STATE HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL TOURNAMENTS: Weather could be a factor once again

Due to rain in 2016, the state 6A softball tournament started at Bonneville High in Idaho Falls, moved to Blackfoot High, then finished at Mountain View High in Meridian. 

In 2017, with the tournament up north again, rain forced the tournament to be concluded on a Sunday afternoon at Coeur d’Alene. 

Weather could be a factor again this weekend as tournaments in the 6A, 5A and 3A classifications are held in the area starting today. 

Lake City (17-5), seeded third in the 6A tournament, opens today at 3 p.m. against sixth-seeded Thunder Ridge (14-13-1) at Coeur d’Alene High at 3 p.m. 

Lakeland (21-5), seeded sixth in the 5A tournament at Post Falls High, faces third-seeded Blackfoot (17-9) at 3 p.m. 

At Timberlake High in Spirit Lake, sixth-seeded Kellogg (16-4) faces third-seeded Malad (21-4) at 3 p.m. in an opening round game. 

As for the expected weather, the Idaho High School Activities Association has a plan in place, should the rain be too much to handle. 

“We are crossing our fingers that the fields can hold a little bit of water,” IHSSA softball director Julie Hammons said. “We do have one field in Worley (at the turf fields at the Marimn Health Coeur Center) as a backup.” 

If tournaments are unable to be played in the scheduled format, games could be shorted to five innings until the tournament can resume normally. Most recently, organizers have had to cancel consolation round games completely.

Hammons added that the 3A tournament could be moved to Sandpoint, depending on conditions. 

6A 

At Coeur d’Alene and Lake City High

Defending champion: Owyhee. 

NOTES: Owyhee is the top-seed (24-2) and faces eighth-seeded Rocky Mountain (15-13) at 3 p.m. today at Lake City High ... The Storm have won six straight games and have advance to the title game in each of the last three years, winning in 2023 and 2025 ... The winner of the Lake City-Thunder Ridge game will face either No. 2 Eagle (20-6-1) or No. 7 Capital (16-9) in the second round at Coeur d’Alene High. Mountain View (15-8), the fifth seed, beat Coeur d’Alene in a state play-in game last Saturday in McCall ... The Mavericks of Meridian face fourth-seeded Highland (21-5-1) in the other opener.  

5A 

At Post Falls High

Defending champion: Bishop Kelly. 

NOTES: Middleton (22-5), the tournament’s top seed, lost in its opener at state last year to Lewiston, but finished 2-2 ... Lakeland (21-5) went 2-2 in 2022, also at Post Falls High ... The Hawks have scored 284 runs this season and allowed 127 ... The Knights of Boise failed to qualify for state ... Third-seeded Blackfoot (17-9), which opens with Lakeland, has won six straight games. 

4A 

At Filer High

Defending champions: Cole Valley Christian. 

NOTES: The defending champion Chargers (21-5) are seeded second, and open with seventh-seeded Fruitland (16-11) ... The Grizzlies beat Timberlake last week in a state play-in game in Moscow ... Timberlake had qualified for the past 25 state tournaments dating back to 1999 ... Top-seeded Kimberly (24-3), last year’s runner-up, opens with eighth-seeded Marsh Valley (8-18-1) ... Kimberly won the 2023 title. 

3A 

At Lakeland and Timberlake High

Defending champions: Nampa Christian. 

NOTES: The Wildcats (16-4) are at state for the first time since qualifying for the 2022 3A tournament ... Top-seeded Nampa Christian (19-0) opens with eighth-seeded Firth (10-15) today at 3 p.m. at Lakeland High ... Fourth-seeded Orofino (18-3), the District 1-2 runner-up, faces fifth-seeded Wendell (21-6) at 5:15 at Lakeland ... Parma (21-3), the tournament’s second seed, is seeking its first title since 2003.