WIAA Softball Tournament Turns 50

WIAA Softball Tournament Turns 50
Ben Priesgen
Journalist
On June 10-13, the WIAA Softball Tournament will host its 50th tournament for the best state softball teams at Goodman Field in Madison.
The WIAA began sponsoring a softball tournament program in 1976 with the first State Tournament held in Madison, and Madison West won the championship by defeating Elmwood, 27-8.

Waukesha became the site of the State Tournament in 1977 and remained so for the next 25 years.
The championship moved back to Madison and has been held at UW’s Goodman Diamond since 2002, except in 2021 when the State Tournament was held in Green Bay.
The only interruption in completing the State Tournament Series came in 2020, when the entire season and the Tournament Series were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There was only one class of competition in the first three years of the tournament, but there were A and B divisions in both 1979 and 1980, and the C division was added in 1981.
In 1991, classes changed to divisions (1-2-3). In 2002, the tournament series expanded to four divisions. In 2017, the tournament expanded to five divisions, with Division 1 represented by eight teams and Divisions 2, 3, 4, and 5 by four qualifying teams.
Stevens Point leads all programs in State titles won with nine; Kimberly and Poynette have seven championships; and Kaukauna, Marion, and Oakfield have won six. Pacelli and Denmark have won five championships. Ashwaubenon and Horicon have won four titles, and Assumption, Belmont, Grantsburg, Laconia, Loyal, and McDonell Catholic have won three titles.
Local Area State Champions (Head Coach & W-L Record)
Oakfield: 1997 Division 3 (Doug Mock). 2009 Division 4 (Doug Mock, 29-1). 2011 Division 4 (Doug Mock, 26-2). 2012 Division 4 (Mike Urban, 27-3). 2014 Division 4 (Mike Urban, 21-2). 2021 Division 5 (Kevin Knudson, 25-2)
Horicon: 2002 Division 3 (Roger Schliewe). 2003 Division 3 (Roger Schliewe). 2018 Division 4 (Roger Schliewe, 28-1). 2019 Division 4 (Roger Schlieewe, 25-1).
Laconia: 2016 Division (Scott Ritzema, 29-0). 2017 Division 3 (Scott Ritzema, 25-0)
Hartford: 1987 Class A (Joe Dobson)
Mayville: 1999 Division 2 (Marv Youngbeck)
Waupun: 2024 Division 2 (Josh Navis, 20-4)
Local Area State Runner-Ups (Coach and W-L Record)
Oakfield: 2004 Division 4 (Doug Mock). 2015 Division 4 (Mike Urban, 26-4). 2018 Division 5 (Brian Sabel, 24-5). 2023 Division 5 (Rob Schaefer, 25-4). 2024 Division 5 (Rob Schaefer, 26-4)
Watertown: 1981 Class A (Dee Jay McFarland). 1984 Class A (Dee Jay McFarland). 2015 Division 1 (Patty Jansen, 22-9). 2016 Division 1 (Patty Jansen, 22-8)
Laconia: 2009 Division 3 (Scott Ritzema, 22-6). 2014 Division 3 (Scott Ritzema, 21-5). 2024 Division 3 (Scott Ritzema, 21-8)
Mayville: 1997 Division 2 (Marv Youngbeck). 2023 Division 3 (Steve Pliner, 20-5)
Horicon: 2001 Division 2 (Roger Schliewe). 2022 Division 4 (Roger Schliewe, 22-7)
Hartford: 1992 Division 1 (Joe Dobson). 1994 Division 1 (Joe Dobson)
Campbellsport: 2019 Division 2 (Dan Heisdorf, 17-8)
Waupun: 2015 Division 2 (Tom Hagstrom, 27-5)
NFDL: 1989 Class B (Mary Beth Seffern)
WLA: 2010 Division 3 (Riley Westphal)
Local Team State Apperances (W-L)
Campbellsport: 1 appearance (1-1), last appearance in 2019
Fond du Lac: 1 appearance (0-1), last appearance in 1992
Hartford: 4 appearances (7-3), last appearance in 1994
Horicon: 9 appearances (10-5), last appearance in 2022
Kewaskum: 1 appearance (0-1), last appearance in 2017
Laconia: 7 appearances (9-4), last appearance in 2025
Lomira: 3 appearances (0-2), last appearance in 2026
Mayville: 5 appearances (4-4), last appearance in 2023
NFDL: 2 appearances (1-2), last appearance in 1989
Oakfield: 17 appearances (17-11), last appearance in 2024
Watertown: 11 appearances (11-11), last appearance in 2025
Waupun: 3 appearances (3-2), last appearance in 2024
West Bend East: 1 appearance (0-1, last appearance in 1985
West Bend West: 1 appearance (0-1), last appearance in 1982
Winnebago Lutheran Academy: 1 appearance (1-1), last appearance in 2010
Top Area Individual State Records
Hitting
Runs Single Game: 4: Kristin Brockhaus, Mayville, 1997. 4:Jadin Justman, Horicon, 2018
Runs Tournament: 7: Ellee Jensen, Watertown, 2015. 6: Tanya Willett, Oakfield, 1997. 6: Karissa Laabs, Horicon 2018
Hits Single Game: 5: Ellee Jensen, Watertown, 2015
Hits Tournament: 8: Ellee Jensen, Watertown, 2018. 6: Tanya Willett, Oakfield, 1997
RBIs Single Game: 5: Katie Crogan, Watertown, 2015 5: Addison Braun, Waupun, 2024
RBIs Tournament: 6: Katie Crogan, Watertown, 2015. 5: Addison Braun, Waupun, 2024. 5: Lauren Miller, Horicon, 2019
Triples Single Game: 2: Deb France, Watertown, 1984. 2: Jamie Desjarlais, Horicon, 2002
Triples Tournament: 4: Deb France, Watertown, 1984
Double Tournament: 3: Brooke Schliewe, Horicon, 2002
PItching
Innings Tournament: 16: Ashley Holz, Oakfield, 2012. 14: Aly Lamonska, Oakfield, 2024. 14; Avery Conger, Oakfield, 2018
Strikeouts Single Game: 19: Brooke Schliewe, Horicon 2002. 16: Mel Benter, Mayville, 1999. 16: Kayla Schwebke, Laconia, 2015. 15: Alyssa Muench, Campbellsport, 2019
Strikeouts Tournament: 31; Brooke Schliewe, Horicon 2002. 29: Mel Benter, Mayville, 1999
28: Kayla Schwebke, Laconia 2015. 27: Alyssa Muench, Campbellsport, 2019
Why is the WIAA Tournament Important to Softball in the State?
“The WIAA Softball State Tournament is our membership’s celebration of the game of softball and education-based athletics. Each season, thousands of student-athletes and coaches work to compete and earn an opportunity to compete for a state championship,” said WIAA Assistant Director Jake Beschta. “Although success isn’t just determined by wins and losses, the state championships provide a state-wide audience to spotlight our teams and their successes.”
“It is a great venue for all teams at the best complex for softball in the state, which brings towns together in a great event,” said Four-Time State Champion and Former Horicon Head Coach Roger Schliewe. “It was always the best event for softball that we participated in. They just do it the right way.”
“The WiAA Tournament allows the best teams to show their growth during the season,” said Lomira Head Coach Stacey Clark. “It brings competition and excitement to the game by showcasing the ability to play as a team and to persevere.”
“Softball has really taken off over the last several years with so much talent, and the WIAA tournament is a place where that talent is really showcased,” said Campbellsport Head Coach Dan Heisdorf. “It’s an experience I wish every softball player would get to experience, since we got to be on the third base side, being in the Badgers’ locker room and using their indoor practice field, which was cool, and the whole atmosphere is just awesome.
“The state tournament is the pinnacle of High school softball by watching the best Softball players compete in one place is amazing,” said Former Mayville Head Coach Steve Pliner. “It was one of the best moments of my coaching career to see all the hard work of the kids and coaches pay off, plus having the support of your community is like nothing else.”
Favorite Tournament Memories
“Winning the 2002 state championship with my daughter, but all the wins meant something to me,” said Schliewe.
“We were down in the 2015 Regional Semi-Final game to Random Lake in the seventh and came back to win the game 6-5,” said Clark. “ A lot of our fans left the game thinking we were going to lose, but we fought our way back into the game. We took that momentum and went on to State that year. The grit and determination of the players to not give up were tremendous and inspiring.”
“Our 2021 State Team just kept gaining momentum game after game in the playoffs,” said Clark. “It was so unexpected and such a fun journey with state played in Green Bay on the turf because of Covid. It was a totally different experience from 2015, with rain delays in Madison and playing at almost 10 p.m.”
“My favorite memory is no doubt the year we qualified for state in 2019, when we became the first team in the history of our softball program to make it to state,” said Heisdorf. “A couple others would be in 2017, which was my first year coaching, and we went to second-ranked Poynette, who was 26-1, and we upset them 8-3 to win my first regional championship.”
“Then in 2024, we played the 4th-ranked WLA, who were 19-2, and they had already beaten us twice in conference. We were down 2-1 in the 7th and scored two runs in the top of the 7th and held on to win 3-2 to win a regional championship,” said Heisdorf.
“Winning the Semi-Final game against Mishicot is a highlight for sure, but just stepping onto the field at Goodman and watching my Mayville girls waving to their families and being so proud that they made it to the state championship game was amazing,” said Pliner. “The amount of pride in our community is unreal, so it was awesome to walk out and see the stands full of Mayville families.”
“This is my first year overseeing softball as Assistant Director. Before beginning with the WIAA on June 5, 2025, I was the high school principal at Denmark,” said Beschta. “Last season, I was able to experience Denmark’s Division 2 Softball State Championship with the team as their outgoing principal and new WIAA executive staff member.”
“It was an incredible way to close one chapter in my life and begin another by celebrating a championship with a team that meant a great deal to me,” said Beschta.
Your Mentors in Softball
“My parents were huge mentors because they showed me the love of the game and are huge supporters,” said Clark. “My coaches at UWEC, Leslie Huntington and Robin Baker, helped get me started coaching and sharing my passion.”
“I have been surrounded by amazing assistant coaches - Jess Gassner, Jason Buerger, Lauren Beekman - who inspire me and make our program what it is,” said Clark. “Coaching truly is a passion, and I am grateful to share and learn from those around me.”
“I actually learned the game on the fly by starting with rec ball, then moving to travel ball, then high school,” said Heisdorf. “I watched a lot of games and picked up things here and there on how other teams run their defense. I always like talking to coaches to see how they run practices and see if there would be anything I would like to implement.”
“For me, my biggest influence in Coaching was Roger Schliewe from Horicon. I spent a ton of time with him,” said Pliner. “Roger Williams, Mel Benter, Gary Benter, and Jack Hurst all welcomed me into Mayville softball and helped me a lot.”
“Chuck Cook from Marshall and Steve Held from Horicon were my mentors,” said Schliewe.
There will be plenty of new memories and championship stories made over the four days of softball at Goodman Field.