Greenwood baseball coach Jason Jaggers expected a challenge in the first round of the Region 4 tournament, no matter the opponent.

The Gators (27-8), who are District 14 champions, open region play at 7 p.m. Monday against Allen County-Scottsville at Western Kentucky University’s Nick Denes Field.

“Any draw that we would’ve gotten would’ve been a tough draw,” Jaggers said. “Allen County is a tough team. We’ll have to play our best to advance, and the kids know that.”

The tournament begins at 10 a.m. Monday with the first of four opening-round games. The semifinals are scheduled for 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, with the championship at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Greenwood will be one of the tournament favorites with 13 straight wins, including a 6-5 comeback victory over South Warren on Thursday in the District 14 title game.

ACS (12-18) lost to Glasgow in the District 15 final. Greenwood beat the Patriots 4-2 on May 13.

“Our seniors kind of lead the way,” Jaggers said. “We feel like we’re never out of a game. We always battle back, and that showed its head in the district championship game.”

The winner of that game will face the winner of District 16 champion Russell County (25-10) and District 13 runner-up Franklin-Simpson (21-14), who meet at 4 p.m. Monday. They didn’t face each other in the regular season.

The tournament begins at 10 a.m. Monday with District 13 winner Logan County (23-10) facing District 16 runner-up Metcalfe County (10-19). LCHS won the regular-season matchup 11-0 in five innings.

The winner of that game will take on District 15 champion Glasgow (21-14) or District 14 runner-up South Warren (18-15). The Scotties beat the Spartans 6-0 on April 24 in a game that was scoreless until the seventh inning, SWHS coach Chris Gage said.

“(Glasgow’s) Sam Royse has been coaching for 30 years,” Gage said. “He’s one of the best coaches in the region and the state, and they’re a very classy, good program. They’re always solid.”

South Warren is the defending Region 4 champion. The Spartans won 18 of their last 21 games in 2012 after a 5-11 start, advancing to the second round of the state tournament.

South Warren had won eight games in a row this season before they lost to Greenwood in the district championship.

ACS was the last team to repeat as Region 4 champion in 2005-06.

“The team’s matured all year long and really turned a corner recently,” Gage said. “They played very well in the district tournament, and a ball here or there, and we win that game. Greenwood’s a great team, and we played right there with them, and they’re the best around. 

“You’d like to defend it, but I guess history’s against us. … We’ll take our best shot at it.”

— Zach Greenwell covers prep sports for the Bowling Green Daily News. Follow him at twitter.com/zach_greenwell or visit bgdailynews.com.