OVL playoffs start tonight; Hoppers await next opponent

The 2026 Ohio Valley League playoffs begin tonight following the conclusion of the regular season Saturday night.

Henderson is the top seed and Hoptown will be the second seed. Both have earned first-round byes.

The Hoppers will face the winner of the Full Count-Fulton best-of-three series, which begins tonight in Hendersonville, Tenn. The Flash will battle the winner of the Paducah-Madisonville best-of-three series, which begins tonight at Brooks Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Hoppers closed out the regular season Saturday night at Tiger Field with a 13-3, seven-inning win over Madisonville.

Mark Harmon went two-for-four with three RBIs and Jordan Akins was three-for-four with a pair of RBIs to lead Hoptown’s 13-hit attack. Myles Denton and former Hopkinsville High School star Gavin Powell also had two hits in the game.

Harmon accomplished a rare feat in the game. He played all nine positions in the game, starting in right field and ending the game on the mound, recording the final strikeout of the game. In the seventh inning, he started at catcher and moved to left field before taking the mound to finish the game.

The Hoppers ended the regular season at 24-11 and will play host to the winner of the Full Count-Fulton series at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Tiger Field. Airtime will be at 6:15 p.m. on 95.3 The Farm and 953thefarm.com.

Score by Innings:

Madisonville 200 010 0 – 3 6 1

Hoptown 331 042 x – 13 13 1

WP – Joe King (3 IP, 6 SO, 3 BB).

LP – Burriss

Leading Hitters: Hoptown – Easton Beaty (2B), Harmon (2 1B, 3 RBI), Akins (2 2B, 1B), Denton (2 1B), Deklan Riggs (1B), Powell (2 1B), Karson Knowles (1B), Alex Maguire (1B).

Photos by Peyton Biaquis