Saying things are about to heat up in the world of high school softball takes on a double meaning this week.
With the cool, blustery weather conditions, a little end-of-the-week warmup will certainly be welcome, just in time for a slate full of softball section playoff games.
The softball state tournament is June 3-6. The first three days — quarterfinals, semifinals and consolation rounds — take place at Caswell Park in North Mankato, long the home of the tourney.
The venue changes for the championship round. Finals in all four classes will be held June 6 at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
Here’s a look at the section playoffs across the state, expanding on a few worth a little extra attention.
Class 4A
Section 5
Perhaps the deepest section for the big schools. Centennial (14-6) earned the No. 1 seed, largely on the strength of an April victory over No. 2 seed Champlin Park (17-2), winner of 12 in a row. Perennial power Maple Grove (11-9) earned the No. 3 seed, while the highlight game of Tuesday’s quarterfinals finds No. 5 seed Rogers (16-4), the 2024 Class 4A state champ, traveling to No. 4 seed Spring Lake Park (13-7). After a slow start, Rogers appears set on defending its title, having won 12 of its past 13 games.
Favorite: Champlin Park. Knocking: Centennial. Could happen: Rogers.
Section 2
Bloomington Jefferson emerged as the No. 1 seed thanks to its 18-1 regular-season record. The Jaguars look like a team prepared to win at this time of year, with two dependable pitchers in Brooke Borwege and Grace Rolek and a lineup with six regulars hitting better than .400. Minnetonka (16-4) won its first 11 games and is the No. 2 seed. Always tough Eden Prairie is No. 3, Chanhassen No. 4 and Prior Lake No. 5.
