Championship Saturday
Huskies to host Eagles for Big South softball title
One of the goals this year’s Jackson County Central softball team has set for themselves this season is to win the school’s first Big South Conference championship.
There are other goals in the next couple of weeks that the team may ultimately be remembered more for, but the Huskies have a chance to cross the conference title off the list when they host New Ulm in the conference championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday.
JCC won the BSC’s Small School Division title with a 13-1 record and the Class 2A No. 9 Huskies are 18-2 overall. New Ulm won the Large School Division with an 11-1 mark and the Class 3A No. 3 Eagles are 15-3.
Both teams won on Thursday. Jackson County Central was a 12-1 winner in five innings over Class 1A No. 10 Wabasso, while New Ulm 19-1 in four innings at Marshall.
JCC sophomore Hadley Wachal says the conference title is something the Huskies have had an eye on.
“We’ve been working it for years,” she said. “It’s one of our goals to win the conference. We’re hoping to go get it.”
JCC’s losses have each been by one run on the road, 3-2 at Class 2A No. 5 Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial and 2-1 at St. James Area.
New Ulm has lost 3-2 at St. Peter, 7-3 at Class 3A No. 5 Mankato West and 3-1 to Class 4A Farmington in a game played at Caswell Park.
Not much in common
The Huskies and Eagles have only one common opponent. Here are the results of those matchups.
Worthington
JCC: Won 15-3
New Ulm: Won 16-1; Won 11-1
Standings
BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE
Final softball standings
Small School Division
Jackson County Central 13-1
Fairmont 10-3
St. James Area 9-5
Luverne 7-7
Pipestone 7-7
Windom 6-7
Redwood Valley 3-11
Blue Earth Aea 0-14
Division games only
Large School Division
New Ulm 11-1
St. Peter 10-2
Tri-City United 9-3
Belle Plaine 4-6
Worthington 4-6
Waseca 2-10
Marshall 0-12
Division games only
Season results
JACKSON COUNTY CENTRAL (18-2)
Friday, April 4: Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian, W 7-5
Tuesday, April 8: Windom, W 9-0
Tuesday, April 8: Windom, W 19-5
Thursday, April 10: Blue Earth Area, W 13-1
Monday, April 2: Fairmont, W 4-1
Friday, April 25: at Luverne, W 12-1
Friday, April 25: at Luverne, W 9-2
Saturday, April 26: at Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial, L 3-2
Tuesday, April 29: at Blue Earth Area, W 33-0
Thursday, May 1: Pipestone, W 13-3
Thursday, May 1: Pipestone, W 2-0
Monday, May 5: at St. James Area, L 2-1
Tuesday, May 6: St. James Area, W 5-1
Thursday, May 8: at Redwood Valley, W 15-0
Thursday, May 8: at Redwood Valley, W 10-0
Saturday, May 10: Worthington, W 15-3
Saturday, May 10: New York Mills, W 10-3
Saturday, May 10: Zumbrota-Mazeppa, W 12-2
Tuesday, May 13: at Fairmont, W 13-1
Thursday, May 15: Wabasso, W 12-1
Saturday, May 17: New Ulm, 3 p.m.
NEW ULM (15-3)
Thursday, April 10: at Waseca, W 17-2
Friday, April 11: St. Peter, W 1-0
Saturday, April 12: at Eden Prairie, W 1-0
Monday, April 21: at Owatonna, W 13-3
Tuesday, April 22: Marshall, W 15-0
Wednesday, April 30: Worthington, W 16-1
Thursday, May 1: Waseca, W 10-0
Friday, May 2: at St. Peter, L 3-2
Monday, May 5: at Mankato West, L 7-3
Tuesday, May 6: Belle Plaine, W 1-0
Thursday, May 8: at Worthington, W 11-12
Friday, May 9: Jordan at Caswell Park, W 6-0
Saturday, May 10: Farmington at Caswell Park, L 3-1
Saturday, May 10: New Prague at Caswell Park, W 8-2
Monday, May 12: at Belle Plaine, W 3-1
Tuesday, May 13: Tri-City United, W 10-2
Tuesday, May 13: Tri-City United, W 11-1
Thursday, May 15: at Marshall, W 19-1
Saturday, May 17: at Jackson County Central, 3 p.m.
Conference history
JCC has won the conference’s Small School Division title for the second time.
The first title came in the first year of the conference in 2015. The Huskies lost to New Ulm 10-1 in the conference championship game that year in a game that was played in Fairmont.
New Ulm has won the Large School Division title in seven of the nine seasons of the conference (the 2020 season was canceled). The Eagles have a 6-2 record in conference championship games.
Big South Conference softball champions
Small School Division
2015: Jackson County Central
2016: Pipestone
2017: Pipestone
2018: Pipestone
2019: Pipestone
2020: Season canceled
2021: Pipestone
2022: St. James Area
2023: Pipestone
2024: Luverne
2025: Jackson County Central
Large School Division
2015: New Ulm
2016: St. Peter
2017: New Ulm
2018: New Ulm
2019: New Ulm
2020: Season canceled
2021: St. Peter
2022: New Ulm
2023: Fairmont
2024: New Ulm
2025: New Ulm
Championship games
2015: New Ulm 10, Jackson County Central 1
2016: Pipestone 5, St. Peter 2
2017: New Ulm 3, Pipestone 0
2018: Pipestone 3, New Ulm 1
2019: New Ulm 3, Pipestone 0
2020: Season canceled
2021: Pipestone 3, St. Peter 2
2022: St. James Area 3, New Ulm 0
2023: Fairmont 4, Pipestone 1
2024: New Ulm 10, Luverne 4