The past two seasons saw the Seneca softball team fall in a Class 2A sectional final, both times in one-run games to Beecher. But with eight starters back, including their top two pitchers, this season had all the ear marks of being the one the Fighting Irish would take the next step.

They did that and are still stepping.

Seneca, coming off the program’s first sectional title (a one-run win over the Bobcats), defeated Brimfield on Monday in the East Peoria Supersectional to punch the program’s ticket to the IHSA state semifinals at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday against IC Catholic Prep at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.

“This year has just all come together,” Seneca coach Brian Holman said, his squad currently 38-2 on the season. “Early in the season we didn’t really talk about long-term goals, in fact we weren’t even going to talk about [the postseason] until we got to it. It’s cliche, but we really did just focus on the game in front of us and still are.

“As disappointing as the last couple years were, it has definitely helped us this year as far as understanding how to handle the building pressure as you move on throughout the postseason and also what it truly takes to keep moving on. We’ve done a great job of staying who we are.”

Seneca will enter Thursday’s game with seven players hitting over .400 on the season, including Hayden Pfeifer (.491, 13 HR, 55 RBI), Graysen Provance (.485, 6 triples, 27 RBI), Emma Mino (.465, 5 HR, 58 RBI), Camryn Stecken (.438, 7 HR, 50 RBI), Tessa Krull (.434, 11 HR, 45 RBI), Ameliah Weber (.422, 2 HR, 32 RBI) and Lexie Buis (.415, 5 HR, 49 RBI).

The Fighting Irish also have a fierce 1-2 punch in the circle of Pfeifer (21-0, 0.94 ERA, 119 IP, 61 H, 21 BB, 229 K) and Krull (17-2, 1.57 ERA, 98 IP, 58 H, 28 BB, 170 K).

Pfeifer has led the way in the postseason tossing 29 innings allowing 19 hits with just two walks and 55 strikeouts.

“These next two games are going to be difficult with the level of play that’s going to be there, but we’ve talked all season about keeping things simple,” Holman said. “We just have to do all of the same things that we’ve done to get to this point and if we do that, I feel we’ll be in great shape.

“After looking at the IHSA website and seeing the records, the stats and the traditions for the 2A teams in the final four nobody just snuck their way through. Everyone us had to truly earn the right to be there. It’s pretty cool company to be in.”

IC Catholic Prep (30-5), which lost in a supersectional in 2025, has outscored opponents 27-0 in four postseason games, including a 1-0 victory in eight innings over Stillman Valley in Monday’s Benedictine University Supersectional.

The Knights have been led at the plate this season by Sofia Bucaro (.536, 1 HR, 22 RBI), Kelly Cahill (.510, 4 HR, 56 RBI), Lexi Russ (.473, 4 HR, 53 RBI), Ariani Zito (.457, 1 HR, 16 RBI), Maddy Dinino (.438, 2 HR, 33 RBI) and Sophia Deoudes (.418, 19 RBI)

Dinino (16-2, 2.59 ERA, 135 IP, 119 H, 31 BB, 107 K), a senior, is the ace of the pitching staff.

“IC Catholic plays good, hard softball,” Holman said. “A stat not on the IHSA website is the fact they have a couple of girls with over 50 stolen bases. They have team speed and are very aggressive on the base paths. They have the lineup you want to have, speed at the top and girls that can really drive the ball to follow.

“[Dinino] isn’t super over-powering, but does a great job of mixing things up, moves the ball around and just keeps batters off-balance. The key for us will be what we preach, stay relaxed in the box, be patient and then put the bat on the ball.”

If Monday’s game against Brimfield is any indication, the stands at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex on Thursday will be filled to the brim with those wearing Green and Gold and cheering for the Irish.

“There were so many people here supporting us [Monday], it was unbelievable,” said Krull. “You could feel their energy, to be honest, it was exciting but also calming to know they were there for us. I can’t wait see what state looks like.

“It’s going to be crazy for sure.”