Grandview vs Iowa Park Preview
The Lady Hawks finally broke through last week and punched their ticket to the UIL Class 3A Division I softball state championship game in Austin. Now, Iowa Park faces its biggest challenge yet, defending state champion and top-ranked Grandview.
Iowa Park enters the championship matchup with a 32-8-1 record after an impressive postseason run fueled by dominant offense and strong pitching. The Lady Hawks have swept playoff series against Peaster, Ingram Moore, Bushland, Jim Ned, and Mineola to earn their spot in the state final.
The Lady Hawks are led by senior pitcher Callista Berrett, a West Texas A&M commit who has been one of the driving forces behind Iowa Park’s postseason success. Berrett enters the championship game with a 31-6 record in the circle while also hitting .442 at the plate this season.
Junior catcher Halli Kennedy has helped lead an Iowa Park offense that has been dangerous throughout the playoffs, hitting .456 on the season. The Lady Hawks outscored Bushland 18-1 in the regional finals before erupting for 29 runs in a two-game sweep of Jim Ned. Their semifinal series against Mineola proved to be their toughest challenge yet, but Iowa Park responded with timely hitting and clutch performances to secure the program’s first-ever appearance in the state title game.
While Kennedy leads the team in batting average, Iowa Park has received key contributions throughout the lineup during its playoff run. Senior designated hitter Jordyn Noble delivered a four-hit performance in the Lady Hawks’ run-rule victory over Jim Ned, while junior third baseman Bailey Martinez came through with a dramatic walk-off hit in extra innings against Mineola. Senior outfielder Jacie Barnes and junior outfielder Rowan Pike also provided big moments in the regional finals against Bushland, with each recording two doubles in the series as Iowa Park rolled to another sweep.
Standing in their way is a Grandview squad that has quickly become one of the premier softball programs in Class 3A. The Lady Zebras enter the championship game with a 35-3-1 record and are making their third consecutive appearance in the state final after winning the 3A Division I state title last season over Whitesboro.
Grandview is led by one of the nation’s top players in senior pitcher Madi Doty, a University of Texas commit ranked among the top recruits in the country. Doty has dominated both in the circle and at the plate throughout her career and enters the championship game with a 25-3 pitching record while also batting .506 this season.
However the Lady Zebras are far from a one-player team. Grandview also features another dangerous weapon in KJ Hubbard, who has been dominant as the team’s second arm in the circle with a perfect 10-0 record. Hubbard has also been a major contributor offensively, hitting .533 while providing power and consistency in the middle of the lineup.
Grandview has once again rolled through the postseason behind Doty’s arm and a powerful offense. The Lady Zebras swept Franklin in the regional finals before defeating Columbus in the state semifinals to return to Austin with a chance to repeat as state champions. Doty was a major factor in the semifinal series, blasting three home runs and striking out 30 Columbus batters across the three-game matchup.
Thursday’s championship showdown features two teams that have dominated throughout the postseason, led by standout pitchers and explosive offenses. Iowa Park will look to finish off its historic playoff run and bring home the program’s first softball state championship, while Grandview enters with championship experience and hopes of securing back-to-back state titles.
First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday at Red & Charline McCombs Field in Austin. The game will be broadcasted on NFHS Network which requires a subscription to watch. You can follow along with live scores and stats of the state softball tournament on StatBroadcast at no cost.
