Douglas County pacing Contintental League softball contingent

Perhaps you are one of the rare ones who doesn't believe in the prowess of the Class 5A Continental League when it comes to softball. But the seeding committee, the only voice that matters in this regard, absolutely does.

In a rarity, the league accounted for the top three seeds in the 32-team regional playoffs, all of which will be played Saturday at the host site of the top eight teams.

Douglas County (Castle Rock), which finished third in the Continental League, was anointed the top seed by virtue of its 17-2 overall mark. Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) and Legend (Parker) (each 15-4 overall and 9-1 in league) earned the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds.

"There is always pressure with being on top, but it is a pressure my team welcomes," Douglas County coach Brian Stebbins said. "Playing in what has proven to be the toughest league in the state has challenged them day in and day out. We finished our season playing, and winning, six games in eight days."

During that burst, Huskies captain gave the team the motto of "a train running downhill" and they are keeping it as the postseason commences.

Stebbins has made certain to ensure his team is balancing its designation as top seed as both an honor and a guarantee of nothing. But a look at the Huskies lineup reveals why they are considered a favorite. Anuhea Iida has blasted eight home runs this season and Sam Hardy has added six round-trippers.

"Anuhea Iida is the undisputed leader of our team, and not just in home runs and runs scored," Stebbins said. "She has been a vocal leader for us all season, but more importantly her performance has backed up everything she has said to her team."

Hardy, a junior hitting .422 with a team-best 31 runs, has protected Iida in the lineup and also contributed a 6-1 mark in the pitching circle behind primary starter Breanna Corell (11-1).

Rock Canyon will also pose a threat with multitalented senior pitcher Lauren Paige, who has gone 14-3 and contributed seven homers and 26 RBIs at the plate. The Jaguars also have gotten a boost from freshman Sloane Stewartson (.517 average, five homers, 22 RBIs).

Front Range League champ Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins), behind sophomore shortstop Haley Donaldson, checks in at No. 4 and Dakota Ridge (Littleton), now under the guidance of Marv Van Lingen, is No. 5 behind All-Colorado pitcher Rachelle Foos. Legacy (Broomfield), which had its five-year championship run halted last season, is No. 6.

Perennial contender Ralston Valley (Arvada) and EMAC champion Brighton round out the host seeds.

Class 5A regional brackets

In 4A, things are familiar at the top with Wheat Ridge at No. 1 and Erie at No. 2. Wheat Ridge boasts player-of-the-year candidate Ann Marie Torres, a sophomore who has clubbed 10 home runs among 23 extra-base hits. Erie was a seemingly annual title-winner in 3A before moving up to 4A four seasons ago, and the Tigers promptly won in their first season there.

After a loss to eventual champ Pueblo East in the semifinals last year, Erie appears to have one of its strongest teams ever this season. Senior Carrie Clarke has been a dual threat at the plate and as one of the Tigers many pitchers. Freshman Rio Sanchez also has been huge as both a hitter and a pitcher.

Perhaps what separates the Tigers most is the clout in the bottom half of their order. Clarke, Sanchez, Katie Kovets and Sam Foster all have remarkable power that is unusual for those who bat in the Nos. 5-8 spots.

"I tell them that I just want to hear the ball go ‘boom' off the bat," Erie coach Bob Bledsoe said. "It doesn't matter if they make an out, as long as I hear the ‘boom' sound."

Ponderosa (Parker) spent the regular season competing in the 5A Continental League outlined above, and the Mustangs (15-4) will check in as a difficult No. 3 seed.

Pueblo East checks in at No. 4 as the Eagles prepare to defend their 2012 title and Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs) and multi-threat McKenzie Surface is No. 5. Freshmen-heavy Broomfield is No. 6, as frosh third baseman Lindsey Malkin has hit .433 and drilled seven homers. Frederick and Berthoud, who battled Erie in the Tri-Valley League, round out the host seeds.

Count late-surging Silver Creek (Longmont), the No. 11 seed, as a darkhorse. Junior shortstop Keegan Wergin has hit three homers and driven in 15 runs in the past three games.

"I feel really good going into the postseason," Wergin said. "I think we have the talent to go a long way, to fight for our position and I'm really happy with where we are right now."

Class 4A regional brackets

In 3A, Strasburg parlayed the momentum from its upset of Valley (Gilcrest) in last season's title game into a perfect regular season. The Indians and pitcher-hitter extraordinaire Logan Losh enter the postseason an unscathed 19-0.

Losh has hit .507 with two homers and 35 RBIs and also has gone 10-0 with an 0.93 ERA while splitting pitching duties with Danni Klein.

While No. 2 Sterling rotates three pitchers and is somewhat new to the upper reaches of the 3A circuit, the remainder of the bracket is filled with familiar squads.

Holy Family (Broomfield) and longtime coach Glen Ramos check in at No. 3, Lamar is No. 4 and Valley, which had a two-year title run snapped last season, earned a No. 5 seed behind Trinity Harrington and Bridgette Hutton.

Hard-hitting La Junta is the No. 6 seed, Burlington No. 7 and Western Slope power Basalt is No. 8. The Longhorns' Brittany Driscoll has hit seven home runs this season.

Class 3A regional brackets