State Softball Ready for Second Monday Finish
By Tony Chapman – For the Nebraska School Activities Association
After the first-ever Monday finish at Connie Claussen Field last year on the campus of Nebraska-Omaha last year, the NSAA State Softball Championships are set for a 2024 encore that players and coaches hope is even bigger and better.
Last year’s smashing success – with a total of 4,425 tickets sold for the championship day alone – made the move a good one. Coupled with the first-ever televised championship games in state history and you can easily see that memories were in abundance at the 2023 championships.
“The new format was just the absolute right thing for the girls and the sport of softball,” Gretna coach Bill Heard said. “Softball is growing like crazy and this move was a natural part of that.”
Up to date championship information will be delivered via the NSAA Softball Championship HQ page with live GameChanger scoring for each contest as well as current brackets for each class.
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CLASS A: Unbeaten Gretna looks for next chapter
The power brokers of Class A softball are still alive and well in 2024.
Defending champion Papillion-LaVista brings a 25-9 record to the state tournament. Their finals opponent from 2023, Millard North, will be the third seed at 28-6. Four-time champion Lincoln Southwest is an impressive 32-3 as they make the trip to Hastings for the opening rounds beginning on Wednesday.
But it is Gretna that has everyone’s attention.
The Dragons are unbeaten at 32-0. They advanced to the state championship game in 2022, but lost twice to Omaha Marian in Hastings after a 34-0 regular season. Last season, in the first year of the new format, they were bounced by Millard North one game short of the final and finished 32-4.
“It feels like we have been in a pretty similar spot each of the past three years,” Heard said. “Two years ago, we lost twice to Omaha Marian and I thought they probably had the best player in the field that year.
“Last year, we weren’t very good (at state). Tip your hat to Lincoln Southwest and Millard North, they played really well. I think last year bothered our kids a little bit, but what we have gone through are part of the lessons of life.”
Of nine total seniors, three are Nebraska softball commits and the cornerstone of the Dragon attack. They have a career record of 128-13, but still search for that elusive state title.
Pitcher Alexis Jensen has a 17-0 record and an ERA of 0.35 entering the state tournament, while batting .566 and driving in 38 runs. Catcher Carlie Muhlbach is batting .500 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI and shortstop Skarlett Jones anchors the infield while batting .513 and driving in 33 runs. She leads the Dragons with 42 runs scored.
Heard believes the field is “as deep as ever” with the format to get the seven top teams to host districts (all qualified) and one wild card to the state tournament field.
“Papio and Lincoln Southwest just have such great tradition,” Heard said. “They both have excellent coaching staffs. Millard North might have the best offensive player in the state. Papio has a state championship pitcher.”
“Everyone that has qualified can beat any of the other teams that are there. We just have a great respect for all of the teams that made it to Hastings.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Kylie Baumgard (Norfolk), .396 average, 8 HR, 38 RBI. Maizey Carpenter (Papillion-LaVista), .462 average, 5 HR, 30 RBI. Caitlyn Semple (Millard West), .372 average, 9 HR, 41 RBI. Hayden Nelson (Millard North), .402 average, 13 HR, 48 RBI. Tarisa Frans (Elkhorn South), .509 average, 29 RBI, 48 runs scored. Alisha McMurtry (Bellevue East), .452 average, 18-5 pitching, 1.27 ERA. Reagan Vokoun (Lincoln Southwest), .492 average, 38 RBI, 16-1 pitching, 1.36 ERA.
FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (games played at 2:00 on Wednesday): Gretna (32-0) vs. Norfolk (26-13); Millard West (23-9) vs. Papillon-LaVista (25-9); Lincoln Southwest (34-3) vs. Bellevue East (23-9); Millard North (28-6) vs. Elkhorn South (23-11).
Click Here for the Full Bracket | WATCH LIVE on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
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CLASS B: Northwest eyes third consecutive title
After topping Blair in dramatic, walk-off fashion last year in Omaha, Northwest is gunning for their third consecutive Class B state championship.
The Vikings have had as potent an offense as anyone in the state in 2024. Bringing a 29-2 record into the state tournament, Northwest has scored 10 or more runs in 19 of 31 contests and scored eight or more in 25 games. Senior catcher Reyse Zobel leads Class B with 14 home runs and 51 RBI on the season as the Vikings have six players batting over .400.
Despite two straight titles and a load of wins, the Vikings will face a stiff challenge from last year’s finals opponent, Blair and third-seed Hastings among others. Neither of the three teams allowed a single run in their district final series and outscored three opponents 68-0 last Friday.
The Bears have one of the top pitchers in the state with senior Brooke Janning, who has a 22-5 record and a 0.99 season ERA. Her 259 strikeouts is third nationally for teams playing fall softball. At the plate, she has a .511 batting average with four home runs and 30 RBI. At 29-7, Blair has just two Class B losses – one to Hastings and to conference mate and first-time qualifier Gretna East.
Hometown Hastings (28-7) has played Northwest three times this year and took a 14-9 win over the Vikings in sub-district play last Monday night. Freshman pitcher Ella Tinsman is 20-2 in the circle for the Tigers.
After fourth-seeded Beatrice defeated Elkhorn North in their district final, the rest of the B field was set by chaos. All of the other four remaining teams – Lincoln Pius X, Gretna East, Seward and Scottsbluff – were road teams in their district final series.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Laiken Dorsey (Northwest), .524 average, 9 HR, 45 RBI. Kendel Heimes (Lincoln Pius X), .363 average, 6 HR, 31 RBI. Hannah Schnieder (Scottsbluff), .416 average, 13-4 pitching, 3.97 ERA. Grayce Beck (Hastings), .465 average, 14 HR, 39 RBI. Sadie Hereth (Beatrice), .548 average, 8 HR, 39 RBI. Emerson Husen (Gretna East), .379 average, 2 HR, 38 RBI. Jacy Schueth (Blair) .344 average, 8 HR, 33 RBI. Danielle Pallat (Seward) .379 average, 2 HR, 33 RBI.
FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (games played at 9:00 AM on Wednesday): Northwest (29-2) vs. Lincoln Pius X (17-17); Scottsbluff (22-11) vs. Hastings (28-7); Beatrice (26-5) vs. Gretna East (18-14); Blair (29-7) vs. Seward (22-10).
Click Here for the Full Bracket | WATCH LIVE on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
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CLASS C: First round sees three regular season rematches
The clout of the top-three seeds reigns as you look at the Class C bracket for the state softball tournament, but the team that gets comfortable in Hastings may have the inside track to the state title game in Omaha.
Top-seeded Hastings St. Cecilia (27-3), 2023 finalist Bishop Neumann (29-3) and GACC (30-4) seemed to have separated themselves from the pack just a little bit. At least one of those three teams have been in the finals in each of the past seven years.
But, take no games for granted. One of Neumann’s three losses on the season is to eighth-seeded Aquinas.
There is also familiarity among the teams, especially in the first round as three of the four 11:30 AM games at Bill Smith Softball Complex are rematches from the regular season. St. Cecilia defeated Aquinas 10-3 on September 7th, Fort Calhoun owns a pair of wins over DC West including in the NCC Tournament final and top-ranked Neumann defeated NEN (Pender/Wisner-Pilger) 13-3 in the opening game of the season.
The big three all mirror each other – a good presence in the circle with offensive power and balance.
For Hastings St. Cecilia, six players have over 20 RBI behind Audrey Rossow’s 25-3 record. Neumann counters with Addison Sylliaasen who has a 2.03 ERA and 24-2 record with the senior duo of Jillian Johnson and Bridget Whitney combining for 18 home runs and 71 RBi. GACC’s Abigail Toline leads Class C in ERA at 1.67 with a 23-3 record. Behind her, Sheby Perchal bats .423 with six home runs and 40 RBI.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Brooke Bohlke (Hastings St. Cecilia), .493 average, 7 HR, 32 RBI. Faith Samek (Aquinas Catholic), .489 average, 8 HR, 31 runs scored. Sydney Atkins (Douglas County West), .511 average, 9 HR, 50 RBI. Tacey Belina (Fort Calhoun), .528 average, 8 HR, 33 RBI. Kennedy Baumert (GACC), .417 average, 2 HR, 33 RBI. Ellie Milbum (Ashland-Greenwood), .482 average, 13 HR, 42 RBI. Madalyn Dolliver (NEN), .418 average, 3 HR, 33 RBI. Adelyn Zwick (Bishop Neumann), .483 average, 1 HR, 34 RBI.
FIRST ROUND MATCHUPS (games played at 11:30 AM on Wednesday): Hastings St. Cecilia (27-3) vs. Aquinas Catholic (20-13); Douglas County West (24-8) vs. Fort Calhoun (25-5); GACC (30-4) vs. Ashland-Greenwood (18-10); Bishop Neumann (29-3) vs. NEN (20-12).
Click Here for the Full Bracket | WATCH LIVE on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
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Tony Chapman is a freelance writer based in Grand Island. He has written for multiple Nebraska daily and weekly newspapers.
His weekly Harvest Sports Newsletter covers a wide variety of Nebraska prep sports.