Rivalry renewed
JCC, Pipestone softball teams to square off
Since the turn of the century, the top softball rivalry in southwest Minnesota has been the one between Jackson County Central and Pipestone. It will be renewed Thursday when the Huskies host the Arrows in a 4 p.m. doubleheader.
In the 24 Section 3AA tournaments held from 2000-2023 (the 2020 season was canceled), Pipestone was one of participants in the championship round in each, winning the title 15 times. JCC handed the Arrows their second loss in last year’s section tournament to end that streak.
Jackson County Central won four of the first 3AA tournaments of the century (2000, 2002, 2004, 2005). The Huskies won back-to-back state championships in 2004 and 2005.
New Ulm shifted into the section for a while and the Eagles won the section four straight years from 2012-2015. Pipestone then resumed its run at the top of the section for seven straight tournaments before Dassel-Cokato won it in 2024.
The Arrows will bring a 5-4 overall record to Jackson Thursday.Those losses have come to strong competition as they lost a pair of one-run games to Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial (10-1) and Pipestone was also swept by Fairmont (6-4).
JCC is 8-1, with the lone loss being by one run to LCWM.
Both teams won in shortened games on the road Tuesday. The Huskies won 33-0 in four innings at Blue Earth Area and the Arrows were 14-3 winners in six innings at Luverne.
Section 3AA champions
Winners of the Section 3AA softball tournament since the turn of the century. There were three classes of softball from 2000-2016 and there have been four since.
2000: Jackson County Central
2001: Pipestone
2002: Jackson County Central
2003: Pipestone
2004: Jackson County Central
2005: Jackson County Central
2006: Pipestone
2007: Pipestone
2008: Pipestone
2009: Pipestone
2010: Pipestone
2011: Pipestone
2012: New Ulm
2013: New Ulm
2014: New Ulm
2015: New Ulm
2016: Pipestone
2017: Pipestone
2018: Pipestone
2019: Pipestone
2020: Season canceled
2021: Pipestone
2022: Pipestone
2023: Pipestone
2024: Dassel-Cokato
Scoring leaders
Putting 33 runs on the board will boost your scoring average and you can’t do any better than allowing 0. That’s what JCC did at Blue Earth Area on Tuesday.
According to statistics on minnesota-scores.net, those results put the Huskies fourth in the state in runs scored per game among Class 2A teams and tied for ninth in runs allowed.
Take note that the highest-scoring team in the state has yet to win a game. Brooklyn Center has scored 13.5 runs per game, but the Centaurs have an 0-4 record. They’ve lost by scores of 21-10, 27-15, 30-21 and 18-8.
Anyway, here are the top 10 teams in each category. Listed are team, won-loss record through Tuesday in parentheses and runs per game.
Runs scored
Brooklyn Center (0-4) 13.5
St. Cloud Cathedral (10-0) 13.2
Kimball Area (11-0) 12.3
Jackson County Central (8-1) 12.0
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (10-1) 11.5
Spectrum (7-0) 11.4
Randolph (11-0) 10.6
St. Clair/Loyola (3-4) 10.6
St. Agnes (10-1) 10.5
Hawley (9-0) 10.3
Runs allowed
Spectrum (7-0) 0.0
Randolph (11-0) 0.5
Kimball Area (11-0) 0.6
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta (11-0) 0.6
Caledonia (9-1) 0.8
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (10-1) 0.8
Melrose (10-0) 1.7
St. Agnes (10-1) 1.7
Jackson County Central (8-1) 2.0
Hawley (9-0) 2.0
SECTION 3AA SOFTBALL RECORDS
Through April 29
South Sub-Section
Jackson County Central 8-1
Minneota/Canby 8-1
Luverne 6-3
Pipestone 5-4
Redwood Valley 3-7
Windom 3-7
North Sub-Section
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 11-0
New London-Spicer 7-3
Dassel-Cokato 6-3
Minnewaska Area 4-6
Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 4-6
Litchfield 2-7
Montevideo 1-10
BIG SOUTH CONFERENCE
Softball standings
Through April 29
Small School Division
Jackson County Central 7-0
Fairmont 5-2
St. James Area 7-3
Pipestone 4-2
Luverne 5-3
Windom 3-6
Redwood Valley 2-6
Blue Earth Aea 0-11
Division games only
Large School Division
New Ulm 3-0
Tri-City United 5-1
St. Peter 4-2
Belle Plaine 3-2
Worthington 3-3
Waseca 0-4
Marshall 0-6
Division games only