A look at Class 1A IHSA softball’s final four

Here, with information compiled by the IHSA and Shaw Media staff, is a look at the four teams competing this weekend in the Class 1A Softball State Finals, and how they earned their trips to Peoria’s Louisville Slugger Sports Complex:

FORRESTON CARDINALS

Enrollment: 229.5

County: Ogle

Conference: Northwest Upstate Illini

Record: 22-4

Current win streak: 8 games

Head coach: Kim Snider (4th season, 70-28)

Previous state appearance(s): This is Forreston’s first appearance.

Top arms:

LHP Kara Erdmann, sr., 9-1, 77 IP, 1.73 ERA, 98 K, 14 BB

RHP Aubrey Sanders, fr., 8-2, 54 IP, 2.85 ERA, 60 K, 35 BB

RHP Alaina Miller, jr., 5-1, 29 IP, 3.62 ERA, 21 K, 4 BB

Top bats:

RH Rylee Broshous, jr., .449 BA, 38 RBI, 41 R, 4 HR

RH Kara Erdmann, sr., .540 BA, 21 RBI, 51 R, 2 HR

RH Brooke Boettner, jr., .365 BA, 31 RBI, 33 R, 6 HR

RH Jenna Greenfield, so., .396 BA, 22 RBI, 22 R, 0 HR

RH Hailey Greenfield, jr., .353 BA, 18 RBI, 26 R, 0 HR

LH Alaina Miller, jr., .429 BA, 11 RBI, 31 R, 0 HR

Road to Peoria:

Beat Lake Forest Woodlands Academy, 14-0, and Durand, 2-0, in 1A Regional

Beat Pearl City, 2-1 (12 innings), and Dakota, 8-7, in 1A Sectional

Beat Biggsville West Central, 6-5, in 1A Super-sectional

Quick stats: At the plate, the Cardinals are averaging 9.8 runs a game, have plated double-digit tallies in 13 contests, and are hitting .356 as a team. On defense, Forreston has allowed 83 opponents to cross the plate and have given up five or fewer runs in 20 games.

In a few sentences: The Cardinals four losses were by a combined 13 runs. Forreston’s past three wins – all walk-offs – have come by one run, including coming from down 4-0 after four innings in the supersectional to stun Biggsville West Central. The program won a regional title in 2019 and a sectional championship in 2010.

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CASEY-WESTFIELD WARRIORS

Enrollment: 258

County: Clark

Conference: Little Illini

Record: 37-1

Current win streak: 13 games

Head coach: Dalton McFarland (5th season, 134-32)

Previous state appearance(s): 21, most recently in 2007, finishing 2nd in Class A.

Top arms:

RHP Paige Cutright, jr., 27-1, 176 IP, 1.07 ERA, 250 K, 47 BB

RHP Addie Brasier, sr., 9-0, 50 IP, 1.96 ERA, 46 K, 14 BB

Top bats:

RH Paige Cutright, jr., .484 BA, 59 RBI, 25 R, 8 HR

RH Emma Mason, sr., .577 BA, 37 RBI, 52 R, 3 HR

LH Kennedy Repp, sr., .492 BA, 45 RBI, 55 R, 11 HR

RH Maya Redman, jr., .488 BA, 36 RBI, 46 R, 0 HR

RH Kam Smith so., .509 BA, 29 RBI, 9 R, 3 HR

RH Megan Cribelar, so., .434 BA, 29 RBI, 24 R, 4 HR

Road to Peoria:

Beat Neoga, 13-0, and Moweaqua Central A & M, 10-0, in 1A Regional

Beat Farina South Central, 8-0, and Stewardson-Strasburg, 9-2, in 1A Sectional

Beat Campbell Hill Trico, 3-1, in 1A Super-sectional

Quick stats: At the plate, the Warriors are averaging 9.6 runs a game, have plated double-digit tallies in 20 contests, and are hitting .436 as a team. On defense, Casey-Westfield has allowed 65 opponents to cross the plate and have given up five or fewer runs in 33 games.

In a few sentences: Casey-Westfield opened the season winning 24 consecutive games before a 6-5 loss to Mt. Carmel on April 28. As a team the Warriors have 136 extra-base hits, including 32 homers, and a .640 slugging percentage. The program has an all-time record of 1,215-229 and seven state titles.

•••

NEWARK NORSEMEN

Enrollment: 157.5

County: Kendall

Conference: Little Ten

Record: 31-3-1

Current win streak: 12 games

Head coach: Tim Schofield (4th season, 96-20-1)

Previous state appearance(s): This is Newark’s first appearance.

Top arms:

RH Kaitlyn Schofield, jr., 10-1, 75 IP, 1.21 ERA, 119 K, 21 BB

RH Taylor Kruser, jr., 9-0, 64 IP, 1.86 ERA, 101 K, 25 BB

RH Kodi Rizzo, so., 10-2, 62 IP, 1.47 ERA, 106 K, 23 BB

Top bats:

RH Kaitlyn Schofield, jr., .440 BA, 38 RBI, 54 R, 10 HR

RH Ryan Williams, so., .432 BA, 36 RBI, 43 R, 5 HR

RH Bre Dixon, jr., .398 BA, 34 RBI, 32 R, 4 HR

RH Danica Peshia, so., .381 BA, 37 RBI, 36 R, 8 HR

RH Taylor Kruser, jr., .357 BA, 23 RBI, 37 R, 0 HR

RH Kodi Rizzo, so., .415 BA, 17 RBI, 36 R, 3 HR

Road to Peoria:

Beat Earlville, 10-0, and Marquette Academy, 2-1, in 1A Regional

Beat Walther Christian, 13-3, and Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell, 6-3, in 1A Sectional

Beat Heyworth 1-0 in 1A Super-sectional

Quick stats: The Norsemen have scored 9.0 runs a game this season, have plated double-digit tallies in 18 contests, and are hitting .341 as a team. On defense, Newark has allowed only 73 opponents to cross the plate and have given up five or fewer runs in 33 games.

In a few sentences: The Newark softball program will join the baseball, boys and girls basketball, and volleyball programs as those to bring home state finals hardware. The Norsemen, who have outscored their opponents 88-24 during a current 12-game winning streak, have smashed 37 home runs as a team.

•••

ILLINI BLUFFS TIGERS

Enrollment: 250

County: Peoria

Conference: Inter County Athletic

Record: 18-2

Current win streak: 13 games

Head coach: Lindsey Lox (2nd season, 35-3)

Previous state appearance(s): 2000 4th in Class A; 2013 4th in Class 1A; 2019 2nd in Class 1A; 2021 1st in Class 1A

Top arms:

RHP Kierston McCoy, sr., 14-2, 92 IP, 1.29 ERA, 126 K, 18 BB

RHP Tinley Beecham, sr., 4-0, 28 IP, 0.50 ERA, 53 K, 3 BB

Top bats:

RH Kristen Graham, sr., .644 BA, 35 RBI, 31 R, 11 HR

RH Tinley Beecham, sr., .429 BA, 34 RBI, 12 R, 2 HR

RH Kierston McCoy, sr., .576 BA, 17 RBI, 36 R, 5 HR

RH Zoe Eeten, jr., .362 BA, 24 RBI, 20 R, 6 HR

RH Annabelle Fortin, so., .407 BA, 13 RBI, 26 R, 0 HR

RH Lilly Hicks, jr., .364 BA, 10 RBI, 13 R, 0 HR

Road to Peoria:

Beat Delavan, 5-0, and Concord Triopia, 12-2, in 1A Regional

Beat Liberty, 11-0 (5 innings), and Havana, 11-2, in 1A Sectional

Beat Hardin Calhoun, 12-4, in 1A Supersectional

Quick stats: At the plate, the Tigers are averaging 9.4 runs a game, have plated double-digit tallies in 11 contests, and are hitting .372 as a team. On defense, Illini Bluffs has allowed 31 opponents to cross the plate and have given up five or fewer runs in 19 games.

In a few sentences: Illini Bluffs won the Class 1A state title last season and was runner-up in 2019. The Tigers have outscored their five postseason opponents 51-8, and 84 of their 200 hits this season have gone for extra bases, including 25 homers.