To get back to the state tournament, the Fort Dodge softball team will not have to leave their home field.

The sixth-ranked Dodgers begin Class 4A regional play here Saturday night at Rogers Park vs. Le Mars at 7 p.m.

After reaching back-to-back 5A championship games, including a state title in 2021, Fort Dodge (28-12 overall) advanced to the 4A semifinals last summer.

Several key pieces from that team are back, including pitcher Lucy Porter. The junior owns a 17-9 record with 144 strikeouts and a 2.23 earned run average in just under 151 innings of work.

Hope Alstott, a freshman, is hitting a team-high .457 with 47 runs, 28 steals and 25 RBI, while junior Meah McCaleb has a .378 average with 49 runs scored, five triples, 18 steals and 21 RBI.

Teryn Rippentrop, Macy Brown, Porter, Maeleena Meyer, Ellie Doster and Calliegh Zimmermann are all hitting over .300. The Dodgers have a .335 team batting average, to go along with a .438 slugging percentage.

Fort Dodge has drawn 103 walks at the plate, while hitting seven homers, nine triples and 57 doubles.

Le Mars knocked off Humboldt to advance, 5-1, improving to 22-14 on the year. The Bulldogs are led by Charli Grosenheider, as the junior is hitting over .470 with 13 home runs.

Classmate Brenna Leraas is the ace of the pitching staff, sporting an ERA under two with over 260 strikeouts.

The winner advances to meet either No. 14 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (28-6) or Sioux Center (15-9) on Tuesday night in the regional final. If the Dodgers advance past Le Mars, the championship round will be back at Rogers Park.