Seeding oddities aside, the Class 5A regional softball tournaments look to be very competitive in 2012.
A new format where teams were seeded based on points on the MaxPreps website created some strange pairings among the eight four-team regionals set for Oct. 13, but three Aurora teams are included in the fight to make the state tournament.
Centennial League champion Eaglecrest, plus Aurora’s two 5A state qualifiers from last season — Cherokee Trail and Grandview — easily made the 32-team regional field and feel good about their chances of snaring one of the 16 berths available for the 5A state tournament Oct. 19-20 at the Aurora Sports Park.
It will take two victories at regionals to make state.
Eaglecrest won the Centennial League championship with a 13-1 league mark and garnered the No. 12 overall seed with a 16-3 record.
Yvette Hendrian led Rangeview to regionals last season, but faces a different situation in her first year since taking over the coaching job at Eaglecrest.
The Raptors have more than lived up to her hopes, despite fielding a very young lineup overall, and carry an 11-game winning streak into the postseason. In the season finale, Eaglecrest rallied from a 6-1 deficit in the sixth inning against Grandview to win 14-6 and secure the league title.
Hendrian’s team is in Region 3 play at the Youth Memorial Complex in Arvada, where it will take on No. 21 Fort Collins (12-7) in its opener. The winner faces either No. 5 Arvada West (16-3) or No. 28 Brighton (14-4).
Cherokee Trail finished second in the league standings and Grandview third, but the Wolves ended up seeded higher in the postseason — No. 15 for Grandview to No. 17 for Cherokee Trail — despite identical 14-5 records.
Dave Thies will take it in his first season as Grandview coach and will try to lead the program to the state tournament for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
Despite the heartbreaking loss to Eaglecrest in the regular season finale, Thies believes his team — which includes a number of state tournament veterans such as senior Shy Calicchia and junior Kelsey Biaggi — is ready for the stakes to rise.
“Our attitude is totally different in practice; they know there’s a lot on the line this week,” said Thies, who is having his new team scrimmage his old team — 4A powerhouse Wheat Ridge — to prepare.
Grandview is in Region 8 at Columbine H.S. with an opening game against No. 18 Horizon (11-8). The winner faces either No. 2 Dakota Ridge (17-2) or No. 31 Northglenn (9-9).
Cherokee Trail coach Dick Hormann wasn’t sure how his team ended up with a seed behind Grandview, but he still feels good about the Cougars chances in Region 1 at Broomfield Industrial Park — despite the presence of five-time state champion Legacy.
Hormann’s team has made the postseason in all nine seasons since its started varsity softball.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
CLASS 5A REGIONAL SOFTBALL TOURNAMENTS (OCT. 13)
Region 1 (at Broomfield Industrial Park)
Game 1: No. 32 Westminster (12-7) vs. No. 1 Legacy (15-2-2), 10 a.m.; Game 2: No. 17 CHEROKEE TRAIL (14-5) vs. No. 16 ThunderRidge (12-7), 10 a.m.; Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:15 p.m.; Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (winner qualifies for state tournament), 12:15 p.m.; Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:30 p.m. (winner qualifies for state tournament)
Region 2 (at Mountain Vista High School)
Game 1: No. 25 Poudre (8-10) vs. No. 8 Mountain Vista (13-6), 10 a.m.; Game 2: No. 24 Fountain-Fort Carson (10-8) vs. No. 9 Castle View (14-5), 10 a.m.; Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:15 p.m.; Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (winner qualifies for state tournament), 12:15 p.m.; Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:30 p.m. (winner qualifies for state tournament)
Region 3 (at Youth Memorial)
Game 1: No. 28 Brighton (14-4) vs. No. 5 Arvada West (16-3), 10 a.m.; Game 2: No. 21 Fort Collins (12-7) vs. No. 12 EAGLECREST (16-3), 10 a.m.; Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:15 p.m.; Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (winner qualifies for state tournament), 12:15 p.m.; Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:30 p.m. (winner qualifies for state tournament)
Region 4 (at Barnes Softball Complex, Loveland)
Game 1: No. 29 Cherry Creek (11-8) vs. No. 4 Loveland (16-2), 10 a.m.; Game 2: No. 20 Mountain Range (12-7) vs. No. 13 Ralston Valley (10-8), 10 a.m.; Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:15 p.m.; Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (winner qualifies for state tournament), 12:15 p.m.; Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:30 p.m. (winner qualifies for state tournament)
Region 5 (at Youth Memorial)
Game 1: No. 30 Denver East (10-9) at No. 3 Chatfield (13-5); Game 2: Standley Lake (9-9) at No. 14 Grand Junction (16-3), 10 a.m.; Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:15 p.m.; Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (winner qualifies for state tournament), 12:15 p.m.; Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:30 p.m. (winner qualifies for state tournament)
Region 6 (at Metzler Park)
Game 1: No. 27 Pine Creek (16-3) vs. No. 6 Rock Canyon (15-4), 10 a.m.; Game 2: No. 22 Legend (7-10) vs. No. 11 Fruita (14-5), 10 a.m.; Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:15 p.m.; Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (winner qualifies for state tournament), 12:15 p.m.; Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:30 p.m. (winner qualifies for state tournament)
Region 7 (at Triple Crown Sports Complex)
Game 1: No. 26 Chaparral (8-11) vs. No. 7 Fossil Ridge (17-2), 10 a.m.; Game 2: No. 23 Pomona (7-12) vs. No. 10 Douglas County (14-5), 10 a.m.; Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:15 p.m.; Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (winner qualifies for state tournament), 12:15 p.m.; Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:30 p.m. (winner qualifies for state tournament)
Region 8 (at Columbine H.S.)
Game 1: No. 31 Northglenn (9-9) vs. No. 2 Dakota Ridge (17-2), 10 a.m.; Game 2: No. 18 Horizon (11-8) vs. NO. 15 GRANDVIEW (14-5), 10 a.m.; Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 12:15 p.m.; Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 (winner qualifies for state tournament), 12:15 p.m.; Game 5: Loser Game 4 vs. Winner Game 3, 2:30 p.m. (winner qualifies for state tournament)