4 things to know before the IHSA high school softball playoffs in the Peoria area

High school softball, unfortunately, is coming to an end.

The Class 1A and 2A Illinois High School Association postseason opened Monday with regional play, concluding on Friday with title games. Class 3A and 4A wrap up their regular season this week and head to their regional sites on May 20.

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Here are four things we learned about Peoria-area softball before the 2024 postseason begins.

Mid-Illini Conference dominance

The Mid-Illini Conference continues to be arguably the best league statewide in Class 3A. Since the four-class split in 2008, the Mid-Illini has three state champions (Limestone, Metamora and Washington), two state runner-ups (Washington, East Peoria) and nine Elite Eight appearances. Right now, East Peoria, Metamora and Dunlap are battling for footing in the M-I. East Peoria has to finish a tied game with Dunlap on Monday followed by Tuesday's meeting with Metamora in the de facto Mid-Illini title game. There's a good chance the Class 3A Washington Sectional could be an all-Mid-Illini field.

Illini Bluffs on the prowl

The Tigers are the premiere Class 1A program in the state. IB has been in four successive state championship games, winning back-to-back crowns in 2021 and 2022. Coach Lindsey Lox has the Tigers right back in contention for another deep tournament run. As of Wednesday, Illini Bluffs is undefeated, posting a 19-0 record and posting a plus-152 scoring differential. Sara Finn is boasting a team-best .593 batting average for a squad hitting .381. She has eight home runs and 27 RBIs. Illinois State recruit Lexi Brinkman is a huge asset in the lineup as well, hitting .467 with 10 homers and 39 RBIs. Pitcher Cora Ellison has been superb in the circling, striking out 100 batters and posting a 1.56 ERA in 76.1 innings.

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Loaded Class 2A sectional hosted by PND

Reigning Class 1A state champion St. Bede is playing in Class 2A, meaning a new 1A champion will be crowned. But the Bruins have been placed into one heck of a sectional complex. Peoria Notre Dame's home — the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex — will host this gauntlet to the Elite Eight. Three-time reigning Class 2A state champion Taylor Ridge Rockridge hosts it own regional with Brimfield/Elmwood also there. Sherrard is the second seed and Knoxville is No. 3 in the bottom of the sub-sectional. St. Bede, Illinois Valley Central, Farmington and Midwest Central/Illini Central are the top four seeds in the top half of the sub-sectional. Buckle up for a potential sectional title meeting between the 2023 Class 1A and Class 2A state champs St. Bede and Rockridge.

Plenty of local sites hosting postseason softball

High-level softball will be on display all across the Peoria area over the next few weeks. Illini Bluffs is hosting a Class 1A sectional, while IVC (regional), Louisville Slugger Sports Complex (sectional) and EastSide Centre (supersectional) are all hosts in Class 2A. EastSide Centre will also host a Class 3A regional and super with Metamora and Dunlap each hosting regionals. Those regionals feed into the Washington Sectional. And of course, Louisville Slugger hosts the state finals on the weekends of May 31-June 1 (1A & 2A) and June 7-8 (3A & 4A).

IHSA baseball: 4 things to know before the IHSA high school baseball playoffs in the Peoria area

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 4 things to know before the IHSA high school softball playoffs in the Peoria area