No. 1 Katy leads area contenders for state
The Greater Houston area has six softball teams playing in this week’s regional finals for a shot at state.
Here’s what to expect as Katy, Kingwood, Lake Creek, Liberty, Needville and Columbus look to extend their respective seasons.
Region III-6A Katy (39-1-1) vs. Kingwood (35-7)
No. 1 nationally ranked Katy is two wins from a fourth state tournament appearance, and third since 2015.
The Tigers won championships in 2015 and 2019 and are the favorite to win again this year.
Katy is coming off its toughest test of the postseason. The Tigers swept Brazoswood in last week’s regional semifinals by scores of 3-1 and 2-1. Prior to that, the Tigers had outscored its postseason opponents, 57-0.
Senior pitcher Cameryn Harrison (Arkansas) showed once again why she is one of the top players in the country. She won Game 1 against Brazoswood, allowing one unearned run on five hits while striking out nine and walking two in seven innings. She also had a solo home run with two walks at the plate. Harrison earned the save in Game 2, throwing the last 1 1⁄3 innings and allowing no runs and no hits while striking out two and walking one.
Sophomore E.K. Smith was also a clutch contributor. In Game 1, Smith had two RBIs with a double. In Game 2, she took the win in the circle, throwing 5 2⁄3 innings and allowing one run on three hits while striking out seven and walking two.
The Tigers have three players batting .500 or better in the playoffs: Harrison leads at .533 with 10 RBIs and three home runs, followed by University of Houston commit Hailey Gore (.500, 12 RBIs, two home runs) and Smith (.500, 12 RBIs, two home runs).
Harrison has thrown 21 1⁄3 innings in the playoffs, boasting a 0.00 ERA with 42 strikeouts to six walks. Opponents are hitting .100 against her.
Katy is in a regional final for the first time since that 2019 championship season. It fell in the regional semis in 2021 and 2022, and in the area round last season.
Kingwood is enjoying an outstanding season under first-year head coach Christa Williams-Yates, who was an All-American pitcher at the University of Texas and a two-time gold medalist for Team USA.
Williams-Yates, previously the head coach at Friendswood, has led the Mustangs to their most wins since 2013.
Like Katy, Kingwood has yet to lose in the playoffs. The Mustangs are outscoring their postseason opponents, 79-5.
Kingwood clubbed Heights in the regional semifinals last week, sweeping the best-ofthree series by a combined score of 24-2.
The Mustangs are led by junior shortstop Addyson Sheppard, a University of Arizona commit. Sheppard is hitting .500 with 11 RBIs and three home runs in the playoffs. She has seven walks to one strikeout.
Junior second baseman Leilani Garcia (.560, 12 RBIs, three home runs), freshman pitcher Hunter Quentel (.481, 15 RBIs, three home runs) and junior catcher Mia Gagliardi (.368, 14 RBIs, three home runs) have also starred this postseason.
Kingwood has slugged 15 homers in eight playoff games.
Quentel has been the Mustangs’ No. 1 pitcher in the playoffs. She has a 0.97 ERA with 33 strikeouts to nine walks in 29 innings pitched.
Kingwood is ranked sixth in Class 6A by the Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) in this week’s state poll. The Mustangs are seeking their third trip to state, and first since 2013.
Region III-5A Lake Creek (34-7) vs. Lake Belton (38-4)
Lake Creek is two wins from a third straight trip to the Class 5A state tournament. The defending back-to-back state champs are in the regional final for the fourth consecutive season.
The Lions, ranked No. 8 in Class 5A by TGCA in this week’s state poll, are 6-1 in the playoffs, outscoring opponents, 67-14. Their lone defeat came in a 5-3 loss in Game 2 to Foster in last week’s regional semifinals. Lake Creek rebounded to win Game 3, 9-1.
The bats are hot for the Lions this postseason. They are hitting .398 as a team with 30 extrabase hits and six home runs. They have struck out just 14 times in 201 at-bats.
Senior Carmen Uribe is hitting .542 with seven RBIs and no strikeouts in 24 at-bats. Sophomore Gracee Brewer is hitting .500 with eight RBIs.
Senior Alyson Higginbotham has three home runs, one in each of the Lions’ last three games.
Sophomore Madalyn Davis is hitting .417 with six RBIs, four walks and a homer. Junior Chesney Davis has 10 RBIs with two homers.
Sophomore Sara Wiggins is the Lions’ No. 1 in the circle. She has a 1.21 ERA with 34 strikeouts to 11 walks in 29 innings pitched.
Lake Belton is authoring a breakthrough campaign in its fourth season of varsity play.
The Broncos are 7-1 in the playoffs and outscoring the competition, 61-13. Lake Belton has lost just once since Feb. 20, a 3-2 setback to College Station in Game 2 of the regional quarterfinals.
TGCA has Lake Belton ranked No. 2 in Class 5A in this week’s state poll.
The Broncos took down perennial regional power Barbers Hill, 4-2, in a one-game regional semifinal last week.
Senior Casey Schultz threw a complete game, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out seven and walking two in seven innings.
Lake Belton managed just five hits (and struck out 12 times) against Barbers Hill, but two of the hits were momentous.
Senior Angelina DeLeon and Schultz homered in consecutive at-bats to turn a 1-1 tie into a 3-1 game in the third inning.
Junior Alexis Ortiz had two RBIs. Schultz had three walks.
Region III-4A Liberty (37-2) vs. Bullard (33-6-1)
Liberty is two wins from its fifth state tournament appearance since 2017, and fourth appearance in a row.
The Panthers, threetime state champs (2018, 2021, 2022), are 7-0 in the playoffs and have outscored their foes, 68-11.
Liberty returned three players named to last year’s state all-tournament team — senior catcher Hollie Thomas, senior outfielder Bailee Slack and junior outfielder Abby Vickers — and average a tad below 10 runs per game.
The Panthers also boast a dominant 1-2 punch in the circle in junior Brookelyn Taylor and sophomore Kylee Bishop.
Liberty has surrendered only 54 runs all season.
Bullard has established itself as a force with 25 or more wins in seven of the last eight seasons.
Bullard made it to state in 2021 and 2022, falling in the semifinals each time. Bullard is 8-1 in the playoffs, outscoring its opponents, 69-21.
This game is a rematch of the 2021 4A state semis, when Liberty topped Bullard 4-3 en route to the program’s second state title.
Region IV-4A Needville (32-6-1) vs. Corpus Christi Calallen (31-2)
This regional semifinal is the only one in the Greater Houston area that will be a one-game affair.
Needville and Calallen play Thursday in Cuero. Winner takes all.
Needville is seeking its first trip to state since 2016, fifth overall, and has outscored its playoff opponents, 28-3.
At the plate, Needville is led by Jaycie Croatt, Jojo Cantu, Annabelle Humbird and Kourtney Carter. All hit better than .400, with power.
In the circle, the Bluejays are steered by junior Makala Smith, an Oklahoma State commit. Smith’s pitching has led Needville’s surge through the playoffs.
The Bluejays have allowed a total of eight runs during their current 19-game win streak.
Defending state champ Calallen has won 27 games in a row in seeking its fourth state tournament appearance. The Wildcats are winning games by an average of 8.8 runs.
Four Wildcats hit .411 or better. Senior Alaunah Almaraz and junior Brookelyn Meador each have double-digit home runs.
Region IV-3A Columbus (25-8) vs. Hallettsville (38-2)
Columbus is in the regional final for the first time as second-year head coach Alfred Rosa has quickly worked the Cardinals to new heights.
Columbus is on a roll, having won 14 games in a row. Over that span, it has outscored opponents, 123-34.
This series is a matchup of District 25-3A rivals. Hallettsville not only handed Columbus its last loss on March 28, but it swept the twogame district season series against the Cardinals by a combined score of 28-5.
Columbus is hoping the third time is its charm.
The Cardinals are a young team with only one senior. It is a junior-heavy roster with nine.
Columbus got stellar pitching from senior Karlee Mathis, junior Mia Post and freshman Allie Cranek during last week’s regional semifinal series sweep of Lyford.
Mathis threw a complete game in a 4-2 Game 1 win, allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out six and walking two in seven innings.
In a 3-0 Game 2 win, Post and Cranek combined for the shutout. Post got the start and went 51⁄3 innings, surrendering five hits and striking out four while walking none. Cranek got the win in relief, allowing two hits and walking none over 12⁄3 innings.
In the series, Mathis led Columbus at the plate with three hits and an RBI. Post and Cranek each had two hits.
Junior Ellie Brown had two RBIs. Mathis, Post, sophomore Kaylea Foster and junior Taylor Morrow also had RBIs.
Hallettsville has won 26 games in a row and is winning by an average margin of 9.9 runs per game.
The Brahmas are seeking their fifth state tournament appearance. They won the title in 2022.
TGCA has Hallettsville ranked No. 2 in Class 6A in this week’s state poll.