Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The Matchups

No. 1 Benton Community (31-7) vs. Solon (18-24)

Solon completed one of the most improbable postseason runs in the state this season to return to the state tournament for the first time since 2016.

The Spartans scored 23 runs in regional wins over Vinton-Shellsburg, No. 11 West Liberty and Center Point-Urbana after scoring six total runs in four consecutive losses to end the regular season.

Solon gets a rematch with WAMAC Conference rival Benton Community in the opening round after the two teams split a regular season doubleheader back on June 17 in Solon.

Benton won the opener 12-3 in the June 17 doubleheader and Solon won game two 8-1 as Kendall Jensen allowed one run on six hits in the game-two win.

Jensen (8-9, 2.35 ERA) has been at her best in the postseason, earning three consecutive regional wins while striking out nine and walking four while posting a 1.33 ERA in 21 postseason innings.

Solon is led offensively by juniors Addie Miller (.407, 6 HR, 34 RBI) and Izzy Frees (.388, 19 RBI) while freshman Keegan Kleppe (.270, 12 RBI), Emerson Miller (.267, 17 RBI) and Laeni Hinkle (.262, 25 R) have all come up with big postseason hits.

Benton Community needed a late rally to edge WAMAC West rival Grinnell 11-10 in the regional semifinals but easily dispatched of Eagle Grove 10-0 in the regional title game to return to state for the second year in a row.

Led by seniors Emma Townsley (.489, 56 R) and Jessa DeMoss (.420, 5 HR, 31 RBI) and juniors Ana Glawe (.462, 13 HR, 63 RBI) and Hannah Greiner (.457, 47 RBI) the Bobcats are one of the best offensive teams in Class 3A.

Benton Community is averaging 8.3 runs per game and ranks third in 3A with a team batting average of .381.

The Bobcats have scored double digit runs 16 times in 38 games this season including in each of their last three games.

No. 2 Williamsburg (30-12) vs. No. 8 PCM (24-4)

Defending 3A champion Williamsburg returns to the state tournament for the fifth consecutive season seeking another trip to the title game.

The Raiders have reached the 3A semifinals each of the past four seasons finishing runner-up in 2020 before downing Davenport Assumption in the 3A title game last season.

Williamsburg has played as challenging a schedule as any team in the 3A field with seven of its 12 losses coming to ranked 5A competition including five losses to 5A state qualifiers.

Sophomore Jersey Metz (21-6, 2.62 ERA) has taken over the top pitching spot for the Raiders and has excelled this season striking out 102 in 160 1/3 innings.

Six Williamsburg starters are hitting over .300 this season led by juniors Alley Gorsh (.395, 29 RBI), Makenna Hughes (.379, 36 R) and Taylor Pitlick (.358, 38 RBI) and senior Shannon Finn (.367, 22 RBI).

PCM is making its state tournament debut after an impressive run through the Region 2 tournament.

The Mustangs won three regional games by a combined score of 24-3 capped by a 13-1 win over ninth-ranked Clarinda in the regional title game.

Sophomore Rylee Parson (15-2, 1.25 ERA) has struck out 99 in 89 1/3 innings this season.

The PCM offense is led by eighth-grader Libby Winters (.384, 32 RBI), sophomores Tori Lindsay (.367, 31 R) and Lillian Humpal (.345, 16 RBI) and senior Lark Drake (.329, 11 RBI).

No. 3 Dubuque Wahlert (29-10) vs. No. 7 Sumner-Fredericksburg (33-3)

Perhaps the most intriguing quarterfinal matchup in Class 3A comes between third-ranked Dubuque Wahlert and seventh-ranked Sumner-Fredericksburg.

Dubuque Wahlert is making its third straight state tournament appearance and is seeking to advance a step further again this season.

After falling in the quarterfinals in 2022 the Golden Eagles reached the 3A semifinals a year ago and are poised to make a serious run this season.

Dubuque Wahlert was dominant throughout the postseason, scoring at least 10 runs in every regional game while outscoring three opponents by a combined score of 36-5.

The Golden Eagles are led by sophomore pitcher Julia Roth (19-3, 1.94 ERA) who has struck out 121 in 133 1/3 innings in the circle and is also hitting .380 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI.

A Dubuque Wahlert offense that is hitting .339 as a team, averages 6.8 runs per game and leads 3A with 31 home runs is led by five sophomores in Roth, Addison Klein (.364, 24 RBI), Anna Roling (.385, 5 HR, 32 RBI), Kylie Sieverding (.395, 32 RBI), and Ruth Tauber (.478, 50 R, 5 HR).

Sumner-Fredericksburg is making its second ever trip to state and first since reaching the 2A tournament in 2012.

The Cougars enter on a 15-game winning streak, the longest in the 3A field, after downing No. 14 West Marshall 3-1 in the regional title game.

Sumner-Fredericksburg ranks second in 3A with a team batting average of .389 and has three players hitting .475 or better led by junior Isabel Bernard (.643, 41 R, 14 RBI) who leads 3A in batting average.

Senior Jana Meyer (.475, 28 RBI) and sophomore Jamie Jones (.475, 4 HR, 68 RBI) join sophomore Aubree Land (.391, 44 RBI) in a potent Cougar lineup that averages 8.3 runs per game.

No. 5 Davenport Assumption (25-12) vs. No. 6 Estherville-Lincoln Central (31-6)

A pair of state semifinalists from a year ago meet in the opening round as Estherville-Lincoln Central and Davenport Assumption each seek to return to the 3A semis.

Davenport Assumption has been the gold standard in 3A over the past decade and is making its ninth consecutive state tournament appearance.

Last year’s 3A runner-up, the Knights have reached the 3A title game seven of the last eight years winning four titles during that span.

Davenport Assumption enters playing its best softball of the season, riding a five-game winning streak and winning 12 of their last 14 games.

Senior Molly Roe pitcher (14-7, 1.72 ERA) has struck out 193 in 134 innings and is also a .260 hitter with 11 RBI.

A young Davenport Assumption lineup is led by freshmen Marissa Boynton (.448, 22 RBI) and Kennedy Kane (.360, 22 RBI), sophomore Charlotte Nigey (.423, 31 RBI) and eighth-grader Sophia Caudle (.429, 17 RBI).

Estherville Lincoln-Central is making its second trip to state in a row and third in the last four years.

The Midgets fell to eventual champion Williamsburg in the Class 3A semifinals last season.

Estherville-Lincoln Central has won three in a row and 11 of its last 12 after downing No. 10 West Lyon 9-1 in the regional title game.

The Midgets have split the pitching duties equally between multi-year all-staters Rylee Yager (15-2, .83 ERA) and Tatum Dunlavy (16-4, 1.07).

Dunlavy has struck out 166 in 105 innings and Yager has fanned 201 in 109 innings.

Both are big parts of a Midget lineup that features five players hitting over .400 and boasts a team batter average of .342.

Dunlavy is hitting .450 with six home runs and 48 RBI while Yager is hitting .417 with 41 runs and 20 RBI.

Juniors Haley Stokes (.448, 4 HR, 30 RBI), Cara Schiltz (.457, 2 HR 15 RBI) and Hillary Ruschy (.326, 6 HR, 24 RBI) and senior Jasey Anderson (.434, 7 HR, 34 RBI) join to give Estherville-Lincoln Central one of the best lineups in 3A.

The Players

Williamsburg: Shannon Finn, Sr., CF: A Kirkwood recruit, Finn is a two-time first-team all-state pick and is hitting .367 with 30 runs scored, 39 stolen bases and 22 RBI.

PCM: Rylee Parson, Soph., P: Parsons has posted a 15-2 record with a 1.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP this season while striking out 99 in 89 1/3 innings.

Dubuque Wahlert: Julia Roth, Soph., P: One of the best two-way players in Class 3A Roth is 19-3 with a 1.93 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 133 1/3 innings while hitting .380 with 28 extra-base hits, 23 home runs and 45 RBI.

Sumner-Fredericksburg: Isabel Bernard, Jr., LF: Already a two-time all-state pick Bernard is enjoying the best season of her career this summer ranking first in 3A in both batting average (.643) and on-base percentage (.703), third in stolen bases (49) and seventh in runs (51) while adding 14 RBI from her leadoff spot.

Benton Community: Ana Glawe, Jr., C: A returning first-team all-state selection, Glawe is hitting .462 and leads Class 3A with 13 home runs and ranks second in 3A with 63.

Solon: Addie Miller, Jr., C/OF: A three-year starter and career .392 hitter, Miller provides the pop in the middle of the Solon lineup batting .407 with a team-high 17 extra-base hits, six home runs and 34 RBI.

Davenport Assumption: Charlotte Nigey, Soph., C: A third-team all-state pick a year ago Nigey has been even better this season hitting .423 while leading the Knights in extra-base hits (13), RBI 31 and slugging percentage (.558).

Estherville-Lincoln Central: Tatum Dunlavy, Sr., P: Already a four-time all-state pick and three-time first team selection Dunlavy is a career-high .454 hitter with 36 home runs and 192 RBI in her career along with a 66-17 record in the circle. This season Dunlavy is hitting .450 with six home runs and 48 RBI and is 16-4 with a 1.07 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 105 innings.

The Favorite

Is it top-ranked Williamsburg or second-ranked Benton Community that enters as the team to beat?

It could be either.

The two WAMAC West Division squads have similar resumes and split a regular season doubleheader all the way back on May 29.

Benton Community is the top seed but Williamsburg is the defending champion and the Raiders have reached the 3A semifinals four consecutive seasons.

That recent success in Fort Dodge makes second-ranked Williamsburg an every so slight favorite.

The Underdog

Solon isn’t just the underdog of the 3A tournament the Spartans are the Cinderella of the summer in the state.

After losing four in a row to end the regular season Solon rattled off three consecutive postseason wins outscoring regional opponents Vinton-Shellsburg, West Liberty and Center Point-Urbana by a combined score of 23-6.

Solon is brimming with confidence following a 4-3 win over Center Point-Urbana in the regional title game and that could make the Spartans a dangerous underdog against a Benton Community team that it split with in the regular season.

The Darkhorse

Much of the attention in 3A this season has gone to defending champion Williamsburg and Benton Community and rightfully so.

However, don’t overlook Dubuque Wahlert who has a star in sophomore two-way standout Julia Roth, has state tournament experience with back-to-back appearances and one of the best lineups in Class 3A.

The Golden Eagles are also battle tested with a 4-4 mark against state qualifiers this season.

The Focus

Will the WAMAC continue to control Class 3A?

A WAMAC team has won the last two 3A titles with Williamsburg winning last season and Mount Vernon claiming the 2022 title.

There are three WAMAC teams in the field this season highlighted by top-seeded Benton Community and second-seeded Williamsburg.

A WAMAC team has appeared in the title game every year since 2020 and the conference has had four different teams win 3A titles in the past nine years.

With Solon and Benton Community meeting in the quarterfinals the WAMAC is guaranteed a 3A semifinalist for the fifth consecutive season.

Five Fast Facts

*- Five teams from last year’s 3A state tournament field return this season including all four semifinalists (Dubuque Wahlert, Davenport Assumption, Estherville-Lincoln Central, Williamsburg) from a year ago.

*- Solon (18-24) is the only team to reach the state tournament with a record below .500. Class 5A qualifier Ankeny is 21-20 and Class 2A qualifier West Fork (18-7) matches the Spartans for fewest wins for a state tournament team in 2024.

*- Sumner-Fredericksburg sophomore Addie Murray leads the state in wins with 31 and ranks fourth in the state and leads Class 3A with 199 2/3 innings pitched.

*- Davenport Assumption is making its ninth consecutive state tournament appearance which ties Central Springs, Woodward-Granger and Akron-Westfield for the longest consecutive appearance streak in state history. With a quarterfinal win the Knights would set the state record for consecutive top-four finishes at state at nine.

*- Dubuque Wahlert leads 3A with 31 home runs this season and eight different players have hit a homer for the Golden Eagles.

The Schedule

Quarterfinals, July 22

Williamsburg (30-12) vs. PCM (24-4), 7 p.m.

Dubuque Wahlert (29-10) vs. Sumner-Fredericksburg (33-3), 7:30 p.m.

Quarterfinals, July 23

Benton Community (31-7) vs. Solon (18-24), 10 a.m.

Davenport Assumption (25-12) vs. Estherville-Lincoln Central (31-6), 10:30 a.m.

Semifinals, July 24

Williamsburg/PCM winner vs. Dubuque Wahlert/Sumner-Fredericksburg winner, 2:30 p.m.

Benton Community/Solon winner vs. Davenport Assumption/Estherville-Lincoln Central winner, 4:45 p.m.

Championship, July 26

Semifinal winners, 2:30 p.m.

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