FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 3, 2026

The 2026 KHSAA Baseball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare and the 2026 KHSAA Softball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare are set to begin this week in Lexington.

Baseball will open first-round and quarterfinal-round action at Lexington Legends Field on June 4-6. The opening three days of the softball state tourney will also be played on June 4-6, but at John Cropp Stadium on the University of Kentucky campus. The semifinals and finals of both tournaments will be June 12-13.

The Baseball State Tournament will move to Kentucky Proud Park for the semifinals and finals, while the entire Softball State Tournament will be played at John Cropp Stadium.

Reigning baseball state champion and two-time winner Trinity (Louisville) will look to become the first back-to-back champ since Harrison County in 1997-98. Assumption is back in the 16-team field to defend its fastpitch softball state championship. 

Tickets are available online only at khsaatickets.org. Fans who purchase tickets in advance will receive a $3 discount. Live video of each game will be streamed on khsaa.tv to subscribers of the NFHS Network, while a free audio-only broadcast of each game will be available on khsaa.net.

 2026 KHSAA SOFTBALL STATE TOURNAMENT

• khsaatickets.org
• khsaa.tv
• khsaa.net
• Live Stats
• KHSAA/Riherds Scoreboard
• Tournament Bracket
• Tournament Program

For Highlands softball games, you can catch the free radio broadcast on WFTS bluebirdsradio.com . This will of course include their Thursday morning matchup at 10am against South Laurel.

16 hours ago, Brennan_Bucher said:

For Highlands softball games, you can catch the free radio broadcast on WFTS bluebirdsradio.com . This will of course include their Thursday morning matchup at 10am against South Laurel.

What a game for the Birds!!!

Birds advance!!!!

Great call on the radio BB!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 4, 2026

The first day of the 2026 KHSAA Softball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare concluded at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington. The bracket began with a pair of 30-win teams opening play as Highlands defeated South Laurel 3-0.

North Hardin got a 1-run decision over Apollo, winning 4-3, while Madison Central eliminated Lawrence County 7-1.

Top-ranked South Warren finished off day one with a 12-0 victory over Oldham County. The win improved the Lady Spartans' season record to 42-0.

Here is a look at Friday’s action from John Cropp Stadium as the opening round continues.

*10 AM: Assumption (25-11) vs. Bullitt East (29-4)
*1 PM: Ballard Memorial (24-14) vs. Hazard (23-12)
*5 PM: Pulaski County (18-15) vs. Henderson County (27-8)
*8 PM: George Rogers Clark (36-5) vs. Ashland Blazer (30-6)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 5, 2026

The opening round of the 2026 KHSAA Softball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare wrapped up at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington.

Bullitt East shut out Assumption 5-0 in the first game of the day.

Hazard beat Ballard Memorial 7-2, eliminating the Bombers in their first appearance at the State Tournament.

Henderson County hung on and won a wild game with Pulaski County 6-5.

The final matchup of the first round had 30-game winners Ashland Blazer and GRC. The Lady Cardinals get the 6-3 victory.

So the quarterfinals are set at John Cropp Stadium on Saturday:

*10 AM: Highlands (34-6) vs. North Hardin (26-12)
*1 PM: South Warren (42-0) vs. Madison Central (27-8)
*5 PM: Hazard (24-12) vs. Bullitt East (30-4)
*8 PM: Henderson County (28-8) vs. George Rogers Clark (37-5)

T-90 minuets to first pitch! Come join on bluebirdsradio.com for second round softball action! Highlands/North Hardin on tap. 

Great win for the ‘Birds!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 6, 2026

The quarterfinal round of the 2026 KHSAA Softball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare had high drama, a high-scoring game, and a high-intensity setting up the semifinals next week at John Cropp Stadium.

In Saturday’s opener, Highlands forced extra innings in the 7^th and then won with a walk-off single in the 8^th inning to beat North Hardin 3-2.

South Warren also used late-game heroics to slip past Madison Central in eight innings, thanks to a walk-off 2-run homer.  The Spartans won 4-3 and extended their winning streak to 43 games.

Bullitt East scored nine runs in the final two innings and rallied to beat Hazard 16-8.

The nightcap saw George Rogers Clark and Henderson County have a pitcher’s duel with GRC slipping past the Lady Colonels 2-1.

The semifinals are set and will be played June 12 at John Cropp Stadium.
*3:30 PM: Highlands (35-6) vs. South Warren (43-0)
*6:30 PM: Bullitt East (31-4) vs. George Rogers Clark (38-5)

--Fun fact, the four remaining teams have a combined record of 147-15.

The championship game will be held at 7 P.M. Saturday, June 13, at John Cropp Stadium.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 11, 2026

The KHSAA Softball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare enters the semifinal round on Friday with four teams in search of their program’s first state title. We will have a first-time champion crowned this weekend at John Cropp Stadium.

Action gets underway at 3:30 PM between the 9th region winner, Highlands (35-6), and the 4th region victor, South Warren (43-0). The Bluebirds from Northern Kentucky are making their fourth trip in five years to the state tournament and have won 19 in a row, but needed extra innings to advance past North Hardin 3-2 in the quarterfinals. Highlands is batting .382 as a team, paced by Cam Markus (.475 BA) and Layla Zepf (.457 batting average), with Kate Class also batting at a .410 clip.  The Birds are dangerous on the basepaths, having swiped 115 bases in 121 attempts. Zepf is 26-for-28, and Class is 20-for-21. Ace pitcher Kaitlyn Dixon is 30-3 with a 0.66 ERA. Four of Highlands’ six losses have been by one run. 

South Warren, winners of 43 straight, has been atop the state’s softball rankings all year and is currently ranked in the Top-5 nationally by most, if not all, publications.  Led by Kentucky’s Gatorade Player of the Year, McLaine Hudson, who is batting on the season with a .731 with 26 homers and 78 RBI. The Lady Spartans' top seven hitters are batting .436 or better, with Hudson, Parker Willoughby, Layla Ogden, and Hadley Borders all batting .500 or better. South Warren has clubbed 69 round-trippers and stolen 185 bases. Ogden and Courtney Norwood anchor a pitching rotation that has allowed only 27 earned runs over 192 innings pitched. South Warren nearly saw their perfect season come to a close in the quarterfinals against Madison Central. Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the 8th inning, Layla Ogden slammed her 13th home run of the year, a 2-run shot, to send the Lady Spartans into the semifinals. 

Bullitt East (31-4) and George Rogers Clark (38-5) face off in the other semifinal to begin at 6:30 PM from John Cropp Stadium. These two softball powers have not faced each other in more than 13 years.

The Lady Chargers are making their inaugural trip to the doorstep of the championship game. The Lady Chargers are back-to-back region champions for the first time in school history, and Bullitt East’s first-round victory over reigning state champion Assumption was the first win in program history at the state tournament. East blanked Assumption in the opening round 5-0 but had to claw and scratch their way to a 16-8 win over Hazard in the quarterfinals. The Lady Chargers scored nine runs in the final two innings to pull away. Six batters in Bruce Pierce’s lineup are hitting better than .440.  In the circle, Bullitt East has the duo of Ryleigh Watrous and Mackenzie Mingus, who have combined for a 27-4 record with 243 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA.

George Rogers Clark has had the most success in the state tournament semifinals among the other three teams. GRC has advanced to the KHSAA state tournament 12 times, but not since 2010. The Lady Cardinals got to Lexington by knocking off state power Harrison County in the region final. After defeating Ashland Blalzer in round one, the Redbirds slipped past Henderson County 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Like the others in the semifinals, GRC is not shy in hitting the softball, sporting a team batting average of .434 with seven stuffing the stat sheet at a .417 clip or better. Lilliana Hill leads the Cards in the box with a .527 batting average with 15 HR and 66 RBI, and is just as impressive in the circle with a 17-2 ledger and a 1.91 ERA.  Arabella Guinn and Jordan Abner each have double digits in homers and are among the team leaders in extra base hits, RBI, and stolen bases. GRC has stolen 112 bases in 116 attempts.

2026 KHSAA Softball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare

• Purchase State Softball Tickets (all electronic, no cash sales on site)

• State Semifinals, Finals Schedule of Events

• UK Athletics Clear Bag Policy

• Directions to John Cropp Stadium

• UK Softball Parking Diagram

• khsaa.tv 

• khsaa.net 

• Live Stats 

• KHSAA/Riherds Scoreboard 

• Tournament Bracket 

• Tournament Program

Happy game day! Highlands/South Warren in a heavyweight clash starting at 3:30. Stakes couldn’t be higher…a trip to fight for a state title on the line. Should be a fantastic matchup. I’ll be live broadcasting the game on bluebirdsradio.com . 

South Warren beat Highlands in 5 innings.  10-0.

Bullitt East beat GRC in 5 innings 13-3.

The Chargers will face the undefeated and nationally ranked SW squad at 7 pm on Sat. for the big prize.  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 12, 2026

The championship game of the 2026 KHSAA Softball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare is set after South Warren and Bullitt East dominated the semifinals.

The championship game will be Saturday, June 13, at 7 pm from John Cropp Stadium.

South Warren defeated Highlands 10-0 in 5 innings. McLaine Hudson had a pair of home runs, and Layla Ogden added a round tripper as well, and the Lady Spartans improved to 44-0. Highlands ended their season at 35-7.  South Warren takes a 44-0 record into the title game.

Bullitt East (32-4) won 13-3 in five innings over George Rogers Clark. Bullitt East jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first two innings. Seven Lady Chargers registered hits, with Kinnley Murphy with three hits and Allie Carter with a 4-for-4 night, including a 2-run homer to end the game. GRC ended their 2026 season with a 38-6 record.

2026 KHSAA Softball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare

• Purchase State Softball Tickets (all electronic, no cash sales on site)

• State Semifinals, Finals Schedule of Events

• UK Athletics Clear Bag Policy

• Directions to John Cropp Stadium

• UK Softball Parking Diagram

• khsaa.tv 

• khsaa.net 

• Live Stats 

• KHSAA/Riherds Scoreboard 

• Tournament Bracket 

• Tournament Program

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JUNE 13, 2026

The South Warren Lady Spartans won the 2026 KHSAA Softball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare.  The Lady Spartans defeated Bullitt East 8-0 to claim the crown.

South Warren’s starting pitcher Courtney Norwood tossed a 2-hitter with her bid for a no-hitter broken up with two outs in the 6^th inning by Allie Carter.  Norwood was named the Morgan & Morgan MVP of the tournament.

The Lady Spartans complete their quest for not only a state championship, but also finish 2026 with a perfect 45-0 record.

Bullitt East finishes the season at 32-5, advancing to the finals for the first time in school history.

I'm told that South Warren only trailed at any point in only two games this year.  Madison Central was very, very close to taking them down, but South completes possibly the most dominant season in the history of the sport in Kentucky.  They outscored their opponents 100-3 in the postseason.  One team (Madison Central) scored even one run on them during the postseason.