WIAA State Girls Softball: Division 1 Preview
Monday, June 9th, 2014 -- 11:10 AM
The 39th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Softball State Tournament will take place this Thursday-Saturday, June 12-14, at the Goodman Diamond on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison. Here's a preview of the Division 4 Field....LAST YEAR: Westosha Central won the Division 1 State championship by clubbing Kenosha Bradford 12-1 in the championship game.
Thursday, June 12th
Division 1 Quarterfinals
Game-1: Westosha Central (25-3) vs. Racine Case (21-3) - 9 a.m.
Game-2: Hortonville (22-4) vs. Verona (22-2) - 11 a.m.
Game-3: Stevens Point (24-5) vs. Kimberly (24-3) - 1:30 p.m.
Game-4: Menomonee Falls (25-4) vs. Germantown (20-8) - 3:30 p.m.
THE DIVISION 1 FIELD: Defending champion Westosha Central attempts to defend its title. The Falcons qualify for the third consecutive season and for the seventh time overall. They also finished runner-up in 1995. The Falcons are the champions of the Southern Lakes Conference this spring. They edged Union Grove 1-0 in the Wilmot Union Sectional final to continue their quest for a repeat title. Stevens Point is making its 16th overall appearance at State. The Panthers have won the most State championships of any member school with eight. They won four straight titles from 2001-04, won back-to-back titles in 2008-09 and in 2011. In addition, they captured the State Class A championship in 1986. Furthermore, they were runners-up in 1985 and 2000. The Panthers have posted a stellar 31-7 record in State Tournament play. They are the co-champions of the Wisconsin Valley Conference this year, and they advance to State from the Stevens Point Sectional following a 2-1 win in eight innings over Chippewa Falls in the final. Kimberly will make its 13th State appearance and the first since winning the Division 1 championship in 2007. The Papermakers have won six State titles. They were the Class A champions in 1980 and 1981, the Class B champions in 1988 and 1989, and the Division 2 champions in 1993. They were the runners-up in the Fox Valley Association this season, and they are the representatives from the Kaukauna Sectional following a 4-1 win over Kaukauna in the final. Verona is making its first appearance since 2010 and its 11th appearance overall. The Wildcats made eight straight tournament appearances from 2001-2008. They finished runner-up in 2001, 2002 and 2008. They are the champions of the Big Eight Conference this spring. The Wildcats earned their entry in the State Tournament with a 2-0 win over Madison La Follette in the final of the sectional hosted by Middleton. Hortonville is making its sixth State appearance overall and its first since finishing runner-up in Division 2 in 2005. The Polar Bears won the Division 2 championship in 1996 and in 2000. They captured the league title in the Bay Conference this season and gained a berth in the tournament with a 9-5 win over Green Bay Preble in the Appleton East Sectional final. Germantown will appear in the State Tournament for the third straight season and for the fifth time overall. The Warhawks? first appearance at State produced a Division 1 championship in 1996. They finished first in the North Shore Conference standings this season. They advance as representatives out of the sectional the Warhawks hosted with a 1-0 win over Brookfield Central in the final. Racine Case is also making its fifth trip to State and its first since 2007. The Eagles? advancement to the semifinals in both 1977 and 2007 is the furthest advance in the tournament. They earned their entry in the tournament field with a 2-1 victory over sectional host Kenosha Bradford. The Eagles are the champions of the Southeast Conference. Menomonee Falls is participating in its second straight tournament and its fourth overall. Last season?s advance to the semifinals represents the most notable previous finish. The Indians are the champions of the Greater Metro Conference this season. Their return to the final field of eight was earned with a 2-1 win over Watertown in the Oconomowoc Sectional final.
ALL GAMES STREAMED LIVE: The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of all four divisions of the WIAA State Tournament will be streamed live on the Internet on foxsportswisconsin.com.
FINALS AIRED LIVE ON FS WISCONSIN: Watch the WIAA State Softball Championship finals of all four divisions live on FS Wisconsin. Check local cable listings for the channel in your area.
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