The Troy Lady Trojans opened up the 2025 State B/C Softball tournament with Manhattan, and it didn’t go great: A 15-0 loss.

A year later the Lady Trojans, with everyone back from the 19-9 team, is back at State, played this year at Stewart Park in Billings. Waiting for them once again are the Manhattan Tigers at 2 p.m. today. 

“Same situation,” Troy coach Keith Haggerty said. “We didn’t put up a great fight against them. They’re a good team. I think they’re probably the No. 2 team. The only team that gave them much problem was Shepherd, and they’ve taken care of everybody else.” 

Manhattan is 16-6, Troy 14-10 (the defending champion Shepherd Fillies are 21-0). The Lady Trojans returned the likes of Kirsti Jellesed and Halle Wallace but also lost Kylie Cole to an injury suffered during basketball. Three of their losses came to Florence, though one was a 10-8 verdict in which they hit home runs. 

They lost twice to both Mission-Arlee-Charlo and Ennis during the regular season, then beat both at last week’s Western Divisional. 

“The kids were just playing a little closer to their potential,” Haggerty said. “They still have more to put out there. It just comes down to if it happens or not. 

“If we can play well against (Florence), we can play against anybody in the state. That’s how we look at it.”