Iowa high school softball state-tournament berths on the line Tuesday in 3A, 4A and 5A

Robin Brand’s message to her team on the eve of its biggest game of the year?

Pretty simple: Just be yourselves.

“I see a huge opportunity for us,” said Brand, softball coach at Mount Vernon. “When we played (Benton Community) last time, we weren’t ourselves.

“I love another chance at them, and what better place than their home field?”

Tuesday’s Class 3A showdown between No. 6 Benton (27-14) and No. 7 Mount Vernon (27-10) — 7 p.m. at Van Horne — is one of seven regional finals involving area teams.

Also in 3A, No. 1 Williamsburg (32-9) welcomes Grinnell (22-13), and No. 11 Solon (24-13) travels to No. 3 Dubuque Wahlert (30-8) for a 5 p.m. battle.

In Class 4A, No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier (28-12) hosts No. 11 North Scott (25-11), and No. 13 Maquoketa (26-9) visits No. 8 Western Dubuque (28-9).

And in 5A, No. 9 Linn-Mar (24-11) plays at No. 6 Pleasant Valley (29-9), and No. 12 Iowa City Liberty (23-13) goes to No. 7 Muscatine (31-6).

Winners advance to the state tournament next week at the Rogers Sports Complex, Fort Dodge.

With 22 wins in its last 27 games to answer a 5-9 start, Benton is one of the area’s hottest teams. That sizzling stretch includes a June 21 sweep at Mount Vernon, 8-6 and 10-2.

“We were really motivated going into that,” Benton Coach Jordon Rettenmeier said. “We need to have that motivation again (Tuesday) and have fun.”

The Bobcats lean on an elite slugger in Ana Glawe, who has poked 20 home runs, driven in 70 runs.

“Her confidence has grown a lot,” Rettenmeier said. “She has gotten a little stronger, grown into her body a little more. She’s a very strong girl.”

Of the area teams competing Tuesday, Mount Vernon has the longest state string (four years), followed by Williamsburg (three).

Iowa City Liberty is looking for its first state appearance; Maquoketa has the longest drought of area schools, seeking its first state trip since 2010.

Linn-Mar will try to win a regional final on the road for the second straight year; the Lions took down Ankeny Centennial last season.

“We’ve been there before,” assistant coach Maddy Colbert said. “We play great on the road. Wherever we play, it won’t change the way we play.”

Class 5A Regional Finals

(All games, 7 p.m.)

No. 9 LINN-MAR (24-11) at No. 6 PLEASANT VALLEY (29-9)

Region 6

Linn-Mar stands between Pleasant Valley and its 10th state tournament in the last 13 years. The Lions earned a share of the MVC Valley Division championship, and advanced to this game with a 2-0 win over Cedar Rapids Prairie behind Emily Koranda’s one-hitter. Koranda is 14-5 in the circle and leads the Lions offensively at .459 with 25 RBIs. Pleasant Valley tied for second in the Mississippi Athletic Conference. Kasey Kane delivered the game-winning RBI single in the seventh inning in the Spartans’ 4-3 regional-semifinal victory over No. 13 Dubuque Senior. Kane is hitting a team-high .451 with a team-high 36 RBIs, and Jessie Clemons has smoked 10 home runs.

No. 12 IOWA CITY LIBERTY (23-13) at No. 7 MUSCATINE (31-6)

Region 7

Liberty stands on the brink of its first state-tournament appearance after a dramatic extra-inning regional-semifinal win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy. The Lightning trailed 6-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, but scored three times to extend the game, then won it in the eighth, 7-6. Liberty is 8-1 in one-run games this season. Three players — Kelsey Kaut, Haileigh Smith and Haley Schroeder — are hitting better than .400, and Mischa Reiners is at 40 RBIs. Marie Garcia drove in a pair of runs in Muscatine’s 5-2 regional-semifinal triumph over Iowa City High. The Muskies placed third at state last year, and seven players are back from that team, including senior pitcher Maura Chalupa (18-3, 1.43 ERA).

STATE

Ames (23-16) at No. 1 Ankeny Centennial (32-5)

Des Moines Lincoln (29-12) at No. 3 Waukee Northwest (30-11)

No. 11 Dubuque Hempstead (30-10) at No. 8 Bettendorf (28-10)

No. 10 Johnston (26-13) at No. 5 West Des Moines Dowling (33-8)

Ottumwa (18-14) at No. 4 Southeast Polk (29-9)

No. 14 Waukee (17-22) at No. 2 Ankeny (30-6)

Class 4A Regional Finals

(All games, 7 p.m.)

No. 11 NORTH SCOTT (25-11) at No. 7 CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER (28-12)

Region 7

Both teams handled business effectively in their regional semifinals. Xavier got two hits and two RBIs from Duanna Coyle and 11 strikeouts from Braylen Conlon in an 8-3 win over DeWitt Central, and North Scott knocked out No. 14 Clear Creek Amana, 12-2, reaching double figures in runs for the fifth time in six games. Carley Jonker and Katie Pilcher have six home runs apiece for the MVC Mississippi Division runner-up Saints, who pursue their first state appearance since 2018 and their second since 2010. Xavier’s 28 wins is its most in a season since 2014. North Scott chases its fourth Fort Dodge trip in five years behind dual threat Maddy McDermott (13-6, 2.31 ERA; .459, 14 home runs, 49 RBIs).

No. 13 MAQUOKETA (26-9) at No. 8 WESTERN DUBUQUE (28-9)

Region 8

For the first time in school history, Maquoketa is a conference champion. The Cardinals claimed the River Valley North Division title and are in the midst of their winningest season since 2010, which also marks their most recent state-tournament appearance. Western Dubuque, meanwhile, is two years removed from a 4A state-championship run. Kiya Steger (13-3) and Hannah Hoefer (11-3) give the Bobcats an effective pitching duo, with Steger blanking Decorah in the regional semifinals, 3-0. Maquoketa outlasted Independence, 7-5, behind Skylar Burkey’s two RBIs. Carley Cavanagh has posted a 20-4 pitching mark with a 1.31 ERA and 213 strikeouts.

STATE

No. 9 Adel ADM (23-12) at No. 5 Dallas Center-Grimes (29-10)

Ballard (11-13) at No. 2 Carlisle (29-6)

Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (21-12) at No. 3 Fort Dodge (30-9)

No. 12 Burlington (20-8) at No. 4 Norwalk (30-9)

Gilbert (17-13) at No. 1 North Polk (29-4)

No. 10 Winterset (24-12) at No. 6 Indianola (27-11)

Class 3A Regional Finals

(7 p.m. unless noted)

GRINNELL (22-13) at No. 1 WILLIAMSBURG (32-9)

Region 5

The wire-to-wire 3A top-ranked team, Williamsburg has its focus squarely on a fourth consecutive state trip, and intends to make it a memorable stay in Fort Dodge after finishing second, third and third in the other three state capers. The Raiders have speed at the top of the order in Shannon Finn and Carly Rich, and power at the No. 3 slot in Elle Ridgeway (.420, 12 HR, 52 RBIs). Peyton Driscoll (16-3, 0.98 ERA) should be well-rested for the rest of the run; she has thrown a mere 114 innings thanks to the emergence of Jersey Metz (13-5). A member of the Little Hawkeye Conference (it will leave for the Wamac next year), Grinnell is 14-0 in non-conference games. Freshman Rhiannon Rees has seven home runs, 34 RBIs.

No. 7 MOUNT VERNON (27-10) at No. 6 BENTON COMMUNITY (27-14)

Region 6

Benton moved above Mount Vernon in the final 3A rankings, and thus snatched home-field advantage for this game. The reason for the shift is Benton’s doubleheader sweep at Mount Vernon on June 21. That was a defining part of the Bobcats’ late-season rush that has produced 22 wins in the last 27 games. Ana Glawe leads 3A in home runs (and is second in the all-class long-ball derby) with 20. She is hitting .525 with 70 RBIs. A ninth-inning passed ball sent the Bobcats past Sumner-Fredericksburg in the regional semifinals, 1-0. The Wamac Conference East Division champion, Mount Vernon has four starters back from its 3A title team of 2022, including all-stater Addison Gookin (.371, 29 RBIs).

No. 11 SOLON (24-13) at No. 3 DUBUQUE WAHLERT (30-8), 5 p.m.

Region 7

Frightfully young Wahlert is a superpower waiting to happen. The Golden Eagles surged from 2-28 in 2021 to 23-18 and the state tournament last year. The swift climb continues this season behind a roster that features five freshmen. One of them is Julia Roth, who is hitting .504 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. Wahlert captured the MVC Mississippi Division championship. Solon pursues its first state tournament since making six in a row (2011-16). The Spartans outlasted West Delaware, 4-3, in 12 innings in Round 1, then followed that with an 11-1 rout of Monticello. Hilary Wilson leads the team at .452, and Addie Miller (.419) provides the pop with eight homers.

STATE

Atlantic (23-15) at No. 4 Davis County (23-4)

No. 12 Albia (20-8) at No. 9 Chariton (21-5)

No. 13 Greene County (22-6) at No. 8 Saydel (22-6)

West Burlington (23-11) at No. 2 Davenport Assumption (31-6)

No. 10 West Lyon (27-3) at No. 5 Estherville ELC (30-3)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com