It’s rare when Polk County doesn’t have at least one team in the state tournament, but last year, the county got shut out. This year could be different.
As the district tournaments begin this week, Polk teams are favored in five districts to win district titles. Two teams, nine-time state champion Bartow and one-time state champion McKeel, are No. 1 in their region. Three-time state champion Lake Wales is No. 2. All three teams could play in Seminole County next month.
Two small schools, two-time state champion Lakeland Christian and Fort Meade, both are third in their regions and will be looking to pull off upsets to reach the state tournament.
Here is how the districts with Polk County teams shape up in the softball district tournaments.
7A-10: George Jenkins heavily favored for district title
Outlook: George Jenkins (10-14) is the top seed and is the favorite. The Eagles defeated No. 2 seed Winter Haven (5-19) twice. After starting the season 5-3, the Eagles lost nine of 10 games then rebounded slightly with four wins then closing out the season with losses to McKeel and Jenkins. Riley Pate (.346 BA) and Janalyn Duque are the only two hitters batting over .300 as the lineup has struggled. Winter Haven managed to close out its season on a high note with two wins in its final three games. Ridge Community (7-6) has played just 13 games this season and plays Winter Haven in the semifinals. Barring an upset, Jenkins, ranked No. 6 in the region, is the only team that will make the playoffs but faces a tough road in the playoffs.
6A-6: Bartow ranked No. 1 in district, region
Outlook: Bartow (22-3), the only Polk team in the district, is a lock for the playoffs as the top seed in both the district and the region. The Yellow Jackets should get a strong test in the district championship game against the Bloomingdale-Durant winner, the No. 3 and No. 4 teams, respectively, in the region. If Bartow wins the district title, it will have home games through the regional finals with Melbourne, the expected opponent in the regional finals Bartow is No. 3 in 6A, and Melbourne is No. 8. Niamah Johnson (.417 BA), Emma Huffman (.425 BA), Bailee Ellis (.395 BA) and Alyssa Hillman (.319 BA) and Maddie Hamilton (333 BA) are among the top hitters for the Yellow Jackets, who have a .318 team batting average. Ryleigh Knowlton, who has raised her batting average nearly 100 points to .338 over the latter part of the season, has been dominant this season. She is 16-2 with a 0.49 ERA.
5A-7: Auburndale needs to pull off upset to make playoffs
Outlook: Auburndale (11-10), the No. 2 seed in the district, is ranked No. 9 in the region. So if the Bloodhounds want to make the playoffs, they need to avoid being upset by No. 3 Lake Gibson (4-17) in the semifinals the knock off top-seeded Sebring, the No. 5 team in the region. Abby Meadows (.341 BA), Kendra Strickland (.304 BA) and Rylee Bass (.296 BA) are the top three hitters. Jordan Honeycutt has had an up-and-down season in her comeback season but 9-7 with a respectable 2.50 ERA. It’s been a tough season for Lake Gibson but Lily Harwell (.386 BA) is a top player in the county. Lakeland (8-13) and Kathleen (0-12) are the final two teams in the district.
4A-6: Lake Wales in position for district title, deep playoff run
Outlook: Lake Wales (19-6) appears to be the prohibitive favorite, having defeated No. 2 seed Lake Region (7-14) twice, 12-6 and 11-0, but you won’t find Lake Wales coach Mike Settle underestimating John Bridges’ Lake Region squad. Lake Wales is No 2 in the region behind Eau Gallie, the No. 4 team in 4A. Lake Wales is ranked No. 5. The Highlanders, who are batting .335 as a team, boasts a strong deep lineup, led by Keira Davis (.448 BA), Kyra Williams (.420 BA), Kailey McRae (.377 BA), Paiten Dunaway (.362 BA) and Sydney Greene (.329 BA). Zamirya McBurrows and Pyper Barnhardt have been an effective 1-2 pitching duo. McBurrows is 12-3 with a 157 ERA and also is batting .275. Barnhardt, a freshman, is 6-2 with a 2.10 ERA and is batting .308. Despite its record, Lake Region is No. 3 in the region thanks to a strong strength of schedule. It’s been a rough season for the Thunder as the lineup isn’t deep. Freshman Kaydence McCarty has been one of the top freshmen in the county and is batting .387. Alicia Bradberry (.293 BA), and Sophia Rivera (.281 BA) are other effective hitters. Kailyn Reeder (.264 BA) leads the team with 18 RBIs and has been a workhorse in the pitching circle, pitching all but 3 ⅔ innings. She has a 2.58 ERA.
3A-9: McKeel poised to make run at Final Four
Outlook: McKeel (13-5) sits in good position to go back to the state tournament this year for the first time since 2009. The Wildcats are the top seed in the district and will likely play Mulberry for the district title. McKeel has split with Lake Region and except for a couple of one-sided losses to Lake Wales and Bartow, the Wildcats have been competitive or dominant in every other game. McKeel has been led by junior Chloe Lanier. She’s batting .382 with a team-leading 21 runs scored. She’s also been steady pitching with a very solid 2.32 ERA. In fact, take away losses to Bartow and Parrish Community and her ERA is 1.25. Mikayla Jackson (419. BA), who is the only senior on the team, missed eight games in the middle of the season but still leads McKeel with 17 RBIs. Catcher Madyson Marion (.390 BA), Kamryn Scobey (.314 BA) and Isabelle Morrell (.293 BA) are among the other top players. McKeel, ranked No. 7 in 3A, is No. 1 in the region and should remain No. 1 if it wins the district then will have home field throughout the playoffs. No 10 Holy Names, the No. 2 seed in region, could be the biggest challenge in the playoffs. Mulberry and Tenoroc meet in the semifinals. Both teams currently are in position to make the playoffs as Mulberry is No. 6 in the region and Tenoroc is No. 8. Jazmyn Stierwalt (.298 BA), Ella Gordon (.297 BA) and Justice Jadwin (.292 BA) are the top three hitters. Tenoroc (12-3) is led by sophomore Skyler Johnson (.667 BA).
1A-8: LCS has talent to make a state run, but district foe Seffner Christian remains an obstacle
Outlook: Since Lakeland Christian coach Jessi Ray began rebuilding the LCS softball program in 2022, which won back-to-back state titles in 2015 and 2016, the Vikings have been a perennial playoff team beginning the following year, losing in the regional finals (’23), the regional quarterfinals (’24) and the regional semifinals (’25). The Vikings are looking to make another run at returning to the state tournament, but one team could be standing in the way. LCS is ranked No. 3 in the region and No 8 in 1A, and the team ahead of the Vikings is Seffner Christian, which is the top seed in the district, the No. 2 seed in the region and is ranked No. 6 in 1A. The two teams are on a collision course in the district championship game and likely again in the playoffs. Paityn Donalson (.675 BA, 10 HR, 41 RBI), Rylan Rollyson (.432 BA), and Presley Young (400) lead the Vikings’ lineup. Kinley Lawson (10-7, 2.02 ERA) leads the pitching. Santa Fe Catholic (11-7) is the No. 4 seed and if it can beat Foundation in the first round, will look to play spoiler against Seffner Christian in the semifinals. The Crimson Hawks are led by junior Kylie Vazquez (.575 BA) and sophomore Claire McGee (.500 BA), who also is the top pitcher with a 1.34 ERA. Oasis (12-8) and All Saints (4-9) will meet in the first round with the winner playing LCS in the semifinal. Amber Whittington (.594 BA) and Shianne Dunkle (.569 BA).
Rural-8: Fort Meade favored to win title
Outlook: Fort Meade (15-6) had another solid season under fifth-year coach Eric Grace. The Miners are the top seed in the district and are ranked No. 7 in 1A. Ahead of them in the region are Trenton and Williston. The Miners remain a young team led by sophomore Marleigh Carroll (.492 BA), junior Kiersten Christiansen (.419 BA), freshman Nakaia Pinkston (.400 BA) and juniors Kenya Faulk (.396 BA) and Cailynn Johnson.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Softball: Here is how Polk teams shape up for district tournaments
Reporting by Roy Fuoco, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
