New London gets No. 1 seed in softball
By Greg Seubert
A busy WIAA spring sports tournament schedule officially kicked off May 19 with softball regionals in three divisions.
The tournament began that day for several softball teams in divisions 2-4, while Division 1 tournament play begins Tuesday, May 24.
Meanwhile, the WIAA state baseball tournament begins Thursday, May 26, for divisions 2-4 and Tuesday, May 31 for Division 1.
Below is a schedule for area teams:
Softball
Division 1
Hortonville received a No. 2 seed in the Polar Bears’ sectional bracket. Hortonville has a bye in the first round and will open the postseason May 26 by hosting No. 7 De Pere or No. 10 West De Pere.
Division 2
New London and Waupaca are seeded first and sixth, respectively, in Division 2 and both teams have a bye in the first round.
New London will host No. 9 Colby/Abbotsford or No. 8 Rhinelander May 24, while Waupaca will travel to Antigo that day to face the third-seeded Red Robins.
Division 3
Clintonville has a bye in the first round of the tournament and the fourth-seeded Truckers will host No. 5 Tomahawk May 24.
Division 4
Iola-Scandinavia is seeded third, while Manawa and Weyauwega-Fremont received a No. 4 seed and all three teams will play May 24 after a first-round bye.
Iola-Scandinavia will host No. 6 Shiocton, Manawa will host No. 5 Crandon and Weyauwega-Fremont will host No. 5 St. Mary Catholic.
Regional finals for all four divisions are scheduled for May 26; sectional semifinals will be played Tuesday, May 31; and sectional finals are set for Thursday, June 2.
The state tournament is scheduled for Thursday to Saturday, June 9-11, at Goodman Diamond in Madison.
Baseball
Division 1
Division 1 brackets for the state baseball tournament were not available as of May 19.
Hortonville’s bracket also includes Appleton North, Appleton East, Appleton West, Ashwaubenon, Bay Port, De Pere, Green Bay East/West, Green Bay Preble, Green Bay Southwest, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Pulaski and West De Pere.
Division 2
Waupaca, New London and Clintonville each have a first-round home regional game May 26.
Waupaca, a No. 3 seed, will host No. 6 Winneconne; New London, also a No. 3 seed, will open the postseason against No. 6 Oconto Falls; and No. 4 Clintonville will host No. 5 Marinette.
Division 3
Fourth-seeded Weyauwega-Fremont will host No. 5 St. Mary Catholic May 26, while No. 6 Manawa will head to No. 3 Omro.
Division 4
Iola-Scandinavia is a No. 5 seed and will head to Rosholt May 26 to face the fourth-seeded Hornets.
Regional finals will be played Wednesday, June 1, and sectional semifinals and finals are set for Tuesday, June 7.
The state tournament will wrap up Tuesday to Thursday, June 14-16, at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.