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The 2025 South Dakota High School softball season is off and running. At least, it was until Mother Nature hit the pause button this week.
A handful of area schools opened play Saturday in an indoor kickoff tournament at the American State Bank Sports Complex in Sioux Center (Iowa), but a number of scheduled games for Monday and Tuesday (and potentially later this week) have been or will be wiped out by recent snowfall.
That includes the scheduled season opener Tuesday at Mitchell for Class AA Watertown and the Arrows' scheduled home opener against Yankon on Thursday.
Eventually, spring will take hold and the season will take off for the 15 area schools fielding teams this year including Class AA Watertown and Aberdeen Central; Class A Milbank, Sisseton and Sioux Valley; and Class B Arlington, Castlewood, Clark-Willow Lake, Deubrook Area, Deuel, Elkton-Lake Benton, Florence-Henry, Kingsbury County, Mobridge-Pollock and Redfield. Clark-Willow Lake, Deubrook Area and Kingsbury County are first-year teams and Mobridge-Pollock has moved down from Class A.
SoDak 16 state-qualifying games for all three classes are slated for Tuesday, May 27. Winners will advance to the state AA tourney June 5-7 at Augustana University's Bowden Field in Sioux Falls or the state Class A and B tourney June 5-7 at the Players Softball Complex in Aberdeen.
Here's four questions involving area softball teams that will be answered this spring.
The Arrows improved from 7-8 in their initial season of S.D. High School Activities Association play in 2023 to 12-11 in 2024 that included a seventh-place finish in the state Class AA tournament.
All-Eastern South Dakota Conference standouts Jade Lund and Kinsley Van Gilder have graduated, but coach Kelli Brinka and assistants Katie Strande, Elena Hoffman and Sam Koehn do have some returning regulars to build around.
That group includes junior outfielder Lauryn Hirsch and senior first baseman Aleia Johnston, who received honorable-mention on the all-conference team. Hirsch batted .284 with a double, two triples, three homers and a team-leading 24 RBIs and Johnston .342 with four doubles, a homer, 21 runs scored and 17 RBIs.
Senior shortstop Kynslee Johnson, senior infielder Alayna Dettman, freshman catcher Emmy Berglund and sophomore pitcher Alexa Brown, who handled a majority of the team's pitching duties last spring.
2024 STATE CLASS AA TOURNEY: State Class AA softball tournament closes with four games Saturday in Aberdeen.
"We lost four starters and we're just very young," Brinka said. "You take players like Alexa, who pitched for us a lot last year and did a great job. But she's still only a sophomore and learning a lot."
Brinka is still working out the team's potential lineup and defensive positioning that will likely include junior Kodi Lund at second base and juniors Leyla Meester and Addy Tesch and sophomore Avery Baumann seeing time in the outfielder along with Hirsch, who will move from right to center.
Junior Dayna Garvey and eighth-graders Lydia Stemwedel and Ellie Hirsch round out the varsity roster.
Sioux Falls Lincoln is the two-time defending state Class AA champion and the Patriots should be solid again, but Brinka feels Sioux Falls Jefferson could be the team to beat.
As the newcomers and other youngsters gain some experience, the Arrows hope to again challenge for a state-tournament berth.
"My upperclassmen have been such great leaders. They have guided these middle schoolers and included them, creating a positive energy in our program," Brinka said.
Now Watertown fielded a club fastpitch softball program for more than 25 years before joining the high school ranks but that wasn't the case for Aberdeen Central, which basically started its program from scratch two years ago.
After going 0-13 in 2023, the Golden Eagles went 4-15 last spring. The team's scheduled home opener at Pierre on Tuesday also was postponed (to April 22) with games at Yankton on Monday up next, weather permitting.
Junior pitcher Kaylee Kiesow and senior pitcher Kylee Hoffman are top returnees for coach Cassidy Neer's team along with senior Addison Ward; juniors Avery Bendewald, Rachel Siefken and Addyson Keller; sophomore Alivia Roettele and Jayla Breaw and freshman Aliyah Torigian.
2024 ALL-STATE SOFTBALL: Six area players named to Class B All-State softball team; two others earn honorable mention
The northeastern South Dakota teams in this class are definitely behind the Sioux Falls and southeastern South Dakota teams who have been playing the sport for much longer.
Sioux Valley did go 16-6 last spring and advanced to a SoDak 16 state-qualifying game before falling. The Cossacks hope to have another solid season this spring.
Sisseton (3-13) and Milbank (1-19) are hoping another year of experience will pay dividends.
Defending state champion Tea Area has now moved up to Class AA.
Three area teams have qualified for state in each of the first two years of sanctioned softball. Castlewood won the 2023 state tourney with Arlington taking third and Deuel seventh. Castlewood made it back to the state championship before losing to Chester last spring. Florence-Henry won the consolation championship and Deuel again placed seventh.
Castlewood went 17-5, Mobridge-Pollock 14-5 in Class A, Deuel 15-7, Florence-Henry 13-3, Arlington 8-11, Redfield 7-7 and Elkton-Lake Benton 7-13 last spring. Clark-Willow Lake, Deubrook Area and the Kingsbury County Knights also joined the mix this spring.
All-state sophomore catcher Lilly Jacobsen and all-state sophomore outfielder Cydni Kudrna return for a Castlewood team that also welcomes back talented freshman pitcher Claire Horn.
Senior all-staters Roxanne Raml and pitcher Katrina Hagberg are top returnees for Deuel. Junior outfielder Sony Johnson, who received honorable mention on the all-state team, is back for Arlington. Florence-Henry's bid to return to state will be spearheaded by junior pitcher Elizabeth Reiter and others.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Watertown, Aberdeen area softball previews for Class AA, A and B teams
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A handful of area schools opened play Saturday in an indoor kickoff tournament at the American State Bank Sports Complex in Sioux Center (Iowa), but a number of scheduled games for Monday and Tuesday (and potentially later this week) have been or will be wiped out by recent snowfall.
That includes the scheduled season opener Tuesday at Mitchell for Class AA Watertown and the Arrows' scheduled home opener against Yankon on Thursday.
Eventually, spring will take hold and the season will take off for the 15 area schools fielding teams this year including Class AA Watertown and Aberdeen Central; Class A Milbank, Sisseton and Sioux Valley; and Class B Arlington, Castlewood, Clark-Willow Lake, Deubrook Area, Deuel, Elkton-Lake Benton, Florence-Henry, Kingsbury County, Mobridge-Pollock and Redfield. Clark-Willow Lake, Deubrook Area and Kingsbury County are first-year teams and Mobridge-Pollock has moved down from Class A.
SoDak 16 state-qualifying games for all three classes are slated for Tuesday, May 27. Winners will advance to the state AA tourney June 5-7 at Augustana University's Bowden Field in Sioux Falls or the state Class A and B tourney June 5-7 at the Players Softball Complex in Aberdeen.
Here's four questions involving area softball teams that will be answered this spring.
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Can Watertown make it back to state?
The Arrows improved from 7-8 in their initial season of S.D. High School Activities Association play in 2023 to 12-11 in 2024 that included a seventh-place finish in the state Class AA tournament.
All-Eastern South Dakota Conference standouts Jade Lund and Kinsley Van Gilder have graduated, but coach Kelli Brinka and assistants Katie Strande, Elena Hoffman and Sam Koehn do have some returning regulars to build around.
That group includes junior outfielder Lauryn Hirsch and senior first baseman Aleia Johnston, who received honorable-mention on the all-conference team. Hirsch batted .284 with a double, two triples, three homers and a team-leading 24 RBIs and Johnston .342 with four doubles, a homer, 21 runs scored and 17 RBIs.
Senior shortstop Kynslee Johnson, senior infielder Alayna Dettman, freshman catcher Emmy Berglund and sophomore pitcher Alexa Brown, who handled a majority of the team's pitching duties last spring.
2024 STATE CLASS AA TOURNEY: State Class AA softball tournament closes with four games Saturday in Aberdeen.
"We lost four starters and we're just very young," Brinka said. "You take players like Alexa, who pitched for us a lot last year and did a great job. But she's still only a sophomore and learning a lot."
Brinka is still working out the team's potential lineup and defensive positioning that will likely include junior Kodi Lund at second base and juniors Leyla Meester and Addy Tesch and sophomore Avery Baumann seeing time in the outfielder along with Hirsch, who will move from right to center.
Junior Dayna Garvey and eighth-graders Lydia Stemwedel and Ellie Hirsch round out the varsity roster.
Sioux Falls Lincoln is the two-time defending state Class AA champion and the Patriots should be solid again, but Brinka feels Sioux Falls Jefferson could be the team to beat.
As the newcomers and other youngsters gain some experience, the Arrows hope to again challenge for a state-tournament berth.
"My upperclassmen have been such great leaders. They have guided these middle schoolers and included them, creating a positive energy in our program," Brinka said.
- Watertown's Schedule — (Games are 4 p.m. junior varsity and 5:30 p.m. varsity unless otherwise noted. Watertown's home games will be played at the PREMIER Softball Complex). April 8 at Brookings, April 14 at Mitchell, April 15 host Pierre, April 17 at Aberdeen Central, April 22 host Tea, April 24 at Harrisburg, April 29 host Brookings, May 23-3 at Sioux Falls tournament, May 9 at Spearfish (1 p.m. jv and 2:30 p.m. varsity) and Sturgis (4:30 jv, 6 varsity), May 10 at Rapid City Central (9:30 a.m. JV, 11 a.m. varsity) and Rapid City Stevens (1 p.m. JV, 2:30 p.m. varsity), May 13 at Sioux Falls Roosevelt, May 15 host Sioux Falls Washington, May 16 host O'Gorman, May 20 host Sioux Falls Jefferson and May 22 at Sioux Falls Lincoln. No makeup date has been announced for the Yankton games.
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Can Aberdeen Central also take a step up?
Now Watertown fielded a club fastpitch softball program for more than 25 years before joining the high school ranks but that wasn't the case for Aberdeen Central, which basically started its program from scratch two years ago.
After going 0-13 in 2023, the Golden Eagles went 4-15 last spring. The team's scheduled home opener at Pierre on Tuesday also was postponed (to April 22) with games at Yankton on Monday up next, weather permitting.
Junior pitcher Kaylee Kiesow and senior pitcher Kylee Hoffman are top returnees for coach Cassidy Neer's team along with senior Addison Ward; juniors Avery Bendewald, Rachel Siefken and Addyson Keller; sophomore Alivia Roettele and Jayla Breaw and freshman Aliyah Torigian.
2024 ALL-STATE SOFTBALL: Six area players named to Class B All-State softball team; two others earn honorable mention
What can we expect from the area's Class A teams?
The northeastern South Dakota teams in this class are definitely behind the Sioux Falls and southeastern South Dakota teams who have been playing the sport for much longer.
Sioux Valley did go 16-6 last spring and advanced to a SoDak 16 state-qualifying game before falling. The Cossacks hope to have another solid season this spring.
Sisseton (3-13) and Milbank (1-19) are hoping another year of experience will pay dividends.
Defending state champion Tea Area has now moved up to Class AA.
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Will the area's Class B teams again make their mark?
Three area teams have qualified for state in each of the first two years of sanctioned softball. Castlewood won the 2023 state tourney with Arlington taking third and Deuel seventh. Castlewood made it back to the state championship before losing to Chester last spring. Florence-Henry won the consolation championship and Deuel again placed seventh.
Castlewood went 17-5, Mobridge-Pollock 14-5 in Class A, Deuel 15-7, Florence-Henry 13-3, Arlington 8-11, Redfield 7-7 and Elkton-Lake Benton 7-13 last spring. Clark-Willow Lake, Deubrook Area and the Kingsbury County Knights also joined the mix this spring.
All-state sophomore catcher Lilly Jacobsen and all-state sophomore outfielder Cydni Kudrna return for a Castlewood team that also welcomes back talented freshman pitcher Claire Horn.
Senior all-staters Roxanne Raml and pitcher Katrina Hagberg are top returnees for Deuel. Junior outfielder Sony Johnson, who received honorable mention on the all-state team, is back for Arlington. Florence-Henry's bid to return to state will be spearheaded by junior pitcher Elizabeth Reiter and others.
Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Watertown, Aberdeen area softball previews for Class AA, A and B teams
Continue reading...
