In light of this weekend's state softball tournaments here in Great Falls, I've decided to preview the Class AA by issuing my predictions. As you may know, CMR has been a powerhouse across the state over the past decade. Between 1997-2001, the Lady Rustlers won a state record, 5 consecutive state championships. This past year, CMR reclaimed the title for the sixth time in their school history, which ranks only second to Billings Senior, who has won eight.
The Favorite: I think it's safe to say that CMR is the favorite once again this year. Despite seeing their four year run as Eastern AA Conference champions come to an end, the Lady Rustlers have one advantage on their side that no other team shares: home field. CMR will get to play each game in front of their entire fan base, which can make a difference even in softball. The Lady Rustlers also have the state's most potent offense who can score at will. In their final six games, the club scored 76 runs while holding their opponents to just 9. From top to bottom, their lineup is lethal. They also have a solid pitching staff which includes Kira Bigler and Brittany Allen which composes a nice 1-2 punch. And don't forget about their sophomore, Ashley Keeler, who was untouchable in the team's second crosstown game. The team has hit their stride at just the right time, and if they can continue their momentum through the state tournament, they should have no problems in winning their seventh state championship.
Don't Count Out: Billings West and Helena Capital are respectable considerations in this category. West beat out CMR for the Eastern AA's conference crown, and defeated the Lady Rustlers in two of their three meetings this year including an 8-0 shutout right here in the Electric City. Meanwhile, Capital garnered the Western AA's top seed for the second consecutive year. They are also all too familiar with CMR who beat the Lady Bengals in last year's state championship game, 15-8. Capital has reached the championship series of the state tournament in three of the last four years, a feat no other AA team has done. However, in order to reach the state championship series, they'll most likely have to go thru CMR in the semifinals.
The Dark Horse: Helena High is a very dangerous team. In order to reach the state tournament, they were forced to win the final two games of a best of three series with Flathead this past week, which ended on an emotional walk-off home run by Ashten Colvin in the bottom of the 8th inning of game 3. The Lady Bengals have about as much momentum as any of the other seven teams heading into the state tournament. Look for them to ride their starting pitcher, Josie Grotbo, who is one of the best in the state this year. She's coming off an 18 inning, 30 strikeout performance against Flathead. Helena's greatest nemesis will be getting past the first round. They have a very tough test against CMR. If the Lady Bengals do prevail, it should set up a very interesting matchup against their crosstown rival, Capital, whom they split their regular season series with this year.
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