The softball postseason is an exciting time in Michigan.
After a season of double-headers, it all comes down to one game to prove yourself and keep the season alive. If you do, it’s the same thing all over again.
In 2026, Petoskey-area softball teams have put together a competitive season that has plenty entering district action as favorites or very well capable of bringing home some hardware and advancing on.
That makes things exciting for area fans, too.
We’re just less than a week away from postseason action getting going and seasons ending or dreams carrying on. A complete look at the Petoskey-area district breakdowns can be found below.
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DIVISION 2
District 34 — at Sault Ste. Marie
Thursday, May 28
Grayling (6-18) vs. Petoskey (19-7), 11 a.m.
Sault Ste. Marie (8-11) vs. Gaylord (15-10), 1 p.m.
TBD, District Championship, 3 p.m.
Regional Site: Sault Ste. Marie
QUICK LOOK: Do we have a changing of the tides? We’ll find out next week.
While in recent years Gaylord has owned the postseason against area Division 2 programs, we could have Petoskey stepping in to change that in 2026.
The Northmen bring serious pop to the lineup with the likes of Fran Pool, Lyla Janes and Addisynn Segraves combining for 19 home runs this season.
Then there’s Alexis Cadarette to lead things off, with the senior doing everything to get on base, which includes another average well north of .500.
Petoskey has also found reliable pitching behind Jordan Malec and her 70 2/3 innings and 85 strikeouts.
It’s too be determined how Petoskey and Gaylord match up, but the early edge looks like PHS will head into the postseason as the favorite here. Early Pick: Petoskey
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DIVISION 3
District 67 — at Boyne City
Tuesday, May 26
Cheboygan (16-9) vs. Harbor Springs (14-11), 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 30
Cheboygan/Harbor vs. Boyne City (20-9), 10 a.m.
Charlevoix (1-22) vs. Elk Rapids (25-7), Noon
TDB, District Championship, 2 p.m.
Regional Site: Cheboygan
QUICK LOOK: Get ready for one of the more exciting districts around in Boyne City.
There are realistically four teams capable of making a dent in Boyne City and bringing home a district championship.
Cheboygan has spent time in and out of the Division 3 rankings this season, bringing a talented and veteran team to the field. There’s also the motivation of getting to host regionals ahead.
Elk Rapids has been a formidable foe all season, racking up 25 wins behind a challenging schedule that has included plenty of wins out of the BNC.
Harbor Springs has trouble keeping runs off the board at times, though they can score with the best of them and have bats in Marlie Richardson, Kaylin Samyn, Hadley Binko and many more that can really crank out hits.
Boyne City is one of the more complete teams around, with a veteran and talented pitcher in Sidney Bush, then a lineup that’s helped earn sweeps over Cheboygan and Harbor Springs, along with seven straight wins down the stretch.
The likes of Sadie Bush, Bella Jewett, Sidney Bush, Riley Thiel, Natalie Grobaski and more can deliver.
A matchup with the Elks ahead will tell a lot, but you have to like Boyne’s chances to bring it all together on their home field. Early Pick: Boyne City
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DIVISION 4
District 107 — at Ellsworth
Tuesday, May 26
East Jordan (13-15) vs. Ellsworth (3-8-1), 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 30
Ellsworth/East Jordan vs. Central Lake (4-12), 10 a.m.
Bellaire (23-5) vs. Mancelona (7-10), Noon
TBD, District Championship, 2 p.m.
Regional Site: East Jordan
QUICK LOOK: It’s not hard to point out a favorite in the Ellsworth hosted bracket. That doesn’t mean anything can’t happen.
Bellaire has been a top five team all season in Division 4 and the Eagles are currently ranked No. 5.
They’ve delivered sweeps over everyone in the Ski Valley so far, including wins of 15-0 and 24-0 against East Jordan.
How EJ responds to that for a potential second matchup would be interesting.
First, the Red Devils need to get past Ellsworth, then Central Lake, so that’s getting ahead a bit.
EJ has talent in the circle behind Emma Murray, then big bats at the plate with Bristol Skop, Caitlyn Burks, Murray and Sydney Guerriero, among others.
Is it enough to win three straight and take the district over a top five team? Time will tell. Early Pick: Bellaire
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DIVISION 4
District 102 — at Pellston
Friday, May 29
Pellston (6-13) vs. Mackinaw City (10-7), 1 p.m.
Harbor Light Christian (10-13-1) vs. Burt Lake NMCA (10-4), 3 p.m.
TBD, District Championship, 5 p.m.
Regional Site: Rogers City
QUICK LOOK: You probably can’t get anymore familiar than these teams are with each other. That can be a good thing and a bad thing come the postseason.
Each team in here is capable of pulling out the title on the right day, so whoever gets hot and heads into the postseason with momentum next Friday is likely to be the team to do it.
Harbor Light split against the Comets in a league matchup, then dropped another 15-5 game against Mackinaw, along with a 7-4 meeting with Pellston.
It’s been an up and down season for the Hornets as well, though the Ski Valley is a challenging softball league that includes the likes of Bellaire, Johannesburg-Lewiston, Inland Lakes, East Jordan and more. That schedule alone may be enough to give the Hornets an early edge.
But, when it comes to talent, Mackinaw City might take the cake.
Ella and Emily Kruczynski, along with Rian Esper and Kenzlie Currie lead the way for the Comets, with Poppy Wallace also bringing great experience.
The arm of Ella Kruczynski might make the difference in the district. Early Pick: Mackinaw City
Reach Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com and follow him on X @DrewKochanny and Instagram @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Plenty of Petoskey-area softball teams enter district bracket with trophy potential
Reporting by Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
