Three things to know (and 32 predictions) about high school softball sections

The softball regular season started with a chilled whimper, many teams unable to get onto the field until mid-April. Since then, most teams have been able to get in a full slate of games.

That part of the schedule concluded Saturday, ushering in the section playoffs. Thirty-two sections across four classes will begin postseason play this week with an eye on qualifying for the state tournament, which takes place June 8-9 at Caswell Park in North Mankato.

Here's a glance at sections:

After posting a 16-2 conference record, Suburban East champion Stillwater (17-3 overall) picked up the No. 1 seed in Section 4. What did the Ponies, ranked No. 2 in Class 4A, get for surviving the conference grind? A section that also features two other top-10 programs: No. 7 White Bear Lake, a Suburban East rival, and No. 9 North St. Paul.

Such is life in the softball-rich east metro.

Acknowledging two such formidable foes standing in the path to the state tournament, Stillwater coach Angie Ryan looked at the bright side.

"I'm happy we earned the [No. 1] seed so that White Bear Lake and North St. Paul have to play each other before they play us. I'm very glad they're on the other side of the bracket," she said in an email.

"Winning the conference championship was a big deal this year," she said. "Finishing 16-2 was outstanding especially because we only had three returning starters from 2022 and a whole new pitching staff."

Section 1: Favorite — Farmington. Contenders — Owatonna, Lakeville South

Section 2: Favorite — Shakopee. Contenders — Eden Prairie, Bloomington Jefferson, Waconia

Section 3: Favorite — Rosemount. Contender — Park of Cottage Grove

Section 5: Favorite — Maple Grove. Contenders — Champlin Park, Centennial

Section 7: Favorite — Forest Lake. Contenders — Anoka, Andover

Section 8: Co-favorites — St. Michael-Albertville, Brainerd. Contender — Rogers

St. Anthony coach Melissa Brandenburg knew what she was getting into. An assistant under successful head coach Lamar Brendemuehl, she stepped in as head coach this season when Brendemuehl stepped down.

The Huskies, state tournament qualifiers in 2021 and 2022, haven't slowed. They finished 14-3 despite significant losses to graduation and picked up the No. 1 seed in Section 4, where their biggest rival is second seed Cretin-Derham Hall, another team that toils in the Suburban East.

"Coming in having coached these incredible student-athletes before their varsity experience in one way or another has made the transition remarkably smooth," Brandenburg wrote in an email. "It's felt like we've been able to pick up where they left off."

"We've had our slight hurdles, [but] with each bout of adversity, we've had opportunities to grow and become better versions of ourselves as players and people," she said.

Section 1: Favorite — Winona. Contender — Byron

Section 2: Favorite — Mankato East. Contenders — Mankato West, New Prague

Section 3: Co-Favorites — Holy Angels, Two Rivers. Contender — Bloomington Kennedy

Section 5: Favorite — Becker. Contender — St. Francis, Big Lake

Section 7: Favorite — Chisago Lakes. Contenders — North Branch, Hermantown

Section 8: Favorite — Rocori.

It's been a while since Rockford has made the state tournament. Seven years, to be exact.

The Rockets are a traditionally solid program, never a pushover. But postseason misfortune and COVID-19 cast a shadow over Rockford in recent years.

This year, softball hope is high in the west metro community. Rockford has lost only three times, not once since April 29. The offense is humming, averaging 7.2 runs per game, and has reached double digits in runs scored eight times.

"Pitchers are a huge factor in success, and I have two that have done well: senior Julia Houghton and freshman Lilly Bury. But even on days where they struggle, someone makes a big play in the field and then someone else comes up and gets a hit to start a big scoring inning for us. They have a 'we over me' mentality," coach Dawn Engebretson said.

Rockford (17-3) is the No. 1 seed in Section 5. Its biggest challenge is likely to come from Providence Academy (13-1), which was undefeated before losing the opener of Friday's season-ending doubleheader at Mounds Park Academy. Maranatha Christian, Annandale and Glencoe-Silver Lake also have legitimate section championship hopes.

Section 1: Favorite — St. Charles. Contenders — Chatfield, Winona Cotter, Cannon Falls

Section 2: Co-favorites — Fairmont, New Ulm. Contenders — Belle Plaine, Le Sueur-Henderson

Section 3: Favorite — Morris Area. Contender — Pipestone Area

Section 6: Favorite — Pierz. Contenders — Albany, Pequot Lake

Section 7: Co-favorites — Rock Ridge, Proctor. Contender — Rush City

Section 8: Co-favorites — Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, Thief River Falls. Contender — Breckenridge/Wahpeton (ND)

Section 1: Favorite — Bethlehem Academy. Contenders — Southland, United South Central

Section 2: Favorite — Sleepy Eye St. Mary's. Contender — New Ulm Cathedral

Section 4: Favorite — Randolph. Contender — West Lutheran

Section 5: Co-favorites — Menagha, Mille Lacs

Section 6: Favorite — Upsala. Contenders — Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley, Browerville/Eagle Valley

Section 7: Favorite — Moose Lake-Willow River