MONROE - The road for the Monroe softball team to return to state for the third straight year will go through Twining Park.
Monroe (22-2), ranked second in the Wisconsin Fastpitch Division 2 state poll, received a No. 1 regional seed and will have a first-round bye Thursday. The Cheesemakers will play the winner of Platteville and Mount Horeb Tuesday, May 21 at Twining Park. The Cheesemakers, last year's state runner-up, could play three games at Twining Park before a sectional championship game at Evansville.
"One of our goals was to win a conference championship and now we want to get back to Goodman Diamond," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said of the site of the state tournament. "We certainly have the talent and ability to (qualify for state)."
Monroe could meet unbeaten, sixth-ranked River Valley in a regional championship and could face seventh-ranked Marshall or Portage in a sectional semifinal game. The Cheesemakers have defeated River Valley in four of the last five tournaments including twice in the regional finals. If the Cheesemakers make a run to the sectional title game, a matchup against third-ranked Beloit Turner (22-2) could also await. The Cheesemakers have made four state appearances in the last five years. The potential to play the first three games of the tournament at Twining Park has the Cheesemakers excited but Buvid knows there is work to do.
"You would certainly consider that an edge," Buvid said, of the homefield advantage. "We are very thankful for that. It doesn't give us any runs on the scoreboard to start out the game. It won't be easy."
For the Cheesemakers, it all starts with senior starting pitcher Becca Armstrong, who has tossed two no-hitters this year and had a string of 37 scoreless innings earlier in the year. She is also close to breaking the school record for strikeouts in a season and career wins. Armstrong has 20 wins, which is just two away from Amy Bahler's school record of 21. Armstrong also needs two more strikeouts to break Bahler's school record of 193.
Division 3
Brodhead (15-7) received a No. 1 seed and will get a first-round bye. The Cardinals will play the winner of Darlington and Belleville on Tuesday, May 21. Brodhead has made a sectional run two of the last three years and lost to conference rival Parkview 3-1 in the regional championship last year. Darlington received a fifth seed and will play at fourth-seeded Belleville Thursday. New Glarus received a sixth seed and will play at No. 3 seed Cuba City.
"We are ready to go," Brodhead coach B.J. Bockhop said. "There is nobody in the state we don't think we can play with. (The seniors) don't want to go out without their best effort."
After Amanda Pickel pulled her quad against Beloit Turner Thursday and had to leave the game, Bockhop feels fortunate to have a first-round bye.
"It will be nice that she has a week off," he said. We just have to give it some rest. This week is blessing for her to get it healed up."
Division 4
Even though Monticello and Barneveld were Six Rivers East Conference co-champions, the Eagles received the No. 1 regional seed. Barneveld will get a bye Thursday. Monticello received the No. 2 seed and will play host to Black Hawk in a regional quarterfinal game Thursday.
"We have just as good of a shot as anyone," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "I think we can play defense, and if our offense stays up we can beat anyone."
Few teams have been as good as the Ponies in one-run games, where Monticello boasts a 5-1 record.
"When we won three in one week that is when we started to believe that we could win the conference," Garrison said.
It won't be easy for the Ponies as they could face the winner of Williams Bay and Pecatonica in the regional semifinals. In the regional championship, they could get a rematch against Barneveld, Argyle or Juda-Albany. Fourth-seeded Argyle will host fifth-seeded Juda-Albany in the regional opener Thursday. Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis understands his team must make plays on defense to knock off the Orioles.
"Argyle is a solid team," Davis said. "You can't give them extra outs and baserunners. If you do, you will dig yourself a hole. The key for us will be to make them earn it. On offense, we need to come up with clutch hits with runners in scoring position."
Monroe (22-2), ranked second in the Wisconsin Fastpitch Division 2 state poll, received a No. 1 regional seed and will have a first-round bye Thursday. The Cheesemakers will play the winner of Platteville and Mount Horeb Tuesday, May 21 at Twining Park. The Cheesemakers, last year's state runner-up, could play three games at Twining Park before a sectional championship game at Evansville.
"One of our goals was to win a conference championship and now we want to get back to Goodman Diamond," Monroe coach Dale Buvid said of the site of the state tournament. "We certainly have the talent and ability to (qualify for state)."
Monroe could meet unbeaten, sixth-ranked River Valley in a regional championship and could face seventh-ranked Marshall or Portage in a sectional semifinal game. The Cheesemakers have defeated River Valley in four of the last five tournaments including twice in the regional finals. If the Cheesemakers make a run to the sectional title game, a matchup against third-ranked Beloit Turner (22-2) could also await. The Cheesemakers have made four state appearances in the last five years. The potential to play the first three games of the tournament at Twining Park has the Cheesemakers excited but Buvid knows there is work to do.
"You would certainly consider that an edge," Buvid said, of the homefield advantage. "We are very thankful for that. It doesn't give us any runs on the scoreboard to start out the game. It won't be easy."
For the Cheesemakers, it all starts with senior starting pitcher Becca Armstrong, who has tossed two no-hitters this year and had a string of 37 scoreless innings earlier in the year. She is also close to breaking the school record for strikeouts in a season and career wins. Armstrong has 20 wins, which is just two away from Amy Bahler's school record of 21. Armstrong also needs two more strikeouts to break Bahler's school record of 193.
Division 3
Brodhead (15-7) received a No. 1 seed and will get a first-round bye. The Cardinals will play the winner of Darlington and Belleville on Tuesday, May 21. Brodhead has made a sectional run two of the last three years and lost to conference rival Parkview 3-1 in the regional championship last year. Darlington received a fifth seed and will play at fourth-seeded Belleville Thursday. New Glarus received a sixth seed and will play at No. 3 seed Cuba City.
"We are ready to go," Brodhead coach B.J. Bockhop said. "There is nobody in the state we don't think we can play with. (The seniors) don't want to go out without their best effort."
After Amanda Pickel pulled her quad against Beloit Turner Thursday and had to leave the game, Bockhop feels fortunate to have a first-round bye.
"It will be nice that she has a week off," he said. We just have to give it some rest. This week is blessing for her to get it healed up."
Division 4
Even though Monticello and Barneveld were Six Rivers East Conference co-champions, the Eagles received the No. 1 regional seed. Barneveld will get a bye Thursday. Monticello received the No. 2 seed and will play host to Black Hawk in a regional quarterfinal game Thursday.
"We have just as good of a shot as anyone," Monticello coach Duane Garrison said. "I think we can play defense, and if our offense stays up we can beat anyone."
Few teams have been as good as the Ponies in one-run games, where Monticello boasts a 5-1 record.
"When we won three in one week that is when we started to believe that we could win the conference," Garrison said.
It won't be easy for the Ponies as they could face the winner of Williams Bay and Pecatonica in the regional semifinals. In the regional championship, they could get a rematch against Barneveld, Argyle or Juda-Albany. Fourth-seeded Argyle will host fifth-seeded Juda-Albany in the regional opener Thursday. Juda-Albany coach Bill Davis understands his team must make plays on defense to knock off the Orioles.
"Argyle is a solid team," Davis said. "You can't give them extra outs and baserunners. If you do, you will dig yourself a hole. The key for us will be to make them earn it. On offense, we need to come up with clutch hits with runners in scoring position."
