State high school softball tournaments returned to the Boise area a couple weekends ago for the first time in more than a decade, to mostly rave reviews for the two-day events.

Mostly.

The state 5A and 4A tourneys were at Skyview Softball Complex in Nampa, and the state 3A and 2A tourneys were at the West Park Softball Complex in Nampa.

On the first day, all four 4A games were played at the same time, followed by all four 5A games. Same with the 3As and 2As.

"They did a great job; it was nice," coach Mike Menti of 3A Timberlake said of the 3A/2A setup. "I'm not sure I like the format; I didn't like all teams playing at the same time, because I couldn't scout - normally teams play right before, or right after.

"But it was a cool experience for the girls," he added. "Nice ballpark, and a well-run tournament. It was like an old Quad Park (in Post Falls), where you were dodging foul balls."

AT SKYVIEW, meanwhile, Coeur d'Alene High coach Larry Bieber coached a Viking team at state for the 18th time in his 20 seasons at coach.

"I didn't like the 4A and 5A playing on the same field and one right after the other," said Bieber, calling it "confusing."

"But, I talked to some other people who said they liked being able to see (both 4A and 5A tourneys). The fans really enjoyed it."

Coeur d'Alene's marathon day on Saturday, where the Vikings played four games in a row with no rest in between en route to finishing second after losing in the if-necessary title game, probably would have been the same at a site with just two fields.

However, under the old three-day format, where each team played once on Thursday, the Vikings likely would have been required to play just three games on Saturday. In 1998, when the Vikings lost their state opener, then won six straight to take the state title, they won three games on Friday, then three more on Saturday.

"And that's the way it goes when you do it in two days," Bieber said, "and they say it saves a bunch of money."

IF THE Boise area wants to be part of the state softball rotation, fine - just as long as state softball returns to North Idaho at least every other year, as it has in recent years.

The 5A and 4A tournaments are scheduled to be in Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls in 2015 and 2017.

The state 3A tourney is slated for Coeur d'Alene in 2015, and the 2As are set for Orofino in '15 and '17.

State is tentatively scheduled for Idaho Falls (5A), Twin Falls (4A), Pocatello (3A) and Blackfoot (2A) in 2016, and the state tourneys are tentatively scheduled for eastern Idaho in 2018.

Menti recalled state being in the Boise area his first season at Timberlake (2000). Since then, it has been North Idaho every other year, and in either the Twin Falls area or eastern Idaho on the alternate years.

"This is the first year we've had to travel back to back," said Menti, whose Tigers traveled to Buhl last year for state. Timberlake has played at state every year since 2000.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.