It is that time of season and we have finally reached the State Tournament and congratulations to all the teams that have made it back to Hall of Fame Stadium. Follow along as I preview the State Tournament matchups and hear from the coaches as they give their thoughts.
Class 4A
#1 Dale vs #10 Stroud
2:30pm at Field Three
Last Appearance: Dale (13th consecutive appearance since 2010) Stroud (First appearance since 2018)
Dale’s road to state
Dale began their playoffs with wins over Meeker 17-0 in districts and defeated Hinton 11-6 and Coalgate 14-3 to advance to the state tournament.
We have been in state finals 11 years in a row, 1st being 2012 when we won the first of our six titles in Slowpitch. Are goal at Dale is always to win a State Championship. We have played the best schedule in the state as normal to get us ready! Dale is excited and looking forward to Tuesday said Dale coach Andy Powell.
Stroud’s road to state
Stroud began their playoffs with wins over Okmulgee 12-0 and Salina 16-6 and 12-1 in districts, Defeated Tishomingo 11-4, Fell to Silo 13-1 and defeated Tishomingo again 15-3 to advance to the state tournament.
We started the season with high expectations and knew we had the opportunity to make the state tournament. But early on in the season we dealt with injuries and illness. We didn’t play a game with everyone suited up and healthy until after spring break. We knew it would take everyone to do their part. This season has been a great team effort by everyone to get this far in the playoffs. After playing in the Hall of Fame Spring Showdown we got on a roll and won 18 straight until losing to a very tough Silo team in regionals. The girls bounced back and finished strong as Regional runner-up. Stroud Slowpitch softball last made a state playoff appearance in 2018. We as a team are excited & grateful to have earned the opportunity to go out and compete while representing the school and community said Stroud coach Charles Durrence.
#5 Preston vs #8 Latta
2:30pm at Integris Field
Last Appearance: Preston (Second consecutive) Latta (Fourth consecutive since 2021)
Preston’s road to state
Preston began their playoffs with a win over Colcord 12-1 and back to back wins over Sequoyah Tahlequah 13-7 and 16-7 to win districts, Fell to Antlers 10-4 but bounced back against Valliant 7-3 and Antlers in a rematch 11-4 to advance to the state tournament.
Our expectations were high entering this slow pitch season. Coming off of last season’s appearance and this Fastpitch’s appearance put us on a confidence high. Our season has been a roller coaster ride. Lot of ups and downs. Regionals was no different started off on a downturn and finished on a high. Slowpitch is a crazy game. You never know. Our seniors have been the steady force driving us. We have a good bunch of juniors and sophomores filling out our team with quality freshman filling positions as needed. High hopes for state said Preston coach Jimmy Hurst.
Latta’s road to state
Latta began their playoffs with wins over Beggs 14-0 and Okemah 9-2 and 12-0 in districts and defeated Henryetta 9-3 and Oktaha 27-23 to advance to the state tournament.
We are excited to be heading back to State. We have worked hard in the offseason in the weight room to make it to this point with everyone healthy. We have played a tough schedule this year, which has had its ups and downs, but that level of competition has prepared us for the playoffs. And our wins at regionals over Henryetta and Oktaha should have everyone who doubted us all season thinking twice. But now it’s down to the top 8 teams in the state, and every game will be a battle of attrition. Senior Jaycie Prine (22 HR) and junior Talise Parnell (19 HR) have been our power duo from the beginning. They have continued to be big bats at the top of the lineup to get us going. After those two, Savannah Senkel, Kymber Davis, Laraby Jennings and Audrey Forshay have been the reasons we have had big innings. They continue to have productive at bats to help hang “crooked numbers” as I like to say on the scoreboard. Freshman Rylee Jones has stepped up with her speed and power. Kate Williams acts as our ‘second cleanup’ collecting RBIs to rank her 3rd on the team. Behind Prine and Parnell. Freshman Jayse Smith continues to be stellar at SS and has worked hard to be a tough out at the plate. Taryn Cotanny has been our best pitcher shutting down some powerful teams and keeping them off-balanced. I have used the majority of my roster at one point or another to help us win games. It’s going to be an exciting day at Hall of Fame on Tuesday and we cannot wait to get back on the field! There’s no feeling like it with the huge crowds and all that energy just makes for a great softball environment! said Latta coach Jeremy Bates.
#4 Silo vs #3 Oktaha
1:00pm at OG&E Field
Last Appearance: Silo (Ninth consecutive since 2015) Oktaha (Third consecutive since 2022)
Silo’s road to state
Silo began their playoffs with 27-0 and 13-1 wins over Hartshorne in districts and defeated Dibble 15-0 and Stroud 13-1 to advance to the state tournament.
We had a big win against North Crock Creek which seemed to give us a new confidence. Team had been playing with a lot of passion and energy since that game. All the kids seem to be having fun while doing their jobs. We played really well running ruling both good teams in regionals. It is always exciting even thought we have done it eight times in a row every team is a new team with new individuals! We are still trying to do a first at silo and win a slow pitch state championship said Silo coach Mike Lawless.
Oktaha’s road to state
Oktaha began their playoffs with 12-1 and 14-3 wins over Warner in districts, Beat Vian 17-4 but fell to Latta 27-23 in the regional championship but bounced back against Henryetta 15-14 to advance to the state tournament.
Even though we have been really fortunate here at Oktaha to go to State a lot in softball, I truly try to never take it for granted and I remind my players to do the same. So we are definitely excited to get back here! It is so hard to get to the state tournament because softball is really good here in Oklahoma and I feel like our class is always so tough. I am super blessed as a coach to be able to coach such great kids that buy in to our program. Our road this year has been a tough one simply because we have had so many injuries that actually began during basketball season with three major knee injuries and then a broken nose right before softball regionals. Even though we lost those key players, I am so proud of everyone else stepping up and picking up the slack to get us back here. This group of seniors have been a special group in athletics and academics for us and I appreciate their leadership and all they have given to our school. I would love for them to go out with a bang and win it all again this year. We know it will be a tall task because of the loaded 4A class but one thing I know about my group is we will give it our best shot said Oktaha coach Kia Holmes.
#1 Pocola vs Hinton
1:00pm at Field Two
Last Appearance: Pocola (Fourth consecutive since 2021) Hinton (First since 2014)
Pocola’s road to state
Pocola began their playoffs with 15-5 and 10-0 wins over Spiro in districts and defeated Valliant 10-6 and Antlers 12-1 to advance to the state tournament.
This seasons journey has been so different than years past. We graduated 4 really good players last year who all hit a lot of homeruns. I knew we would still be really good on defense , really good at pitcher but didn’t know how these young girls would do adjusting to slowpitch. We’ve only got one senior so that was my biggest concern going into Slowpitch, how would these younger girls hit. And they’ve succeeded my expectations so much! We’re a totally different team than seasons past, we rely so much more on singles and doubles and finding weaknesses in our opponents defense and trying to exploit that. We’re obviously led by Allyssa Parker and our players know that other teams try to take her out of the slowpitch game, so our focus has been trying to get everyone to step up their game because she’s taken out of the game with walks so much and they’ve been great at it all season! Can’t wait until Tuesday , I know it’s a loaded field in 4A from top to bottom and I’m excited to see what are girls can do, I know they can’t wait to compete at the Hall of Fame Stadium in front of a bunch of people! said Pocola coach Eddie Combs.
Hinton’s road to state
Hinton began their playoffs with wins over Kellyville 17-16 and Chisholm 19-2 and 13-12 in districts, Fell to Dale 11-6 but defeated Crescent 13-3 and Coalgate 13-5 to advance to the state tournament.
We entered district play 14-14 and had been playing very inconsistent especially offensively. We started a mantra of why not us. We reset our minds that we were 0-0 and districts presented a new chance to start a new season! We had two walk off wins in districts at Chisholm. Again, we reset that we were 0-0 again and why not go do what we need to do to make it state. Drawing Dale in first round is no doubt tough but I loved how we competed against them in defeat. We used that momentum and played our two best games of the season In beating Crescent and Coalgate to win regional consolation and earn a spot in state. Obviously, a lot of excitement with our team, school and community as we are making 2nd trip back to state in school history and first time since we won it all 2014. We have had really strong practices the last couple days and we seem excited to continue to play and see what we can do. Again, we are 0-0 and we just want to go 1-0 times Tuesday and are still saying why not us! said Hinton coach Jared Hohmann.
Class 5A
#1 North Rock Creek vs #7 Perkins-Tryon
11:30am at Field Three
Last appearance: North Rock Creek (Fourth consecutive since 2021) Perkins-Tryon (First since 2022)
North Rock Creek’s road to state
North Rock Creek began their playoffs with wins over Harding Charter 13-0 and Seminole 18-0 and 15-0 in districts and defeated Idabel 18-4 and Plainview 14-3 to advance to the state tournament.
This season has been challenging because of our tough schedule. We have played 24 top 10 games this season and feel like we have been battle tested. My juniors and seniors have now played in two state championships in slow pitch and our plan is to make it back to the finals for a 3rd year in a row. We run ruled everyone in districts and regionals so far and looking to keep a hot bat for state. Perkins is our only 5A loss this year, so we definitely are not over looking them said North Rock Creek coach Chance Griffin.
Perkins-Tryon’s road to state
Perkins-Tryon began their playoffs with wins over Cleveland 15-0 and Checotah 18-3 and 24-23 in districts, Defeated McLoud 12-2, Fell to Washington 11-1 but bounced back against Stilwell 4-3 to advance to the state tournament.
We rode a 14 game win streak into regionals this year. After starting the season not in sync we got hot and started hitting the ball really well and have rode that all the way through! We are excited to be back in the state tournament and excited about continuing to ride our momentum through Tuesday! This group of seniors have been to the state tournament in either fast or slow pitch each of their 4 years in high school so it’s special for them to make it and have the chance to go win the whole thing said Perkins-Tryon coach Emmie Smith
#2 Tecumseh vs #9 Bristow
11:30am at Field Two
Last Appearance: Tecumseh (Fourth consecutive since 2021) Bristow (Second consecutive)
Tecumseh’s road to state
Tecumseh began their playoffs with wins over Crooked Oak 15-0 and Blanchard 13-2 and 10-3 in districts, Defeated Prague 9-6, Fell to Broken Bow 4-3 but bounced back against Prague again 6-5 to advance to the state tournament.
We have had a good season we start three seniors three juniors one sophomore four freshman! We’ve had some growing pains but this group of girls knew what the goal is every year and they stepped up when they needed to. We are very excited about the opportunity to play Tuesday as everyone knows it comes down to who plays the best on that day and we have preached that all year. I feel like we play a tough enough schedule to prepare us for this opportunity, we have continued to improve every week. We have faced a lot of good teams this year and the girls stepped up!! I believe in these girls and their rolls on the team. Go Savages. After getting beat by broken bow in regional championship I was worried but in eight innings the girls found away to beat a very good Prague team said Tecumseh coach Perry Wilson.
Bristow’s road to state
Bristow began their playoffs with wins over Sperry 15-0 and Stigler 7-2 and 12-2 in districts, Defeated Bethel 12-7 and Purcell 7-6 to advance to the state tournament.
Our road to the State Tournament has not been an easy one this year. We have had 3 broken bones and a quad injury that has set us back throughout the year and caused a little bit of inconsistency for us. We are also missing two starters from our fastpitch team that would have been factors for us. This group has been super resilient and has really pressed to return to the state tournament after missing out in the fall. We are a little bit more excited about this one considering we have been a little shorthanded this year and struggled heading into the postseason. This regional tournament was one to remember after Jazmyn George hit a walkoff homerun against Purcell to send us to state. That’s the first time in 12 years I have been a part of something like that and it was pretty special said Bristow coach Garrett Hannah.
#5 Broken Bow vs #4 Cache
11:30am at OG&E Field
Last Appearance: Broken Bow (Eighth consecutive since 2016) Cache (Third consecutive since 2022)
Broken Bow’s road to state
Broken Bow began their playoffs with wins over Hugo 13-0 and Ada 5-2 and 12-1 in districts and defeated Chandler 12-1 and Tecumseh 4-3 to advance to the state tournament.
This is my first year coaching slow pitch at Broken Bow. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this season but I knew the state tournament was our goal. We have had a pretty good year, have faced some adversity but this team bounces back quick. This team is full of high expectations of themselves and hold each other accountable. Their work ethic is what impresses me the most. When we practice for two to three hours there are always some of the girls who want to stay after and hit or take ground balls and fly balls. As far as going to our eighth straight I think that speaks for the leadership from years past and this years team as well. The older girls on our team really help the younger ones and teach them how to work for what we want to achieve said Broken Bow coach Toby Bean.
Cache’s road to state
Cache began their playoffs with wins over Anadarko 16-1 and Lindsay 16-0 and 15-3 in districts, Fell to Purcell 11-3 but bounced back against Bethel 11-0 and Purcell 10-6 to advance to the state tournament.
Like most of the other teams in the tournament, we’ve played a really tough schedule to prepare ourselves to be there. It hasn’t been easy, we’ve lost some close games to some really good teams. But we’ve also found a way to bounce back after a tough loss and win some tough games as well. That’s what you have to do if you’re going to compete with some of the best teams in the state. We are starting to get to a point where we are expecting to be at the State Tournament so while there is definitely an excitement about making it, the girls also know that just being there is not our goal. They want to win it. They are really focused on playing well and being their best when it matters most. This team has been so much fun to coach said Cache coach Miles Smith.
#3 Washington vs Idabel
11:30am at Integris Field
Last Appearance: Washington (18th consecutive since 2006) Idabel (First in school history)
Washington’s road to state
Washington began their playoffs with wins over Western Heights 10-0 and Dickson 15-0 twice in districts, Defeated Stilwell 9-0 and Perkins-Tryon 11-0 to advance to the state tournament.
Idabel’s road to state
Idabel began their playoffs with wins over Newcastle 13-6 and Byng 7-6 and 3-2 in districts, Fell to North Rock Creek 18-4 but bounced back against Pryor 4-0 and Plainview 5-2 to advance to the state tournament.
We just started playing really good at the right time. In districts and regionals we played really well defensively and got hits at the right times. We are excited for the opportunity to keep playing. We know we have a tough challenge ahead of us but are looking forward to it. One of our goals was to make it to state tournament for the first time in school history our girls are feeling great having reached that goal. I’m proud of the way this team worked hard all year. Half of them got right off the bus from state basketball tournament and went to softball field to start working on their hitting said Idabel coach Jeremy Bean.
Class 6A
#1 Choctaw vs #8 Bartlesville
10:00am at OG&E Field
Last Appearance: Choctaw (Sixth consecutive since 2018) Bartlesville (First in school history)
Choctaw’s road to state
Choctaw began their playoffs with wins over Putnam City North 24-0 and Norman 15-0 and 10-0 to advance to the state tournament.
This group is a special group of young ladies. From on the field, in the classroom & off the field they have come together for one common goal! They love to compete, they have love to have fun & they love being teammates to each other! They are fun to watch & fun to be around. This season has been a season of challenge. These girls challenging themselves to get better everyday in some way. Not worrying about results just focusing on the preparation and controlling the controlables, attitude, effort, etc. The consistency of our program is just a testament to these girls as well as their parents to buying in and wanting to be great. Having high expectations can sometimes carry a heavy weight but we have really focused on it being a privilege and opportunity to do good things. As a program we want one thing on Tuesday, just like the other 7 teams there. They are hungry for it and ready for it however we know that the road to that will be a tough one. The competition we will face is tough and will be a big challenge for us and we don’t take it lightly. At the end of the day, all we can do is prepare, have some fun & play hard. Regardless of the result, it wont define these girls’ worth nor the work they have put in. As a coach, I am humbled and blessed to get to coach and lead such great young ladies. They are champions at life and are worthy of being champions on the field and I’m excited to watch them go after it! said Choctaw coach Lindsey Mudgett.
Bartlesville’s road to state
Road to the state tournament – Hosted a regional with Owasso and Claremore which was the first time we have ever hosted a slowpitch regional. We lost the first game of our regional championship games vs Owasso 9-8 with a walk off hit in the bottom of the 7th. Our veteran slowpitch players of Allie Scullawl, Chelsea Goddard, and Isabell Daniels came off the field and were telling everyone we’re still good to go and our team still had confidence going into last two games and picked up a 6-3 and 11-1 wins to eliminate Owasso. Our freshmen stepped up big time hitting 10 of 13 home runs in our regional including 6 HRs and 14 RBI by Savannah Alden.
Anticipation of going – there is a lot of excitement moving forward for sure. None of our players have played in a softball state tournament, fast or slow, so they are very excited. Our school and community has also shown great support for it as well just as they did in our home regional.
Reaction to making it for first time in school history – the excitement behind it pretty high. As a team when we started the season was to host our own regional and put us in a good place to make state since we lost in a close regional last year. For our team it was completing the goals they set forth as a team earlier in the year and allowing our seniors to finish their career out at a state tournament. This is only our 3rd year of having slow pitch so there has been a lot of ups and down as well as learning over the last few seasons. Seeing the progress and how far we’ve come is the most exciting thing to see said Bartlesville coach Kyle Minton.
#4 Moore vs #5 Mustang
10:00am at Field Two
Last Appearance: Moore (32nd consecutive since 1992) Mustang (Fourth consecutive since 2021)
Moore’s road to state
Moore began their playoffs with wins over Norman North 9-3 and Jenks 12-2 and 11-10 to advance to the state tournament.
Our road was a little rough at the beginning. We went 2-5 the two weeks before spring break while losing five in a row. Spring Break could not get here soon enough. The girls were scared to fail. After spring break, we have changed our mindset and got to the style of play we are used to. We have went 22-7 since the break and are hoping to carry the momentum into Tuesday. This is at least our 32nd consecutive year to make the trip to the state tournament and we are not satisfied with just making it. We are taking it one game at a time and hope take home the championship trophy said Moore coach Steven Peeler.
Mustang’s road to state
Mustang began their playoffs with wins over Lawton Eisenhower 26-3 and Tahlequah 11-2 and 16-1 to advance to the state tournament.
We had kind of a bumpy first two weeks to the season, we didn’t really feel like we played like we were capable at all. But after Spring Break we have played much better and gone 32-1 since. We are really excited about another opportunity at State and the chance to defend our state title. We feel like we are playing really well at the moment. We have a tough draw ahead of us, but we are excited for the opportunity and feel good about where we’re at right now. I think us making State for the fourth year in a row is just a testament to our kids and their commitment and hard work. These seniors were a part of our first slowpitch championship in 2021, so it’s exciting that they get to end their careers with an opportunity to win their 3rd state championship in four seasons said Mustang coach Lacy Darity.
#3 Broken Arrow vs #6 Westmoore
10:00am at Field Three
Last Appearance: Broken Arrow (10th consecutive since 2012) Westmoore (Second Consecutive)
Broken Arrow’s road to state
Broken Arrow began their playoffs with wins over Enid 14-2 and Union 16-2 and 10-0 to advance to the state tournament.
We had a really good regular season and continued to play well in our regional. Hopefully we can continue to play well at the State Tournament. We know it will be a very tough tournament as there are 7 other really good teams. The players and coaches are excited to return to the State Tournament said Broken Arrow coach Randall King.
Westmoore’s road to state
Westmoore began their playoffs with a win over Lawton MacArthur 16-0, Fell to Guthrie 6-5 but bounced back with two wins back to back against them 4-0 and 10-9 to advance to the state tournament.
This group has faced its fair share of ups and downs this season, and regionals was no different. Guthrie came in and gave us all we wanted and took us to the “if” game. Our offensive game wasn’t great, however, we got enough timely hits to get the job done when it mattered. Our backs were against the wall and we kept fighting – I couldn’t ask anymore of them. We have came out after regionals and worked really hard at practice. Practiced well and played really well against Latta Friday afternoon. The girls are excited to be back at the state tournament and are prepared to face any challenges that lie ahead. Broken Arrow is a tough, undefeated team with lots of offensive power. But we are prepared to go in and play our game, work hard, have fun, bring energy, and take it one inning at a time said Westmoore coach Hillary Weaver.
#2 Southmoore vs #7 Bixby
10:00am at Integris Field
Last Appearance: Southmoore (13th consecutive appearance since 2011) Bixby (First since 2022)
Southmoore’s road to state
Southmoore began their playoffs with wins over Lawton 15-0 and Muskogee 12-1 and 7-2 to advance to the state tournament.
Bixby’s road to state
Bixby began their playoffs with wins over Santa Fe South 15-0 and Deer Creek 5-4 and 13-2 to advance to the state tournament.
The OKPreps Rundown 