Team of the Decade tourney begins this week

The field is set.

The 16-team Softball Team of the Decade bracket is ready to go, with a pair of State Champions set atop the field.

Souderton Area, the 2014 4A State Champ, is seeded first, and Hatboro-Horsham, the 2011 4A Champ, is on the other half of the bracket, poised to go at No. 2.

The Softball Team of the Decade Tournament is brought to you by The Reporter, Times Herald and Montgomery Media.

It is also available online at papreplive.com.

Polls to vote on each of the tournament matchups will be posted on Twitter @ReporterSports.

Top-seeded Big Red will take on No. 16 Springfield Montco of 2018 in the first round while the Hatters meet No. 15 North Penn of 2018 in the opening matchup.

North Penn and HatboroHorsham each have three entries in the tournament while Souderton, Lansdale

Catholic, Dock and SpringFord each have two.

Springfield Montco and St. Basil each have one team in the bracket.

The Knights had quite a decade on the diamond.

The 2013 team, seeded third in the tourney, caught fire in the postseason that year.

The Knights made it all the way to the District One semifinals, losing to Neshaminy.

North Penn then went on a tear in states, beating Northhampton 1-0 and Central Bucks East 11-1 before falling to Neshaminy in the semifinals, 3-2.

Jackie Bilotti led the way for NP on the mound, with center fielder Erin Maher and first baseman Vicky Tumasz also making key contributions.

It’s a crosstown battle in the first round, as the Knights take on No. 14 Lansdale Catholic of 2011.

Erelle Sowers pitched Souderton to a state title in 2014, and Big Red will again try to make it through a tough field to capture all the glory.

No. 9 St. Basil of 2015 takes on No. 8 Dock of 2011 in a first-round battle, while No. 5 Hatboro-Horsham of 2010 meets No. 12 Souderton Area of 2011.

Filling out the top half of the bracket, No. 4 SpringFord of 2019 takes on No. 13 Hatboro-Horsham of 2012.

Another crosstown battle takes place in the No. 7-10 matchup, as Lansdale Catholic of 2014 meets Dock of 2010.

No. 6 Spring-Ford of 2017 will go at it in the first round against No. 11 North Penn of 2019.

That Knights team finished 22-3, captured the

SOL Continental title for the third year in a row, and reached the District 1-3A Final.

Mady Volpe racked up 266 strikeouts for the Knights that spring.

MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE PHOTO The Souderton Area High School Softball team celebrate their 8-3victory over Lower Dauphin for the PIAA 4A State Championship at Penn State on Friday June 13,2014.