THE TOURNAMENT: 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, Wis.
TICKET INFORMATION: Ticket prices for the tourney are $11 per session for quarterfinals and semifinals, $25 for an all-day ticket on Thursday and Friday, and $9 for each championship game Saturday. Tickets are to be purchased on-line on the WIAA website through GoFan, the WIAA ticketing partner, at: https://gofan.co/app/school/WIAAWI?activity=Softball
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE AND PAIRINGS: The single elimination tournament features five divisions. Eight teams qualify in Division 1 and four each in Divisions 2, 3, 4 and 5. All teams are seeded in each of the divisional brackets. The second game of each session will begin approximately 30 minutes following the first 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.*
Division 2
Semifinals - Friday, June 7
Game-1: #1 Mosinee (28-1) vs. #4 Lake Mills (23-4) - 2:30 p.m.
Game-2: #2 New Berlin Eisenhower (21-4) vs. #3 Waupun (18-4) - 4:30 p.m.*
Championship - Saturday, June 8
Game-3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 - 4 p.m.
Division 3
Semifinals - Friday, June 7
Game-1: #1 Mishicot (29-0) vs. #4 Laconia (20-8) - 10 a.m.*
Game-2: #2 Brodhead (19-4) vs. #3 Prescott (19-8) - Noon*
Championship - Saturday, June 8
Game-3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 - 1 p.m.*
Division 4
Semifinals - Thursday, June 6
Game-1: #1 Fall Creek (28-2) vs. #4 Coleman (21-4) - 4:30 p.m.
Game-2: #2 Cuba City (22-2) vs. #3 Auburndale (21-3) - 6:30 p.m.*
Championship - Saturday, June 8
Game-3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 - 10:30 a.m.*
Division 5
Semifinal - Thursday, June 6
Game-1: #1 Oakfield (25-3) vs. #4 Thorp (21-7) - 8:30 p.m.*
Semifinal - Friday, June 7
Game-2: #2 Pacelli (26-2) vs. #3 Assumption (17-6) - 8 a.m.
Championship - Saturday, June 8
Game-3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 - 8 a.m.
* Games begin approximately 30 minutes following previous game.
PRE-FINALS LIVE ON WIAA.TV: The pre-finals of the State Softball Tournament will be streamed live on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS Network on a subscription basis. To purchase a subscription to the live programming, log-on to wiaa.tv or www.nfhsnetwork.com and click on the blue subscription graphic in the upper right side of the homepage.
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.
TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The WIAA has been sponsoring the State Softball Tournament since 1976. Stevens Point leads all programs in State titles won with nine. Kimberly has claimed seven titles, and Marion, Oakfield and Poynette have six. Denmark and Kaukauna have won five. Stevens Point has appeared in the most State Tournaments with 18. Oakfield is next on the list with 17 and Ashwaubenon has qualified 16 times. Chippewa Falls and Kimberly have 14 appearances, followed by Cedarburg, Homestead, Pacelli, Poynette and Verona with 12.
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. In Division 2, second-seeded Freedom won the title for the second straight season with an 8-0 shutout over fourth-seeded New London in the final. Top-seeded Brodhead captured the Division 3 crown with a 1-0 win over third-seeded Mayville in the championship game. In Division 4, fourth-seeded Iola-Scandinavia outscored third-seeded Waterloo 10-6 in the title game to win the crown, and Pacelli, the #1 seed, earned the championship with a 9-6 win over third-seeded Oakfield in the Division 5 final.
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.
THE DIVISION 2 FIELD: Top-seeded Mosinee will make its third appearance at State. The Indians’ have advanced to the title game in both of its previous experiences. They won the championship in 2014 and finished runner-up in their most recent appearance in 2018. The Indians edged Rice Lake 1-0 in the sectional final held at Altoona, and they finished atop the Great Northern Conference standings this spring. Second-seeded New Berlin Eisenhower advances to the State Tournament for the eighth time overall and for the second year in a row. The Lions captured the Division 2 championship in 2008. In their six other appearances, they have been eliminated in the semifinal round. Their return to the State Tournament comes by virtue of a 2-1 victory over Pius XI Catholic in the sectional final held at New Berlin Eisenhower. The Lions are the co-champions in the West Division of the Woodland Conference with Wisconsin Lutheran this spring. Third-seeded Waupun is back at State for the third time and for the first time since 2015. The Warriors first appearance in the State Tournament came in Class A back in 1985 when they lost in the quarterfinals. In 2015, they finished runner-up in Division 2. This season, the Warriors earned the trip to State by defeating last year’s champion Freedom in the Winneconne Sectional final by a score of 4-1 in nine innings. They are the champions of the East Central Conference this season. Lake Mills is the fourth seed. The L-Cats are experiencing the State Tournament for the first time in the program’s history following a 6-2 win over Mount Horeb in the Baraboo Sectional final. They are the champions in the North Division of the Capitol Conference this year.
THE DIVISION 3 FIELD: Mishicot is the #1 seed in the bracket. The Indians are making their third State appearance in the past four tournaments (not including the canceled 2020 season) and their sixth overall. They won the Division 4 championship in 2021 and advanced to the championship game in 2019, which resulted in a runner-up finish. Their return to the tourney field comes following a 3-0 victory over Peshtigo in the Oconto Sectional final. The Indians finished first in the Big East Conference this season. Defending champion Brodhead is the #2 seed. The Cardinals qualify for the third time overall. In addition to last season’s title, they won the championship the first time they experienced the State Tournament in 2004. They earned the opportunity to defend their title after cruising to an 8-0 shutout over Adams-Friendship in the sectional final hosted by River Valley. The Cardinals are the champions of the Rock Valley Conference this season. Prescott, the third seed, returns to State for the first time since finishing runner-up in 2021 and for the seventh time overall. Prior to 2021, the Cardinals were eliminated from title contention in the semifinals in Division 2 in 1993 and 1998, and in Division 3 in 2002, 2018 and 2019. They are the runners-up in the Middle Border Conference this year. The Cardinals advanced through the Bloomer Sectional with a 2-1 win over Spooner in the final. Fourth-seeded Laconia embarks on its sixth State Tournament appearance and the first since 2017. The Spartans have advanced to the championship game in each of the previous five experiences at State. They had a run of four straight appearances from 2014-17 that produced three straight championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and a runner-up finish in 2014. The Spartans also finished runner-up in 2009. This season, they placed third in the Wisconsin Flyway Conference. They advance to the State semifinals by rolling over Shoreland Lutheran in the sectional final they hosted, 16-0 in five innings.
THE DIVISION 4 FIELD: Top-seeded Fall Creek will make its first-ever appearance at State. The Crickets edged Grantsburg in an epic pitching duel, 1-0 in 12 innings, to win the McDonell Catholic Sectional final. The Crickets are the champions in the West Division of the Cloverbelt Conference this season. Cuba City was issued the #2 seed in its first State appearance. The Cubans defeated Horicon 9-3 in the sectional final held at Boscobel. They are the champion of the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League this spring. Third-seeded Auburndale will also experience the State Tournament for the first time. The Eagles downed Eleva-Strum 2-0 in the final of the Blair-Taylor Sectional after placing first in the South Division of the Marawood Conference this season. Coleman is seeded fourth, making its first appearance in program history. The Cougars are the champions of the Marinette & Oconto Conference this spring. They began celebrating their initial trip to State following a 4-2 win over Random Lake in the Crivitz Sectional final.
THE DIVISION 5 FIELD: Last year’s runner-up Oakfield is making its 17th State appearance overall and its third in the last four years. The Oaks are the top seed in the bracket. They have won six State championships in the program’s history, including the Division 5 championship in 2021, Division 4 championships in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2014, as well as the Division 3 crown in 1997. They were also the Division 4 runners-up in 2004, 2015 and 2018, as well as the Division 5 runner-up in 2023. This season, they are the champions in the North Division of the Trailways Conference. The Oaks advance to the semifinals by beating Barneveld 3-0 in the final of the sectional played at Belmont. Defending champion Pacelli was issued the #2 seed in the bracket. The Cardinals make their sixth appearance in the last seven tournaments – excluding the canceled season of 2020 – and their 12th overall. They have won Division 4 titles in 2003, 2015 and 2023, and finished runner-up in 2017. They also won a Division 3 title in 2012 with a runner-up finish in 2011. Prior to joining the WIAA, the Cardinals won six consecutive titles from 1992-97 while a member of WISAA. This season, they are the champions in the South Division of the Central Wisconsin Conference. The Cardinals advanced to State through the Stevens Point Sectional, culminating with a 10-0, six- inning win over Newman Catholic in the final. Assumption is seeded third in the bracket. The Royals make their third straight appearance and their eighth overall. They captured the Division 3 championship in their first experience in the State Tournament in 2001, the Division 4 title in 2005, and then the Division 5 crown in 2022. They finished second in the South Division standings of the Marawood Conference behind Division 4 qualifier Auburndale. The Royals earned their return to the State semifinals with a 10-0, six-inning shutout over Hillsboro in the final of the New Lisbon Sectional. Fourth-seeded Thorp makes its eighth State appearance and its second in the past three seasons. The Cardinals are seeking their second State title, having won their first in Division 4 in 2016. They also have three runner-up finishes. Those came in 2018 and in back-to-back appearances in 2008 and 2009. The Cardinals’ return to the tournament field comes after a high-scoring, 11-8 triumph over Mellen in the Athens Sectional final. Thorp finished third in the West Division of the Cloverbelt Conference this spring, which was won by Division 4 qualifier Fall Creek.
ORDER STATE MEET APPAREL ONLINE: WIAA-licensed apparel is available online for the 2024 State Softball Tournament. To browse and purchase branded merchandise, visit https://foxcitiesembroidery.chipply.com/STATESOFTBALL/. Online purchases will be shipped after the online store closes at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, June 9.
FOLLOW THE TOURNEY ON TWITTER: Receive the updates of the State Softball Tournament on the WIAA State Tournament Twitter account @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaasoftball. Also like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram at wiaawi.
NEED RESULTS?: The quickest way to get results will be to access the softball homepage on the WIAA website at: https://www.wiaawi.org/Sports/Spring/Softball/Tournament and choose the appropriate results links.