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- Class 5A
- Sophia Schlader — Waukee Northwest, Sophomore
- Maggie Bowman — Pleasant Valley, Junior
- Lily Knutson — Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Senior
- Addie Abens — Dallas Center-Grimes, Junior
- Grace Nagel — Dowling Catholic, Senior
- Jordyn Kennedy — Ankeny Centennial, Senior
- Kari Rose — West Des Moines Valley, Senior
- Karter Price — Southeast Polk, Junior
- Class 4A
- Class 3A
- Class 2A
- Maclain Hickenbottom — Cardinal, Junior
- Harper Rosado — Grand View Christian, Freshman
- Addison Dunkel — Hinton, Sophomore
- Lily Nibaur — Iowa City Regina Catholic, Junior
- Cora Tesch — Ridge View, Sophomore
- Bailey Karklio — Durant, Senior
- Gracyn Stone — Logan-Magnolia, Junior
- Taylor Buhr — Wapsie Valley, Senior
- Class 1A
- Rachel Eglseder — Edgewood-Colesburg, Senior
- Taryn Petersen — Exira-EHK/Audubon, Junior
- Lexi Clendenen — Southeast Warren, Senior
- McKenna Baker — West Monona, Junior
- Kamri Groen — North Butler, Junior
- Sydney Lovrien — Clarksville, Senior
- Mia Matgen — Remsen St. Mary’s, Junior
- Faith Shirbroun — St. Edmond, Senior
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Softball Tournament begins Monday, July 20 at Rogers Park in Fort Dodge, and this year’s event carries a meaningful change: for the first time the state finals will use a double-elimination bracket across all five classes. That shift — plus five diamonds in play and two days of championship action — raises the stakes for rosters, pitching staffs and college scouts tracking prospects.
| What | When | Where | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa HS Softball State Tournament | July 20–24 | Rogers Park, Fort Dodge | Double-elimination across five classes; multiple championship games July 23–24 |
- Why it matters: More games and the double-elimination format change how coaches deploy aces and manage bullpens.
- Five fields mean simultaneous high-level matchups — expect a packed schedule and more opportunities for breakout performances.
- College coaches and recruiters will be watching — several participants entered the tournament with Division I offers or eye-popping season numbers.
Class 5A
Sophia Schlader — Waukee Northwest, Sophomore
Schlader arrives as one of the nation’s top arms: an undefeated 25-0 record with a save, 265 strikeouts in roughly 152 innings and opponents hitting just .095. She’s dangerous at the plate too, batting near .500 with 17 homers and 27 RBI.
Maggie Bowman — Pleasant Valley, Junior
Bowman has driven home 44 runs while compiling a .438 average, nine homers and a .504 on-base rate — a middle-of-the-lineup force for the Spartans.
Lily Knutson — Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Senior
Power and pitching: Knutson pairs a .444 batting mark with 17 homers and 13 doubles to an 18-2 pitching ledger, 214 strikeouts and a 0.77 ERA in more than 132 innings.
Addie Abens — Dallas Center-Grimes, Junior
Abens has pounded 21 of the Mustangs’ 66 team homers, hitting an astonishing .570 with 59 RBI and a spotless fielding line.
Grace Nagel — Dowling Catholic, Senior
Nagel has been a two-way contributor: 11-4 on the mound with 75 Ks and a 3.35 ERA, and a .406 batting average with 11 homers and 34 RBI at the plate.
Jordyn Kennedy — Ankeny Centennial, Senior
The future Minnesota Golden Gopher is a run producer — 18 homers, 63 RBI and a .472 average while adding 10 steals and consistent middle-order power.
Kari Rose — West Des Moines Valley, Senior
Rose leads by volume: 68 hits, 45 runs, 15 doubles and 17 stolen bases highlight her multi-faceted offensive season.
Karter Price — Southeast Polk, Junior
Price is the Rams’ workhorse: 13 pitching wins, 103 strikeouts and a .377 batting average with 43 hits and 38 RBI.
Class 4A
Lauren Hagedorn — ADM, Senior
Hagedorn is a classic two-way standout, hitting .459 with 13 homers and on the mound racking up 17 victories, 143 strikeouts and a sub-1.00 ERA across nearly 133 innings.
Kylee Hill — Burlington, Junior
Hill, a top track thrower turned pitcher, is 14-3 with 150 strikeouts in 109 innings and hits .420 with six homers and 33 RBI.
Makenna Olson — Winterset, Junior
Olson has been a consistent bat-over-.400 presence, totaling five homers, 13 doubles and 40 runs scored for Winterset.
Lauren Vaske — Western Dubuque, Senior
Vaske’s 17-3 record includes 155 strikeouts and a 1.24 ERA in almost 136 innings, anchoring a deep pitching staff.
Alexandra Mohlke — North Polk, Junior
Mohlke hits .445 with 36 runs and 36 RBI, adding five homers, 11 doubles and 11 stolen bases — a threat in any lineup spot.
Chloe Roling — Carlisle, Sophomore
Speed defines Roling: a .551 average with 65 hits, 49 runs and a whopping 60 stolen bases this season.
Ellie Doster — Fort Dodge, Junior
Doster leads one of Iowa’s most potent attacks, batting .602 with 13 homers, 74 RBI and patrolling the field and pitching staff from behind the plate as catcher.
Kyla Schulte — Clear Creek-Amana, Senior
Schulte is the home-run leader with 23 long balls, a .509 average, 74 RBI and 60 runs scored — plus double-digit steals.
Class 3A
Sullivan Hall — West Liberty, Junior
Hall has stepped into a leadership role with a .552 average, 13 extra-base hits, 47 runs scored and 28 steals.
Taylor Sanchez — Williamsburg, Junior
Sanchez headlines a repeat-chasing program: a .562 average, 50 RBI, 46 runs and a balanced power profile that includes 22 doubles and eight homers.
Libby Winters — PCM, Sophomore
Winters made national highlight reels last year and has followed up with a .588 average, 46 RBI and a 0.00 ERA across 43 innings with 94 strikeouts — rare two-way dominance.
Hayden Gookin — Mount Vernon, Junior
One of the state’s premier pitchers, Gookin has 247 strikeouts in more than 153 innings, a sub-1.00 ERA and a .440 batting average with 16 homers and 61 RBI.
Ava Hartman — West Delaware, Junior
Hartman is a true do-it-all player: 17 pitching wins, 77 strikeouts, seven homers and 32 RBI, plus 10 doubles at the plate.
Julia Roth — Dubuque Wahlert Catholic, Senior
Roth set the state career home-run mark this season and hits .472 with 60 RBI and 60 runs, adding 12 pitching wins and 111 Ks.
Mady Schnell — Van Meter, Sophomore
Van Meter’s move to 3A hasn’t slowed Schnell: she leads the defending champs with a .526 average, 24 extra-base hits and 61 runs scored.
Grace Pence — Albia, Senior
Pence has been a pitching sensation — 345 strikeouts in 166 innings and an ERA of 0.17, allowing just four earned runs on the season.
Class 2A
Maclain Hickenbottom — Cardinal, Junior
Hickenbottom has 11 wins and 179 strikeouts in roughly 117 innings, while hitting .383 with extra-base pop and 12 RBI.
Harper Rosado — Grand View Christian, Freshman
Rosado projects as a long-term problem for opponents: a .490 average, 10 homers, 11 doubles and 45 RBI already this season.
Addison Dunkel — Hinton, Sophomore
Dunkel supplies power — 16 combined doubles and homers, a .441 average, 45 runs and 11 steals for the Blackhawks.
Lily Nibaur — Iowa City Regina Catholic, Junior
Nibaur pairs offense and pitching: batting .484 with 37 runs and 22 steals, and winning 19 games with 161 strikeouts and a 1.88 ERA in 164 innings.
Cora Tesch — Ridge View, Sophomore
Tesch creates havoc on the bases with 31 steals and contributes a .386 average, five doubles and four triples for the Raptors.
Bailey Karklio — Durant, Senior
Karklio is finishing strong with a .386 average, 11 homers and 37 RBI in her senior season.
Gracyn Stone — Logan-Magnolia, Junior
Stone is a tough out in 2A, hitting .473 with 42 runs, 35 RBI and a mix of power and speed including 14 steals.
Taylor Buhr — Wapsie Valley, Senior
Buhr contributes both ways: a .481 average with 36 runs and eight doubles, while leading the pitching staff with 10 wins and an ERA under 2.00.
Class 1A
Rachel Eglseder — Edgewood-Colesburg, Senior
Eglseder has racked up 297 strikeouts in nearly 188 innings with 23 wins and a 1.43 ERA; she’s also a .459 hitter with 52 RBI.
Taryn Petersen — Exira-EHK/Audubon, Junior
Petersen is elite on the basepaths with 44 steals and a .560 average, scoring 56 runs and delivering five homers and three triples.
Lexi Clendenen — Southeast Warren, Senior
Clendenen posts a .603 average with 50 runs, 43 RBI and a blend of extra-base power and speed that includes nine homers and 19 steals.
McKenna Baker — West Monona, Junior
Baker’s speed is a game-changer — 77 stolen bases and a .514 batting mark, with 59 runs and regular on-base production.
Kamri Groen — North Butler, Junior
Groen has 228 strikeouts, a 0.93 ERA and 23 pitching wins, and she contributes offensively with 10 homers and 38 RBI.
Sydney Lovrien — Clarksville, Senior
Lovrien returns as a state-title winner: 20 pitching victories, 141 strikeouts in 138 innings and a .322 batting average with 25 RBI.
Mia Matgen — Remsen St. Mary’s, Junior
Matgen supplies extra-base pop with 20 XBH, a .462 average, 33 runs and 33 RBI, plus 17 stolen bases for the Hawks.
Faith Shirbroun — St. Edmond, Senior
Shirbroun ranks among the state’s top hitters at .639 with 11 homers, 19 doubles, seven triples, 49 RBI and 32 steals — an offensive force in 1A.
With the tournament format change and page-fulls of individual season statlines, expect managers to make strategic pitching calls and lineups designed to capitalize on travel, recovery and matchup advantages. For fans and scouts alike, Rogers Park will be the place to watch the next wave of Iowa talent.
