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With the 4A and 3A state softball brackets released and teams with championship aspirations raring to go, first round games are set to open this weekend in what should be a highly entertaining few weeks of competitive softball.

In 4A, can Salpointe Catholic make it an unprecedented seven straight state championships, or will Kaitlyn Tso continue to make her way up the all-time career strikeout list and help Coconino unseat the champs?

In 3A, can Empire repeat and claim the program’s fourth overall title as the top seed, or will Sabino, having won the three previous titles, make another ran at glory?

4A SOFTBALL

SALPOINTE CATHOLIC

The Lancers (20-6-1, 5-1 4A Kino) have nine seniors ready to place a fourth ring on their hands but junior starting pitcher Macee Jackson leads the team with 140 strikeouts, good enough for sixth overall in 4A.

Coach Tricia Sztan said the group’s focus is on high energy practices and “this year,” not years past.

“Controlling what we can, which is effort and attitude,” Sztan said. “In pursuit of another championship we need every member of our team, we ask each player to be a superstar in their role, whatever their role may be that day.”

Other players to watch include Molli Daly, Leylani Cuesta and Peyton Green. Sarah Camp behind the plate at catcher is “everything you want in a catcher,” Sztan said.

Salpointe Catholic earned a No. 2 seed and will host No. 15 Douglas on May 3. First pitch set for 11 a.m.

COCONINO

The Panthers (25-4, 12-0 4A Grand Canyon) have won 20 straight games entering the state playoffs this weekend thanks in large part to Tso, who finished with a 23-1 record and a 0.65 ERA. She had 11 shutouts and three no-hitters this spring and racked up 245 strikeouts to give her 1,035 for her career, putting her ninth on the all-time career strikeout leaderboard in Arizona state history.

“They are playing for each other. They are a very talented group and they are competing amongst themselves to push each other,” coach Kimberly Dennis said.

Coconino earned the No. 1 seed overall in this year’s tournament, and are scheduled to host No. 16 Deer Valley on May 3 at 11 a.m.

SAHUARITA

The Mustangs (23-5, 7-1 4A Gila) have three solid pitchers who are effective beginning with Jayd Villa, who has 14 wins this season and sports a 2.39 ERA to go along with her 95 strikeouts. Brenna Figueroa and Miriam Rosas are also in the mix.

“All three have excellent control as we have only allowed 28 walks in 144 innings pitched. None of the three would be a strikeout artist, but they can get a strikeout in critical times,” coach Chris Fanning said.

At the plate, Eliana Romero leads the team with a .571 average, and the state in home runs with 12. She also has 48 RBIs, second to only Taylor Borup’s 50 (Greenway). Her 10 doubles and two triples also lead the team.

No. 5 Sahuarita is set to host No. 13 Crismon on May 3 at 11 a.m.

PARADISE HONORS

The Panthers (18-7, 10-0 4A Skyline) have won 15 straight games and are one of the hottest teams heading into the 4A state championship bracket.

A big reason for their success this year is the two-headed monster leading the pitching staff in Olivia Jimenez Facio and Charlotte Glenn. Jimenez Facio leads the club with an 11-5 record and 2.11 ERA in 76-1/3 innings pitched with 113 strikeouts.

“I think what helps us the most is that we truly have two aces and they compliment each other well,” coach Cristy Waring said.”

The biggest difference between last year and this year’s club, Waring said, was that they are a “year older,” with nine sophomores on the team this spring having started on varsity as freshman a season ago.

“After losing a great core of players two years ago, I knew we had to rebuild and that restarted with a big freshman class last year,” Waring said. “Our junior class is also showing great leadership, and the girls are all starting to see that we can compete, and they are gaining more confidence every day.”

Paradise Honors earned a No. 3 seed and will host No. 14 Poston Butte in their first round game May 3 at 11 a.m.

OTHER 4A SOFTBALL NOTES

Greenway is looking to make some noise in May having not made the playoffs a season ago. The group won 17 games and were in the Top 10 for much of 2025 thanks to pitcher Madison Bailey, who was 9-4 with a 3.75 ERA and 101 strikeouts. They were No. 1 at one point before losing to Paradise Honors. At the time it was their first power point loss of the season. Greenway earned a No. 11 seed and will face No. 6 Flagstaff on May 3, 11 a.m.

3A SOFTBALL

EMPIRE

Defending champ Empire (24-1, 5-1 3A South) is back for more this season after fans saw the Ravens win four straight in the 3A bracket as a No. 7 seed, defeating Crismon (18-0), Bourgade Catholic (3-2), Tanque Verde (6-0) and Valley Christian (10-6) in the title game.

The won 17 straight to end 2024, then won 22 in a row to begin 2025 before a pesky Tanque Verde club beat them for the first time in 39 games on April 21, 5-1. They were the top-ranked team in 3A for much of the spring.

Senior Angelina Dehler leads the group with a .603 average, five homers, 10 doubles, two triples and 36 RBIs, good enough for Top 15 in state.

Eva Peace (.424/3 HR/33 RBI) and Kapri Tiggas (.508/6 HR/29 RBI) are also forces to be reckoned with, especially Tiggas who is only a freshman.

“They not only have the stats to back it up, but they have been clutch in several key moments during the season,” coach Shannon Woolridge said.

In the circle, senior Kendall Freidinger is 17-1 with a 1.48 ERA and 222 strikeouts this season, tops in 3A. She has 59 wins in her career.

No. 1-seeded Empire hosts No. 16 Safford at 11 a.m. May 3.

YUMA CATHOLIC

The Shamrocks’ season came to a disappointing end a year ago, losing to No. 1-seeded Valley Christian in the 3A state semifinals. But Yuma Catholic (22-4, 10-0 3A West) has won eight straight entering the weekend’s opening playoff games and their hoping to make some noise and potentially unseat Empire.

If they are to go far, Cherish Trujillo will likely lead the way. The starting pitcher sports a 0.90 ERA this season in 120-1/3 innings pitched with 100 strikeouts and a 20-2 overall record.

“Cherish is a special young lady. In addition to being first team all-state last year, she’s also our National Honor Society president,” coach Jarred Lackey said. “She makes up for a lack of physical stature with strong character and a tenacious personality.”

Trujillo is tops in 3A in both ERA and wins this season.

Yuma Catholic is the No. 3 seed and will host No. 14 Payson at 11 a.m. May 3.

SABINO

Having won three straight state championships from 2021-2023, the Sabercats took a step back in 2024, losing first round to Yuma Catholic (8-1).

This spring, Sabino (16-11, 5-1 3A South) has won five straight heading into the playoffs and were Top 10 much of the season thanks to contributions all over the lineup, especially Avery Nielson, who led the state in home runs (12) and was second overall with 50 RBIs. The senior also had nine doubles, five triples and scored 40 runs.

“This young lady is a competitor in every sense of the word. Whether she’s in the circle racking up strikeouts or at the plate driving in runs, she finds a way to make an impact every time she’s on the field,” coach Vanessa Arandules said.

The senior also led the team with a 2.18 ERA and a 10-5 record in the circle this season, striking out 188 batters to finish third overall behind only Freidlinger (Empire, 222) and Kinsey Murphy (191) of Chino Valley.

No. 8 Sabino will host No. 9 Northwest Christian at 11 a.m. May 3.

VALLEY CHRISTIAN

The Trojans (24-3-1, 9-0 3A Central) have won 12 of their last 13 heading into this weekend’s state-opening games. The group earned a No. 1 overall seed in last year’s tournament, only to lose to Empire in the championship game.

This year, however, Valley Christian has only one senior, so the young bloods will need to do much of the heavy lifting if the team is to advance far in May.

“They have put a lot of work into their task, for sure,” coach Michael Fraley said.

Abrielle Jarles is hitting .368 and leads the team with eight home runs. Makay Fraley leads the team with a .551 average, nine doubles and 37 RBIs. She’s also 8-0 with a 2.05 ERA in the circle with 102 strikeouts.

“We are very very young with only one senior, but also are the beneficiaries of three great transfers who wanted to play in a better high school environment,” Michael Fraley said.

Valley Christian is No. 6, and will host No. 11 Page on May 3, 11 a.m.

OTHER 3A SOFTBALL NOTES

There are five teams with only one power point loss this season (Empire/Yuma Catholic/Bourgade Catholic/Show Low/Tanque Verde). … On April 21, Tanque Verde, with only one senior on the roster, ended Empire’s 39-game winning streak with a 5-1 win. … Kinsey Unger of Northwest Christian leads all 3A batters with a .792 average and runs scored (63). … Show Low’s Addisyn Clark leads all of 3A with 53 RBIs.

Brian M. Bergner Jr. has covered professional, collegiate and high school sports for more than 20 years. Follow him on X at @AzPreps365Brian or on Facebook at @Five2MediaWorks. Have a story idea? Email Brian at bbergner@azpreps365.com.