The state softball tournament begins this weekend at Aurora Sports Park, featuring 16 teams in each of the state’s three classifications.
Broomfield (Class 5A), Windsor (4A) and University (3A) all won regional championships and are the top seeds of their respective classifications.
The opening two rounds of the tournament are Friday, followed by the semifinal and final on Saturday.
Here is a look at each of the three tournaments.
Class 5A
Favorite(s): No. 1 Broomfield. The Eagles haven’t lost inside the state over the past two regular seasons. They’re guided by University of Iowa pitching commit Ireland Heer and they sport perhaps the best offense in the state with names like Kiley Wheaton, Lilly Smith and Lauren Martinez.
No. 7 Riverdale Ridge. The Ravens are looking to repeat after they won the 5A state title as a six seed a year ago. Peyton Saenz is back, and has arguably been even better than she was in an impressive 2024 campaign, where she drove in eight of her 50 RBIs in the state tournament. This year, the junior comes into Aurora with 48 RBI.
Sleeper(s): No. 6 Legend. The Titans lost three of their five games this season before the first day of September, then dropped another game to a team from Nebraska before allowing three runs in the seventh inning in a late-game 4-3 collapse against Ponderosa. They also gave No. 1 Broomfield one of its most competitive games of the season in a 4-0 loss on Aug. 20, and lost to No. 4 Erie by just two runs a day later.
Double-digit threat: No. 12 Valor Christian. The Eagles have some nice wins on their resume and, of course, the reigning 5A player of the year on their roster. Colorado State-commit Kendall Ferguson has driven in 38 runs this season and Valor Christian punched its ticket to Aurora by scoring 28 runs in a 28-19 win over Rock Canyon last week.
Class 4A
Favorite(s): No. 1 Windsor. The Wizards ran through the season without a loss inside Colorado … until their final game of the regular season, where it lost to No. 3 Holy Family and Stanford pitching commit Emmaline Humphreys 4-0. They rebounded in regionals with two lopsided wins. Jenna McGinnis has a 0.69 ERA in 71 innings this season.
No. 3 Holy Family: The Tigers might have the best player in the tournament in Humphreys, who has a 0.87 ERA across 104 1/3 innings this season and the most strikeouts in the state at 231. She’s allowed two earned runs over her last 59 1/3 innings.
Sleeper(s): No. 2 Palmer Ridge. It’s a little silly to list the Bears as a “sleeper” pick at No. 2. But with what Windsor has done this season, what Holy Family has in the circle, and with No. 4 Lutheran winning the past three 4A titles, Palmer Ridge can feel a bit overlooked. Of course, that would be a mistake. Corinna Arellano alone can change a game like few others in the state, batting .571 with 49 RBIs and 12 home runs.
No. 5 Elizabeth. The Cardinals have won 19 straight and only lost to 5A No. 1 Broomfield and Arvada West this season. Aurelia Espinoza is one of the best hitters in the bracket as she’s hitting .622 with seven home runs.
Double-digit threat: No. 15 Ponderosa. The Mustangs went just 13-13, but among wins, they beat 5A No. 6 Legend and No. 12 Valor Christian. Campbell Trombley leads the way, batting .569 with 32 RBIs. She’s currently on a 15-game hitting streak.
Class 3A
Favorite(s): No. 1 University: The Bulldogs’ lone two losses of the year came to 4A No. 2 Palmer Ridge and No. 5 Elizabeth. Since, they’ve won 13 straight, including against No. 2 Eaton in eight innings earlier in the month. Jasi Cole has a 1.60 ERA in 43 2/3 innings and is hitting .517 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs.
No. 2 Eaton. The Reds have one of the best bats in the bracket in Emma Anderson, who is hitting .639 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs. They also have the best duo in the circle in Johanna Galvan (0.73 ERA in 47 2/3 innings) and Bria Foster (1.52 in 60 IP). Since losing to University on Oct. 2, they’ve outscored their next five opponents a combined 76-0.
Sleeper(s): No. 3 Southeast Colorado. Most believe the championship will come down to either University or Eaton, which played in the final a year ago. The Reds have won four titles from 2020-24 and the Bulldogs won their lone title in 2019. But Southeast Colorado has the longest win streak in 3A at 16 games this season. And the Angels have nine players with double-digit RBIs this fall.
No. 5 Wellington. The Eagles are 4-0 against 3A postseason teams, with wins against No. 2 Eaton, No. 6 Brush, No. 15 Sterling and No. 16 Weld Central this fall. Kensley Story is hitting .553 with seven home runs, 35 RBIs and 50 runs scored.
Double-digit threat: No. 10 Lyons. The Lions are led by Gretta Wynja, who is 17-6 in the circle, touting a 1.72 ERA and 194 strikeouts across 134 1/3 innings. They’d be a better seed if not for a 4-2 loss to Lamar in a regional championship that saw the Thunder pull ahead in the seventh inning. They open against Strasburg, which they beat in eight innings earlier in the month.
