State softball 2025: Capsules on 9 area qualifying teams, and The Gazette’s predictions

FORT DODGE — Capsules on the nine area teams that have qualified for the Iowa high school state softball tournament, which runs Monday through Friday at the Rogers Sports Complex.

Linn-Mar (Class 5A)

Record: 33-6

Ranking: No. 2

Coach: Maddy Colbert (2nd year, 60-29)

Tournament history: 9th appearance, first since 2022. Big-school runner-up in 2006.

Leading hitters: Known more her pitching, senior Emily Koranda leads the Lions offensively, too. She’s hitting .436 with seven home runs and 35 RBIs. Freshman Brynna Gander (.325) has driven in 32 runs, and junior Karsyn Michael hits .343.

Top pitcher: Bound for Missouri State, Koranda owns a 17-3 record and an ERA of 0.87. She has struck out 196 and walked 21 in 128 1/3 innings.

First-round opponent: Lions face No. 8 Pleasant Valley (30-9) in a 5A quarterfinal at 4:45 p.m. Monday.

Cedar Rapids Xavier (Class 4A)

Record: 37-5

Ranking: No. 1

Coach: Nikki Gahring (14th year, 340-174)

Tournament history: 7th appearance, first since 2018.

Leading hitters: The Saints are solid 1-through-9, but their top three hitters are particularly prolific. Senior Braylen Conlon (now committed to Iowa) is the ultimate table-setter, hitting .479 with 56 runs scored. The power comes next, from senior Katie Pilcher (.394, 21 HR, 55 RBIs) and sophomore Maddyn Gates (.403, 15 HR, 51 RBIs).

Top pitcher: Conlon, probably, is the best in the state. She is 26-0 with an ERA of 0.37, 290 strikeouts and 39 walks in 150 innings.

First-round opponent: Saints will face Pella (22-12) in a 4A quarterfinal at 10 a.m. Monday.

Western Dubuque (Class 4A)

Record: 31-11

Ranking: No. 9

Coach: Rex Massey (5th year, 147-57)

Tournament history: 5th appearance, fourth in five years. Won the 4A title in 2021.

Leading hitters: Junior Melanie Runde (.416) is the top run-scorer, with 40, while senior Kaitlyn Thole (.406) leads in RBIs, with 39. Sophomore Kyla Ramler (.376) is the chief power threat, with nine home runs and 38 RBIs.

Top pitcher: Massey has two good options in junior Lauren Vaske (15-4, 1.28 ERA) and senior Morgan Hosch (11-5, 2.64). That duo combines to average about 8.1 strikeouts per 7 innings.

First-round opponent: Bobcats will face No. 3 North Polk (34-5) in a 4A quarterfinal at 12:45 p.m. Monday.

Williamsburg (Class 3A)

Record: 33-7

Ranking: No. 2

Coach: Adam Berte (9th year, 269-102)

Tournament history: 8th appearance, sixth consecutive. Won the 3A championship in 2023 and 2024.

Leading hitters: Four are hitting well over .400, and senior Alley Gorsh and sophomore Taylor Sanchez have posted nearly identical numbers: .453, six home runs, 44 RBIs for Gorsh; .442, 6 HR, 40 RBIs for Sanchez. Senior Makenna Hughes (.430) has scored 52 runs.

Top pitcher: Junior Jersey Metz is 18-5 with a 2.12 ERA, with 86 strikeouts and 16 walks in 121 2/3 innings.

First-round opponent: Raiders will face No. 10 Washington (29-9) in a 3A quarterfinal at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

West Liberty (Class 3A)

Record: 22-7

Ranking: No. 7

Coach: Trisha Hall (3rd year, 63-30)

Tournament history: 3rd appearance, first since 2021.

Leading hitters: The Comets hit .382 as a team, with four at or above .439. Drake recruit Pearson Hall, a senior, is one of the state’s premier sluggers. She hits .614 with a .686 on-base percentage and a 1.458 slugging rate. She has posted 34 extra-base hits, including 15 home runs. Sophomore Sully Hall (.467) leads the team in runs, with 45.

Top pitcher: Junior Mallory Wulf (record not posted) gets most of the duties in the circle. She owns a 2.16 ERA and pitched a no-hitter in the Comets’ division-clinching win.

First-round opponent: Comets will face No. 6 Monroe PCM (25-4) in a 3A quarterfinal at 7:30 p.m. Monday.

Washington (Class 3A)

Record: 29-9

Ranking: No. 10

Coach: Ben Obermann (10th year, 192-175)

Tournament history: 4th appearance, first since 2013.

Leading hitters: Junior Leighton Salazar (.530, 58 runs, 15 doubles) creates issues for opponents with her speed; she has stolen 53 bases in 57 attempts. Senior Ella Greiner (.452) is the RBI leader, with 45, and sophomore Colbie Greiner is hitting .407.

Top pitcher: Senior Isabella Salazar (15-3) gets about two-thirds of the innings. She owns a 2.66 ERA, with 95 strikeouts and 35 walks in 102 2/3 innings.

First-round opponent: Demons will face No. 2 Williamsburg (33-7) in a 3A quarterfinal at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Center Point-Urbana (Class 3A)

Record: 25-12

Ranking: No. 13

Coach: Kendra Wolff (3rd year at CPU, 61-48; overall, 75-70)

Tournament history: 5th appearance as CPU, its first since a 3A third-place finish in 2017. Urbana qualified three times, Center Point two.

Leading hitters: Sophomore Grace Estling leads the charge at .441 with a team-high 33 runs. Senior Mya Hillers (.393) has 19 extra-base hits to her credit, including seven home runs, and has knocked in 31 runs.

Top pitcher: Hillers (12-7, 3.09 ERA) and Junior Ella Simon (12-5, 2.65) share the pitching duties. Hillers is more of a strikeout pitcher, fanning 133 (and walking 53) in 129 1/3 innings.

First-round opponent: Stormin’ Pointers will face No. 1 Dubuque Wahlert (34-7) in a 3A quarterfinal at 7 p.m. Monday.

Cascade (Class 2A)

Record: 20-9

Ranking: No. 11

Coach: Bailey Clemens (1st year, 20-9)

Tournament history: 3rd appearance, first since 2015, when it was the 2A runner-up.

Leading hitters: Junior Addison Frake is hitting a team-high .429 and leads the Cougars in RBIs, with 27. Senior Ella Nauman (.379) is the leader in runs (33), while senior Josie Manternach (.295) has hit seven home runs.

Top pitcher: Senior Kate Green is 12-5 with a 2.37 ERA, posting 74 strikeouts and 34 walks in 115 innings.

First-round opponent: Cougars will face No. 3 West Lyon (28-1) in a 2A quarterfinal at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Highland (Class 1A)

Record: 17-9

Ranking: Unranked

Coach: Carrie Wieland (20th year, 447-198)

Tournament history: 4th appearance, first since 2014. Won the 1A championship in 2007.

Leading hitters: Freshman Kamryn Fink is hitting a team-high .438, and leads the Huskies in runs scored, with 33. Senior Lilly Barre (.306) had five home runs and 35 RBIs to her credit.

Top pitcher: Eighth-grader Jillian Stransky has posted a 9-5 record with a 2.60 ERA. She has struck out 73 batters and walked 13 in 94 1/3 innings.

First-round opponent: Huskies face No. 1 Wayne (25-2) in a 1A quarterfinal at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday.

The Gazette’s tournament predictions

CLASS 5A

1. Waukee Northwest

2. Linn-Mar

3. West Des Moines Valley

4. Southeast Polk

CLASS 4A

1. Cedar Rapids Xavier

2. Norwalk

3. North Polk

4. Adel ADM

CLASS 3A

1. Williamsburg

2. Dubuque Wahlert

3. West Liberty

4. Albia

CLASS 2A

1. Van Meter

2. West Lyon

3. Louisa-Muscatine

4. Durant

CLASS 1A

1. Wapsie Valley

2. Oakland Riverside

3. Clarksville

4. Wayne

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com