What we’ve learned at midseason of IHSAA high school softball season

EVANSVILLE — Ready or not, the stretch run of the high school softball season has arrived.

We've played over a month of games with roughly the same timeline remaining when considering the upcoming state tournament. A team from Southwestern Indiana has played for a state championship in the past four completed seasons (not counting 2020). The streak could continue this June at Purdue University.

More: Here are the IHSAA softball sectional pairings for Southwestern Indiana

So now is a good time to take note of what we've learned this spring. My thoughts on the top teams, Southern Indiana Athletic Conference and Pocket Athletic Conference title races and more:

Who have been the best teams?

Castle (22-5): The lineup is one of the best around with a mix of power (program record 39 home runs) and consistent on-base prowess. That's been known since the first week of April. What could be the difference is the pitchers giving the Knights seven strong innings.

Gibson Southern (19-4): All this program does is reload. A new No. 1 pitcher and multiple freshmen in the lineup? No problem. An offense averaging 10 runs? Solid. The Titans have been the class of another good year for the Pocket Athletic Conference.

North Posey (12-5): There was a big piece of the puzzle to replace from last season . The Vikings have still been a top-10 team with an experienced lineup and a solid pitcher. This week will show how far this group has progressed with games against Tecumseh and Gibson Southern.

Tecumseh (13-9): Ignore the record. Not many, regardless of class, play the Braves' schedule. Tecumseh has proven it can hit and senior pitcher Natalie Feather will be an important player moving forward. Put the pieces together at the end of the month and watch out, Class 1A.

Who's next: Heritage Hills (14-6), Southridge (12-4), Mater Dei (10-7)

Who are the biggest surprises?

Boonville (11-6): The Pioneers have already matched last year's win total. They're improving every week, which coincides with more experience and innings for their two pitchers. Boonville could make its postseason opener against Gibson Southern more interesting than many anticipate.

Reitz (11-9): Not sure what the expectations were with a young lineup, but the Panthers already have double digit victories. They're also proven to be a top team in the SIAC. Everyone should keep an eye on the West Side.

Southridge (12-4): The Raiders' last winning season was 2019. That should change this spring after nearly matching last year's win total with two weeks until the sectional. Southridge is beating teams it should with a high note against Heritage Hills on April 26.

Jasper (10-10): This is based more on recent play than preseason expectations . Jasper was 5-9 last weekend after five losses in six games. All Jasper did was win five times last week, including victories over Barr-Reeve and North Posey. Turning the corner at the right time?

More: Elise Lampert has leukemia. The Jasper pitcher refused to let it take away softball

A watch list for the top players

The same stipulations apply as the baseball list . A lot of games left to be played to truly separate the true frontrunners. Others could join or drop. A few strong candidates have emerged throughout the Metro and Southwestern Indiana area.

• Emma Bruggenschmidt, Castle: The sophomore is batting .484 with seven home runs, nine doubles and 35 RBIs.
• Callie Dickerson, Gibson Southern: The senior is batting .530 with seven home runs, six doubles and 32 RBIs.
• Jenna Donohoo, Tecumseh: The senior is unofficially batting .473 with six home runs, eight doubles and 34 RBIs.
• Karlye Graber, Barr-Reeve: The senior unofficially has a 1.19 earned run average with 74 strikeouts in 41 innings.
• Sibyl Renshaw, North Posey: The senior is batting .509 with 14 extra-base hits (10 doubles) and 16 RBIs.
• Hannah West, Mount Vernon: The senior is batting .403 with eight home runs, eight doubles and 23 RBIs.
• Sadie Winsett, Castle: The junior is batting .407 with seven home runs, 11 doubles and 32 RBIs, plus a 2.16 earned run average with 56 strikeouts.
• Olivia Young, Jasper: The junior is batting .517 with four home runs, six doubles and 31 RBIs.

Who can win SIAC and PAC conference titles?

Castle (7-0) is the obvious favorite in the SIAC. It's unbeaten with games remaining against Harrison and North. One victory clinches at least a share of its third straight title. Reitz (5-1) is one game back in the loss column but needs a Castle loss and its remaining schedule includes Mater Dei (5-2) and Memorial (4-2).

Key upcoming games: North at Castle (Thursday), Memorial at Reitz (Thursday), Mater Dei at Reitz (May 14).

Gibson Southern (8-0) is the top choice in the PAC considering its remaining schedule and body of work. The Titans already beat contenders Tecumseh (5-1) and Heritage Hills (6-3). The other threat is North Posey (5-1) which, as explained above, could shake up the standings with a big week.

Key upcoming games: Tecumseh at North Posey (Wednesday), Southridge at Tecumseh (Thursday), North Posey at Gibson Southern (Friday).

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: What we’ve learned at midseason of IHSAA high school softball season