STATE HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL: Despite playing up, Timberlake still draws a No. 8 seed

3A

The 3A Timberlake Tigers scheduled as many 5A and 4A teams as they could this season, as well as other strong teams in the area, such as Libby and Frenchtown, for their nonleague games.

They did this to better prepare themselves for the teams they would face at state — while also figuring their improved strength of schedule would help their MaxPreps ranking. MaxPreps rankings are used to seed the eight teams that qualify for state.

As for being more prepared for the tougher 3A teams at state, you would correctly assume facing the best that teams like Coeur d’Alene, Lake City Post Falls, Moscow and Lakeland have to offer would pay off when Timberlake got to state — the Tigers will play in their 23rd state tournament this year.

But when the state 3A brackets were released Sunday, there was Timberlake (14-8) as the eighth seed — slated to face top-seeded and defending state champion Kimberly (20-5) in the first round today at 5:15 at the Moscow School District Community Playfields.

“If you look at our strength of schedule, it’s the second lowest of all the 3A schools,” ninth-year Timberlake coach Casi Lupinacci said. “We want to play up because we want to do better at state, but when MaxPreps changed the ranking system they said if you schedule up it will help your strength … and you would think that would help your final rankings, but that did not definitely help us.”

The only 3A school ranked lower than Timberlake in strength of schedule was Bonners Ferry — the only other softball team in the Intermountain League. The two teams play twice in league play, then meet in a best-of-3 series for the district title and the lone berth to state.

So playing Bonners four times obviously doesn’t help the strength of schedule. But what about playing all those 5A and 4A teams?

“Regardless, it doesn’t make any sense to me,” Lupinacci said. “What we’re doing is the best that we can, with the big schools — we played all the 4As and 5As except for Lewiston.

“I don’t know … I don’t understand it.”

Timberlake lost to Kimberly 8-1 in the second round last year. The Tigers went 1-2 on the first day and finished tied for fifth.

“The best games we have played at state have been our first games, so it may be advantageous to play a Kimberly in the first game,” Lupinacci said.

Timberlake is normally a strong hitting team, but Lupinacci said for some reason, the Tigers have not hit well at state the last couple years.

Acacia Pecor has been a mainstay in the circle the past four years, and fellow senior Casey Whaley has provided some added depth, particularly this season.

“Casey’s had a great year for us,” Lupinacci said.

Senior catcher Logan Walsh is hitting .397 with four homers and 35 RBIs for Timberlake.

Junior Marissa Needs is third on the team in hitting (.360).

“Marissa Needs has had a great year this year, hitting and stepping into that shortstop position,” Lupinacci said. “She was an outfielder last year, and she’s been doing a great job. Last year at state, she was one of the only kids that hit well.”

5A

Thanks to wins in both of the state play-in games, this week’s tournament at Post Falls High could also be dubbed the 5A Southern Idaho Conference Invitational, as six of the eight teams in the field are from the 5A SIC.

Coeur d’Alene (19-5), one of the two that isn’t, is the eighth seed, and opens vs. top seed and defending state champion Owyhee (20-2) today at 5:15 p.m.

Thunder Ridge (24-1) of Idaho Falls, third at state last year, is the No. 2 seed. 

4A

Moscow (16-10) apparently didn’t get much love from playing all the 5A schools either. The Bears, at state for the second straight year, are the eighth seed, and will open vs. top-seeded Bishop Kelly (20-3) today at 5:15 p.m. at Coeur d’Alene High. 

BK didn’t make it to state last year after winning three straight titles (2019, ‘21 and ‘22), and the Knights have won 13 state titles since 1997.

Defending state champion Skyview (16-12) is the sixth seed, and Pocatello (21-3), last year’s runner-up, is the No. 2 seed.

2A

The two Central Idaho League qualifiers ended up on the same side of the bracket for the tourney at the Orofino Community Fields.

District 1-2 champion Grangeville (17-7) is the No. 7 seed, and CIL champion Orofino (18-8) is the No. 6 seed. 

Malad (24-0-1), which has won four straight state titles, is the No. 1 seed.