WIAA State Softball Preview: Division 3
Thursday, June 9th, 2016 -- 10:13 AM
The 41st Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Softball Tournament will take place Thursday-Saturday, June 9-11, at Goodman Diamond on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison.LAST YEAR: Laconia was the Division 3 champion with a 2-1 victory over Poynette in the State final.
Friday, June 10
Division 3 Semifinals
Game-1: Grantsburg (25-2) vs. Poynette (23-6) - 1:30 p.m.
Game-2: Laconia (27-0) vs. Mishicot (24-4) - 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 11
Division 3 Championship Game - 12:35 p.m.
THE DIVISION 3 FIELD: Laconia seeks a second consecutive championship after winning the title last season. The Spartans advance to the semifinals for the third straight season and for the fourth time overall. The Spartans’ experiences in the State Tournament in 2009 and 2014 resulted in runner-up finishes. This season, they were the champions in the Flyway Conference. They advance to State through the Pacelli Sectional with a 2-0 shutout over Stratford in the final. Last year’s runner-up Poynette is making its second consecutive appearance and its ninth overall. The Pumas won the Division 2 title in 1998 and added Division 3 crowns in 2005 and 2011. They also have had four runner-up finishes, which came in 1999, 2003, 2012 and again last season. They finished runner-up to Columbus in the North Division of the Capitol Conference this season, and they have advanced to the semifinals with a 5-3 victory over Luther in the sectional final played at Poynette. Grantsburg qualifies for the eighth time in its program’s history and for the fourth time in the last five seasons. The Pirates won State titles in 2006 and 2009. This season, they are the champions of the West Division of the Lakeland Conference, and they advanced to the State semifinals through the Eau Claire Memorial Sectional with a 9-3 win over Elk Mound in the final. Mishicot makes its second appearance in the past three seasons after advancing to State for the first time in 2014. The Indians’ defeated Winnebago Lutheran 11-4 in the Germantown Sectional final to return to the final field of four. They placed second in the Big East Conference standings behind Random Lake this spring.
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