Three area high school softball teams — Fitch (Division I), Ursuline (III) and Mathews (IV) — earned the No. 1 seed in their respective expanded district tournaments which get started next week.

As was the case this school year in fall and winter sports, the Northeast District alignment has been altered due to COVID-19 pandemic concerns. Schools in the district were assigned to an East or West designation, with all area schools in the East.

Teams are permitted to enter either of two (three in Division I) district tournaments in the East, but the seeding covers all of the teams. Thus, Fitch is the top seed out of 33 teams in Division I, Ursuline is No. 1 out of 23 in D-III and Mathews is No. 1 out of 24 in D-IV.

Marlington is the top seed in Division II, out of 26 teams.

Canfield is No. 2 in Division II, with Poland fourth, West Branch fifth and Hubbard seventh.

In Division III, Ursuline is followed by South Range, Champion, Columbiana and Crestview. Cardinal Mooney is No. 7 and Newton Falls is eighth.

McDonald is right behind Mathews in Division IV, with Brookfield at No. 4 and Bristol, Lordstown and Badger in spots 6-8.

Boardman is seeded 10th in Division I.

Sectional games are scheduled Monday and Wednesday in Divisions I and IV, and Tuesday and Thursday in Divisions II and III.

Sectional first-round games are May 10-11 and sectional bracket finals are May 12-13. District semifinals are May 17-18 and district title games are May 19-20.

District sites have been selected and sectional games are to be played at the home site of the better-seeded team.

District game sites are Austintown, Massillon and Mentor in Division I, Hubbard and Jefferson in Division II, LaBrae and South Range in Division III and Jackson-Milton and Candlelite Knolls in Division IV.

Regional semifinals are scheduled May 26 (May 27 in Division IV) and May 29. Regional sites are Akron Firestone Stadium for Divisions II and IV and Washington High School in Massillon for Division III. The site for Division I has not yet been announced.

The state tournament is scheduled June 3-5 at Firestone Stadium.