Colorado high school softball teams head to Aurora for championship Saturday

It almost looks like things are going to be more fun that way. Each classification will be down to just four teams when play begins at Aurora Sports Complex on Saturday morning. Each matchup brings its own intrigue and should set the table for memorable championship games.

Below is a brief overview of each classification:

Class 5A // Brackets
Grand Junction Central vs. Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins), 10 a.m.

Fossil Ridge (15-3) showed it has no desire to go away easy. The Sabercats were down 1-0 to Smoky Hill before tying the game late and winning in extra innings on a solo home run by Kodi Alvord. The Sabercats are not a team meant to outscore their opponents, they'd rather keep things close and take advantage of scoring opportunities when they get them. Katelyn Hays and Alvord share the team lead with 20 RBI. They also show power when they need it as they've combined for eight home runs while Jordan McKinnon has the team's other six.

Chatfield (Littleton) vs. Cherokee Trail (Aurora)/Broomfield, 10:30 a.m.
Heading into Friday, there was some uncertainty in the second 5A semifinal game. Cherokee Trail (15-2) led late but Broomfield (16-1) tied the game in the 7th inning. The game was suspended due to darkness in the top of the 9th and will be resumed at 3:30 p.m. Friday.

Chatfield (15-3) grabbed a big 13-2 win over Regis Jesuit to start the state tournament before edging Jeffco rival 2-1 Lakewood in the quarterfinals. Peyton Shepard (.547 avg, 36 runs) and Kailey Horton (team-high three home runs) have been keys to the Chargers offense. Ace Isabelle DiNapoli (15 streikouts vs. Lakewood) will try to contain opposing offenses for two more game. She's allowed just 71 hits, limiting her overall opponents' batting average to .208.

Class 4A // Brackets
Wheat Ridge vs. Mead (Longmont), 10 a.m.
In what could be the most thrilling semifinal game all day, top-seeded Wheat Ridge (17-1) should be tested early. The Farmers have yet to allow a run in the state tournament and have scored almost at will. Seven players in the lineup are batting better than .450 and three of them are batting over .500. Lee Quezada leads all hitters with a .538 average and is third on the team with 25 RBI. Cassandra Uhl has driven in 24 runs and set the tone defensively with stellar pitching performances all year. Opposing hitters are batting just .221 against her.

Mead (16-2) has the benefit of playing an extremely tough schedule as the team has faced the last two state champions twice this year. They Mavericks beat Erie both times and got wins in one of two games against Holy Family. Emily Sauvageau has been a steady hand at the plate with a .468 average. The Mavericks have shown impressive power through the lineup as Sauvageau, Katelyn Wiescamp, Claire Adams, Allie Szablowski and Veronica Elsis have all blasted at least three home runs.

Holy Family (Broomfield) vs. D'Evelyn (Denver), 10:30 a.m.
After claiming the 4A state title two years ago, Holy Family (16-2) looks ready for another championship run. The Tigers went undefeated in league play and were certainly tested in Thursday's quarterfinal win over Silver Creek (Longmont). They're hitting .432 as a team, with Cassidy Chvatal and Carly Eldredge leading the way. They're each batting over .500 and have combined for nine home runs. Chvatal also has a 12-1 pitching record and a 2.73 ERA to go with that offensive output.

The Jaguars (17-1) have looked stellar all year, and that includes their 10-4 quarterfinal win over Roosevelt (Johnstown). Peyton Marvel leads the team in average (.522), runs scored (26) and extra-base hits (13). Avery Garbarek is hoping to keep the Tigers subdued in the semifinals. She's averaging more than five strikeouts per game while handling the ball for the Jags.

Class 3A // Brackets
Eaton vs. Brush, 10 a.m.
Eaton (16-2) has looked every bit the top team in 3A all season. The only two losses both came against Lyons, once on Aug. 27 and the other on Sept. 22. Eaton did beat defending 3A champion University twice this year, giving them a perceived edge heading into Saturday's showdowns. Freshman Sadie Ross has been nothing short of phenomenal for the team, batting .536 with 12 doubles and 22 RBI. She's also amassed a 12-1 record as a pitcher, surrendering just 16 earned runs all year. She's gotten a ton of help from Yaritza Puente (.527, 30 RBI) and Jennifer Jarnagin (.492, four home runs). Eaton beat Wiley and La Junta to punch its ticket to the semifinals.

Brush, on the other hand, has shown to be a bit of a Cinderella team. After beating Rocky Ford 10-7 to open the tournament, they got a big 9-1 win over favored Lyons. Grace Georgieu was batting a staggering .628 through 14 games, which included two home runs and 26 RBI. Braelynn Rule has also been a major factor as she's batting .425, and has also been the steady force in the pitching circle. The No. 13 seed next the Beetdiggers' (11-7) name certainly doesn't make them an easy out, and they hope the third time facing Eaton will be the charm.  Eaton outscored Brush 25-3 in their two games during the regular season.

University (Greeley) vs. Lutheran (Parker), 10:30 a.m.
The defending 3A champions have had their minds set on repeating all season. University (15-3) hit some speed bumps, for sure, in the form of Eaton (twice) and Sterling. In their two state tournament games, the Bulldogs outscored their opponents 16-5, including a 10-0 win over Cedaredge. They got exactly what they needed out of their offense in Thursday's 6-5 win over Limon as Kendree Kern and Delaney Wieneke each went 1-for-3, driving in a pair of runs.

Lutheran (16-1) made it look easy en route to the semifinals, getting lopsided wins over both Sterling and Strasburg. The Lions are undefeated against 3A teams this year as their only loss came against D'Evelyn. Taylor Cramer has been a wrecking ball for the Lions this year, hitting .588 and with 30 runs scored.