After the hustle and bustle of non-district tournaments, challenging league contests and practice upon practice, the Harker Heights and Chaparral softball teams are playoff bound.
The Lady Knights (20-10), back in the postseason after missing out a season ago, play Mesquite Horn (21-9-1) in a Class 6A Division II best-of-three series that begins at 6 p.m. Thursday at Axtell ISD’s Longhorn Field.
Game 2 is slated for 5 p.m. Friday with Game 3, if necessary, to follow Game 2.
The Lady Bobcats (12-13), making the program’s playoff debut, face Midlothian (19-7-1) in a 5A Division I best-of-three series that gets going at 7 p.m. Friday at Midlothian.
Game 2 is 1 p.m. Saturday at Chaparral with the if-necessary Game 3 scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at Chaparral.
“I can’t think of a more deserving group to make history for Chaparral softball. Not only did they reach their goal of making the playoffs, but they also finished district play with a winning record –– putting Chaparral softball on the map in a big way,” head coach Jessica Harborth said.
Schedules for both series are subject to change because of weather. Check back here, on X.com/KilleenISD_ or Facebook.com/KISDSports for updates.
The winner of the Chaparral-Midlothian series gets Dallas White (18-10-1) or Dallas Samuell (11-10) in the area round. The victor between Harker Heights and Horn draws Wylie East (20-9-1) or Royce City (21-7).
“I’m excited for these girls. This has not come easy. Building trust and accountability has only come through uncomfortable circumstances,” Harker Heights head coach Ali Carr said. “We’ve had many early mornings, practices in pouring rain or cold weather, and have run miles upon miles. All of that is worth it to get to play as many games as possible this season.”
The Lady Knights, who’ve nearly doubled their win total from 2024, clinched their playoff spot with a 6-4 victory April 15 over Shoemaker that avenged a 6-5 loss to the Lady Grey Wolves earlier in the season.
The Lady Jaguars posted a 12-2 record in District 11-6A to finish first.
“Playing in the postseason is something to be proud of. We set this goal when school started, and I know it feels like a lot of hard work is paying off,” Carr said. “We have six strong seniors that aren’t ready to walk away from Knights softball. They are truly leaving a legacy, and our younger girls are working each day to play another day with their seniors.”
One of those seniors, Brianna Warriner, the program’s career stolen base leader, paces Heights’ offense with a .474 batting average that includes a team-high 37 hits. Warriner, whose six triples lead the way, also has 36 stolen bases.
Five other players –– Lewansi Luna Guzman (28 hits), Gabrielle Simmons (26), Mackenzie Uschan (24), Janelly Rios (22) and Jeneiya Russell-Dukes (20) –– have at least 20 hits and a .349 average or better. Alexis Newlin leads the team with four home runs, and Uschan has a team-high 26 RBIs.
Rios (11-6) and Simmons (5-4) are the one-two punch in the circle, combining for 130.1 innings pitched and 132 strikeouts.
“This is the most cohesive team I have coached at Harker Heights. We worked hard on team-building on and off the field in the offseason. We have set the expectation of excellence that allows players to trust each other and have each other’s backs in tough situations,” Carr said. “Everyone is contributing to the team success, and they are all genuinely happy for each other.”
Happy certainly hovers over the Chaparral facilities as well.
The Lady Bobcats finished in a three-way tie for second in District 16-5A, splitting series with fellow playoff qualifiers Belton and Waco University, and sweeping Ellison and Waco along their way to program history.
“Earning the program’s first playoff berth with this group of players means everything. This achievement is a true reflection of their unity, resilience and relentless work ethic. They supported each other through every challenge and pushed themselves every day in practice to become the best they could be,” Harborth said.
Madison Edwards added her page to the storybook campaign by tossing the school’s first perfect game in a 12-0 win over the Lady Lions earlier this season. Edwards wrapped up the regular season with a 5-3 record and 68 strikeouts in the circle. In the batter’s box, the senior posted team-high totals in average (.514), hits (38), doubles (14), home runs (six) and RBIs (40).
Kendal Macklin was second in a majority of those categories with a .500 average, 27 hits, five homers and 26 RBIs. Mikayla Hudson crossed the 20-hit mark with 23.
“One of this team’s biggest strengths is the support the players give each other. They’re always the first to celebrate a teammate’s success, and just as quick to lift a teammate up when things get tough,” Harborth said. “That kind of bond and trust have played a huge role in their growth this season, and it’s what allowed them to stay strong and fight hard in the big moments.”
Midlothian (19-7-1) finished second in 15-5A with a 12-2 record behind champion Midlothian Heritage.
