Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The Matchups

No. 2 North Linn (39-6) vs. No. 14 Regina (19-12)

The defending 2A runner-up, North Linn returns to the state tournament for the third consecutive season seeking a third trip to the 2A title game.

North Linn won the state title in its first ever appearance at state in 2019 and finished runner-up a year ago falling to Ogden 6-1 in the title game.

The Lynx are a combined 106-11 over the past three seasons and are 5-1 all-time at the state tournament.

This season all but one of the losses for North Linn have come to ranked teams and the Lynx avenged one of its regular season losses with a 5-2 win over No. 10 Alburnett in the regional title game.

Regina has its own history of postseason success.

The Regals snapped a two-year state tournament drought with its 11-inning regional final win over Cardinal, returning to Harlan Rogers Sports Complex for the first time since 2018 but has reached the title game in five of its previous six appearances.

Regina won state titles in 2011, 2015 and 2017 and was runner-up in 2016 and 2018.

This year’s Regina team has followed a similar formula as past teams, playing a challenging regular season and peaking at the proper time.

Of the 12 losses for Regina all but three have come to teams from larger classes and two of the losses to Class 2A competition are one-run setbacks against top-ranked Wilton.

Regina is led offensively by the tandem of Courtney Kessler and Annie Gahan along with junior pitcher Emma Nibaur.

Gahan is hitting .383 with three home runs and 24 RBI while Kessler is hitting .641 with three homers and 27 RBI.

Nibaur is 17-7 with a 2.02 ERA and 142 strikeouts in 159 1/3 innings.

No. 1 Wilton (28-3) vs. Pella Christian (17-18)

Top-ranked Wilton brings a 19-game winning streak into state tournament play where the Beavers are seeking their first opening-round win in program history.

Wilton is making its fifth appearance at state and first since 2018 but hasn’t reached a semifinal in either of the previous four trips.

This season appears to be the opportunity to do just that as the Beavers enter red-hot. Wilton hasn’t lost since dropping back-to-back games to top-10 Class 4A teams Clear Creek Amana and Fairfield on June 12.

Senior Chloe Wells (.500 BA, 8 HR, 36 RBI) and juniors Peyton Souhrada (.505, 6 HR, 35 RBI) and Payton Ganzer (.538, 5 HR, 22 RBI) give the Beavers some serious pop while sophomore Grace Madlock (13-2, 2.31 ERA) and senior Mila Johnson (14-1, 2.38) provide a solid pitching duo.

Pella Christian weather a challenging regular season schedule and an opening-round regional scare against 14-12 East Marshall on its way to becoming the Cinderella of the 2A postseason.

The Eagles downed Colfax-Mingo 10-0 in the regional semifinals and upset fourth-ranked Van Meter 12-5 in the regional title game to reach the state tournament for the first time since 1990.

Don’t get too caught up in the 17-18 record with 13 losses coming to opponents from larger classes that are either ranked or reached the state tournament.

The Eagles are led by junior Natalie Harrill (.495 BA, 7 HR, 54 RBI) while eighth-grader Emma Eekhoff has four home runs and 23 RBI and senior Bailey Roose is hitting .345 with three homers and 18 RBI.

No. 7 Earlham (32-9) vs. No. 8 North Union (29-4)

Earlham edged sixth-ranked Interstate 35 in 12 innings in one of the best regional finals in any class to secured its first trip to state since 2018.

The Cardinals have a legit ace in senior Madeline Janssen who is 22-4 with a 1.93 ERA with 163 strikeouts in 163 1/3 innings and enough production in the batting order behind her to be dangerous.

Seniors Emma Jensen (.418 BA, 2 HR, 36 RBI) and Alli Boyle (.414, 35 RBI) are joined by a strong group of young players in a dangerous Cardinal lineup.

Freshmen Cora Boyle (.385, 41 RBI), Alexis Voss (.381, 30 RBI) and Katie Janssen (.398, 3 HR) join eighth-grader Haley Glade (.316, 3 HR) to give Earlham a dangerous lineup.

North Union is back at the state tournament for the first time since 2017 seeking its first ever opening-round win as a 2A program.

After finishing runner-up in Class 1A in 2011 North Union returned to state in 2A in 2015, 2016 and 2017 but couldn’t get past the quarterfinals.

The Warriors bring a seven-game winning streak into state this season after an impressive 9-1 regional final win over Sioux Central.

North Union has some of the most impressive individual statistics among 2A qualifiers led by sophomore pitcher Emily Meyer who is 29-4 with a 1.45 ERA and 271 strikeouts in 174 innings.

Sophomore Olivia Van Bank is hitting .533 with 9 home runs and 68 RBI and junior Sam Nielsen is batting .610 with 63 runs and 29 stolen bases.

No. 5 Central Springs (29-6) vs. No. 9 Underwood (26-3)

A state tournament regular over the past half decade Central Springs is making its sixth appearance in the past seven seasons after failing to qualify last season for the first time since 2014.

The Panthers are just 1-4 in state quarterfinals in their previous five appearances, reaching the 2A semifinals in 2018.

Central Springs brings a 12-game winning streak into state tournament play after a 2-1 win over South Hardin in the regional final and has scored double digit runs seven times during that 12-game span.

Underwood is making its first second consecutive trip to the state tournament after qualifying for the first time since 2004 last season.

A year ago Underwood fell to Louisa-Muscatine in the opening round and returned to state this season with a 4-2 win over West Monona in the regional final.

The Eagles have relied heavily on the performance of players with the last name Pierce for their production this season.

Senior Ella Pierce who is 23-3 in the circle while leading the team with a .543 batting average while fellow senior Maddie Pierce is hitting .337 with a home run and 22 RBI.

Sophomore Grace Pierce is hitting .385 with 13 RBI and a team-high 11 doubles.

The Players 

Wilton: Chloe Wells, Sr., OF: A five-year varsity starter Wells has capped an impressive career that features 37 homers with a strong senior season hitting .500 with a team-high eight home runs and 36 RBI.

Pella Christian: Natalie Harrill, Jr, SS: It has been an impressive season for Harrill who leads the Eagles in batting average (.495), doubles (12), home runs (7) and RBI (54).

Earlham: Grace Porter, Jr., OF: One of the top table setters in 2A, Porter is hitting .430 and has stolen 34 bases and scored 45 runs while driving in 15 from her leadoff spot.

North Union: Emily Meyer, Soph., P: Meyer leads Class 2A in wins (29-4) and strikeouts (271) and boasts a 1.45 ERA and .95 WHIP in 174 innings pitched.

North Linn: Skylar Benesh, Fr., SS: An impressive all-around player Benesh leads 2A in home runs (12) and ranks fourth in stolen bases (42) while hitting .460 and driving in 49 runs.

Regina: Courtney Kessler, Soph., C: Kessler has emerged as one of the most dangerous hitters in 2A this season, ranking second in the state with a .641 batting average while leading the Regals with three home runs and 27 RBI in 64 at bats.

Central Springs: Cooper Klaahsen, Soph., P: One of the most dominant pitchers in 2A this season Klaahsen is 21-2, has struck out 238 in 129 innings and ranks fourth in 2A with a 1.09 ERA.

Underwood: Ella Pierce, Sr., P: Pierce is the piece that makes it all go for the Eagles posting a 23-3 record and 1.62 ERA in 168 innings in the circle while also hitting a team-high .543 while leading the team with 23 RBI.

The Favorite

Even ranked second defending runner-up North Linn enters as the favorite to win a second title in three seasons.

North Linn has an impressive resume ranking first in 2A in both home runs and stolen bases while ranking fourth with a .388 team batting average in sixth in team ERA.

The Lynx have speed on the bases, power at the plate, strong pitching and state tournament experience which will make the favorite in Fort Dodge.

The Underdog

Anyone that has followed softball in the state this season understands that Pella Christian isn’t anything close to a typical sub.500 team but the Eagles still earn the underdog label entering unranked as the eighth seed with a 17-18 record.

Be careful not to underestimate this Pella Christian squad which has played more than half of its regular schedule against Class 5A and 4A competition before scoring 22 runs in its final two regional contests.

The Darkhorse

At 19-12 the record doesn’t exactly sparkle for Regina but the Regals have followed a similar path to state tournament success before.

Regina came to the state tournament with double digit losses four consecutive season from 2015 to 2018 reaching the final every season while winning a pair of state titles.

This year’s Regals have proven capable of competing with top-level competition and will once again be a tough out at state.

The Focus

Who takes control of what is a relatively wide open field in Class 2A.

One of only two classes without a returning state champion, 2A has just three teams returning from the 2020 field.

North Linn is the favorite after reaching the title game the past two seasons but has a tough opener against Regina and will have plenty of capable challengers starting with top-ranked Wilton and 2020 qualifiers Underwood and Central Springs.

Five Fast Facts

*– There will be a new state champion in 2A with defending champ Ogden failing to reach the state tournament. Since the state went to 5A classes in 2012 there has never been a repeat champion in 2A.

*– Regina is 7-1 all-time in state tournament openers and has won its last four quarterfinals at the 2A state tournament.

*– North Linn has a rare combination of speed and power on offense leading Class 2A in both home runs (43) and stolen bases (218). The 43 homers are second most among all teams in the state and the 218 stolen bases are the most in the state.

*– Two of the top three leading hitters in the state are in the 2A field in Regina sophomore Courtney Kessler and North Union junior Sam Nielsen. Kessler leads the state with a .641 batting average while Nielsen ranks third hitting .610.

*– Central Springs has posted 15 shutouts in 35 games this season allowing opponents more than one run in a game just 15 times.

The Schedule

Quarterfinals, July 19

Wilton (28-3) vs. Pella Christian (17-18), 3 p.m.

Earlham (32-9) vs. North Union (29-4), 3:30 p.m.

North Linn (39-6) vs. Regina (19-12), 5 p.m.

Central Springs (29-6) vs. Underwood (26-3), 5:30 p.m.

Semifinals, July 21

Wilton/Pella Christian winner vs. Earlham/North Union winner, 11:30 a.m.

North Linn/Regina winner vs. Central Springs/Underwood winner, 1:30 p.m.

Championship, July 22

Semifinal winners, 7:30 p.m.

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