Who’s ready for postseason softball? This year’s tournament games might be some of the best we’ve had. Teams will be put to the ultimate test as the trophy season begins. Here’s a look at all the CSAA teams and their respective district bracket assignments:

 

District 36 (Shepherd)

It’s not too common to see two district champions from a year ago squaring off in the opening round, but here we are. The battle of birds could easily net over 15 runs and even push towards 20 to decide a winner. The Cardinals or Falcons will advance to face Swan Valley, a very competitive team that has split Freeland and Alma already this year. Don’t forget Shepherd either, as the Blue Jays like to get out ahead early with an aggressive play style. Fans of high-flying plays will be thrilled to watch this tournament unfold.

 

Quarterfinals
Big Rapids (29-4) vs. Freeland (17-18) – Shepherd HS Softball Diamond, May 28, 5:00 P.M.

 

Semifinals
Saginaw Swan Valley (17-12) vs Big Rapids/Freeland Winner – Shepherd HS Softball Diamond, June 1, 2:00 P.M.
Alma (9-17) vs. Shepherd (26-11-1) – Shepherd HS Softball Diamond, June 1, 12:00 P.M.

 

Finals
Semifinal Winners – Shepherd HS Softball Diamond, June 1, 4:30 P.M.

 

District 38 (Newaygo)

If there’s a year for a team to win at home, it’s 2024 for Newaygo. A prime opportunity for Lions awaits thanks to a noticeable step up from last spring. They will face the Vikings first, a team they won handily against a few weeks ago, and then await an intriguing contest between Sparta and Fremont. This battle of 16-win clubs will be the first matchup between the two in ten years. The winning team will have to carry good defensive play for the best chance to take the trophy on the bus.

 

Quarterfinals
None

 

Semifinals
Howard City Tri-County (0-17) vs Newaygo (25-8) – Newaygo High School Softball Field, June 1, 10:00 A.M.
Sparta (16-19) vs. Fremont (16-15) – Newaygo High School Softball Field, June 1, 12:00 P.M.

 

Finals
Semifinal Winners – Newaygo High School Softball Field, June 1, 2:00 P.M.

 

District 72 (Remus Chippewa Hills)

Chippewa Hills is hoping for three more games at home this week, starting with a rematch against Morley Stanwood. The Warriors and Mohawks split a pair on May 17 with 40 combined runs in the contests. Lakeview will patiently wait for the winner, hoping to make some noise after a tough regular season. Whoever makes it to the championship out of these three teams will have their hands full, as they will face the winner of arguably one of the biggest games in Osceola County history between Reed City and Evart. It’s obvious the winner that game is the favorite in the title game, so expect a big community crowd in Chippewa Hills watching some primetime softball. 

 

Quarterfinals
Remus Chippewa Hills (10-20) vs. Morley Stanwood (12-18) – Chippewa Hills High School, May 28, 5:00 P.M.

 

Semifinals
Lakeview (3-25) vs Remus Chippewa Hills/Morley Stanwood Winner – Chippewa Hills High School, June 1, 10:00 A.M.
Evart (28-4) vs. Reed City (27-6) – Chippewa Hills High School, June 1, 12:00 P.M.

 

Finals
Semifinal Winners – Chippewa Hills High School, June 1, 2:00 P.M.

 

District 73 (Montague)

The Wildcats are one of the few teams in the state with hosting duties on both the softball and baseball diamonds. This can be a big advantage for Montague, who enters the tournament 0-6 against recent CSAA squads. They will await the winner of Kent City and Grant, who will square off in their third matchup of the year. The Eagles won both at Grant earlier this year, so expect the Tigers to be ready for this rematch following a three-game losing skid that snapped a seven-game winning streak. All this tees up one team for a date with a 20-win squad that knows how pitch very well in Ravenna or North Muskegon. 

 

Quarterfinals
Kent City (17-16) vs. Grant (16-16) – Montague HS Softball Field, May 28, 5:00 P.M.

 

Semifinals
Montague (11-13) vs Kent City/Grant Winner – Montague HS Softball Field, June 1, 10:00 A.M.
North Muskegon (21-13) vs. Ravenna (27-8) – Montague HS Softball Field, June 1, 12:30 P.M.

 

Finals
Semifinal Winners – Montague HS Softball Field, June 1, 3:00 P.M.

 

District 95 (Midland Bullock Creek)

Although I can’t pick favorites, this is arguably the most evenly competitive district in the area. All five teams vary in records by only four games, which is something I haven’t seen during my time covering high school sports. If you break down common contests, you’ll see the host Lancers as the projected top team amongst the five. While there are plenty of analytics that might decipher who the top team is on paper, more times than not the team that captures momentum the most will be victorious. This seems to be prime, old-adage insight ahead of District 95.

 

Quarterfinals
Ithaca (22-10) vs. St. Louis (17-14) – Bullock Creek HS Softball Field, May 28, 4:00 P.M.

 

Semifinals
Midland Bullock Creek (19-9) vs Ithaca/St. Louis Winner – Bullock Creek HS Softball Field, 12:30 P.M.
Central Montcalm (20-14) vs. Hemlock (21-15) – Bullock Creek HS Softball Field, June 1, 2:30 P.M.

 

Finals
Semifinal Winners – Bullock Creek HS Softball Field, June 1, 4:30 P.M.

 

District 108 (Marion)

As the defending district champions, Holton looks for another title following their sixth straight 20-win season excluding the 2020 COVID season. The Red Devils play with fantastic fundamentals and great playmaking. They will await the upset-minded host Marion in the semis. Pentwater will look to erase the two losses to Mason County Eastern early this year to reach the semis. White Cloud will await the winner in their first game back in Division 4 since 2022.  

 

Quarterfinals
Pentwater (4-8) vs. Mason County Eastern (7-14) – Marion HS Athletic Complex, Baseball Field, May 28, 4:15 P.M.

 

Semifinals
White Cloud (10-18) vs Pentwater/Mason County Eastern Winner – Marion HS Athletic Complex, May 31, 10:00 A.M.
Marion (7-5) vs. Holton (23-12-1) – Marion HS Athletic Complex, May 31, 12:00 P.M.

 

Finals
Semifinal Winners – Marion HS Athletic Complex, May 31, 2:00 P.M.

 

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