Colorado state softball tournament preview

When regional brackets were released last week and Pomona (Arvada) was anointed a No. 25 seed, the Panthers didn't sweat it much.

Two seasons ago, when most of the Panthers' roster was eagerly watching as junior varsity players, the Panthers entered regionals as the No. 15 seed and ended up reaching the state championship game.

The Panthers (14-7), who play in the arduous Class 5A Jeffco League, were back to their bracket-busting ways last weekend and have cracked the state bracket once again. While not a favorite, they'll definitely be worth keeping tabs on at Aurora Sports Park this week (Friday and Saturday for all classes).

"Our mindset is that we can compete with anyone when we play well," Pomona coach Jim Biddle said. "Our early struggles may be a result of playing a lot of kids in various positions and combinations in an attempt to figure out exactly who needs to be where, and who needs to accept certain roles with what's best for our team as the main goal."

The Panthers not only emerged as one of the two playoff teams from Region 2 on Saturday – they won the whole thing. They knocked host and No. 8 Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch) 9-5 in the opener then crushed Fort Collins 16-2 to win the region. As per how the seeds operate, they'll take Rock Canyon's No. 8 spot in the state bracket and will open against No. 9 Brighton (20-2) on Friday morning.

The Panthers have won 11 of their last 13 overall and have benefitted from a monster season from senior Jessica Espinoza. The All-Colorado candidate hit only one home run last season, but has blasted nine this fall. That's to go with 19 doubles, a .633 and 39 RBI. Seniors Allie Hufford and Tiffany Vigil also have had magnificent seasons with the bat, and Vigil has gone 10-4 in the pitching circle as well. But it's been Espinoza's emergence that has really stood out.

"I can't put a finger on the power surge from Espinoza, other than just maturity," Biddle said. "I have been coaching 15 years now and I have never witnessed a better year from one of my players – and I have coached a lot of great players. The most impressive stat is her slugging percentage (1.265)."

Pomona certainly isn't the only team to watch this weekend, when new championship opponents will be guaranteed. Reigning 2016 champ Cherokee Trail (Aurora) and runner-up Broomfield didn't qualify this season, which shifts the focus to a handful of newfound favorites.

Top-seeded Eaglecrest (Centennial) (20-1) and slugger Kailey Wilson first come to mind, followed by Pomona's Jeffco League-rival Arvada West. The No. 2 Wildcats (18-3) have one of the state's finest strikeout pitchers in Shea Mauser, who has whiffed 106 in just over 71 innings.

No. 3 Legacy (Broomfield) is looking to recapture the glory of their five straight titles from 2007-11 and has a pair of devastating senior bashers in Trisha Cook and Ciarra Nelson, who have combined for 19 home runs.

Legacy's Front Range League counterparts Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) (No. 4) and Loveland (No. 6) are sandwiched around talented No. 5 Columbine (Littleton), another Jeffco entrant.

Colorado MaxPreps State Softball Brackets

Class 4A
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) is steamrolling toward a fourth straight title, and it's debatable as to whether anyone can stop Alexandria Kilponen, Savannah Behabetz and company. Kilponen has gone 21-0 with a 0.35 ERA and 249 strikeouts and is looking to become the first pitcher since Erie's Mariah Bledsoe to win four consecutive championships from 2007-10.

Kilponen has also blasted a team-high six homers this season, and her 26 RBI are three off the team pace set by Behabetz. Speaking of Erie, the teams could be destined for another late-round clash, as the talented Tigers (16-5) check in at No. 4.

Surprising Golden (18-3), behind sophomore superstar Makenzie Middleton, earned the No. 2 seed. Middleton has blasted 12 homers and driven in 35, complementing a solid pitching staff led by Cassidy Paulson (13-1).

Discovery Canyon (Colorado Springs) (16-4-1) makes an appearance at No. 3, Pueblo Central (17-4) has locked down No. 5 behind pitcher/slugger Taylor Puga and Sevi Harden-led Thomas Jefferson (Denver) (19-2) is representing the Denver Prep League as the No. 6 seed.

Conspicuous by its absence is No. 2 regional seed Pueblo West. One can partly blame Silver Creek (Longmont) for the Cyclones' absence, as the Raptors blasted them 13-4 in the District 4 final. Pueblo West was unable to rebound, as the Cyclones fell 12-1 to Mullen (Denver) in the district play-in game.

Silver Creek, with the power tandem of Jetta Nannen and Kendra Green, is in the state bracket as the No. 8 seed and will open against No. 9 Conifer. Mullen is the No. 10 seed and will take on No. 7 Frederick.

Class 3A
Generally, we're talking about Strasburg as the favorite in this space and for good reason. The Indians have appeared in five straight 3A title games and won three of them. The Indians (16-4) remain firmly in the mix this season as the No. 3 seed, but top-seeded Brush and No. 2 Eaton deserve some recognition.

Brush (17-3), which split two games with Strasburg in the regular season, has gotten steady production from Maddy Rule at the plate and Hailey Unrein in the pitching circle. The Beetdiggers feature a balanced squad capable of making a sustained run.

Eaton (17-3) has lost only to Brush and Strasburg this season and has gotten eight homers and 29 RBI from junior Allie Hobbs. Classmate Lauren Frink boasts an 11-2 pitching record.

Of note, 2016 champ Rocky Ford checks in at No. 10. The Meloneers will take on No. 7 Meeker, which is riding a wave of momentum after upsetting University (Greeley) 16-2 in the district final (University is seeded ninth for state). Meeker's Megan Shelton has clobbered 12 homers and driven in 52.