by Hunter Bower // GeauxPreps.com

SOFTBALL PLAYOFF CENTRAL

SULPHUR – Twenty teams punched their tickets into the finals of the LHSAA softball state championship games after a slate chocked full of exciting semifinal action.

Albany and D’Arbonne Woods will compete in a state championship softball contest for the first time in the history of each school while six returning champions (Buckeye, Calvary Baptist, Claiborne Christian, Montgomery, North DeSoto and St. Amant) look to hoist the trophy once again.

In total, 13 of the 20 programs playing in this year’s state finals were previously classified as a Non-Select school in the playoff format used before its revision in the fall of 2022. Tioga took down John Curtis, 6-5, to clinch an appearance in the finals for the firs time since 1979 while French Settlement makes its return to the championship match for the first time since 1999. Converse is playing its first state title game since 1994.

Tickets for the event will be sold exclusively through the GoFan website and phone applications. The link will be accessible here: https://gofan.co/app/school/LHSAA. Tickets will not be sold at North Frasch Park on the day of the games and no paper tickets will be accepted as fans will have to display a mobile device to redeem tickets. Re-entry into the event will not be allowed after the ticket has been redeemed.

All games are slated to be streamed live, for a fee, on the NFHS Network, which is available via https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/associations/lhsaa.

Teams and spectators are encouraged to log on to the Visit Lake Charles website for more information regarding travel, lodging, local restaurants, and other things to look for in Louisiana’s Youth Sports Capital.

TimeClass/DivisionHome (Third Base Side)Away (First Base Side)Field #
NoonNon-Select DIVNo. 2 MontgomeryNo. 4 French Settlement13
NoonSelect DIVNo. 1 Catholic-PCNo. 2 Riverside14
NoonSelect DIINo. 1 BuckeyeNo. 2 Vandebilt Catholic15
NoonNon-Select DIIINo. 1 Sterlington No. 2 Kaplan16
NoonSelect DVNo. 1 Claiborne ChristianNo. 3 St. Joseph’s17
3 PMNon-Select DINo. 1 St. AmantNo. 3 Sam Houston13
3 PMNon-Select DIINo. 1 North DeSotoNo. 2 Albany14
3 PMSelect DINo. 1 St. Thomas MoreNo. 2 Tioga15
3 PMNon-Select DVNo. 2 QuitmanNo. 4 Converse16
3 PMSelect DIIINo. 1 Calvary BaptistNo. 6 D’Arbonne Woods17