Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge's Mariah Myers tags an Ames runner out at third base last week.

The Fort Dodge Invitational softball tournament has long been considered a mini-state tournament.

This year’s field may be much closer to the literal definition of that than a figurative one, given the depth of talent set to arrive at Rogers Park.

For 36 hours beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, the eyes and ears of Iowa high school softball will be refreshing for updates from this 16-team monster of a bracket.

Thirteen ranked teams. No. 1 squads from Class 5A, 4A, 3A and 1A. No programs with losing records. A combined record of 227-64 from the field.

“I’m just so excited to see what happens,” said Andi Adams, head coach of top-ranked (5A) tourney host Fort Dodge. “We’ve had some amazing invitationals here through the years, but nothing to this extent. It’s just really great to see how many schools want to be involved in something like this, both for our program and the Fort Dodge community.

“It’s an absolute gauntlet. There won’t be a better seat in the state than (at Rogers Park on Friday and Saturday).”

The Dodgers (17-3 overall) have won 11 consecutive games and unseated 15-2 Muscatine — which will also be in town — for the top spot in Iowa’s largest class on Thursday. Fort Dodge may square off with the Muskies in the finals on Saturday at 4:30 p.m., but both teams have a lot of work to do before that matchup comes to fruition.

Top-rated (4A) Winterset (17-4), No. 1 (3A) Davenport Assumption (17-1) and top-ranked (1A) Newell-Fonda (20-1) are in the field as well, along with 5A powers Cedar Rapids Kennedy (No. 6, 14-4), Pleasant Valley (No. 8, 13-5) and Ankeny (No. 13, 11-6).

Kennedy and Winterset are defending state champions.

Fort Dodge has captured the last two invite crowns, in 2018 and 2020. The final day was rained out in 2019.

The Dodgers open with Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire (7-5) on Friday at 9 a.m. on Diamond 1. The winner faces either Newell-Fonda or eighth-rated (4A) Ballard (13-7) in the quarterfinals at 4:30.

“This is really the first true challenge most of us have seen this year in a tournament filled with state-caliber opponents,” Adams said. “That’s a good pressure to confront if your goal is to be playing back here (at state July 19-23). Can you beat not just one, but three or four elite programs in a short stretch of time? I think we’re all looking forward to measuring up against each other and seeing where we stand for the third week of June.”

Senior Tristin Doster (.527 batting average, 6 home runs, 23 RBI), eighth-grader Mariah Myers (.483, 4 HRs, 31 RBI), junior Jalen Adams (.474, 3 HRs, 15 RBI), junior Maia Davis (.442, 19 runs, 15 stolen bases) and junior Tory Bennett (.431, 21 runs, 9 SBs) are leading FDSH offensively. Adams, a University of Iowa recruit, has been impenetrable from the pitcher’s circle, going 11-0 with an 0.61 earned run average. She’s struck out 104 batters in just 68.2 innings, and opponents are hitting only .084 against her.

Adams hasn’t allowed a run in her last 24 innings.

Newell-Fonda, the only other Messenger-area squad in action, is led by Ella Larsen (.516 BA, 3 HRs, 32 RBI), Anna Bellcock (.456, 22 RBI), Bailey Sievers (.446, 19 RBI) and Macy Sievers (.422, 22 RBI). Freshman sensation Kierra Jungers is 15-0 with an 0.76 ERA and 145 strikeouts.

No. 7 (3A) Atlantic (18-3), 14th-ranked (3A) Sioux City Heelan (16-4), fifth-ranked (2A) Waterloo Columbus (14-1), No. 6 (2A) Central Springs (15-4), Harlan (11-5) and Sioux City East (9-9) round out the bracket.

Tickets for the weekend are available only through Varsity Bound Tickets online through the VB app.

FORT DODGE INVITATIONAL

(Friday’s opening-round games)

Fort Dodge vs. GTRA: 9 a.m. (D-1)

Newell-Fonda vs. Ballard: 9 a.m. (D-2)

CR Kennedy vs. Waterloo Columbus: 10:30 a.m. (D-1)

Sioux City East vs. Davenport Assumption: 10:30 a.m. (D-2)

Pleasant Valley vs. Harlan: noon (D-1)

Winterset vs. Atlantic: noon (D-2)

Sioux City Heelan vs. Muscatine: 1:30 p.m. (D-1)

Ankeny vs. Central Springs: 1:30 p.m. (D-2)