While the rest of Western AA’s softball teams were scrapping their way through last week’s playoff series’, top-seeded Glacier was going through a routine week of practice, scouting potential opponents and waiting to see who would join it at the state tournament in Great Falls.

Those were the spoils of winning the conference title.

Glacier (14-5 overall, 10-2 Western AA) locked up its state tournament berth seven days before its regular-season finale and spent the past week simply trying to stay sharp, which included simulating game situations in practice and plenty of live pitching.

“I don’t really have any concerns coming off the break,” Glacier coach Andy Fors said. “It definitely is a long stretch without a game, but I think the girls were really prepared for that.

“We kind of changed it up in practice so it wasn’t just business as usual. They attacked that break and saw it not just as a long stretch between games but an opportunity to improve.”

Fors and two other members of his coaching staff headed down to Butte to watch the Bulldogs’ playoff series with Billings Senior, and Glacier hopes that trip will pay off when the Wolfpack play Butte in the first round of the state tournament today.

“I feel that we match up with them very well,” Fors said. “They have a solid pitcher, she does a nice job, but I think our offense will be ready to step up one through nine.

“After seeing that game, it’s just a glimpse of what they do, but I feel like we’re a little more prepared than we were otherwise.”

Butte pitcher Jessica Robertson held Billings Senior to two runs in game one and six runs in game two of the playoff series, but she’ll be up against a more potent lineup when she steps in the circle against the Wolfpack.

Glacier is batting .386 as a team and has swatted 27 home runs. Freshman Ali Williams leads the offense with a .590 average and nine home runs. Senior Jena Willis is another power source with a .394 average and eight home runs. Sophomore Kayleena Ikeda and junior Hannah Atlee are also big bats with .493 and .436 batting averages, respectively.

Glacier alternated Williams (6-5, 3.27) and Willis (7-0, 2.96) in the circle during the season, and either is an option to start the opener against Butte, but Fors said he’s leaning toward the more experienced Willis.

“We are not positive yet, but we would probably pitch Willis in that first game,” Fors said. “It will depend on Thursday morning preparation.”

If Glacier gets past Butte, it will play the winner between Billings West and Helena Capital in the second round of the double-elimination tournament.

The other half of the bracket includes defending state champion Great Falls C.M. Russell, the top seed from the Eastern AA conference.