and allowed Magdar to race home to win the game. Mt. Hebron secured its first championship appearance since 1995 and now it has all come down to that game today.

The Vikings have not lost on the road since the end of the 2024 season. They will take on Huntingtown away from home, facing them at the University of Maryland’s softball stadium.

Huntingtown is also an elite team in the state with a 22-1 record. They pitched 16 shutouts and only played in four games that finished with a margin of two or fewer runs. The defending champions will be Mt. Hebron’s toughest matchup all season.

Hurricanes’ ace Rachael Howell has rebounded from surrendering six runs in four innings in the team’s regional finals. In the state bracket, she has allowed no runs with 20 strikeouts to just two walks so far.

Both teams won one-run games in the semifinals and it took a shutout for Huntingtown to punch its championship ticket. 

The last chance for a HoCo spring title begins at 3:00 today.

Girls’ Lacrosse 🥍

Centennial’s incredible run came to an end in the 2A championship with a 15-4 loss to Manchester Valley. The Eagles have so much to be proud of after making their first championship appearance in the program’s best season ever.

Marriotts Ridge’s bid for back-to-back championships came up short against Severna Park. The Mustangs fell 9-8 and closed their season at 13-4. The team’s talent is undeniable and they are still a favorite for 2027 when the time comes.

Baseball ⚾

The season is over for the county after the first round of states. Only Glenelg won its regional, but the Gladiators’ great season ended with a 6-5 loss to Kent Island. They advanced further than 2025 and finished the season with the county’s best record at 15-6.

Boys’ Lacrosse 🥍

Glenelg made it further than any county team, going all the way to the second round of the state tournament. The Gladiators fell 14-6 to Kent Island, but their dominance is not defined by that final game. Between their first and last game, the Gladiators won 15 straight games, winning 14 of them by five or more goals.

Track and Field🏃‍♀️

The second day of the MPSSAA championships is underway with HoCo teams bringing some of the state’s best. Oakland Mills has been the top team so far.

Oakland Mills dominated in the MPSSAA 3A South Championships. The Scorpions posted the highest team score at 129, outpacing second place Howard by 35.5.

Payton Buchanan led the team with a first-place finish in the individual races for 200 meters and 400 meters. She also contributed to first place finishes in the 100, 200 and 400 meter relays.

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