The 2026 IHSAA softball state tournament continues Tuesday with regionals.
Here are the 10 best offerings.
10. Bloomfield at No. 1 Barr-Reeve (A)
Not the easiest regional draw for the top-ranked Vikings. Bloomfield’s on a six-game win streak led by Lila Koontz, Addison Lafree, Bella McIntosh and Lailey Smith, all of whom have 30-plus hits and at least 20 RBIs. Koontz, a senior, has 40 runs scored and a team-leading four homers — and also anchors the pitching staff (10-2, 1.89 ERA, 108 strikeouts). Make no mistake, Barr-Reeve is still the favorite here and seemingly destined for a semistate showdown with Lutheran, but don’t be surprised if this regional isn’t decided until the latter innings.
9. No. 11 Knightstown at No. 3 Milan (A)
Milan has not lost since mid-April and aside from a 4-3 win over Madison in the regular-season finale and a 6-1 triumph over Rising Sun in the sectional opener, it hasn’t really had a close game since then, either. The 29-win Indians have eight players with 20-plus hits, including the senior quartet of Mallory Eaglin, Kynadee Bode, Nevaeh Carpenter and Emma Voss. Eaglin has 47 hits and 34 RBIs; Bode has 46 hits, 50 RBIs and eight homers. Milan will have one of its tougher tests of the season in Knightstown, which knocked off Tri in the sectional semifinals, has a team batting average of .391 and an ace pitcher in senior Mae Hersberger who has a 3.29 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 102 innings.
8. No. 12 Griffith at No. 10 Hanover Central (3A)
Griffith beat Hanover Central, 7-5, in late April with freshmen Jaida Wheatley and Camryn Young both clocking three hits and two runs, and sophomore Laney Poppa and junior Natalie Vianello combining for six RBIs (four by Poppa). Young, the Panther’s No. 1 pitcher, went the distance, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits with five Ks and three walks. Sophomore ace Jillian DeYoung did not pitch for Hanover Central, which beat Kankakee Valley, 7-2, on Friday. DeYoung doubled twice and allowed only the two runs on six hits with 10 Ks. Nora Edgerton and Sienna Stilley combined for four hits, two runs and the RBIs (Stilley homered). Kaylee Blocker also homered for the Wildcats.
7. No. 9 Frankton at No. 1 Alexandria-Monroe (2A)
The Eagles beat the Tigers a couple weeks ago on a walk-off sacrifice fly by Kinley Webb with one out in the seventh. They took home the 4-3 victory despite being out-hit 10-4, with ace pitcher Brynlee Humphries allowing only the three runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts and three walks. Lowyn Coffey, Grace Kessinger and Zoey Coppess all clocked multiple hits for Frankton that game, while Grace Kessinger and Zoey Coppess combined to allow just the four runs (all earned) on four hits with five strikeouts. Nine of the past 10 games in this series have been decided by four runs or fewer, including last season’s two meetings (Alexandria won both by four runs).
6. No. 4 Fort Wayne Carroll at Homestead (4A)
Another game with a recent meeting for us to refer back to. Carroll ace Taylor Danley pitched three perfect frames (four strikeouts) before giving way to Macie Lada, who allowed only one hit and struck out four in her four innings pitched in the 3-0 victory. That will be the mountain Homestead faces in the rematch, as well, though its ace — Chelsie Rosine — held her own against a potent Chargers nine, limiting them to two earned runs on four hits with three Ks. The Fort Wayne rivalry factor adds some extra zest to this one and though Carroll’s on a five-game winning streak in the series, the past few meetings have been close. This will be their first postseason meeting, per MaxPreps.
5. No. 9 Brownsburg at No. 5 Center Grove (4A)
Brownsburg led the regular-season meeting 10-1 through three innings, then surrendered eight unanswered runs, including four in the top of the seventh, for an unexpectedly stressful finish. It would be a pretty big surprise if either team built that large of a lead in the rematch, but I am betting on a similarly dramatic finish. Brownsburg sophomore pitcher Etta Schroering was especially dialed in those last two rounds of sectionals and the Center Grove offense is running like a well-oiled machine. Both teams are peaking at just the right time. This one’s going to be a blast.
4. Western at No. 14 Westfield (4A)
If the pitching is dialed in, this sets up as a tight, low-scoring affair. Westfield’s defense has been a game-changer this month, going error-free through the sectional and committing only six in its past 10 games. That’s given primary pitchers Olivia Sampia and Mackenzie Delph new levels of confidence in the circle. Western’s defense has also been very good, but ace Lucy George can simply overpower hitters when she needs to. She has fanned 219 this season and K’d 15 in a 1-0 loss to Fort Wayne Carroll on May 2 (she allowed one hit, a sixth-inning solo homer).
MaKayla Watson (North Carolina State signee) and Sofia Easterhaus (Marian) are basically automatic atop the Westfield lineup; Kentucky signee Brynley Erb recently broke the state’s all-time home run record with her 70th career blast. It will be interesting to see how Westfield handles Erb. Noblesville batted slugger Haley Schatko first in the sectional final and after surrendering a lead-off double, the Rocks opted to walk her in subsequent at-bats if there was a runner on. If it’s a close game (which I suspect it will be), I would not be surprised if they intentionally walk Erb every time — not unlike what Noblesville did to Avery Parker her senior year.
3. No. 12 Danville at No. 3 Cathedral (3A)
Getting back to Bittinger Stadium will require the defending state champion Irish to overcome a Danville program that’s had their number these past few years. Cathedral has lost five of the past six in the series, including a 5-3 decision back on April 13. And this specific Warriors outfit is sneaky dangerous with a very solid lineup core (Allie Gunter, Cassie Thompson, Molly Anderson, Maddie Newman, and Piper Whitson), and an experienced pitcher in senior Autumn Muncy, who pitched 1.1 shutout innings vs. Cathedral in April and tested her mettle down the stretch against Avon, Terre Haute North, Avon and Brownsburg. She racked up 25 strikeouts and allowed only one run on four hits against Guerin Catholic and Lebanon in the sectional. Postseason experience is certainly Cathedral’s biggest advantage here, but all pressure will be on the Irish.
2. No. 7 Edgewood at No. 7 New Palestine (3A)
New Palestine ace Sadey Hughbanks was exceptional and the defense was nearly perfect behind her in the sectional semifinals vs. Roncalli. The senior pitched a one-hit shutout with six walks and six strikeouts, and the defense was charged with only one error on 30 chances. They will need to duplicate that performance — maybe even improve upon it — Tuesday. Edgewood senior Ally Bland is in the midst of a career year, boasting a 24-3 record with a 0.64 ERA and 285 strikeouts. Those are all career highs and while the Mustangs haven’t played the toughest schedule, she has big-game experience from earlier in her career and her 2026 game log includes Indian Creek, Sullivan, Northview, Evansville Mater Dei and, most recently, Cascade, which managed just one hit in a 13-0 loss Thursday.
1. No. 2 Logansport at No. 1 Yorktown (3A)
I mean, was there any doubt? No. No there was not. The past few weeks have been building towards this moment. top-ranked Yorktown has only lost twice since its 14-0 start and those losses were against eventual Sectional 8 champion Westfield and 4A powerhouse Hamilton Southeastern. They’ve been a bit hit-or-miss at the plate, but Olivia Jaromin arrives on a heater and their ace, Olivia Jones, is elite. The sophomore is 20-2 with a 0.61 ERA and 244 strikeouts. She’s limiting hitters to a .139 average (.202 OBP) and is one of the Tigers’ top hitters with a .439 average, 34 RBIs and 10 homers.
Logansport is one of the few in 3A that can match the Berries in the circle. Junior Texas commit Brooklynn Hagerty is 16-0 with 253 strikeouts and a 0.71 ERA. Also one of her team’s most dependable hitters, she’s limitting opponents to a .088 average (.142 OBP) and has a game log highlighted by Tecumseh (no-hitter), Fishers, Hamilton Heights, Penn and Western.
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Ranking the 10 best Indiana high school softball regional championship games
Reporting by Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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