The IHSA softball postseason is upon us, which means it’s time for Rockford-area teams to make their push for more state tournament bids.
Teams from the area have advanced all the way to the Final Four state tourney in the past two seasons, and in three of the last four. North Boone, which is on another powerful roll this season, has made it to the state championships the last two years, taking second two years ago and third last season.
Who will carve their way to the finale from the Rockford area this softball postseason? There are plenty of contenders.
“We just want to make a long run in the playoffs,” Hononegah’s star pitcher Irelyn O’Brien said.
North Boone (24-5, 13-0 Big Northern Conference) is looking the part late in the regular season, having already secured the conference title with a week to go. And the conference is stacked, with the likes of Stillman Valley (24-4, 12-2 BNC), Winnebago (14-8, 8-5) and Oregon (15-10, 8-6) all playing good ball late in the year.
Hononegah (21-6, 15-1 NIC-10), Belvidere North (16-7, 14-2) and Harlem (19-7, 12-3) have all gotten hot from the NIC-10, as well. Dakota (21-4, 10-0 NUIC), which took fourth in Class 1A at state last year, is the best of the rest to watch from the Rockford area.
To keep you up to date on all that’s happening as we cruise through the girls softball postseason, here are all the scores and schedules for the Rockford-area teams in the 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A playoffs:
CLASS 1A
State Final Tournament
Site: Peoria (Louisville Slugger Sports Complex)
Thu., Jun. 4
Game 1 at 10 am: Winner Sterling (H.S.) Super-Sectional vs. Winner Athens Super-Sectional
Game 2 at 12:15 pm: Winner Bloomington (Illinois Wesleyan U.) Super-Sectional vs. Winner Carbondale (SIU) Super-Sectional
Fri., Jun. 5
Game 3 at 10:15 am: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Stadium #2
Sat., Jun. 6
Game 4 at 10 am: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Dakota Regional
Mon., May 18
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: (10) Alden-Hebron at (8) Lena-Winslow
Tue., May 19
Game 2 at 4:30 pm: (1) Dakota vs. Winner Game 1
Game 3 at 6:30 pm: (4) East Dubuque vs. (5) Durand
Fri., May 22
Game 4 at 4:30 pm: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
South Beloit Regional
Mon., May 18
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: (9) South Beloit at (7) Scales Mound [Coop]
Tue., May 19
Game 2 at 4:30 pm: (2) Orangeville vs. Winner Game 1
Wed., May 20
Game 3 at 4:30 pm: (3) Stockton [Coop] vs. (6) Galena
Fri., May 22
Game 4 at 4:30 pm: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Pearl City Regional
Mon., May 18
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: (10) Forreston at (7) Pearl City
Tue., May 19
Game 2 at 4 pm: (2) Milledgeville vs. Winner Game 1
Game 3 at 6 pm: (3) Eastland vs. (6) Pecatonica
Fri., May 22
Game 4 at 4 pm: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Eastland Sectional
Tue., May 26
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: Winner Sterling Newman Regional vs. Winner South Beloit Regional
Game 2 at 6:30 pm: Winner Dakota Regional vs. Winner Pearl City Regional
Fri., May 29
Game 3 at 5:30 pm: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
CLASS 2A
State Final Tournament
Site: Peoria (Louisville Slugger Sports Complex)
Thu., Jun. 4
Game 1 at 2:30 pm: Winner East Peoria (EastSide Centre) Super-Sectional vs. Winner Lisle (Benedictine University) Super-Sectional
Game 2 at 4:45 pm: Winner Carbondale (SIU) Super-Sectional vs. Winner Decatur (Millikin U.) Super-Sectional
Fri., Jun. 5
Game 3 at 12:30 pm: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Stadium #2
Sat., Jun. 6
Game 4 at 12:15 pm: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
North Boone Regional
Mon., May 18
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: (9) Aurora Rosary at (8) Lutheran
Tue., May 19
Game 2 at 4:30 pm: (1) North Boone vs. Winner Game 1
Wed., May 20
Game 3 at 4:30 pm: (4) Richmond-Burton vs. (5) Genoa-Kingston
Fri., May 22
Game 4 at 4:30 pm: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Oregon Regional
(Site: Oregon Park West)
Wed., May 20
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: (2) Oregon vs. (7) Somonauk [Coop]
Game 2 at 6:30 pm: (3) Winnebago vs. (6) Rock Falls
Sat., May 23
Game 3 at 11 am: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Byron Regional
Mon., May 18
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: (9) Boylan at (8) Byron
Wed., May 20
Game 2 at 4 pm: (1) Stillman Valley vs. Winner Game 1
Game 3 at 6 pm: (4) Sandwich vs. (5) Mendota
Fri., May 22
Game 4 at 5:30 pm: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3
Marengo Sectional
Tue., May 26
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: Winner Byron Regional vs. Winner Woodstock Marian Regional
Wed., May 27
Game 2 at 4:30 pm: Winner North Boone Regional vs. Winner Oregon Regional
Fri., May 29
Game 3 at 4:30 pm: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Lisle (Benedictine University) Super-Sectional
Mon., Jun. 1
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: Winner Elmhurst (IC Catholic) Sectional vs. Winner Marengo Sectional
CLASS 3A
State Final Tournament
Site: Peoria (Louisville Slugger Sports Complex)
Fri., Jun. 5
Game 1 at 10 am: Winner East Peoria (EastSide Centre) Super-Sectional vs. Winner Maple Park (Kaneland) Super-Sectional
Game 2 at 12:15 pm: Winner Decatur (Millikin U.) Super-Sectional vs. Winner Lisle (Benedictine University) Super-Sectional
Sat., Jun. 6
Game 3 at 10:15 am: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Stadium #2
Game 4 at 2:30 pm: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Belvidere Regional
Tue., May 19
Game 1 at 5 pm: (2) Belvidere vs. (7) Streamwood
Wed., May 20
Game 2 at 5 pm: (4) Geneva vs. (6) Freeport
Fri., May 22
Game 3 at 5 pm: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Kaneland Regional
Tue., May 19
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: (3) Kaneland vs. (5) Burlington Central
Sat., May 23
Game 2 at 11 am: (1) Belvidere North vs. Winner Game 1
Belvidere North Sectional
Tue., May 26
Game 1 at 4:30 pmWinner Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge Regional vs. Winner Belvidere Regional
Wed., May 27
Game 2 at 4:30 pm: Winner Kaneland Regional vs. Winner Crystal Lake Central Regional
Fri., May 29
Game 3 at 5 pm: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Geneseo Regional
(Site: JF Edwards Complex)
Wed., May 20
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: (2) Ottawa (Twp.) vs. (7) Rochelle
Game 2 at 6:30 pm: (3) Geneseo vs. (6) Dixon (H.S.)
Sat., May 23
Game 3 at 11 am: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
LaSalle-Peru Sectional
(Site: LP Sports Complex)
Tue., May 26
Game 1 at 4 pm: Winner Dunlap Regional vs. Winner Geneseo Regional
Game 2 at 6 pm: Winner Sterling (H.S.) Regional vs. Winner Streator (Twp.) Regional
Fri., May 29
Game 3 at 4 pm: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
East Peoria (EastSide Centre) Super-Sectional
Mon., Jun. 1
Game 1 at 6:30 pm: Winner LaSalle-Peru Sectional vs. Winner New Lenox (Providence Catholic) Sectional
CLASS 4A
State Final Tournament
Site: Peoria (Louisville Slugger Sports Complex)
Fri., Jun. 5
Game 1 at 2:30 pm: Winner The Ballpark at Rosemont Super-Sectional vs. Winner Bloomington (Illinois Wesleyan U.) Super-Sectional
Game 2 at 4:45 pm: Winner The Ballpark at Rosemont Super-Sectional vs. Winner DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Sat., Jun. 6
Game 3 at 12:15 pm: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Stadium #2
Game 4 at 4:45 pm: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Hononegah Regional
Tue., May 19
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: (2) Hononegah vs. (7) Auburn
Wed., May 20
Game 2 at 4:30 pm: (3) Hampshire vs. (6) Guilford
Fri., May 22
Game 3 at 4:30 pm: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
DeKalb Regional
Tue., May 19
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: (4) Harlem vs. (5) DeKalb
Fri., May 22
Game 2 at 4:30 pm: (1) Huntley vs. Winner Game 1
Barrington Sectional
Tue., May 26
Game 1 at 4:30 pm: Winner McHenry Regional vs. Winner Hononegah Regional
Game 2 at 6:30 pm: Winner DeKalb Regional vs. Winner Palatine Regional
Sat., May 30
Game 3 at 11 am: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Mon., Jun. 1
Game 1 at 4 pm: Winner Barrington Sectional vs. Winner Yorkville Sectional
Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and sign up for the Rockford High School Sports Newsletter here at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks to local youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Take a look at postseason schedules, scores for Rockford-area softball
Reporting by Jay Taft, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
