Rest assured, Solon is prepared for regional final

Few prepare quite like Jim White.

Sure, Albia is 120 miles away. But rest assured, no stone will be left unturned as White prepares his Solon High School softball team for Monday's Class 3A regional final.

'I think it's really important to see (a potential opponent) in person,' said White, who has won seven state championships — six at Clear Creek-Amana, one at Solon. 'Seeing a team on video is good. Seeing them in person is better.'

White has made the trek to south-central Iowa twice himself. His assistants have gone twice, and brought home video. So that's four different tapes to dissect.

The sixth-rated Spartans (30-12) host No. 9 Albia (27-8), with first pitch at 7 p.m.

It's one of 10 regional finals Monday that feature Gazette-area teams in 3A, 2A and 1A. Also in 3A, No. 7 Center Point-Urbana (28-10) hosts Crestwood (24-7), No. 8 Mount Vernon (27-15) entertains East Marshall (17-17), and West Liberty (22-13) travels to No. 1 Davenport Assumption (39-1), which has won 39 consecutive games.

The 2A headliner is at Dyersville, where No. 7 Beckman (30-11) hosts No. 8 Iowa City Regina (26-11). North Linn (26-13) is at No. 2 Durant (30-7).

Defending 1A champion Lansing Kee (34-2) hosts Calamus-Wheatland (24-9) at New Albin. The rest of the area 1A focus centers around South Iowa Cedar League teams: Belle Plaine (22-6) is at No. 8 Ackley AGWSR (26-12), Sigourney (21-11) travels to No. 3 Martensdale-St. Marys (32-3), and Montezuma (18-12) hosts Fort Dodge St. Edmond (12-17) in a pair of unranked upstarts.

Monday's winners — and Tuesday's 4A and 5A victors — advance to the state tournament next week at the Rogers Sports Complex, Fort Dodge.

White has recorded 995 wins in 23 seasons, 17 of which have ended in Fort Dodge. Preparation is one reason. So is improvement, and this year is no exception.

'In the offseason, we talked about turning it on in July,' he said. 'It's a different team now that we had, just a couple weeks ago. I'm proud of them. Once July 1 popped up, we've been really, really good.'

Four area teams — West Liberty, Beckman, North Linn and Montezuma — are seeking their first state trip in school history.

'We know Durant is a tough team,' North Linn Coach Amy Bautista said after the Lynx's regional-semifinal win over Alburnett on Friday. 'The biggest thing to get around, and that's what we've done all season, is to come out and we've got to get 10 hits and two or less errors.'

Area Class 3A regional finals

All 7 p.m.

Crestwood (24-7) at No. 7 Center Point-Urbana (28-10), Region 4

CPU enters the game on a seven-game win streak, and the Stormin' Pointers offense has been clicking in the postseason to the tune of 32 runs in two games. Junior Maddie Karr, who missed last season due to a knee injury, leads the team in home runs (10), RBIs (41) and batting average (.457). She is one of six CPU hitters above .400. Crestwood pulled a minor upset in the regional semifinals, 3-2 over No. 15 West Delaware. Freshman Laken Lienhard (.569) swings a big bat for the Cadets, with 14 homers and 46 RBIs. She's also 15-3 in the circle with just eight walks in 116 innings.

East Marshall (17-17) at No. 8 Mount Vernon (27-15), Region 5

Mount Vernon pursues its third consecutive state appearance; the Mustangs were sixth in 3A last year, fifth in 2015. Libby Ryan, honored Sunday as 2017 female Athlete of the Year by The Gazette, leads the state (all classes) with 62 stolen bases, and has more than 200 in her career. Ryan is batting .492; Sammy Moss is at .473. The Mustangs handled Columbus Community and Monticello in the first two rounds by a combined 25-2 margin. East Marshall held off Vinton-Shellsburg, 5-4, in the regional semifinals and is dominated by freshmen and sophomores.

West Liberty (22-13) at No. 1 Davenport Assumption (39-1), Region 6

Last year's 3A state runner-up, Assumption can make the argument as the best team in any class. The Knights went unbeaten in a 5A-heavy Mississippi Athletic Conference, part of a 39-game win streak since a season-opening loss to Moline (Ill.). West Liberty, on the other hand, is seeking its first state appearance. The Comets rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to trip West Burlington-Notre Dame, 5-4. Sophomore Macy Akers is hitting .505 with 14 doubles. Assumption has two dynamite pitchers in senior Nicole Timmons (20-0, 0.47 ERA, 258 strikeouts) and junior Hannah Kelley (19-1, 0.43).

No. 9 Albia (27-8) at No. 6 Solon (30-12), Region 7

Solon is making its typical late-season push under Coach Jim White. The Spartans are 4-0 in July, including a sweep of Mount Vernon that gave them a piece of the Wamac Conference East Division title. Solon has made six straight state appearances, four under White, who stands at 995 career wins. Sophomore Taylor Ryan leads the squad at .530 while senior Jess Heick is hitting .468 with 48 runs, nine home runs and 54 RBIs. The Spartans are second in the state as a team with 192 steals (in 200 attempts). Albia may be a powerhouse in its infancy stages behind pitcher Jena Lawrence (19-7, 1.78 ERA).

Area Class 2A regional finals

All 7 p.m.

No. 8 Iowa City Regina (26-11) at No. 7 Dyersville Beckman (30-11), Region 4

Possibly the best area matchup Monday. Regina is an established state power, with five state appearances since 2009, including 2A championships in 2011 and 2015. The Regals were second last year, and return all-state pitcher Sarah Lehman (11-6), who owns a 1.16 ERA and 201 strikeouts. Lehman also hits a team-best .419 with five home runs. The Regals held off Wilton, 5-4, in the regional semifinals. A win would put Beckman in the state field for the first time. The Blazers demolished their first two regional foes by a 27-1 margin, with Amber Boeckenstedt driving in eight runs in the two games. Boeckenstedt has 56 RBIs this season, Sydney Steffen 53.

North Linn (26-13) at No. 2 Durant (30-7), Region 5

If North Linn is going to break through and advance to its first state softball tournament, it must do so against one of the state's best 2A programs. The champion of the River Valley Conference South Division, Durant has been to the state tournament four times since 2012, winning it all in 2013 (the Wildcats were seventh last year). Cathy Ralfs is hitting .412 with 42 RBIs for Durant, which won its first two tournament games by matching 10-0 counts. North Linn got a four-hitter from freshman Abby Flanagan in a 5-1 regional-semifinal win over Alburnett. Flanagan is 19-7 and also hits .381. Her twin, catcher Grace Flanagan, is at .418.

Area Class 1A regional finals

All 7 p.m.

Fort Dodge St. Edmond (12-17) at Montezuma (18-12), Region 3

This region was turned upside down when St. Edmond shocked No. 5 Newell-Fonda in an eight-inning regional quarterfinal. Montezuma opened with one-run wins over Tri-County and North Mahaska, then turned it up with a 10-4 regional-semi win at Lynnville-Sully, and now stands one victory from its state debut. Hanna Jones leads the Bravettes at .404, while Cassidy Watts stands at .394 with four of the team's six home runs. St. Edmond, which has been at state three times in the 2010s, cut its teeth in the North Central Conference, which consists mostly of 3A schools. Erin Flattery (.471) and Megan Flattery (.453) ignite the Gaels' offense.

Calamus-Wheatland (24-9) at No. 1 Lansing Kee (34-2), Region 5

The defending 1A state champion, Kee High hasn't lost to a small-school team since the 2015 regional finals, and is favored to advance to state for the third time in four years. Kendra Cooper (junior) and Courtney Cooper (senior) do a lot of the heavy lifting for the Hawks. Kendra is hitting .518 with 14 doubles, 12 home runs and 39 RBIs; Courtney is at .471 with nine homers and 50 RBIs. They have done all of Kee's pitching, combining for 300 strikeouts. Calamus-Wheatland was a state qualifier most recently in 1987. The Warriors have a star in Katie Banowetz, a senior who is hitting .515 with 54 RBIs and a 15-3 pitching mark.

Belle Plaine (22-6) at No. 8 Ackley AGWSR (26-12), Region 6

Belle Plaine has eight starters back from a team that finished sixth in its state-tournament debut last year. The Plainsmen shared the South Iowa Cedar League title with Sigourney, and have won 14 of their last 16 games. Sophomore Katie Cubbage is 16-4 in the circle with a 1.96 ERA. Shaylee Dodd and Grace Parrott are batting in the .430s. AGWSR made three straight state tournaments from 2013 through 2015, winning the 1A title in '15. The Cougars outscored their first two regional foes by a 24-1 margin. Sophomore Taryan Barrick (21-5) has 249 strikeouts to her credit (most in 1A), and a 0.98 ERA.

Sigourney (21-11) at No. 3 Martensdale-St. Marys (32-3), Region 7

Martensdale-St. Marys has been a state-tournament staple through the past decade. The Blue Devils have been at Fort Dodge eight times since 2008, including a third-place finish last year and a championship in 2012. Sigourney was a South Iowa Cedar League co-champion, and one of four SICL teams in regional-final action. Sisters Summer and Autum Barthelman led the Savages to a state track and field title in May, and their speed remains on display on the diamond. Summer is hitting .475, Autum .465, and they have combined for 72 stolen bases without getting caught. MSM has four batters in excess of .400, led by senior Kaci Sherwood (.575, 9 HR, 54 RBI).

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