The 50th Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association high school softball tournament will again conclude the season in Madison for the golden anniversary of the event.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of the tournament in 2020, two Milwaukee-area programs – Catholic Memorial in 2021 and Kenosha Bradford in 2024 – have won state titles at Goodman Softball Complex. Former Bradford star Brooklynn Danielson tied the state record for strikeouts in a Division 1 state tournament game with 18 punchouts in a 1-0 loss to Kaukauna during last season’s D1 state title game.
The Milwaukee area has had four state champions since 2010 in total across the five divisions (the WIAA went to a five-division format in 2017), but could that change this postseason? Here’s five area programs that could be title contenders as the regular season comes to a close.
Hartford
It has been 32 years since the Orioles made a state tournament appearance and if all continues to go well, Hartford could end that drought this postseason if its offense has anything to say about it. The North Shore Conference title frontrunners have been as scary as any lineup in the area, led by an outrageous season from Alivia Fischer. The senior is hitting .594 (!) with nine home runs, 39 runs batted in, 29 runs scored, 11 doubles and a pair of triples. Including Fischer’s numbers, the Orioles have six hitters with at least 19 hits this season and all six of those hitters have tallied at least 15 runs batted in this campaign. Similarly to a couple teams on this list, can the pitching and defense carry their weight all the way to Madison? The Orioles have committed 22 errors and have allowed 57 runs (43 earned) with 41 walks as a staff. They can clearly score, but can they keep teams off the scoreboard? If they can, watch out.
Muskego
Outside of a 3-2 loss to Oak Creek on May 6, Muskego has basically been flawless this season. Out of the four other teams that made the cut for this list, the Warriors own victories over three of them. They beat Wisconsin Lutheran in the season opener (10-6), Oak Creek on April 20 (13-7) and Hartford on April 25 (9-7). The pitching staff and defense have struggled in some of these big encounters, but here’s the catch: they still won those three games because the offense has been so good. Samantha Brunner is on her way to all-state honors with 34 total hits this season with 24 runs batted in, seven doubles and three home runs. Reese Heinrich and Kyleigh Sadler have also combined for 47 hits, 36 runs batted in and 17 doubles this season. The Warriors offense has scored 10-plus runs eight times this season and despite the run totals allowed against elite competition, the pitching staff’s ERA is still 1.83 with 125 total strikeouts. If the Warriors can clean up the 28 errors as a unit defensively, this is absolutely a state title contender.
Oak Creek
The No. 1 team in the state (Sussex Hamilton) has been the best team this season, but the hottest team in the state right now just might reside in Oak Creek. The Knights haven’t lost since April 20 and that came to fellow title contender Muskego. Kentucky commit Kennedy Christopher is on her way to another accolade-filled season for the Knights, hitting .509 with seven home runs, 17 walks, 23 runs batted in, 25 runs scored and 28 total hits with 12 doubles. Nine hitters, including Christopher, have tallied at least 10 hits through May 12, including five with at least 20 total hits. This team can light up a scoreboard with 12 games where the Knights have scored at least eight runs offensively. Defensively, it has been a combined effort inside the circle with three reliable arms in Kourtney Kehoss, Claire Mank and Rita Sippy, who have combined for a 2.54 ERA and 147 strikeouts this season.
Sussex Hamilton
The Chargers have been making yearly trips to Madison with four appearances in the WIAA Division 1 state tournament in the last five postseasons. This year’s team could be the best version of the program. Through games played May 11, the Chargers have allowed just 21 total runs in 20 games. They’ve hit 19 home runs as a team, led by Hope Lehnen’s seven. Bitsy Palicka has been one of the state’s best pitchers and a power bat in the lineup with five home runs and 33 runs batted in during those first 19 games. Chargers coach Kaylee Gendrich carries herself as a coach with massive expectations for this team and she has every right to at this point. This team looks like one of the true teams to beat for the Division 1 title this postseason. They have great pitching. They hit the ball hard and create havoc on the basepaths. They play rock-solid defense. They’re a complete team and a really good one, too.
Wisconsin Lutheran
The 2026 season started with three losses in the first four games for Wisconsin Lutheran. The Vikings have proceeded to just not lose again. Only Sussex Hamilton (20) and Oak Creek (14) have a current winning streak longer than Wisco’s 13-game win streak that started April 13 in a 3-2 nine-inning thriller over Pewaukee. It has not only been a lengthy winning streak for the Vikings, it has been a dominant one for the Woodland West leaders. They’ve only allowed more than two runs in a game during this win streak twice and in those two games, the Vikings outscored their opponents 30-8. Wisco has mashed the ball at the plate with 19 total home runs as a unit, including 14 coming from Zhana Guenther and Reese Grudzielanek. The duo has also combined for 11 doubles and six triples this season. Five Vikings have driven in at least 14 runs through the May 11 slate, while Sidney Schroeder has taken the ace mantle from former superstar Sidney Vitangcol. Schroeder has 114 strikeouts in 67⅔ innings pitched this season.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Top WIAA state softball title contenders from the Milwaukee area
Reporting by Michael Whitlow, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
