MIAA softball tournament: Favorites, sleepers, players to watch, for Divisions 1-5

The MIAA softball tournament field is set, with 196 teams across five divisions vying for state titles. Preliminary-round play started Thursday. The finals are scheduled for June 12-13 at UMass Amherst and Worcester State.

Read more MIAA baseball tournament: Favorites, sleepers, players to watch, for Divisions 1-5

Favorite: No. 1 Taunton (19-1)

Sleepers: No. 11 Needham (14-2), No. 18 New Bedford (13-5)

Players to watch: C Aniyah Bailey (Taunton), IF Bella Bourque (Taunton, Sr.), P Maddie DeLano (Bridgewater-Raynham, Jr.), IF Lola Ronayne (Attleboro, Jr.), C Caroline Ozmun (Hopkinton, Sr.), P Chloe Salerno (Central Catholic, Jr.)

Best first-round matchup: Friday,No. 17 Billerica (13-7) at No. 16 Braintree (12-8), 4 p.m.

Longest road trip: Friday, No. 18 New Bedford at No. 15 Peabody (12-4), 74 miles, 4:30 p.m.

Analysis: Top-seeded Taunton has won five consecutive Division 1 titles and has not lost to an in-state foe since 2023, but this year’s crown is far from inevitable. The Tigers lineup is loaded as ever, but its pitching has not been as dominant as previous seasons and the team won three games by one run. No. 2 Central Catholic completed its undefeated regular season with a quality win over Tyngsborough on Friday, and No. 3 Attleboro has a powerful offense and lost to Taunton, 8-7, earlier this month. No. 6 Bridgewater-Raynham and No. 7 Hopkinton both have the requisite pitching to make a deep run, and No. 18 New Bedford enters the postseason fresh off a 1-0 win over B-R in Monday’s regular-season finale.

Favorites: No. 1 King Philip (17-5), No. 2 Marshfield (18-2), No. 3 Somerset Berkley (14-6)

Sleepers: No. 5 Walpole (13-5), No. 7 Wakefield (15-5)

Players to watch: P McCoy Walsh (King Philip, Sr.), P Caroline Arruda (Marshfield, So.), P Sophia Thornton (Somerset Berkley, Jr.), P/OF Caitlin Baker (Walpole, Sr.), IF Molly Burns (Wakefield, Jr.)

Best first-round matchup: Friday, No. 21 Danvers (13-7) at No. 12 Plymouth South (14-4), 4 p.m.

Longest road trip: Friday,No. 18 Agawam (13-6) at No. 15 Marblehead (12-8), 117 miles, 4 p.m.

Analysis: The terrain in Division 2 is vastly different this year, with the biggest competition being two heavyweight newcomers from Division 1, King Philip and Marshfield. King Philip grabbed the top seed behind Hofstra-bound ace McCoy Walsh, but Marshfield sophomore southpaw Caroline Arruda has proven dangerous, leading a 4-1 defeat of defending D2 champion Silver Lake last Friday.

After entering last postseason seeded 21st, Somerset Berkley skyrocketed to the third spot in the seedings behind an 8-5 record in the notoriously competitive South Coast Conference. Walpole is back looking to make a deeper run after a quarterfinal exit last year, returning with a veteran core led by signature senior bats Caitlin Baker and Grace Todd. The chaos won’t stop at the top of the bracket, as No. 7 Wakefield, No. 9 Reading, and No. 10 Milton will look to shake things up.

Favorites: No. 1 Dighton-Rehoboth (17-3), No. 2 Norton (19-1), No. 3 Joseph Case (18-2)

Sleepers: No. 11 Greater New Bedford (11-11), No. 13 Fairhaven (12-8)

Players to watch: P Lila Alvarez (Joseph Case, Jr.), IF Cam Cloonan (Dighton-Rehoboth, Sr.), P Liana Danubio (Norton, Sr.), P Edy Latour (Dighton-Rehoboth, Sr.), P Keira McCord (Tantasqua, So.), OF Kate Suneson (Apponequet, Jr.)

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Best first-round matchup: Monday,No. 17 Wilmington (14-6) at No. 16 Dedham (13-7), 4 p.m.

Longest road trip: Friday, No. 22 Essex Tech (11-9) at No. 11 Greater New Bedford (11-11), 73 miles

Analysis: Division 3 is easily the most loaded field, featuring five of the top 10 teams in the MIAA’s power ratings. No. 1 Dighton-Rehoboth is the two-time defending champion and checked every box this season, emerging with a 13-1 South Coast record in the state’s toughest league. No. 2 Norton has outscored opponents 236-28, with its only loss to Division 1 favorite Taunton in early May. No. 3 Joseph Case won three consecutive Division 4 titles before moving up this year, and its only two losses came against D-R by a combined margin of three runs. Adding to the crowded picture is No. 5 Apponequet, which handed D-R its only loss, and dark horse No. 11 Greater New Bedford, which had a rollercoaster season but reached the title game last season with a similar cast.

Favorites: No.1 Advanced Math & Science (18-0), No. 2 Hampshire (16-5), No. 3 Tyngsborough (17-3)

Sleepers: No. 8 Manchester Essex (13-7), No. 11 East Bridgewater (16-4)

Players to watch: P Ava McLeod (AMSA, Jr.), P Ryanne Dubay (Hampshire, Jr.), P Kiley Hogan (Tyngsborough, Sr.), P Raine Wonsey (Frontier, Fr.), 1B Penelope Riggs (Manchester Essex, Sr.), SS Bella Abrams (East Bridgewater, Sr.)

Best first-round matchup: Monday, No. 18 Abington (11-9) at No. 15 Sandwich (17-3), 4 p.m.

Longest road trip: Monday, No. 17 Clinton (9-9) at No. 16 Monomoy (15-5) —118 miles, 2 p.m.

Analysis: Marlborough-based AMSA enters the tournament battlefield unbeaten, and is the team to beat. Junior righthander Ava McLeod, already the program’s career leader in hits and pitching strikeouts, has guided the team to a perfect season. No. 2 Hampshire looks poised to take advantage of a more open field after being knocked out in the final four by last year’s champion, Joseph Case. Tyngsborough was denied in last year’s final by a single run and features BU-bound Kiley Hogan and star sophomore Adrianna Arsenault. Fourth-seeded Frontier is powered by freshman righthander Raine Wonsey. No. 8 Manchester Essex, No. 11 East Bridgewater, No. 13 West Bridgewater and No. 15 Sandwich are teams to monitor.

Favorites: No. 1 Hoosac Valley (19-0), No. 2 Georgetown (16-4)

Sleepers: No. 8 Bristol Aggie (16-3), No. 12 Franklin Tech (9-12)

Players to watch: Ellie Barbarick (Georgetown, Jr.), P Antonia Bianchini (West Boylston, 7th grade), P Ruth Fagundes (Bristol Aggie, Fr.), P Maddie Grant (Georgetown, Sr.) , IF Izabela Tart (Hoosac Valley, Sr.)

Best first-round matchup: Sunday, No. 21 Rising Tide (11-2) at No. 12 Franklin Tech (9-12), 3 p.m.

Longest road trip: Saturday, No. 20 Wareham (13-7) at No. 13 McCann Tech/North Adams (16-2), 173 miles, 1:30 p.m.

Analysis: Georgetown was the top-ranked team in every release of the MIAA’s Division 5 power rankings until the final one, in which the Royals dropped down to No. 2 after finishing the season on a three-game losing skid. Senior ace Maddie Grant and a deep lineup provides the firepower necessary to win a title, but the team will need to use the early rounds to recapture its rhythm. No. 1 Hoosac Valley and No. 5 West Boylston are riding high with undefeated seasons, and No. 3 Hopedale is battle-tested after facing a challenging CMAC schedule. No. 12 Franklin Tech, despite carrying a losing record, enters the postseason with momentum after winning the Vocational Small School title Tuesday.

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