Tuesday, June 4th, 2024 -- 6:18 AM
The 48th Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Softball Tournament will take place Thursday-Saturday, June 6-8, at Goodman Diamond on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison. Here's a preview of the Division 1 field.......
LAST YEAR:Top-seeded Kaukauna won its third Division 1 title in a row last season with a 4-0 win over second-seeded Superior in the championship game.
Division 1
Quarterfinals - Thursday, June 6
Game-1: #2 Kenosha Bradford (25-3) vs. #7 Cedarburg (24-4) - 8 a.m.
Game-2: #3 Sun Prairie East (22-2) vs. #6 Watertown (20-4) - 10 a.m.*
Game-3: #1 Kaukauna (26-0) vs. #8 Hamilton (19-7) - Noon*
Game-4: #4 Milton (24-2) vs. #5 New Richmond (21-3)- 2 p.m.*
Semifinals - Friday, June 7
Game-5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 - 7 p.m.
Game-6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 - 9 p.m.*
Championship - Saturday, June 8
Game-7: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 - 6:30 p.m.*
* Games begin approximately 30 minutes following previous game.
STATE TOURNAMENT ON THE AIR:The championship finals of all five divisions will be aired live on the WIAA State Television Stations WKOW 27.2, WAOW 9.2, WQOW 18.2 and WXOW 19.2, WVTV 24.1 in Milwaukee and WLUK (FOX)/WCWF(CW) in Green Bay/Appleton. The finals will also be streamed live on the Network stations’ websites.
THE DIVISION 1 FIELD:Three-time defending champion Kaukauna is the top seed. The Galloping Ghosts return to the State Tournament for the sixth time overall and for the fourth year in a row. They captured the gold trophy in each of their previous State appearances, including 2010, 2017, 2021, 2022 and 2023. They advance to the State quarterfinals this season from the Pulaski Sectional by shutting out Ashwaubenon 4-0 in the final. They are the champions of the Fox Valley Association this spring. Entering the State Tournament, the Galloping Ghosts have won a remarkable 107 games in a row dating back to May of 2021. Kenosha Bradford is seeded second. The Red Devils are making the program’s fifth State Tournament appearance. Their most notable experience was a runner-up finish in 2013 after they advanced to the semifinals in 2011. The Red Devils have an additional appearance as a member of a co-op with Kenosha Reuther in 2019. They finished the season atop the Southeast Conference standings this season and advanced to State from the Oak Creek Sectional with a 3-1 win over Muskego in the final. Sun Prairie East is the #3 seed in the bracket. The Cardinals qualify for the second consecutive season after the school district split into two schools in 2023. Sun Prairie, before it split into two schools, finished runner-up in 2022 and qualified for State five straight times before the split, not including 2020 when the season and tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The former version of the Cardinals made eight appearances overall. The Sun Prairie program also finished runner-up in 2012, 2019 and 2021. They won their lone championship in 2018. This season, Sun Prairie East is the champion in the Big Eight Conference, and they advance to the State quarterfinals following a 3-2 victory over Middleton in the sectional final played at Middleton. Fourth-seeded Milton qualifies for the second time in the past three seasons and for the fourth time in the program’s history. The Red Hawks three appearances came in Class A in 1990 and in Division 1 in 1992 and 2022. Each of those experiences resulted in losses in the quarterfinals. They are the co-champions in the Large Division of the Badger Conference with Beaver Dam this spring. The Red Hawks blanked Oregon 7-0 to advance to State from the Oconomowoc Sectional final. New Richmond received the fifth seed in the bracket. The Tigers only other State Tournament appearance resulted in a Division 2 runner-up finish in 1995. They earned a berth in the State quarterfinals following a 1-0 shutout over Chippewa Falls in the Baldwin-Woodville Sectional final. The Tigers are the champions of the Big Rivers Conference this season. Watertown, the sixth seed, advances to State for the first time since 2016 and for the 10th time overall. The Goslings’ previous experiences at State have produced four runner-up finishes, one in 1981, another in 1984 and in back-to-back experiences in 2015 and 2016. They finished third in the Large Division of the Badger Conference behind #4 seed Milton and Beaver Dam. The Goslings are the representatives from the Oshkosh North Sectional after defeating Beaver Dam 8-0 in the final. Seventh-seeded Cedarburg returns to State for the third time in the past four seasons and for the 12th time overall. The Bulldogs’ furthest advance in the tourney was to the semifinals in 1981, 1992 and 2001. This season, they are the champions in the North Shore Conference with West Bend West, and they advanced to the final eight with a 5-0 triumph over Menomonee Falls in the final of the Glendale Sectional. Hamilton is seeded eighth. The Chargers qualify for the third time in the last four seasons and for the 11th time overall. Their furthest advance toward a title in the program’s previous 10 appearances was to the semifinals in 1980 and 1987. They are back in the quarterfinals by virtue of their 7-6 win over Arrowhead in the Wisconsin Lutheran Sectional final. They placed third in the Greater Metro Conference this year.
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