Class A, B district assignments expected by week’s end, or at least by next week

When the annual Central Lady Tiger Shootout has come and gone, that’s usually a good sign that something is on the horizon — the announcement of the Class A and B district assignments to begin the 2023 fast-pitch softball playoffs for Gore, Gans and Webbers Falls.

Classes A and B do not do districts like Classes 2A, 3A and 4A do. All teams in each class are put together, then the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association determines the district sites and teams visiting those sites. Usually the lowest-seeded team in each district gets to determine who they wish to play first.

For the majority of the Class A and B districts, they are three-team districts — and usually are played in one day.

The Class A and B district tournaments are slated to take place at the end of next week.

As soon as the Class A and B district tournaments assignments will be made available, I’ll publish them — both in the next physical edition we produce as well as on our website.

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Speaking of the Class 2A, 3A and 4A fast-pitch softball playoffs, the 2023 Regional Tournaments (formerly known as the Bi-District Tournaments) are slated to take place the week after the Class A and B District Tournaments.

Sallisaw and Muldrow (Class 4A), Roland and Vian (Class 3A) and Central (Class 2A) will be paired with their corresponding district, with the top seed of one district playing the lowest seed from the corresponding district. The No. 2 seed from District “A” entertains the second-lowest seed from District “B,” and so forth.

The teams who win their regional tournament will advance to the super regionals (formerly known as simply a regional), with the champion making the state tournament.

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Don’t forget that Sequoyah County has five Organization of Rural Elementary Schools (ORES) schools — Brushy, Marble City, Liberty, Belfonte and Moffett.

The 2023 ORES State Softball Tournament will take place Sept. 21-23 at the Ballfields at Firelake in Shawnee. The ORES Division III State Tournament will be a one-day affair on Sept. 21, followed by the Division II State Tournament on Sept. 22 and wrapping up with the Division I State Tournament on Sept. 23.

As soon as the firstround of the state playoffs match-ups are announced by ORES, I also will publish them — both in the next physical edition we produce as well as on our website.

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WEEK 5 INDIVIDUAL HITTING HIGHLIGHTS

• Vian’s LaKaila Drew had quite the week last week, going 6-for-15 (.400) with a triple and seven runs batted in, which included her 5-for-10 (.500) with a triple and six RBIs performance in her three games at the Central Lady Tiger Shootout.

• Gore’s duo of River Shoemake and Natalie Casteel each had three hits in the two games played against Gans and Webbers Falls, which were both wins for the Lady Pirates. Shoemake went 3-for-4 with a double and a run batted in, while Casteel went 3-for-7 with two doubles and four RBIs.

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WEEK 5 INDIVIDUAL PITCHING HIGHLIGHTS

• Gore’s Cheyenne Davidson threw a threeinning no-hitter against Gans on Sept. 5.

• Vian’s Kala Gibbins had 27 strikeouts last week, with 23 of those coming in last week’s Central Lady Tigers Shootout. Of those 23 Ks in last week’s two-day event, 11 of them came against Keys (Park Hill). She also no-hit Talihina in Vian’s second game of the Lady Tiger Shootout.

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David Seeley is sports editor for Your TIMES. He can be reached by telephone at (918) 775-4433, Ext. 139 or by email at davids@cookson.news.