The Harker Heights and Chaparral softball teams earned their way into the 2026 playoffs and are set to open first-round best-of-3 series Thursday.
The Lady Knights (24-8), who finished second in District 12-6A, play Mesquite (19-10-1) in a Class 6A Division II matchup at neutral site Ennis.
Game 1 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Game 2 is 7 p.m. Friday and the if-necessary Game 3 is slated for 2 p.m. Saturday.
The Skeeters were fourth in District 11-6A.
Harker Heights’ 24 victories are the most since the 2022 season, reaching the mark with the help of a seven-game winning streak during non-district play and a pair of five-game winning streaks in district action.
Five players with at least 80 at-bats this season for head coach Kelley McDowell’s Lady Knights –– Kai Leon Guerrero, Leila Osuna, Janelly Rios, Kamryn Records and Kylee Plake –– own a batting average of .310 or higher, with Plake leading the way at .418. Records is right behind at .415.
Left-handed pitcher Rios is nearing 100 strikeouts this season in 82.2 innings pitched.
The Lady Bobcats (10-17) will see a familiar foe, Midlothian, in their opening-round Class 5A Division I series.
The second consecutive playoff encounter between the teams is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at Chaparral. Game 2 is 7 p.m. Friday at Midlothian (20-10-2) and Game 3, if necessary, is 1 p.m. Saturday at Waco ISD Sports Complex. The Lady Panthers won last year’s series, 2-0.
Chaparral, coached by Jessica Harborth, finished fourth in District 16-5A in 2026. The Lady Panthers won District 15-5A.
The Lady Bobcats batted .305 as a team during the regular season. Kendal Macklin spearheaded the offence with a team-high .567 batting average. Koral Rivera (.459), Leilani Duhon (.429) and Avery Martinez (.406), all topped the .400 plateau.
Duhon (13 starts) and Emily Peterson (14 starts) split time in the circle, with Duhon recording 97 strikeouts and Peterson 29.