South Dakota
Contenders to watch in 2026 South Dakota high school softball season
Jefferson’s Makenzie Bierman discusses semifinal win over Lincoln
Makenzie Bierman drove in a team-high three runs in Jefferson’s semifinal victory over Lincoln.
The 2026 South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) softball season is underway, and teams all across the state will be vying for the state championship title over the next two-plus months.
Here’s a rundown of each of the three classes and which teams can win the state championship, broken down into three tiers — defending champion, contenders and dark horses.
Class AA
Defending Champion: Sioux Falls Jefferson
Jefferson broke through in 2025 as the No. 4 seed, beating two-time state champion Sioux Falls Lincoln in the semis before shutting out Sioux Falls Washington in the championship game.
The Cavaliers’ pitching led the way last season, but Whitney Portner graduated, leaving Tya Devericks projected to hold down the circle the most. The now-junior pitcher recorded a 2.96 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 26 innings a season ago.
Devericks, Macy Bryant and Brooklyn Herrera form a three-headed monster at the top of Jefferson’s lineup that can compete with nearly any in the state.
Portner is a massive loss for a breakthrough Jefferson team, but the Cavaliers appear to have the pieces in place to repeat if things fall right.
Contenders: Sioux Falls Lincoln, Harrisburg, Sioux Falls Washington, Brandon Valley
Sure, this list includes the rest of the top five seeds from last year’s state tournament, but there’s a reason for all of them to be included.
Lincoln and Harrisburg are both off to 0-1 starts, but they have the track record to give some level of confidence they’ll be near the top of the state come postseason time. Lincoln lost a bunch of seniors from last year’s team, but won the first two SDHSAA state championships and has been the top seed all three years. Harrisburg has dealt with a little less roster turnover this year and was the No. 2 seed all three years, even if it only ended in one second-place finish.
Washington finished second last season with a relatively young roster, and it feels like the program has been ascending, even if the seeds have been relatively the same.
Brandon Valley has to replace nearly 100% of its innings pitched from last year, but most of the offense returns and the Lynx could very well slug their way to contention and their first state title since softball was officially sponsored by the SDHSAA in 2023.
Dark Horses: Tea Area, Sioux Falls Roosevelt, Rapid City Stevens, Brookings
There’s very few dark horses in Class AA, given there are only 17 teams, but all three have a case to break out this season.
Tea Area already has a win over Lincoln this season after finishing with a 6-11 record a season ago. The Titans’ early win can be great for confidence and propel them back to the top of the state after making back-to-back Class A state title games in 2023 and 2024.
Sioux Falls Roosevelt is returning lots of production from a young team in 2025. The Rough Riders didn’t get off to the best 2026 start with a big loss to Brandon Valley, but they have the potential to improve a ton throughout the season and make a leap into the upper tier of Class AA.
Rapid City Stevens went 16-4 a season ago and didn’t lose a ton of production, but the No. 6 seed in 2025 will seemingly always face an uphill battle with the travel required to get in games against Class AA competition.
Brookings had a dominant team in 2023 that fell just short and has lost in the SoDak 16 each of the last two years. The Bobcats had a stable of freshmen last year who can make a leap and bring Brookings softball back to the precipice of state title contention.
Class A
Defending Champion: West Central
West Central has been in each of the first three Class A state championship games, and the Trojans should be extremely strong again with a large senior class.
West Central has already dropped a 17-15 game to Madison to open the season, but a few losses crept into the regular season last year. The Trojans went 22-0 and won a state championship in 2023, and went 22-1 and dropped the state title game to Tea Area in 2024 before a 21-3 run to the state title a year ago.
This year’s crop of Class A softball appears to be even better than the past, and the Trojans will need to dig deep and pull out some tough games to repeat and win their third Class A state championship.
Contenders: Tri-Valley, Madison, Elk Point-Jefferson, Dell Rapids, Dakota Valley
This list essentially comprises the rest of the year in, year out contenders in Class A. All five teams consistently show up in the state tournament and beat each other as West Central mows down its opposition en route to the state championship game.
Tri-Valley was last year’s No. 2 seed and runner-up, and is already off to a 3-0 start in 2026. The Mustangs have most of the same roster as last year and will be able to plug in most of their holes with 2025 backups.
Madison has the aforementioned win over West Central already, but has taken a loss to Tri-Valley. The Bulldogs have consistently had an offense in the top third of Class A, but things can change quickly if the big-game run prevention shows up.
Elk Point-Jefferson, like Tri-Valley, is off to a 3-0 start. The difference is the Huskies haven’t quite faced the level of competition as the Mustangs. Elk Point-Jefferson has dispatched of that opposition accordingly, and early-season momentum is never a bad thing.
Dell Rapids has finished third each of the last three seasons, and lots of young talent returning can help the Lady Quarriers break through the barrier. Dell Rapids’ seed has gotten worse over the last three years, so there’s also the chance there’s another dip.
Dakota Valley has been the most up-and-down of the teams in this tier, bouncing from the third seed to seven seed year to year. The Panthers have a difficult early-season schedule, where a lot will be learned about this group.
Dark Horses: Beresford, Sioux Valley
This is a short list with the top contenders in Class A being so stable, but each team has a reason for being listed.
Beresford is off to a 2-0 start and has clubbed Class B’s Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy and Castlewood. The Watchdogs’ next two games are against Madison and Dakota Valley, so their long-term viability in this race will be determined soon.
Sioux Valley is looking to build off a 16-8 2025 season with only two seniors to replace. The Cossacks have already lost a 6-2 game to Tri-Valley, but they need just a couple big wins to break through into the upper tier of the class.
Class B
Defending Champion: Deuel
This is the first defending champ who doesn’t have a clear path to a repeat due to the graduation of pitcher Katrina Hagberg. A strong pitcher can be overwhelming, especially at smaller schools, and losing that weapon can pose serious problems for a team that surrendered 43 runs in 24 games.
Also, Deuel only scored five runs in the last two state tournament games, fully relying on pitching and defense to beat elite competition.
Counting out the defending champs is never a good idea, especially with so much of the team coming back, but this feels like a year for the Cardinals to reset and find a new way to win games.
Contenders: Castlewood, Flandreau, Gayville-Volin, Florence/Henry, Bon Homme
The theme here is teams that didn’t lose their star pitcher or lots of seniors from last year, as pitching is at a premium in Class B.
Castlewood has lots of roster continuity, while also coming off a 16-6 season and a sixth-place finish in the state tournament. The Warriors won the 2023 championship and were second in 2024, and have a few tough tests against Class A teams lined up to determine how strong they really are.
Flandreau could technically be considered a dark horse given they weren’t in the state tournament a season ago, but the Fliers are off to a dominant 2-0 start with 32 runs scored. Flandreau could make a leap from a SoDak 16 appearance to a run in the Class B state tournament.
Gayville-Volin is also 2-0 this season, and the Raiders have won in a low-scoring game and had the offense go for 16 runs. The Raiders made a run to the state championship game as the No. 6 seed, and this could be the year they bump up a step and win it all.
Florence/Henry is another example of a team that went to the state tournament and has a lot of roster continuity. The Watchdog Classic on May 9, will determine a lot about how the Falcons will fare this season, with Beresford, Dell Rapids, Tri-Valley and West Central all set to test Florence/Henry.
Bon Homme was the No. 2 seed in 2025 and had a dynamic offense, scoring 27 runs in three games at the state tournament. The Cavaliers’ offense remains mostly intact and hasn’t gotten on the field yet, but appears to be the best in Class B.
Dark Horses: Scotland/Menno, Chester, Clark/Willow Lake
There’s a few teams that can break into the Class B state championship picture, but they all have different ways of doing it.
Scotland/Menno is already 2-1 on this young season, and the Trappers have dominated their two inferior opponents this year. Scotland/Menno made the state tournament in 2024 and could be returning in 2026.
Chester already has a huge win after being upset in the SoDak 16 a season ago. The Flyers have five seniors and five players who are freshmen or younger, so they could have some ups and downs and get hot at the right time.
Clark/Willow Lake has started 1-2, but played a couple very close, low-scoring games against Avon and Elk Point-Jefferson. The Cyclones have a very young team and could also cause problems if things come together throughout the season.
NEMO, S.D. – South Dakota Mines is planning to build a more than 9,000-square-foot geology field station in Nemo. The new facility will give students a dedicated space to live and collaborate while completing required field camps.
The project is being completed in conjunction with the South Dakota Mines Center for Alumni Relations and Advancement (CARA). Currently, geology students have to commute from the Rapid City campus to remote locations every day to complete their field camps.
The new center is aimed at making the study of Black Hills geology more accessible while providing late-night mentorship and a better space for students to hang out and work together.
“Several years ago we received the generous gift of land in Nemo, and at that moment, you know, that gift of land opened up some opportunities and allowed us to think about what might be possible,” said Marc Vaillancourt, Chief Executive Officer for CARA at South Dakota Mines.
South Dakota Mines Center for Alumni Relations & Advancement
Vaillancourt says the Black Hills are one of the greatest natural geology classrooms in the world, giving students the opportunity to climb rugged terrain, map complex formations, and wrestle with folds, faults, and intrusions. He emphasized that the field camp is a rigorous requirement, where students spend their days in the field conducting research and geological mapping alongside professors.
“The field station and the field camps… that really is the capstone for a student,” Vaillancourt said, “They’ve spent four years studying the work and what it takes to be a geologist or a geological engineer, and now the last thing, the capstone, is that field camp experience, being there in the weeds, so to speak, in the rocks.”
The new 9,415-square-foot facility will feature dormitories and collaboration spaces, functioning as a classroom embedded in the Black Hills. The project is estimated to cost just over $6 million and will be entirely funded by private donors.
The Center for Alumni Relations is hosting a public meeting Monday evening to share their vision and answer questions from Nemo residents. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 8, at the Nemo Community Hall.
Per grew up in Sioux Falls and graduated from South Dakota Mines. He found his passion for weather reporting by the impact it has on the community, both in how people work and how it brings people together through severe weather preparation. He also has a passion for preventing health issues with Air Quality Index awareness. Per can be found enjoying outdoor activities in the Black Hills when the weather allows.
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 6, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 6 drawing
16-32-55-59-64, Powerball: 03, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from June 6 drawing
08-22-24-37-47, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from June 6 drawing
05-09-13-14-23
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 6 drawing
03-13-18-35-48, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
The 2026 SDHSAA State Softball Championships concluded Saturday from Sioux Falls and Aberdeen. Congrats to Dakota Valley (A), Castlewood (B) and Sioux Falls Jefferson (AA) on taking home state championships.
Saturday Scores
Class AA
7/8th Place
Sioux Falls Lincoln 10, Bishop O’Gorman 8
5/6th Place
Brandon Valley 4, Rapid City Stevens 2
3/4th Place
Harrisburg 10, Sioux Falls Roosevelt 4
Championship
Sioux Falls Jefferson 11, Sioux Falls Washington 0
Class A
7/8th Place
Lennox 11, Madison 7
5/6th Place
Sioux Valley 9, Beresford 5
3/4th Place
West Central 11, Tri-Valley 1
Championship
Dakota Valley 9, Elk Point-Jefferson 6
Class B
7/8th Place
Avon 13, Florence/Henry 3
5/6th Place
Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy 9, Redfield 3
3/4th Place
Gayville-Volin 7, Hanson 0
Championship
Castlewood 9, McCook Central/Montrose 2
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