Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

There are 80 teams across the state of Iowa still with a shot at reaching the state tournament.

By the time the dust settles on softball diamonds across the state on Monday night that number will be more than cut in half.

Regional finals for Classes 1A, 2A and 3A are Monday night with the first 24 spots at the state tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge up for grabs.

Solon (23-15) is one of the team hoping to secure a spot at state on Monday when it hosts Highway 1 and WAMAC rival Mount Vernon in a season rubber match at 7 p.m.

Here is a quick look at what to watch on Monday.

Class 3A, Region 5 Final

No. 13 Mount Vernon (26-11) at No. 11 Solon (23-15)

When: Monday at 7 p.m.

Where: Solon

Top Players: Solon – Taylor Ryan, Sr., OF, .389 BA, 46 R, 32 SB; Hilary Wilson, 8th, 3B, .420 BA, 19 2B, 38 RBI; Skyler Stookey .390 BA, 14 HR, 42 RBI. Mount Vernon – Amanda Roe, Sr., P, 12-9, 2.97 ERA, 112 K; Sammy Moss, Sr., SS, .444 BA, 15 2B, 39 RBI; Lauren Ryan, Soph., CF, .333 BA, 41 R, 19 SB.

About the Spartans: Solon returns to the regional finals after a one-year hiatus seeking its first state tournament appearance since 2016.

The Spartans dropped five of six to close the regular season but have responded with a pair of impressive postseason wins outscoring opponents 14-1 in regional play.

Junior pitcher Kayla West has allowed just one run on nine hits in 14 postseason innings while improving to 14-5 on the season.

Solon has shuffled its lineup throughout the season but has gotten steady production from the trio of Hilary Wilson, Skyler Stookey and Taylor Ryan.

An Iowa recruit, Ryan leads the Spartans with 46 runs and 32 stolen bases from her leadoff spot while Stookey and Wilson have combined for 53 extra-base hits including 19 home runs and 80 RBI.

About the Mustangs: Mount Vernon scored a run in the sixth inning to edge West Marshall in the regional semifinals and is chasing its first state tournament appearance since 2016.

The Mustangs have also rebounded in postseason play after a tough end to the regular season.

Mount Vernon lost four of six to close regular season play but has won back-to-back regional games by a combined score of 14-4.

Five players in the Mount Vernon lineup are batting over .300 led by senior shortstop Sammy Moss who is hitting a team-high .444 and leads the Mustangs with 15 doubles and 39 RBI.

Lauren Ryan (.333), Maia Bentley (.310), Mandy Morrical (.306) and Nadia Telecky (.300) are all hitting .300 or better.

What to Watch: After splitting a regular season doubleheader the rubber match between these two long-time rivals comes with a trip to the state tournament on the line.

Solon had 15 hits off Mount Vernon ace Amanda Roe (12-9, 2.97 ERA) in a 13-10 win in the opener of the regular season doubleheader back on June 4. The Mustangs returned the favor with eight hits in a 12-2 five-inning win in the nightcap.

Solon made six errors in the doubleheader split with Mount Vernon earlier this season, three in each game.

Cutting down the errors will be key for the Spartans who haven’t committed an error in their first two regional games.

Solon has big bats in the middle of its lineup in Stookey and Wilson but it all starts for Solon at the top of the order with senior leadoff hitter Taylor Ryan.

The Spartans are 14-0 this season when Ryan scores more than one run in a game. Ryan is hitting .449 and has scored 38 runs in Solon’s 23 wins this season and has a .260 average with nine runs in the Spartans’ 15 losses.