Challenging schedule
JCC softball slated to open at Windom Tuesday
With eight starters returning from a year ago and a talented group of B-squad players contending to get some varsity playing time, the Jackson County Central softball team has its sights set on improving on last year’s fourth-place finish in the state Class AA tournament.
A helpful aid in getting to Caswell Park in North Mankato for a couple of games in the first week of June and possibly to the University of Minnesota beyond that is a competitive regular-season schedule.
The Huskies have had that going back to the days when they won back-to-back state championships and there have been some strong additions in recent seasons. And this year’s slate is the most challenging yet.
Coach Morgan Christopher’s team is scheduled to open its season Tuesday with a 4 p.m. Big South Conference Gold Division doubleheader at Windom.
The Huskies swept the Eagles in last year’s Big South doubleheader in Jackson, winning 9-0 and 19-5. JCC later won a Section 3AA tournament game over Windom 6-1.
Then comes a stretch from Saturday, April 11 through Saturday, April 18, that will be challenging one, but one that a team with lofty aspirations looks forward to.
It starts with a new opponent on the schedule as JCC has a 2 p.m. doubleheader scheduled at New Ulm Cathedral on April 18.
The Greyhounds have long been a Class A power, winning eight state championships in 19 tournament appearances.
Here’s the list of state tournament trips for Cathedral:
1989, 1993 A champion, 1994 A champion, 1995 A champion, 1996, 2003 A champion, 2004, 2005 A champion, 2007 A champion, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 A champion, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024 A champion.
The Greyhounds’ first state championship in 1993 included an 8-0 win over Jackson in the semifinals. Cathedral’s pitcher was future Minnesota Golden Gopher Klavitter, who had a 23-1 record that season with an earned run average of 0.38 and 233 strikeouts.
The Bluejays were coached by Mike Bosch, who is currently in his third season as an assistant coach at North Carolina State. He’s been a college head coach at Iowa Lakes Community College and Syracuse and an assistant at Florida.
Cathedral is 1-0 this season, beating Cleveland 4-1.
Next up is a game at Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian on Tuesday, April 14.
The Flying Dutchmen have been to nine state tournaments, winning three titles and fishing second twice:
2014, 2015, 2016 A champion, 2017 A runner-up, 2018 A runner-up, 2019 A champion, 2021, 2022, 2023 A champion.
It’s the fourth straight season that the teams have played. Jackson County Central has won the first three meetings:
2023: Jackson County Central 11, Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian 10
2024: Jackson County Central 10, Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian 0
2025: Jackson County Central 7, Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian 5
JCC’s home opener is scheduled for Thursday, April 16 against a team that has had the advantage on the Huskies recently as Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial visits for a 5:30 p.m. nonconference game.
The teams first played at least once a year since 2017. The 2020 season was canceled.
The Huskies won the first three games between the teams, but the Knights have won five of the last six meetings:
2017: Jackson County Central 10, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 0
2018: Jackson County Central 11, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 10
2019: Jackson County Central 10, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 5
2021: Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 13, Jackson County Central 3; Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 18, Jackson County Central 2
2022: Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 10, Jackson County Central 5
2023: Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 5, Jackson County Central 1
2024: Jackson County Central 4, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 3
2025: Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial 3, Jackson County Central 2
LCWM has been in the state Class AA tournament each of the last two years, placing sixth in 2025.
The Knights have played in the state tourney three times:
2009, 2024 AA runner-up, 2025.
A late addition to the Jackson County Central schedule is a pair of games in Mankato on April 18. The Huskies are scheduled to play Owatonna at 1 p.m., followed by host Mankato East at 3 p.m.
Owatonna and East are both Big Nine Conference teams and start the day with a conference game at 11 a.m. The Owatonna Huskies are a Class AAAA team, compiling a 14-10 record last season.
East plays in Class AAA and has played in the last three state tournaments, winning championships in 2023 and 2024. The Cougars were seeded first at last year’s state tournament but lost 2-0 to fifth-seeded Rocori in the semifinals with the Spartans going on to beat Byron 9-3 for the state title.
Overall, East has played in the state tournament 19 times, winning six state titles and placing second once:
1985 AA runner-up, 1986 AA champion, 1987, 1988 AA champion, 1989 AA champion, 1991 AA champion, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2023 AAA champion, 2024 AAA champion, 2025.
JACKSON COUNTY CENTRAL
2026 softball schedule
As of April 4
Tuesday, April 7: at Windom (2), 4 p.m.
Saturday, April 11: at New Ulm Cathedral (2), 2 p.m.
Tuesday, April 14: at Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian, 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 16: Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 18: Owatonna at Mankato East, 1 p.m.
Saturday, April 18: at Mankato East, 3 p.m.
Tuesday, April 21: Fairmont, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Apri; 23: Luverne (2), 4 p.m.
Thursday, April 30: at Pipestone (2), 4 p.m.
Monday, May 4: St. James Area, 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday, May 5: at St. James Area, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 7: Redwood Valley (2), 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 9: JCC Invitational (list below)
Tuesday, May 12: at Fairmont, 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 14: at Wabasso, 5:30 p.m.
JCC INVITATIONAL TEAMS: Albert Lea, Chatfield, Glencoe-Silver Lake, Jackson County Central, Kimball Area, New York Mills, Pipestone, Worthington.