Texas high school softball playoffs: 2022 UIL Class 2A Softball State Championship preview, players to watch
AUSTIN, Texas — The road to the Texas high school softball state championships ends this week at the University of Texas in Austin at the 2022 UIL Softball State Tournament.
The sixth and seventh rounds of the playoffs will get underway at Red & Charline McCombs Field, the Longhorns’ softball stadium, with the last teams left standing throughout the Lone Star State colliding to battle for six state titles.
The five-day state championship weekend is set to start with the UIL’s Class 2A Softball State Tournament when state semifinal matchups begin Tuesday (May 31) followed by the 2A state championship game on Wednesday (June 1).
RELATED: Class 2A Texas (UIL) Softball State Tournament bracket
Here are the projected first-pitch times and results for each of those Class 2A state tournament games:
- Class 2A state semifinal — Crawford 1, Weimar 0 (Tuesday, May 31st)
- Class 2A state semifinal — Lovelady 1, Stamford 0 (Tuesday, May 31st)
- Class 2A state championship — Crawford Pirates (28-2) vs. Lovelady Lions (35-4-2), 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 1st
SBLive Texas will be taking a closer look at the state’s top players, storylines and x-factors to watch in each classification level during the 2022 UIL Softball State Championships throughout the week.
We’ll begin by taking a deep dive to analyze the competition in the four-team Class 2A softball state tournament field, which features Crawford, Lovelady, Stamford and Weimar.
Crawford and Lovelady punched their tickets to the 2A state title game by virtue of a pair of shutout victories against Weimar and Stamford in their respective state semifinal matchups Tuesday evening.
Here’s what you need to know about the Lions and Pirates before they step onto the softball diamond and meet in the Class 2A UIL Softball State Championship on Wednesday night:
For more coverage of Crawford vs. Lovelady in the Class 2A state title game and updates from other UIL Softball State Tournament matchups this week at SBLive Texas and on our social media channels.
Follow @SBLiveTX on Facebook and Twitter and reporter Andrew McCulloch (@ByAndyMcCulloch) on Twitter to keep up with live in-game updates and our post-game reporting. For photos and video highlights from the 2022 Texas (UIL) Softball State Championships, follow us on Instagram @sblivetx and on TikTok @SBLiveSports.
CRAWFORD PIRATES
Season Record: 28-2 overall, Region II champions
How They Got Here: 9-0 postseason record
- Bi-district round — W 23-1 vs. Wortham
- Area round — W 10-2; W 10-0 vs. Tom Bean
- Regional quarterfinal — W 20-2; W 4-0 vs. Italy
- Regional semifinal — W 13-5; W 2-0 vs. Archer City
- Regional championship — W 3-2 vs. Axtell
- State semifinal — W 1-0 vs. Weimar
Head Coach: Kirk Allen (16th season)
Players to Watch: Junior P/1B Kenzie Jones; Sophomore CF/SS London Minnix; Sophomore SS/P Savanna Pogue; Senior 1B Kylie Ray; Junior 3B/1B Taylor Gohlke
State Tournament Appearances (Most Recent): Six (2021)
UIL Softball State Championships (Most Recent): Three (2019)
Distance to Red & Charline McCombs Field: 98 miles
The Pirates are no strangers to the state tournament spotlight after falling in the state semifinals last year and winning the Class 2A state title in 2019. Crawford is led by one of the most seasoned groups of four seniors anywhere across the state, but has also benefited tremendously from an injection of talented underclassmen. The Region II champs are loaded from top to bottom offensively with ample power and several prolific slappers. Sophomores London Minnix and Savanna Pogue have anchored the top of Crawford’s lineup this season after breakout freshman campaigns in 2021. Minnix, the team’s starting centerfielder, holds the team lead in batting average (.628) and runs (50) this season while also stealing 22 bases. Pogue has hit .588 with 49 runs scored and 14 steals. Senior Kylie Ray and junior Taylor Gohlke have held down the corner infield spots defensively and supplied plenty of pop to the middle of the Pirates’ lineup. Gohlke leads the team with 11 home runs this season in addition to a .581 batting average and 45 RBI. In fact, eight of the 19 players on Crawford’s varsity roster are hitting .500 or better this season making it one of the state’s most dangerous lineups. The Pirates head into their 2A state title game matchup amidst a 25-game winning streak during which they’ve excelled at keeping their opponents off the scoreboard. Crawford has held opposing teams to two runs or less in 22 of the squad’s last 25 contests thanks in large part to junior pitcher Kenzie Jones. Jones tossed a complete-game shutout in her last appearance during the state semifinals. She has been the team’s workhorse in the circle this year with a 27-2 record with a 1.24 ERA and 215 strikeouts in 153 innings pitched.
LOVELADY LIONS
Season Record: 35-4-2 overall, Region III champions
How They Got Here: 11-0 postseason record
- Bi-district round — W 3-0; W 13-3 vs. Shelbyville
- Area round — W 11-0; W 10-0 vs. Colmesneil
- Regional quarterfinal — W 12-0; W 13-0 vs. Beckville
- Regional semifinal — W 10-0; W 10-0 vs. Como-Pickton
- Regional championship — W 5-0; W 11-2 vs. Groveton
- State semifinal — W 1-0 vs. Stamford
Head Coach: Jordyn Hester (3rd season)
Players to Watch: Senior CF Mihyia Davis; Senior P/OF Macie LaRue; Junior SS/P Scout Lovell
State Tournament Appearances (Most Recent): First UIL state tournament appearance in program history
UIL Softball State Championships (Most Recent): None
Distance to Red & Charline McCombs Field: 174 miles
Lovelady has been virtually unstoppable since the postseason began and captured their first UIL Softball State Tournament berth in program history. The Lions have made the most of their big opportunity thus far, too. They shut out defending 2A state champion Stamford and eked out a 1-0 victory over the Bulldogs in their state semifinal matchup. Despite having no prior state tournament appearances as a program, Lovelady more than makes up for that with star power. Senior Mihyia Davis and junior Scout Lovell are both major threats at the plate and anchor the middle of their team’s defense at centerfield and shortstop, respectively. Lovell, who has verbally committed to play collegiately at Arizona State, entered the state tournament with a .471 batting average while Davis, a Louisiana-Lafayette signee, rumbled into the state semifinals hitting a scorching-hot .659 for the season. Davis and Lovell have provided plenty of scoring opportunities while holding down the top of the lineup for the Lions during the playoffs. Lovelady has scored 10 or more runs eight times throughout the postseason and heads into the 2A state title game a perfect 11-0 in playoff games this year. For the Lions to head home with their first state championship in program history, though, they’ll likely need another clutch performance by senior pitcher Macie LaRue. Lovelady’s ace in the circle improved her record this year to 22-1 after throwing seven scoreless innings, striking out six and allowing five hits in her team’s semifinal win over Stamford.
Stay with SBLive Texas all week and throughout the postseason for scores, game recaps, photo galleries, top performers and much more.
For complete statewide scores and schedules, check our Texas scoreboards below:
REGION I SCOREBOARD | REGION II SCOREBOARD
REGION III SCOREBOARD | REGION IV SCOREBOARD
Here are the brackets for every classification level in Texas this week at the 2022 UIL Softball State Championships:
CLASS 6A SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET
CLASS 5A SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET
CLASS 4A SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET
CLASS 3A SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET
CLASS 2A SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET
CLASS 1A SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET
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(Feature photo by Andrew McCulloch)
