HASTINGS – The three Classes of NSAA Softball State Championships will feature 24 teams during a three-day period this week.
Over the weekend, NSAA officials released the 2019 state softball tournament bracket which will be held from Wednesday, October 16 – Friday, October 18 at the Smith Softball Complex in Hastings.
The Class C defending state champions, Wayne High has earned the #4 seed with a 30-3 record in the Class B bracket this year. WHS will face #5 Hastings (28-7) who is coming off a pair of wins during the B-5 District Final over Blair (12-4/4-3) and has won seven of their past eight games.
The Blue Devils are on a 25-game win streak (65 of past 68) and two of their three losses are playing in the Class A state tournament (Lincoln Southwest/Elkhorn) and Waverly lost in their district finals. Wayne defeated Adams Central in the B-4 District Final (2-0/7-2).
Join sports director, Aaron Scheffler on The City ‘KCTY’ 98.9/1590 and online at waynedailynews.com with pregame coverage of Wednesday’s opening game at 8:45 a.m.
The winner/loser of the Wayne/Hastings game will play either #1 Omaha Skutt Catholic (27-2) or #8 Seward (20-13) while the other half of the bracket will feature #3 Crete (29-4) vs. #6 Omaha Gross Catholic (21-7) and #2 Beatrice (29-4) vs. #7 Norris (20-8). Class B first round games will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday, quarterfinals at 4:30 p.m. before the first set of elimination games will be held Thursday at 9 a.m.
Class A (2:30 p.m.) schedule: #1 Papillion-LV (32-0) vs. #8 Millard West (20-11); #4 Millard South (25-8) vs. #5 Gretna (24-8); #3 Omaha Marian (21-5) vs. #6 Lincoln North Star (28-10) and #2 Elkhorn (27-3) vs. #7 Lincoln Southwest (27-8).
All Class State Softball Bracket 10-14-19
Class C (11:30 a.m.) schedule: #1 Fairbury (24-4) vs. #8 Malcolm (20-10); #4 Cozad (23-7) vs. #5 Kearney Catholic (23-7); #3 Hastings St. Cecilia (25-7) vs. #6 Arlington (21-6) and #2 GACC (25-3) vs. #7 Auburn (21-6).