The Caledonia High School softball team has been awarded the third seed for the upcoming MSHSL Class AA state tournament.
The Warriors (26-2) will play sixth-seeded Visitation (21-3) in a 3 p.m. quarterfinal Tuesday at Caswell Park in North Mankato.
A victory means a semifinal at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday against the winner of a game between second-seeded Jackson County Central (25-1) and seventh-seeded Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (21-5). A loss means a game against the loser of that game at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the double-elimination format.
“The girls have really locked in at practices,” Caledonia coach Chad Augedahl said. “I think they are a little lighter on their feet now that we’ve made it here.
“They are relaxed, and they were singing and dancing with the music on. I think the nerves will be gone when we play.”
Caledonia is making its first state appearance — as unbelievable at that may sound — and have won with balanced play in all aspects of the game.
Having that again will be necessary against the Blazers on Tuesday. Visitation won its four section games by a combined score of 31-0.
Junior Cece Lamey pitched the Visitation’s last three games and has allowed three hits with 29 strikeouts and five walks over 20 innings in those games.
“A lot of rise (balls) and occasional drop,” Augedahl said. “It’s more location than speed.”
Augedahl said the Warriors spent about 70 minutes taking swings on Monday before heading to dinner and enjoying team camaraderie the rest of the evening. Breakfast on Tuesday, he added, would include more swings in the batting cage after breakfast and watching some of Byron’s 12:30 p.m. Class AAA quarterfinal against seventh-seeded Simley.
The Warriors have plenty of resources in their attempt to make life tough on Lamey or any other player they try in the pitcher’s circle.
Junior first baseman Elsa Blum leads the charge with her .548 batting average and team-leading 17 doubles and 35 runs driven in. Twenty-two of her 46 hits have gone for extra bases.
Junior third baseman Paizley Lange is batting .453 with 21 runs driven in and a team-high 29 stolen bases. Sophomore Nora Staggemeyer is batting ,444 with 21 runs driven in, and junior Avery Augedahl is batting .43 and driven in 23 runs.
If the offense can be effective, Avery Augedahl has a great chance to make it stand up.
She has posted an ERA of 0.65 over 172 2/3 innings by striking out 295 batters, walking just 26 and allowing just 85 hits.
This matchup is simply the highlight of a huge day for teams tackling the postseason on Tuesday.
BOYS GOLF
WIAA sectionals
Onalaska and Aquinas are trying to qualify for the state tournament as teams in very competitive sectionals at Reedsburg and New Glarus, respectively.
The seventh-ranked Hilltoppers will compete with Division 1 top-ranked Middleton, third-ranked Madison West and sixth-ranked Waunakee at the Reedsburg Country Club. The top two teams qualify, so the Hilltoppers will need to be on their game.
Aquinas is ranked seventh in Division 2 and will duke it out with second-ranked Edgewood and eighth-ranked Cambridge at Edelweiss Chalet Country Club.
SOFTBALL
WIAA sectionals
Holmen and West Salem are two wins away from qualifying for the state tournament and play in sectional semifinals.
The third-seeded Vikings (18-8) play at second-seeded Chippewa Falls (18-8) in a Division 1 matchup, and the third-seeded Panthers (21-3) are at top-seeded Baldwin-Woodville (21-0) in a Division 2 semifinal.
GIRLS SOCCER
WIAA regionals
Regional semifinal games take place Tuesday with state-ranked Holmen in Division 2 action.
The top-seeded Vikings (14-3-1), who are ranked sixth in Division 2 by state coaches, host eighth-seeded Menomonie (1-16-2) at G-E-T in a 7 p.m. start. Third-seeded Onalaska (9-7-1) hosts sixth-seeded Altoona/Fall Creek, fifth-seeded Logan/Luther (9-7-2) travels to fourth-seeded Tomah (6-9-2), and second-seeded Central (8-4-2) hosts seventh-seeded Baraboo at Logan.
West Salem (6-4-3) and Aquinas (13-3-0) begin their tournaments later this week.
BASEBALL
WIAA regionals
Fifth-ranked Holmen (16-7) and eighth-ranked Onalaska (13-9) begin their portion of the Division 1 bracket with home games on Tuesday, while 10th-ranked Central (10-13) hits the road.
The Vikings host 12th-seeded Sun Prairie West, the Hilltoppers host ninth-seeded Madison West, and the RiverHawks travel to seventh-seeded Waunakee.
Fourth-seeded Logan (15-1, hosts fifth-seeded G-E-T in a 5 p.m. Division 2 regional semifinal, and second-seeded Aquinas (16-5) hosts seventh-seeded Adams-Friendship at the same Division 2 starting time.
Fifth-seeded Melrose-Mindoro (15-5) in on the road at fourth-seeded Durand-Arkansaw in Division 3.
