The high school softball postseason is set to begin this weekend.
Area tournaments lead to the regional tournaments, which lead to the state tournament, so these area tournaments are the start to the sprint to the finish line.
Each classification (1A-7A) has 16 areas, and the top two finishers in the area tournaments advance to the regional tournaments.
As you can imagine, many of the areas have distinct favorites, but there are some areas that will eliminate some pretty good teams right off the bat, making them the most compelling of the bunch over the next few days.
Area tournaments are required to be finished by Tuesday evening.
Let’s take a look at some interesting area tournaments to play out:
Class 7A, Area 6
Teams: Hewitt-Trussville, Vestavia Hills, Oak Mountain, Hoover
This area has had plenty of drama over the years, and this year it contains four teams with legitimate state tournament hopes. Hewitt-Trussville is the host, earning the top seed. Vestavia Hills is having its best season in a few years. Oak Mountain has surged over the second half of the year and is on fire. Hoover has probably not played up to its potential over the last month, which makes the Bucs even more dangerous, honestly. This tournament is a true toss-up.
Class 4A, Area 13
Teams: East Lawrence, Good Hope, West Morgan, Danville
East Lawrence rose up this year to topple Good Hope and West Morgan and earn the regular season area title. Good Hope (Molly Benefield) and West Morgan (Chasity Rikard) are led by pitchers capable of shutting down an opponent single-handedly, so this one is one to watch.
Class 4A, Area 16
Teams: Plainview, Madison County, New Hope, North Jackson, DAR
This is a tough one. All five teams in this area have future college players. Plainview and Madison County have been the strongest teams year over year, but New Hope has notched several eye-opening wins over the last couple years. This one likely won’t be straight forward.
Class 5A, Area 16
Teams: Ardmore, East Limestone, Brewer, Priceville
Good luck figuring this one out. This tournament featured an exciting run by Priceville last spring, and all four teams are extremely competitive this spring once again. Ardmore is probably the best team, but East Limestone is having a great season and Brewer and Priceville are both still good teams.
Class 7A, Area 4
Teams: Auburn, Central, Opelika, Smiths Station
Central has owned this area in recent years, but the Red Devils are in a bit of a rebuilding stage this season. Opelika split with Central and Smiths Station, so this one could go either way. Auburn has had a great season, led by standout pitcher Lily Brewer. The Tigers are a team to watch beyond this week.
Class 4A, Area 5
Teams: Prattville Christian, Tallassee, Montgomery Catholic, BTW-Tuskegee, LAMP
Prattville Christian is the clear favorite here, but Tallassee and Montgomery Catholic are talented teams that are accustomed to advancing in the postseason.
Class 4A, Area 12
Teams: Alexandria, Cherokee County, White Plains, Cleburne County
Alexandria swept through the area this year, but Cherokee County and White Plains can’t be discounted here. All of White Plains losses to the top two teams in the area were close ball games.
Class 4A, Area 14
Teams: Central-Florence, Deshler, Wilson, Hatton, Brooks
This area came down to a one-run differential between Central and Deshler, which split during the regular season. Wilson has had a pretty solid season as well, and Hatton snapped a 19-game losing streak last week and probably shouldn’t be slept on.
Class 5A, Area 14
Teams: Lawrence County, Russellville, West Point
Lawrence County appears to be the best of the three here, but Russellville and West Point are both more than capable of competing at regionals. Russellville has improved leaps and bounds since Rick Lawson took over the program last year. Russellville’s Taitum Bishop and West Point’s Kara Jones have each had several dominant pitching performances this season.
Class 6A, Area 2
Teams: Spanish Fort, Gulf Shores, Baldwin County, McGill-Toolen
Spanish Fort and Gulf Shores are the two favorites to advance, but Baldwin County has a penchant for creating postseason chaos.
Class 6A, Area 7
Teams: Spain Park, Chelsea, Helena, Pelham
This is a toss-up between Spain Park, Chelsea and Helena it appears. Helena is the defending state champion and has remained competitive while replacing most of its starting lineup from a year ago. Chelsea cracked the top 10 at the end of the regular season and Spain Park is still Spain Park.
Class 6A, Area 13
Teams: Cullman, Mortimer Jordan, Jasper
Cullman has had a resurgence this spring under first-year coach Drew Bryson. The Bearcats are the clear favorite, but the area also features two teams that are quite talented but have struggled with inconsistent moments throughout the season. There may be a surprise or two here.
Class 7A, Area 5
Teams: Thompson, Tuscaloosa County, Prattville, Hillcrest
Thompson is the clear favorite here, but the second spot is up for grabs.
Class 7A, Area 7
Teams: Huntsville, Sparkman, Grissom, Albertville
Huntsville and Sparkman have been the best teams in this area in recent years, but Grissom has been very competitive this year, and Albertville has gotten significantly better over the second half of the season.
Class 7A, Area 8
Teams: Austin, Bob Jones, James Clemens, Florence
Austin won this area, but all four teams have had moments of competitiveness and growth this season. There could be a surprise or two.