CLASS 4A SOFTBALL CAPSULES
 

 
ANDALE/GARDEN PLAIN
 
Coach: Erin Carney
 
Record: 19-5 (No. 6 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Rose Hill, 2-1; beat Clay Center/Wakefield, 3-1.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Clearwater (3: 24-4), 11 a.m. Monday at Salina South
 
Key Players: Brookyln Sele, jr.; Ryin Gibbens, fr.; Abby Durham, fr.; Coti Hiner, fr.; Emily Eck, jr.; Rose Molior, jr.; Bella Cates, sr.; Clare Krier, so.
 
Worth noting: Andale returns to state for second time in three years. … Last trip in 2024 resulted in a runner-up finish to Wamego. … Program also finished runner-up in 2019 and 2021. … Andale shared the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail IV title with fellow 4A qualifier, splitting with the Indians (3-0 loss, 10-8 win). … Those two programs will meet in quarterfinals. … Two other losses came to fellow 4A qualifier and defending champion McPherson and fifth loss came to Circle. … Gibbens has been impact freshman, going 8-1 with a 1.67 ERA and also hitting .413. … Sele leads team with .480 average. … Durham and Hiner also are impact freshmen hitting .403 and .397, respectively. … Krier is 5-4 with a 3.30 ERA. … Eck is hitting .363, Molior is hitting .356 and Cates is hitting .340. … Andale is hitting .357 as a team with 20 home runs.
 

 
CHAPMAN
 
Coach: Kyle Cook
 
Record: 23-5 (No. 5 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Ulysses, 17-0; beat Augusta, 6-0.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Rock Creek (4: 23-4), 1 p.m. Monday at Envista Softball Complex, Topeka
 
Key Players: Jai Rogers, jr., SS; Olivia Harold, so., P; Kennedy Scholz, so., 1B; McKenzie Leighty, jr., 2B; Anna Martinez, so., C; Callie Cook, so., U; Kaylee Livingston, sr., P.
 
Worth noting: Irish making second straight state appearance after ending nearly decade-long drought with previous state berth coming in 2016 when they placed third in Class 4A Division II. … Trip to state is seventh overall and Chapman also finished third at state in 2015. … Irish shared North Central Kansas League title with fellow 4A qualifiers Rock Creek and Wamego, each splitting with the other. … Irish also were swept by 3A qualifier Southeast of Saline, losing 1-0 and 2-1. … Four of five losses are by two runs or less. … Chapman is allowing just 2.8 runs per game this season behind a dominant season from Harold, who is 15-4 with a 1.83 ERA and 184 strikeouts after taking over as ace for older sister Madalyn. … She’s over 250 career strikeouts as a sophomore and also is a force at the plate, hitting .452 with 7 home runs and 33 RBI. … Livingston has stepped into other pitcher spot and gone 8-0 with a 3.54 ERA and 43 strikeouts. … Rogers is hitting .559 with 11 doubles, 6 home runs and 22 RBI. … Scholz has 4 home runs and 25 RBI and is hitting .457. … Leighty is hitting .406 and Martinez is hitting .400 with Martinez adding 4 home runs and 29 RBI. … Cook has 3 home runs and Chapman has 25 as a team.
 

 
CLEARWATER
 
Coach: Tyler Hampton
 
Record: 24-4 (No. 3 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Abilene, 10-0; beat Mulvane, 6-5.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Andale (6: 19-5), 11 a.m. Monday at Salina South
 
Key Players: Trista Welty, sr., P; Makena Hampton, jr., 3B; Liv Miller, jr., C; Taylor Nielson, sr., RF; Ali Thompson, fr., OF.
 
Worth noting: Indians at state for the ninth time in program history and fifth straight year. … Last year’s trip ended with fourth-place finish after Indians fell to eventual state champion McPherson 7-0 in the semifinals. … Top state finish for the program is a runner-up showing in 2014 while Indians also finished third in 1999 and fourth in 2022 and 2023. … Indians shared Ark Valley Chisholm Trail IV title with Andale/Garden Plain after splitting with them. … They will meet in the quarterfinals. … Indians also split with Circle and Trinity Academy and other loss came to 5A Andover Central. … Welty is 17-3 with a 1.90 ERA and has struck out a school-record 190 in 113.1 innings. … She also holds the school record for career innings pitched with 394.2 and has 496 career strikeouts. … Miller is hitting .489 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI, setting school record for home runs in a single season as well as career (26). … Thompson has been impact freshman, hitting .550 with school records for hits (61), runs scored (49) and stolen bases (33). … She also has 8 triples and 37 RBI. … Hampton is hitting .489 with 9 home runs and 46 RBI.
 

 
FORT SCOTT
 
Coach: Kent Aikin
 
Record: 25-3 (No. 1 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Bishop Miege, 17-2; beat Chanute, 9-0.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. McPherson (8: 21-7), 4 p.m. Monday at Baker University, Baldwin City
 
Key Players: Raylee Cowan, sr., SS; Abbie Gorman, sr., CF; Kyndal Aikin, jr., P; Kaylee Aikin, fr., 1B/OF; Alli Wheeler, jr., OF; Aubrey Yarick, sr., C; Bryleigh Hymer, sr., OF/1B; Rylee Loercher, jr., 2B; Jacee Rogers, sr., 3B.
 
Worth noting: Tigers coming off third-place finish at state last year, losing in semifinals to Eudora 2-0 before beating Clearwater 1-0 in the third-place game. … Trip to state is fourth straight for the program. … Tigers won Class 4A state title in 2005. … Aikin in first year as head coach and has two daughters as key starters. … Tigers were Southeast Kansas League champions, splitting with 5A qualifier which included a walk-off in extra innings for the win. … Only other losses came to 6A qualifier Gardner Edgerton and 3A qualifier and two-time defending champion Frontenac. … Tigers shut out 2-1A qualifier St. Mary’s Colgan and fellow 3A qualifier Baxter Springs. … Cowan is hitting .435 with 3 home runs, 10 doubles, 7 triples and 39 RBI as well as 35 stolen bases. … Gorman is hitting .429 with 7 doubles and 25 RBI. … Kyndal Aikin has 129 strikeouts in 92.1 innings pitched and has a 0.22 ERA and allowed just 38 hits. … Kaylee Aikin is hitting .390 with 5 triples, 33 RBI and 29 stolen bases. … Wheeler is hitting .390 with 19 stolen bases. … Yarick has 7 home runs and 34 RBI and Hymer has 2 home runs and also is hitting over .300, as is Loercher and Rogers.
 

 
MCPHERSON
 
Coach: Stephanie Patterson
 
Record: 21-7 (No. 8 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Hugoton, 13-0; beat Circle, 4-1.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Fort Scott (1: 25-3), 4 p.m. Monday at Baker University, Baldwin City
 
Key Players: Rylie Whitfield, jr., SS; Pera Bauer, jr., CF; Carmin Pavlovich, jr., P/3B.
 
Worth noting: Bullpups are defending Class 4A state champions, going 31-0 last year capped by a 4-1 victory over Eudora in the state championship game. … McPherson took second in 2024 to Wamego. … Trip to state is just fourth overall for the program. … Patterson in first year as head coach, replacing Daryl Hoelting after he led team to title last year. … Bullpups swept fellow 4A qualifier Andale/Garden Plain and also have a win over fellow 4A qualifier Wamego. … Bullpups graduated standout senior class from last year’s title team. … Pavlovich has taken over as team ace and is 11-3 with a 3.50 ERA. … She’s also hitting .452. … Whitfield is hitting .500 and Bauer is hitting .473. … Four of seven losses came to state-qualifying teams – 6A Derby, 5A Great Bend (twice) and 3A Southeast of Saline. … Bullpups also split with Circle before beating T-Birds in regional final.
 

 
ROCK CREEK
 
Coach: Jeri Brummett
 
Record: 23-4 (No. 4 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Eudora, 5-2; beat Hayden, 1-0.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Chapman (5: 23-5), 1 p.m. Monday at Envista Softball Complex, Topeka
 
Key Players: Brynna Zoeller, sr., P; Hailey Lies, so., SS; Ida Kasselman, jr., 3B; Reese Grady, sr., 2B; Brooklyn Dye, sr., CF; Acelyn Rottinghaus, jr., P; Emma Liby, jr., C; Jovi Griffith, jr., P; Alli Louquet, sr., 1B; Lily Krainbill, sr., OF; Lauren Blackwood, sr., OF.
 
Worth noting: Mustangs making sixth straight trip to state and 12th overall in program history. … Best program finishes were runner-up showings in 2012 and 2015. … Mustangs have fallen in the quarterfinals each of the last five trips, losing Eudora each of the past two years. … Mustangs drew Eudora in regional semifinals, but won 5-2 behind a four-run second inning keyed by a two-run double from Ida Kasselman. … Mustangs won regional final in walk-off fashion, breaking 0-0 tie in bottom of the seventh on Louquet’s game-winning RBI single after she turned in a key double play in the semifinal win. … Mustangs’ 23 wins are a program record and program also set records for home runs (32) and runs scored (317), among others. … Mustangs shared North Central Kansas League title with fellow 4A qualifiers Chapman and Wamego with all three splitting their doubleheaders with each other with league title the first for the program. … Mustangs face Chapman in quarterfinals after splitting (3-1 win, 3-2 loss) in mid-April. … Zoeller went over 300 strikeouts this season and has 111 this season to go with a 12-2 record and 1.37 ERA. … She’s also hitting .380 with 3 home runs and 33 RBI. … Lies set single-season home run record with 11 this season and has 52 RBI and runs scored and a .538 average. … Kasselman is hitting .500 with 2 home runs, 33 RBI and 50 runs scored. … Rottinghaus missed last year with ACL injury after recording 109 strikeouts as a freshman and this year is 8-2 with a 2.85 ERA and 70 strikeouts. … She’s also hitting .453 with 37 RBI. … Grady is hitting .405 and has 21 RBI, 38 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. … Griffith is third arm that’s 3-0 with 31 strikeouts. … Brummett won her 350th game this season.
 

 
SANTA FE TRAIL
 
Coach: Brenda Dahl
 
Record: 25-3 (No. 2 seed)
 
Regional results: beat El Dorado, 5-1; beat Tonganoxie, 5-1.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Wamego (7: 20-6), 3 p.m. Monday at Envista Softball Complex, Topeka
 
Key Players: Gretchen Huizenga, sr., P/SS; Sydnee Sleichter, jr., P/SS; Kendall Baird, so., C/OF; Addalyn Sleichter, sr., 3B; Bailey Walker, fr., C/LF; Trinity Fawl, so., CF.
 
Worth noting: Chargers moved up to Class 4A this season after spending past several years in 3A and stuck in loaded regionals. … Last trip to state came in 2023 when Chargers finished runner-up to Rossville for state title. … Chargers also finished third in 2022. … Chargers swept Rossville this season and split with fellow 4A qualifier Rock Creek. … Only other losses came to Ottawa and Baldwin. … Trail was undefeated Pioneer League champion, going 12-0 in league play, and league title was fourth straight. … Huizenga set school records for home runs in a season (10) and career (24) and is hitting .557 with 41 RBI. … She’s also 12-1 with 6 shutouts, a 1.07 ERA and 75 strikeouts. … Sydnee Sleichter is 9-2 with a 2.03 ERA and also is hitting .431 with 14 RBI. … Baird is hitting .465 with 4 home runs and 32 RBI. … Addalyn Sleichter is hitting .458 with 28 RBI. … Walker has 35 RBI and 3 home runs and a .439 average as well as 15 stolen bases. … She and Baird have combined to throw out 12 would-be base stealers. … Fawl has 28 RBI, a .424 average and 14 stolen bases. … Chargers have hit 20 home runs as a team. … Sleichter threw a 7-hitter in regional final.
 

 
WAMEGO
 
Coach: Luke Meyer
 
Record: 20-6 (No. 7 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Labette County, 10-1; beat Paola, 9-1.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Santa Fe Trail (2: 25-3), 3 p.m. Monday at Envista Softball Complex, Topeka
 
Key Players: Alana McCarthy, jr., SS; Landri Adams, jr., P/1B; Rylee Stanley, so., C; Layla Massieon, fr., 1B.
 
Worth noting: After capturing back-to-back state championships in 2023 and 2024, Red Raiders fell in last year’s quarterfinals to Clearwater 4-2 after ace Peyton Hardenberger was unable to play due to injury. … Wamego also won state title in 2021 and took third in 2022. … Trip to state is seventh overall for the Red Raiders and sixth straight. … Wamego shared North Central Kansas League title with fellow 4A qualifiers Chapman and Rock Creek, splitting with both. … Red Raiders swept 3A qualifier Silver Lake and also had sweeps of Seaman and Free State. … Adams had 23 strikeouts in the two regional wins and is overall 300 strikeouts in her career. … She has 155 this season and is 13-2 with a 0.81 ERA and also has 3 saves. … She’s also hitting .402 with 4 home runs and 29 RBI. … McCarthy has 10 home runs this season with 41 RBI and a .579 average, going over 30 career home runs this season. … She had 6 hits in regional play and scored four times. … Lacy Vestal hit her first career home run at regionals with a 3-run blast. … Massieon is hitting .426 with 2 home runs and 18 RBI. … Stanley is hitting .326 and has 7 pickoffs and 3 caught stealing. … Meyer got his 100th win in just his eighth season and is 112-37.