The Iowa high school softball state tournament is scheduled to begin July 20 in Fort Dodge, with championship games running through July 24. All five classes will compete at the same time across five different fields.
According to the Des Moines Register, via Yahoo Sports, this year's tournament features a significant format change. The IGHSAU has shifted from a previous format to double elimination, meaning teams will need to lose twice before being eliminated. Despite the additional games that format creates, the tournament will still run the same number of days. Five fields will be used rather than the two that had been standard previously.
Class 1A and 2A pairings were released Monday. Brackets for Class 3A, 4A and 5A were scheduled to be released Tuesday evening.
Championship games for 2A and 4A are scheduled for Thursday, July 23. The 1A, 3A and 5A title games will be held Friday, July 24. The 5A championship is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Channel Seeds Field. The 4A championship is also set for 7:30 p.m. at Channel Seeds Field on Thursday.
Class 5A first-round play opens Monday, July 20, with the first game at 11:45 a.m. at Triton Field. Class 4A begins the same day at 10:30 a.m. at Channel Seeds Field. Class 3A opens at 11:15 a.m. at Iowa Central Field on Monday as well.
Play resumes Tuesday for all classes, with additional rounds scheduled Wednesday before championship weekend closes out the tournament.