'Good challenge' begins for No. 1 Benton in 4A regionals

Benton Community is a No. 1 softball team, without the No. 1 protection.

Instead of a cushy regional draw, the Class 4A top-ranked Bobcats (31-6) are two stiff steps away from a third consecutive state-tournament appearance.

'I think it will be a good challenge for us,' Bobcats Coach Eric Stenberg said. 'We've seen both of the other teams on the other side of the bracket (14th-ranked Charles City and No. 15 Independence), but our main focus is on Western Dubuque, because that's a capable team that can hit the ball.'

Class 5A and Class 4A regional semifinals are Saturday. Benton is up a class after winning the 3A championship last year, and the Bobcats have more than merely survived the graduation of Amber Fiser and Alyssa Wiebel — two of the state's top players in the Class of 2016 — among others.

'I think we have surpassed everybody's expectations,' Stenberg said. 'When we got together last fall, there was a lot of looking around, like, 'What is next year going to be like?'

'We changed that mindset. We stopped worrying about who we lost, and focused on who we have. And we have good, quality kids.'

Western Dubuque is 23-15. First pitch is 7 p.m.

Metro squads blanketed the top of the Mississippi Valley Conference this season. Class 5A fourth-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy (33-7) and No. 15 Cedar Rapids Prairie (28-9) shared the Valley Division championship, and No. 3 Cedar Rapids Jefferson (36-4), Linn-Mar (26-14) and Cedar Rapids Xavier (22-17) went 1-2-3 in the Mississippi Division.

Xavier opened its postseason with a 12-0, three-inning rout of Grinnell, and now travels to No. 11 Adel ADM in a 4A contest. They'll relish the trip of two-plus hours.

'(The team likes) playing on the road,' Xavier Coach Nikki Gahring said. 'They like traveling together, and singing and carrying on together as a team. They'll be loose and ready to attack for sure.'

Jefferson and Linn-Mar are heavy favorites to advance; they host Waterloo West (9-28) and Cedar Falls (4-29), respectively. Kennedy's task is more tricky, against youthful and growing Iowa City High (21-19).

That leaves Prairie, which travels to 10th-ranked West Des Moines Dowling (27-9) without head coach Joe Yegge, who will miss regionals to coach a junior-college all-star in an international tournament in Canada.

Yegge also serves as softball coach for Kirkwood Community College.

Prairie athletics director Rocky Bennett said that assistant Shannon Reisinger will guide the Hawks in regionals, with Yegge returning for state, if the Hawks advance.

Iowa City West (25-15) is at No. 9 Davenport West (31-8). The Women of Troy have won 22 of their last 26 games.

SATURDAY'S CLASS 5A REGIONAL SEMIFINALS

7 p.m. unless noted otherwise

Region 4

Ankeny (21-20) at Urbandale (29-7)

Cedar Falls (4-29) at Linn-Mar (26-14)

Region 5

Waterloo West (9-28) at Cedar Rapids Jefferson (36-4)

Dubuque Senior (16-21) at Dubuque Hempstead (23-16), 5:30 p.m.

Region 7

Iowa City High (21-19) at Cedar Rapids Kennedy (33-7)

Iowa City West (25-15) at Davenport West (31-8)

Region 8

Des Moines East (20-19) at Indianola (33-5)

Cedar Rapids Prairie (28-9) at West Des Moines Dowling (27-9)

SATURDAY'S CLASS 4A REGIONAL QUARTERFINALS

All Games, 7 p.m.

Region 4

Western Dubuque (23-15) at Benton Community (31-6)

Independence (26-13) at Charles City (30-6)

Region 5

Washington (21-17) at Oskaloosa (26-12)

North Scott (23-18) at Burlington (21-17)

Region 7

Maquoketa (12-23) at Mount Pleasant (29-10)

Cedar Rapids Xavier (22-17) at Adel ADM (19-15)

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com