BELGRADE — Will it be more of the same, or will a new champion be crowned?
Defending Class A state softball champion Frenchtown is hoping to go back-to-back and add to its loaded trophy case at this year’s state tournament. The 2022 runner-up, Billings Central, is hungry for vengeance.
Neither team is a top seed at the state tourney. That distinction goes to a couple of teams that are searching for their first titles in program history.
Here is an overview of the 2023 Class A high school softball state tournament this weekend at the Belgrade Softball Complex:
2022 state trophies: Frenchtown (champion), Billings Central (runner-up), Polson (third place).
Who’s back: Billings Central (16-1), Columbia Falls (21-3), Corvallis (10-12), Frenchtown (20-3), Hamilton (16-8), Havre (19-4), Laurel (12-5), Lewistown (13-9), Livingston (14-10), Polson (16-7).
Who’s new: Hardin (12-7), Libby (13-11).
Leading off: Frenchtown is tied with Florence-Carlton for the most state softball titles in Montana history; both earned their 12th last year. The Broncs have looked strong again this season but graduated nine seniors from last year’s roster and left last week’s Western A Divisional tournament with the third seed. They will start their title defense at 1 p.m. Thursday against Livingston, the East’s No. 6 seed. A win there would set up a second-round matchup between Frenchtown and Billings Central, which the Broncs beat 7-4 last May for their first state title since 2016. The last time a team other than Frenchtown, Polson or Belgrade (now in Class AA) has won a State A title was 2008, when Libby topped Frenchtown.
In the circle: Havre and Columbia Falls are the tournament’s No. 1 seeds, and neither has ever reached a state softball title game. With a chance to end that drought last season, Havre lost to Frenchtown 15-1 in the quarterfinals and ended its season with a 12-4 loss to Polson. The Blue Ponies, who entered last year’s state tournament with a 14-7-1 record, earned the Eastern A’s top seed with a 3-2 divisional title win over Billings Central last week. Two of the Ponies’ four losses this season came against Frenchtown, but one was close (5-3), and they played Polson tough (12-9). They’ll get a first-round bye, and if they can win their quarterfinal game over Lewistown or Libby, there’s a good chance they'll face Polson in the semifinals. Columbia Falls, led by Nicholls State signee Sydney Mann, beat Polson 11-7 last week for the Western A Divisional title and their second win over the Pirates this season. The Wildkats ended their 2022 season with a 7-2 loser-takes-fourth loss to Polson, which is on the other side of the bracket from Columbia Falls this week.
Around the bases: Billings Central entered last season’s state tourney with a 19-0-1 record, and it was a one-run loss away from entering this one undefeated too. The Rams reached their first state title game since 2003 and came close to winning their first since 1995. After graduating just four seniors from last year’s near-drought ender, Central has the talent and experience to earn its third state title in program history. The Rams will either face Frenchtown or Livingston in the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. Thursday.