State Softball Tournament Preview
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Monday, June 9, 2014

State Softball Tournament Preview

THE TOURNAMENT:  The 39th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Softball State Tournament will take place Thursday-Saturday, June 12-14, at the Goodman Diamond on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, Wis. Ticket prices for the tourney are $8 per session for quarterfinals and semifinals, $6 for each championship game and $14 for an all-day ticket on each day. Tickets are available at the stadium or online with a convenience fee per session ticket:  https://expressoticketing.com/wiaa/pickeventsoftball.aspx

CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE AND PAIRINGS:  The single elimination tournament features eight teams in Division 1 and four each in Divisions 2, 3 and 4. The second game of each session will begin approximately 35 minutes  following  the first game.

Thursday, June 12
Division 1 Quarterfinals

Game-1:  Westosha Central (25-3) vs. Racine Case (21-3)  - 9 a.m.
Game-2:  Hortonville (22-4) vs. Verona (22-2) - 11 a.m.*
Game-3:  Stevens Point (24-5) vs. Kimberly (24-3) - 1:30 p.m.
Game-4:  Menomonee Falls (25-4) vs. Germantown (20-8) - 3:30 p.m.*

Division 2 Semifinals - 6 p.m. 
Game-1:  New London (18-5) vs. New Berlin Eisenhower (22-7) - 6 p.m.
Game-2:  Mosinee (26-2) vs. McFarland (24-2) - 8 p.m.*

Friday, June 13
Division 4 Semifinals

Game-1:  Assumption (18-6) vs. Oakfield (19-2) - 9 a.m.
Game-2:  Cochrane-Fountain City (21-2) vs. Ithaca (20-1) - 11 a.m.*

Division 3 Semifinals 
Game-1:  Laconia (20-4) vs. Mishicot (16-8) - 1:30 p.m.
Game-2:  Grantsburg (20-3) vs. Arcadia (28-0) - 3:30 p.m.*

Division 1 Semifinals
Game 5:  Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 - 6 p.m. 
Game 6:  Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 - 8 p.m.*

Saturday, June 14
Division 4 Championship Game - 10 a.m. 
Division 3 Championship Game - 12:30 p.m.
Division 2 Championship Game - 3 p.m. 
Division 1 Championship Game - 5:30 p.m.
* Approximate times

ALL GAMES STREAMED LIVE:  The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of all four divisions of the WIAA State Tournament will be streamed live on the Internet on foxsportswisconsin.com.

FINALS AIRED LIVE ON FS WISCONSIN:  Watch the WIAA State Softball Championship finals of all four divisions live on FS Wisconsin. Check local cable listings for the channel in your area.

TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The WIAA has been sponsoring the State Softball Tournament since 1976. Stevens Point leads all programs in State titles won with eight. Kimberly and Marion have won six, followed by Denmark with five. Ashwaubenon and Stevens Point have the most State Tournament appearances with 16. Kimberly has now qualified 13 times. Homestead has reached State 12 times, and Oakfield and Verona are playing in their 11th State Tournament.

LAST YEAR:  Westosha Central won the Division 1 State championship by clubbing Kenosha Bradford 12-1 in the championship game. New London scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to notch a 2-1 win over defending champion Baldwin-Woodville and capture the Division 2 title. Mineral Point was the Division 3 champion by virtue of its 7-2 win over Kenosha St. Joseph in the State final. Algoma won the Division 4 title by downing Newman Catholic 5-4 in the championship game.

THE DIVISION 1 FIELD:  Defending champion Westosha Central attempts to defend its title. The Falcons  qualify for the third consecutive season and for the seventh time overall. They also finished runner-up in 1995. The Falcons are the champions of the Southern Lakes Conference this spring. They edged Union Grove 1-0 in the Wilmot Union Sectional final to continue their quest for a repeat title. Stevens Point is making its 16th overall appearance at State. The Panthers have won the most State championships of any member school with eight. They won four straight titles from 2001-04, won back-to-back titles in 2008-09 and in 2011. In addition, they captured the State Class A championship in 1986. Furthermore, they were runners-up in 1985 and 2000. The Panthers have posted a stellar 31-7 record in State Tournament play. They are the co-champions of the Wisconsin Valley Conference this year, and they advance to State from the Stevens Point Sectional following a 2-1 win in eight innings over Chippewa Falls in the final. Kimberly will make its 13th State appearance and the first since winning the Division 1 championship in 2007. The Papermakers have won six State titles. They were the Class A champions in 1980 and 1981, the Class B champions in 1988 and 1989, and  the Division 2 champions in 1993. They were the runners-up in the Fox Valley Association this season, and they are the representatives from the Kaukauna Sectional following a 4-1 win over Kaukauna in the final. Verona is making its first appearance since 2010 and its 11th appearance overall. The Wildcats made eight straight tournament appearances from 2001-2008. They finished runner-up in 2001, 2002 and 2008. They are the champions of the Big Eight Conference this spring. The Wildcats earned their entry in the State Tournament with a 2-0 win over Madison La Follette in the final of the sectional hosted by Middleton. Hortonville is making its sixth State appearance overall and its first since finishing runner-up in Division 2 in 2005. The Polar Bears won the Division 2 championship in 1996 and in 2000. They captured the league title in the Bay Conference this season and gained a berth in the tournament with a 9-5 win over Green Bay Preble in the Appleton East Sectional final. Germantown will appear in the State Tournament for the third straight season and for the fifth time overall. The Warhawks’ first appearance at State produced a Division 1 championship in 1996. They finished first in the North Shore Conference standings this season. They advance as representatives out of the sectional the Warhawks hosted with a 1-0 win over Brookfield Central in the final. Racine Case is also making its fifth trip to State and its first since 2007. The Eagles’ advancement to the semifinals in both 1977 and 2007 is the furthest advance in the tournament. They earned their entry in the tournament field with a 2-1 victory over sectional host Kenosha Bradford. The Eagles are the champions of the Southeast Conference. Menomonee Falls is participating in its second straight tournament and its fourth overall. Last season’s advance to the semifinals represents the most notable previous finish. The Indians are the champions of the Greater Metro Conference this season. Their return to the final field of eight was earned with a 2-1 win over Watertown in the Oconomowoc Sectional final. 

THE DIVISION 2 FIELD:  Defending champion New London will make its third State appearance. Prior to winning the championship last season, the Bulldogs finished runner-up in 2005. Their 7-2 win over Wrightstown in the Freedom Sectional final earned them a return engagement in the State Tournament with sights on another title. They placed third in the Bay Conference standings this spring. New Berlin Eisenhower qualifies for State for the sixth time overall and for the first time since 2008, when the Lions captured the Division 2 championship. In the four appearances prior to that, the Lions were eliminated in the semifinal round. Their return to the State Tournament comes by virtue of a 4-3 win over Waupun in the Chilton Sectional final. The Lions are the champions of the Woodland Conference. McFarland qualifies for State for the second time. The only other appearance came in 2006, which resulted in a loss in the Division 2 semifinals. The Spartans ousted Marshall 6-4 in the final of the sectional played at McFarland to capture their berth in the State Tournament field. They are the champions of the Rock Valley Conference this season. Mosinee is experiencing the State Tournament for the first time. The Indians blanked last year’s runner-up and 2012 champion Baldwin-Woodville 2-0 in the Medford Sectional final to advance to the State semifinals. They finished atop the standings in the Great Northern Conference this season.

THE DIVISION 3 FIELD:  Grantsburg qualifies for the seventh time in its program’s history and for the third straight season. The Pirates won State titles in 2006 and 2009. This season, they are the champions of the West Division of the Lakeland Conference, and they advance to the State semifinals through the Durand Sectional with a 1-0 win over Neillsville in the final. It is the fourth State appearance for Arcadia following its 2-1 triumph over Poynette in the Poynette Sectional final. It is the first time the Raiders have advanced to the semifinals since 2010. They were the Division 3 runners-up in 2007. The Raiders are the champions in the Coulee Conference this season.   Laconia’s only other experience in the State Tournament came in 2009, which resulted in a runner-up finish in Division 3. This season, the Spartans finished second in the Flyway Conference standings, and they are the representatives out of the Pacelli Sectional following their 4-1 win over Oconto in the final. Mishicot makes its first-ever appearance in the State Tournament following the Indians’ 5-4 victory over last year’s runner-up Kenosha St. Joseph in the Germantown Sectional final. They placed third in the  Olympian Conference standings this spring.

THE DIVISION 4 FIELD:  Oakfield is making its 11th appearance overall and its fifth in the last seven years. They won the championship the last time they qualified for the tournament in 2012, which was their third championship in four seasons. The Oaks are pursuing their fifth State title overall with Division 4 championships in 2009, 2011 and 2012, as well as the Division 3 crown in 1997.  They were also the Division 4 runners-up in 2004. This season, they won the North Division of the Trailways Conference title. The Oaks earned their chance at another State title by downing Randolph 10-0 in six innings in the sectional final played at Oakfield. Assumption makes its fourth overall appearance at State and its first since 2006. The Royals captured the Division 3 championship in their first trip in 2001 and the Division 4 title in 2005. They finished second in the South Division standings of the Marawood Conference this season and earned their way to the State semifinals with a 7-3 win over Wausaukee in the final of the Almond-Bancroft Sectional. Both Cochrane-Fountain City and Ithaca are appearing in the State Tournament for the first time. The Pirates advance to the State semifinals following a 3-0 shutout over McDonell Central in the sectional final held at McDonell Central. During the regular season, they finished first in the Dairyland Conference. Ithaca’s first experience comes after a 2-1 win over Argyle in the Ithaca Sectional final. The Bulldogs were the champions in the Ridge & Valley Conference this year.

FOLLOW THE TOURNEY ON TWITTER:  Receive the updates of the State Softball Tournament on the WIAA State Tournament Twitter account @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaawisb.

NEED RESULTS?:  The quickest way to get results will be to access the softball homepage on the WIAA website at:  http://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/Softball.aspx and choose the appropriate results links.

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