STATE SOFTBALL: Welcome back to Fort Dodge!
Major changes, upgrades will greet teams and fans this week
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A new era for the Iowa Girl begins in very familiar territory with the first pitch of the 2026 state softball tournament on Monday morning at Rogers Sports Complex.
This season's competition in Fort Dodge -- the 57th in a row here dating back to 1970 -- will be both special and unique for a number of reasons. Not only is it an introduction to the new double-elimination format for all five classes, but the debut of three added fields on the winner's side through the semifinal round.
The City of Fort Dodge and its Parks and Recreation staff have been working tirelessly to prepare the former "mini major" fields at Rogers Park for championship-level action. Class 4A and 3A will be in the traditional locations - Diamonds 1 (Channel Seeds) and 2 (Iowa Central) - through the semifinals, but Class 1A heads to the former "Fenway" venue, which is now labeled Farm Bureau Field. Class 5A is on the turf of Triton Field - previously Yankee - and Class 2A takes place at Hy-Vee Field, which had been the space for the Wrigley replica.
Dodger and Veterans fields on the mini-major side will be used as practice facilities. The championship round reports back to Diamonds 1 and 2 like usual both Thursday and Friday, but each class stays on their respective assigned fields through Wednesday.
The brackets are a bit more complicated of course, given this is no longer a "one and done" format. Wednesday could bring upward of 20 games to the slate, depending on the results from Tuesday's competition.
Fort Dodge and St. Edmond are co-hosts as state qualifiers in the same season for just the fifth time ever - but the third time in the last four years. The Dodgers and Gaels are both seeded 3rd - in 4A and 1A, respectively - and are nothing short of dangerous, given their prolific lineups in a tourney that now tilts even more in favor of offense.
Waukee Northwest (5A), Williamsburg (3A), Clarksville (1A) and Van Meter are all back as defending champions. Van Meter took the 2A title, but is in the 3A field this summer. Williamsburg could become the first program in state history to capture four consecutive crowns under head coach Adam Berte - a Twin River Valley and Iowa Central Community College graduate.
On the other end of the spectrum is the lone first-timer of 2026: Grand View Christian.
The excitement of change is more than enough, but we will also be tracking attendance at Rogers Park in the days to come. Chances are we will see spectator No. 1,000,000 cross the gates later this week, as the current overall mark stands at 981,073.
There will be a learning curve for everyone involved in the process this year - our staff included. Mapping out the schedule alone has been an arduous task, and that's before we even get started. The unpredictable nature of games and weather will only add to the inevitable demise of best laid plans.
Patience will be necessary and appreciated across the board. Countless workers and volunteers on the field, around the complex and behind the scenes will team with the IGHSAU staff to find a rhythm to it all. Iowa Central continues to serve as a home away from home for almost all of the 40 qualifying schools.
Our community - local businesses, restaurants, hotels, stores and really anyone with a passing interest in the tournament - is here to help with questions, ideas or suggestions. With over 500 players and 20,000 plus fans in town this week, our collective intention is to make you feel welcome.
The Messenger will be along for the ride every step of the way. Our staff will provide game stories, pictures, brackets, features and social media updates all week long. Our website - www.messengernews.net/sports - will be home base for it all, along with the 32-page tournament preview included with today's paper. Chris Johnson, Dana Becker, Britt Kudla and I are on board and ready to serve you, the reader.
We wish all state tournament participants best of luck as their 2026 journey begins. With an unprecedented 20-year contract extension - making Fort Dodge the state tourney host well into the future - in tow, this is a new and exciting step we're all taking together.
Now let's play ball!
Eric Pratt is Sports Editor at The Messenger. Contact him via email at sports@messengernews.net, or on Twitter @ByEricPratt