STATE FINALS PREVIEW: A Look At All Four State Championship Games

Today we drop a very special edition of The Inside Corner Podcast.

With the high school season winding down, we are joined once again by Fairfield Ludlowe coach Adam Laliberte and Stratford/West Haven-Notre Dame coach Gary Sherrick as we preview all four of Saturday's state championship games.

The action begins on Saturday at 10 a.m., at UConn's Burrill Family Field in Storrs and runs all day with the last game slated for 7 p.m.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:08

Well, we've made it to championship weekend in the CIAC as we welcome you to the Inside Corner Connecticut Softball Podcast. What's the CIAC if you don't know? It's the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference. And away we go with the championships with John Nash, I'm Rob Adams. And uh John, four classes. This is time to time to preview them.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

It is, and it's hard to believe that we've, you know, this is our 22nd podcast, I believe, since the high school season started. I believe that's when we started it. So it's remarkable to me uh that the season has gone by so quickly and it's all coming to an end on Saturday up at uh Burrell Family Field, up at the University of Connecticut. And we invited our first ever repeat guests are on this podcast. We have Fairfield Ludlow coach uh Adam Lalibity, who joined us for our FSIAC preview, and we have uh Stratford Notre Dame West Haven co-op coach uh Gary Sherrick, who joined us for the uh SWC preview, and we looked at all four classes just uh you know kind of not predict necessarily, but you know, Adam has played has won a state championship, so it was so interesting to get his angle, and Gary is such a student of the sport, and and their knowledge of of the softball scene statewide just made them perfect guests, and and uh I'm I'm just so pleased that that we were able to put this pod podcast together at the last minute. I have these images of of fans and families driving up to Yukon on Saturday listening to uh what we say, whether they care or not, I don't know. But uh uh but it was an interesting, interesting chat with both of them uh that that kind of hopefully kind of paints a better picture of what's gonna happen on on Saturday. Rather than just your typical little preview capsules that throws four or five names out there, you know. So uh so yeah, it was a great chat, and uh hopefully Saturday will be a great day for everybody involved. Lord knows this tournament has been absolutely crazy. The semifinal round alone. Brookfield going 15 innings, coming from behind four times uh in extra innings or three times in extra innings just to make it to the title game. If if the tournament lives up to the billing of the rest of the tournament, it's gonna be a fun Saturday.

SPEAKER_03 2:27

Seems like it. Uh when when you look at the semifinals, and I'm glancing at that Chester Darien game that went 12 innings. You know, you're you're mentioning Brookfield and Jonathan Law going 15. I mean, that's crazy. Uh lots of great softball being played all throughout the state, and now you get four championship games uh to resolve everything for this 2026 season. And who who knows? Who knows exactly how it's gonna play out? Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 2:57

You got three teams that are looking to defend titles, Cheshire and Double L, which stats at 10 a.m., uh, Forn in Class M, which that's at 1 p.m., and the uh new Brantford Thunderbirds, who let's not forget were a guest on the podcast earlier in the season. Uh they're going for the small school championship in class S at seven. The interesting thing is the team that's not here, Mastick, after seven straight state titles, there's gonna be a brand new champion in Class L, and it's two arch rivals that are located just nine miles apart, Brookfield and New Milford, that game's at four. So it's it's a lot of intriguing matchups, and and uh I just can't wait for Saturday to arrive. Obviously, the the Connecticut softball blog at ctsoftballblog.com will have full coverage. Photos, videos, uh game stories on each, uh a notebook. Uh I have an intern this summer who's gonna be on hand to help me do stuff as well, so I'm really, really excited about um what's gonna happen this weekend and the content the uh CT Softball blog is gonna produce.

SPEAKER_03 3:59

And I suppose just to tease uh what you're gonna hear in these interviews, maybe there's a little X factor. Is that fair?

SPEAKER_02 4:08

Uh there is. It it kind of came up right at the very end of the interview, and uh uh it was the very uh Adam who has again, like I said, won a state championship at Burrell uh family field at UConn, and uh uh he gave an interesting take on something that could affect all eight teams on Saturday, and uh that's right at the very end of the podcast. So if people want to know what that what that little tidbit is, they're just gonna have to stick around.

SPEAKER_03 4:33

Listen to the whole cabinet and caboodle, as they say. Exactly right. I I don't know that I need to add anything more unless you do. I'm kind of ready to hear what everyone has to say.

SPEAKER_02 4:43

Well, I think we need to pay the bills, so let's take a break, and then I'll be back after that with uh our guests.

SPEAKER_03 4:49

So we come back in just a moment, and then we get things started. This episode is brought to you by Union 12 Design. From the dugout to the boardroom, they're redefining custom apparel. Whether you're outfitting a softball team or designing corporate apparel, they offer premium brands and make the process easy and simple. With a designer-led approach, your gear feels elevated, not expected. They'll even manage your online store from start to finish, keeping everything smooth from concept to completion. Visit Union12design.com. Union12 Design, where premium meets purpose. Welcome back to the Inside Corner. And John needs to say nothing more. He's here with me, but I'm gonna hand things over to him right now.

SPEAKER_02 5:39

Thanks, Rob, and it certainly is an exciting time for high school softball here in Connecticut with Saturday's upcoming state championship games, and we're gonna take a look at all four of the classes with two very special guests, including two people who have already been on the podcast. So you guys are both uh first two-timers, so welcome back. We have Adam Leliberty from Fairfield Ludlow High School and Gary Sherrick from Stratford Notre Dame West Haven. Guys, thanks for uh joining us for a second time.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Absolutely. I'd rather be talking about playing in the championship game, but it's nice to be able to uh do the preview with you.

SPEAKER_02 6:18

Well, that and that's just it, Adam. You know, you were in this game, what, three years ago, I think it was, the the year I started the blog. Uh, you guys made the final. And what's going through the players' minds and the coaches' minds this week? And what is Saturday morning going to be like for them when they wake up knowing they're gonna be making that trip to stores uh to play for a state championship?

SPEAKER_00 6:39

Um, you know, I think what's interesting that the CIAC does is they play those semifinal games on Monday and Tuesday. So depending on how you want to pace your week out, you've got three to four days to prepare for that game, knowing full well who you're playing in it. And it could be in some of these cases, some of these teams have already played each other. So that gives you a little bit more information. I think what it really is, and again, it depends on if you played on the Monday or the Tuesday, is you kind of want to ramp up towards playing the game, but maybe the day before you don't want to go completely crazy. Um, you definitely don't want to be getting anybody hurt or something like that going into the state championship game. But it's it's a it's a balance between physically getting ready and having a game plan and preparing yourself in that way, but it's also the mental preparation for playing in that game. You could have a long bus ride, it could be your first state championship game. Maybe you're going back for the fifth time in a row, like Woodland. This is old hat for them. Um, but it's really getting your kids prepared to play that game, I believe, from the mental component of it. Um I've been really fortunate in my career to be in a bunch of these games, and you almost get a real good sense of a feel, a vibe, if you will, amongst the members of your team about how comfortable they feel uh going into this game and how ready they are to play in it.

SPEAKER_02 7:56

And and what's like Friday night, Saturday, you know, after practice, do you get to sleep easily the day before a state championship game? Or and then when you wake up on Saturday morning, like do you wake up with that nervousness in your stomach knowing that you're gonna be playing for everything?

SPEAKER_00 8:12

Well, I'd rather be playing in it than not, but I don't envy Cheshire and Southington with that 10 a.m. game and that long bus ride. I mean, you gotta get there probably before nine, which you gotta leave. I don't know what time you even have to leave your school. It's kind of crazy. Um, I've always tended to sleep pretty well because I feel like the Hayes in the barn at that point. You've done what you needed to do to prepare mentally and physically to put to play in that game, and then it's just really gonna come down to what happens between those in the white lines.

SPEAKER_02 8:37

And let's start with that Cheshire Southington game. You know, Cheshire's Cheshire, it's their third straight appearance in the title game. Adam, you beat them uh three years ago when Jenica Matos was just a sophomore. They won it last year, uh, you know, with the with a great win over oh my goodness, who was it?

SPEAKER_00 8:54

Uh Ridgefield last year, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:57

Ridgefield, that's right, another FCX school. And and this year, you know, they're nationally ranked, they've won 30 games in a row. Uh, you know, Christine Drust likes this team a lot. She loves the family atmosphere. They're a big senior class, you know, with this group. Uh Southington, I thought was really, really loose in their dugout in their semifinal. I mean, they were that at one point the the uh guy up at West Haven played some boy band song, and the whole dugout started singing along with it. And they were just out there having fun. So, you know, attitude carries a lot. You know, Cheshire always is that serious business-like team. Southington's bringing in a little bit more of a lighter attitude. What pays off in a state championship game?

SPEAKER_00 9:38

Um, interesting for me, these are the two teams that we beat for our student our two state championships, Southington and Cheshire back to back. So two programs that we know pretty well. I think one thing that you can throw out the window, honestly, is I know that the two teams played earlier in the year. I think Cheshi might have won that game 8-0, I think was the score. Um, you can really throw that game out the window. You're gonna play this game for this game on Saturday. Um, there's no causality effect in softball, right? You can't, like I was looking at the bracket, you can't say, well, Enfield beats Southington in the CCC championship game, and then Ward beats Enfield, but then New Canaan beats Ward, so therefore New Canaan must beat Southington. It doesn't work that way. You have to play every game for itself. Um, you're right. I mean, Southington um looked really good the other I you know I watched a game online, they looked really good against New Canaan, who's a very good team that I know well in the FCAC, and they were very loose. And um Cheshire obviously played a little bit of a a lot bit of a much tighter game, and we could you all could still be at West Haven if Vivian Knott doesn't come out of that game. We could be in the 500th inning right now, and it could still be zero to zero with the way those two kids can deal. Um really, I think what it's gonna come down to is whatever game plans that these two coaches um put into play, and really who is whoever is gonna be playing the best. I it's probably gonna be a low-scoring game. Obviously, I think with Jenica, if if you get a run, you're you're having a good day as the opposing team. So Southern's probably gonna have to win it one to nothing or two to one, something along those lines. They they have a very good hitting lineup from top to bottom, they run the bases very well, but that doesn't matter if you can't get on base. So I think Southington probably has to go into this game thinking that they gotta muddy it up a little bit. Um, try to play for a 0-0 game going into the late innings and try to make something happen uh late to grab a lead one-nothing, and you know, Cheshire just runs out of time. I think Cheshire, especially the top of their lineup, is really special. You've got some dynamic athletes with Jordan McHugh and Ava Pearson hitting at the top of that lineup. I think Jordan may be the most dynamic non-pitcher in the state. Um, when she gets on base and she can hit the ball out of the park, but when she gets on base, it might as well be a double because she's gonna steal on a first pitch, and then you've got a runner at second base with a lefty slapper that can put a bunt down. Um, you know, Cheshire, very likely, if they get a runner at third with less than two outs, they're gonna try some sort of a squeeze play, which you know, Southernton's gonna have to prepare for. And when you have Jenica Matto, she can play for a run in the first inning and win the game one to nothing, um, two or two to one. So you kind of have to be prepared for that low scoring game. And because Jennica is so talented, Southington may get one opportunity to score, they might get maybe two, and you either cash them in or you don't. Um that's really what it comes down to at state championship play with teams of this caliber.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

And Gary, as a softball fan, and and I know you know you you love this game, you're devoted to you know uh doing what's best for your program, but you certainly keep an eye everywhere else. To have class double L, you know, the big schools, as they say, a one-two matchup. Does that excite you as a fan to see the two teams that were considered the best all season meet up in a state championship game?

SPEAKER_01 12:52

I mean, I think I'm a big underdog guy guy. Um, I definitely appreciated everything that I saw moving forward. And like this year was the first time we went to double L because of our co-op. So we were in double L and you know, we drew New Canaan. I love what Adam said. Like you can't really play the game where it's like, well, they beat this team and this is this and this. Because for us, for example, like we got no hit by FICO, but we only gave up five runs and three of them were unearned. So we for a couple games, we looked like the hardest competition on the scoreboard that New Canaan face, and you know, we're still developing them and stuff like that. So Adam's right, you can't play the game of well, if they beat them and they did this, and so like, well, maybe we should do this. That's why we play the game, you know. And I mean, I was watching that Cheshire game through Game Changer because we had our banquet, and I was, I mean, it wasn't just me, it was my players, it was my parents. We're all watching it, and it was just like unbelievable. And then it's like, oh wow, they just took her out, they just did this. It's like wow, Adam's right, you have to be ready for anything, especially with these teams that have the dominant pitcher in the circle, because like you said, one run could win it in the first inning. I mean, it's unbelievable. So, I mean, do I love the one-two matchups? Absolutely, but I also love a good underdog story. Um I mean, personally, I would love to see all these teams ballot out at the end to see who really is the number one team in the state. Um, you know, I've said that when Adam's teams were in the state finals, I was like, this would be awesome. Like, this is great. So, as a fan of the game, as a fan of a lot of the coaches and the student athletes we have in the state, I don't care really who's in the who's in the finals, as long as it's a good competitive game. And that's really all that matters.

SPEAKER_02 14:32

And the good news is that the recent history, at least, with Connecticut over the last three years, the state championship games have all been close and tight, which is fun. Um, you know, you speaking of one-two matchups, that that that class L matchup between Brookfield and uh New Milford, those are two teams you're really familiar with, Gary. Uh you know, coming from the SWC, the same league as you. What are your thoughts on that one? Because that their first meeting was a classic 6-5 win for New Milford. Uh Sienna McNamara from New Milford led off that game with a with a solo home run off of her good friend uh Sidney Miller, the pitcher for Brookfield. And uh second time around, just you know, what are your thoughts? Who's playing the best? New Milford, I know, has been through a lot this season. They're down to like 10 or 11 kids on the roster. Uh just you know, give us the scouting report on those two teams.

SPEAKER_01 15:22

I mean, I think everyone knows it. Everyone knows the big names. Everyone knows Sid Miller, everyone knows Sienna over there, you know, right there, boom, there's a matchup. But I think what people forget is that you Milford is so offensive heavy on their mindset. Like and Rob Farmer's done a great job over there. They love to hit it's offense, offense, offense. And when their defense shows up, they're really scary. Because Lydia Rocky's having a great season in the circle, and I think she gets overshadowed sometimes. Um, because let's be honest, ask half of the state where New Milford is, they have no idea. So, and for being a class L school between double L and L, I mean, we all know those are the bigger schools, and obviously sometimes hold bigger names or the flashier players and stuff like that, but nothing you know taken away from MRS. But I think if New Milford, but then you say the same thing for every team in this whoever plays defense and doesn't walk people is gonna give yourself the best chance. Adam knows he's been there. I was there for baseball years ago. Keep people off base, move runners along, make productive outs. So I think honestly, I couldn't even tell you who is gonna win this game, but it's gonna be fun because my biggest thing is I always you never want to face your SNBC opponents or your conference opponents the first round or two. Obviously, it happens, but here you are state finals, and Brookfield's been in this position. And I'm pretty sure Alyssa was the pitcher the last time they were in deep, you know, this far into the playoffs. So she's doing a good job at Brookfield. But I think if you can keep Sienna in the park, and if you can keep Sid Miller in the park, you give yourself a legit chance for both teams.

SPEAKER_02 17:08

And I'll open up this question to both of you. Of course, you know, uh Brookfield had that absolutely classic 15-inning win over Jonathan Law to get to the finals. Uh, and you talk about game changer being a game changer. I was in West Haven covering those games, and everybody was in their phone watching the Brookfield law game as compared to watching the game in front of them. I mean, it it was literally the talk of the state that day. But Sydney throwing 235, 237 pitchers, and I don't want to get into a you know a pitch count conversation with you guys injury-wise and all that, that's for another day. But what about the fatigue? Can a pitcher bounce back? You know, and it's gonna be, I guess, four days, so that's that's a lot of time to rest if she's not throwing over these last four days. But because of that, could we see a different Sydney Miller, do you think, or or will it be the same Sydney that she's been all year and just dominating from the circle? Adam, I'll let you start that one.

SPEAKER_00 18:03

I think that's probably the central question going into this game. These two teams know each other. Uh, Gary, obviously, you face both of them. I'm more excited about this game, I think, than I am the other three. I think this is such an intriguing matchup. Um, it's not just the 230 pitches, it's the emotional attachment that comes to those. Those were not easy pitches. Um, a lot of them came in extra innings, and then obviously Brookfield came back, I believe, three times in that game to, you know, tie the score and then obviously win it um in the last inning. So those are hard pitches. You're right. There's a big difference. You know, they played on Monday, even having that extra day not playing Tuesday and going all the way to Saturday, that's gonna give time for her to recover. Um I do think there's a very good chance that this game could go into extra innings too. And then is there a cumulative effect of all of those pitches, you know, being thrown in one week, which is why I think you see when the tournament starts, those teams that get a buy in the first round have a massive advantage because that three-game week, where you go Monday, Wednesday, Friday for opening round, you know, next second round quarterfinals, the teams that have to play three games, there is a cumulative effect of hard playoff innings. So I think that is one of the questions that you have to really look at um going into this game is you know, how how much can Sid recover and be prepared, ready to go? Obviously, I I know the competitor in her is going to be ready to go, but there is a cumulative effect that can happen.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

And she had seven at bats that game. Right.

SPEAKER_02 19:28

Yeah, it was so amazing because she was so emotional after the game. Uh, you know, I had a uh talk with Scott Erickson from uh Game Time CT on Tuesday, and I was like, how come you didn't talk to Sydney? He tried three times, but she was so emotional, she just couldn't get the words out. She was with her parents, which made her more emotional, and you could tell that game really was emotionally taxing on her as much as it was physically. So uh, you know, Gary, we talked a lot of big names in this team, uh in this game, I should say. You know, we talked about Sydney, we talked about Sienna, we talked about Lydia. Who who's the kid that could steal the moment in this game? You know, is it like an Olivia Sinapi, the leadoff hitter for Brookfield? You know, could she do something spectacular, you know, get on base, steal a base, set up something big in an extra inning or late game situation? And who who on that team for new Milfred might steal the spotlight or steal the moment, do you think?

SPEAKER_01 20:23

I wouldn't sleep on I mean, what what a storybook it would be is if Brookfield, say Brookfield won, and let's just say Sid Sid's twin sister was the storyline. Like she came up with the game winning hit, like you know what I mean. Like, I don't want to say she lives in her shadow, but like she that kind of does. But you know, I'll give Sid a lot of credit because she makes sure that her sister's always getting the love and the you know the flowers she deserves. But I mean, that could be a name, you never know. But you're right, Synapsies, you know, the table setter, she's another one. I mean, Sam their catcher, I think, is legit. Um, she's such a good kid and she hits the ball real well, too. Um, but for New Milford, I mean, they don't have as many kids to choose from because their roster is like, I think, ten deep. So it takes all of them. It literally, when they always say it takes a village to you know accomplish things, it's going to take their village to do this from one through ten. And farmer's got to do a good job over there with making sure if he does any kind of substitutions, he does it right, he does it at the right time. Um, you know, a lot of people questioned coaches' decisions in the postseason, and people forget. And Adam, you know this coaching seven innings is hard to make sure you're not doing something wrong with substitutions and re-entering. Try doing that in a 15-inning game or any extra inning game. It's like, oh my god, they lost that person, they blew this person. It's like, no, like at that time, you're not playing for 15 innings, you're playing to win that one that inning right there to win the game. So coaching is gonna come down to a big part of this. But I mean, the Manca, the Manca girls over there at New Milford, they can also hit the ball out of the park, too. I mean, there's some good, good ball players, but I think it's gonna come down to who doesn't make The most mistakes. And that's offensively and defensively.

SPEAKER_02 22:04

And Gary, to give you credit, and we texted about this the other day, you kind of called New Milfred in our SWC preview. You said this is a team that that could, you know, uh really do some damage this year. And now here they are on the cusp of winning a state championship. What was it about this group that you liked?

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Um Lydia only being a freshman and seeing her throw and seeing her compete, not just against us, but other teams. And then Sienna. I was curious if Sienna was gonna keep taking that next step every year, and she did. And when I saw her this year, I told all my kids, we're in the dugout, I'm like, watch. I'm like, watch how she takes a pitch, watch how she is on deck. I'm like, she's literally the poster child of what you want your kids to be. Um, not just on the field, but off the field as well. And it was always a matter of just like any team. If you can stay healthy and your kids do what they're supposed to do and play productive, you know, productive softball, fundamental softball, and drive the ball, you're gonna be successful, in my opinion. I mean, there's teams that rely on the home run, they do, um, but they can also play small ball. So all those things have to, you know, come together for this run to happen. I mean, Adam knows you have to have everything just gel and it has to work, things have to fall in place, and it is. So Adam's right. This this game is very the other game is gonna be great, but this game is very intriguing, also because the pressure of is kind of off both these teams. Massick's not in the finals. So now it's like okay, thanks, Jonathan Law. You got them out of here, but now it's okay, can we now win SWCs and go win states and not be the Massach Panthers? And it's been very interesting to watch in this SWC this year because it's always the what if game with, you know, is Massacre gonna kill and get there for an eighth time and this and that, and they're not. So here we are. And could be anyone's game. It really could be.

SPEAKER_02 24:14

You know, Adam, the only blemish on Brookfield's record was that uh 6-5 loss to New Milford back on April 22nd. Do the kids think about that at all at this point of the season? You know, that it was their only loss and they want to avenge that loss, or is that right out of their minds because they're playing for the state championship?

SPEAKER_00 24:29

I don't think it matters when Iota what happened in that game on April 22nd. I really don't. It was so long ago. Teams evolved so much over the season, and honestly, they're both here, so it doesn't matter. It didn't affect, you know, their path to getting here. It really, more than anything else, it gave probably gave New Milford the two seed and Brookfield the one seed and forced a matchup between Brookfield and Jonathan Law, which actually worked out for New Milford. Um, so I think at the end of the day, that game doesn't really matter a whole lot um in terms of what's going to happen on Saturday. I just to echo Gary's point, I think probably when it's all said and done, we're gonna end up talking about some kid that none of us has mentioned yet. Um it's usually somebody that you don't expect that's thrust into some moment in these games that clutches up for their team. Um one thing that's interesting when you look at a team like Cheshire and actually New Milford as well, they're putting their best hitter in the one slot. And what the the thought in that is that I'm gonna get my best player the most amount of at bats in a game. But what I think that really ends up doing is it it goes back to what Gary said about who's gonna get a walk or get on base from an error at the bottom of your lineup to put that kid up with runners on base and then force a decision about whether you're gonna intentionally walk that player or not. Um that led to Treasures win the other day because Ava Pearson comes up because you intentionally walked Jordan McHugh. Well, why do you walk McHugh? Well, because kids at the bottom of the lineup got on the uh walk. And that's what's gonna end up is it'll be something like that that ends up being, you know, why the game gets won.

SPEAKER_02 26:03

And and every team that's in this this state, the these state finals, somewhere on their roster, they have their own Ally Tornes, who of course, you know, was your MVP the year you won at uh Overcheshire. A kid that, you know, I mean, obviously she was a catcher for you, great player, but man, I just remember that game, and she did all those little things that made such a big difference for you. So that's what it is.

SPEAKER_00 26:23

It's a kid like that.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

Yeah. Uh Class M and Class F are both rematches of last year's finals. How does that work out? And you've been to a couple of different ones, and I don't know if you went to had any rematches amongst them, but you know, what's that like for the winning teams that won state titles last year, which was foreign and uh uh North Brantford, versus you know, what's their emotional take coming into the state finals this year as defending champs as compared to St. Paul Catholic in class S and Woodland Regional in Class M?

SPEAKER_00 26:52

It's a great question.

SPEAKER_02 26:54

Yeah, which team has the advantage?

SPEAKER_00 26:55

We lost to Southington in 21 and then we lost to them again in 22 in the semis and then beat them in 23. So we've been through it a little bit in our program. Um I don't know that it has a lot of bearing on what's going to happen because teams do change a lot from year to year based on new kids coming in and seniors graduating, things of that nature. Um I'm really intrigued by um the foreign matchup again. Uh, you know, Woodland lost a lot of players from last year's team where foreign kind of retained most everybody. And really, when I look at that game, it really is gonna come down to what does Abby Corus do uh in the circle. Obviously, that game last year was, you know, pure insanity. It just went on all night long. I think it was the last game last year, so I'm sure everyone was there until you know 10, 11 o'clock at night. Um, I think it's gonna really come down to really what kind of performance she's gonna be able to provide for them. I think they hit a few more hiccups this year than they did uh last year, smaller rosters, some injuries, things like that. Um, what's interesting to me about both of these teams is that they did not win their conference tournaments this year. Um, I believe neither one of them were in the finals. So maybe that extra rest was helpful to them in being able to make a push here. You have to be so impressed with Woodland making five straight state championship games. That is insanely difficult to do. Um and so again, I think this matchup is really gonna come down to you know the pitching circle. The key, I think, in state championship play is can your pitcher go out and get a strikeout with people on base? That's the key because the less the ball gets put in play, you're not gonna make a mistake if the ball's not being put in play. And Gary, to your point, it's it an error could be you know the pivotal play in a game. Well, you can't make an error when the ball doesn't go put into play. And so when I look at a kid like Abby who racks up all those strikeouts, even when she gets runners on base, pitchers like that tend to lock in and be able to get a big strikeout when they need it.

SPEAKER_02 28:53

And that's a good point because Caitlin Braun is as great of a job as she's done for Woodland Regional this year. She is a contact pitcher, you know, relies a little more on movement. Uh Gary, this question for you, because they did lose their whole battery last year, and that was a battery that led them to through those three straight state championships, if I year, if I remember right. New pitcher in Caitlin Braun, new catcher in uh in Ayla, uh D.Crescenzo. Yet it shows you the depth of their program a little bit. They don't have huge numbers up there, but are you surprised at all that with a whole new battery coming in, Woodland Regional was able to get back there?

SPEAKER_01 29:27

No. It's listen, you gotta have talent, but these are teenagers, and the coaching staff up there every year just does their thing. And when you got kids believing in themselves, and that's the hardest thing. We as coaches, Adam knows, we can tell these kids we believe in you, we believe in you, but until they believe in themselves and each other, it doesn't matter. These kids believe the woodlands, it's it's unbelievable to me that, like you said, smaller numbers, and they're just believing and they're just doing it. It's like, yes, oh, we're losing this person to graduation, or like people transfer or this or that. They're still here, like Adam said, five in a row, and they're still here. Um that coaching staff, I applaud them. They've done amazing things, but no, I mean the kids, but at the end of the day, the kids got to do the work and they buy into the system, they got a good feeder program. I mean, a lot of these teams, look at these teams. I mean, take away what New Milford because their numbers are a little low. But I mean, other than that, a lot of these teams that are left, they have great feeder programs in their areas, and they start them young and they they don't drain them, they don't burn them out, and they just work, work, work. And these little kids see this, like, I want to play a Yukon one day. You know, like Fairfield, Fairfield's got a huge feeder program. You don't think those kids are like, oh, I want to wear a Ludlow jersey and play for a state championship, like or a ward. I mean, like it's unbelievable. Milford, Law Foreign, here we go. You know, and actually the matchup's gonna be interesting because Woodland pitching staff is kind of like Jonathan Law's, and Foreign had issues with Jonathan Law. So it's gonna come down to their coaching staff making the adjustments and those players making adjustments and say, hey, because I mean Law beat them the last two times. Bonanno was phenomenal against Warren. So it'll be very interesting. Um I think this would probably be my second one that I'm interested in because, like Adam said, is can Abby if people get on, can she strike them out? And I've never been fortunate enough in Stratford to have strikeout pitching, but I know it's a game changer, and it could be very interesting. And there's some kids on that team too, like they don't have the big flashy names. They've got just good ball players over at foreign, and there's a couple kids that you know might surprise you, but they're gonna have to because Woodland is just a very well-rounded team, and their coach, I guess a coaching staff there is just I applaud them, I really do.

SPEAKER_00 31:53

You know, they're gonna come in prepared. There, there was like a play, I think, a couple years ago, where they put in, I read an article where they put in some pickoff play at third base, and it got them a huge out against Sheehan and turned the tide of that game. She's gonna have that team ready to go. They're gonna have something up their sleeve that that um foreign's gonna have to adapt to when the game starts.

SPEAKER_02 32:12

And you know, we talk about lead leadoff hitters, both of them have two good ones. Nora bove for for foreign outstanding. Over on the Woodland side, you got Angelina Tottenham. These are two kids who who can get on base and make things happen. So I think those two kids could be a key call key play a key role in this one. Uh, but again, up and down the lineup, both teams can put the ball into play. Uh, that game's being played at one o'clock. I think I forgot to mention Brookfield at New Uh Brookfield versus New Milford will be the four o'clock game. So we're not going chronologically here, we're just going kind of in a random order. But the nightcap, the 7 p.m. game is the rematch for the small schools. North Brantford versus uh St. Paul Catholic. Uh probably the teams, you know, I I have seen North Brantford play, and again, Lauren uh Viterisi's back is their pitcher. Uh St. Paul has pretty much everybody back. These are both veteran teams that are used to being there. What are your guys' thoughts on that game?

SPEAKER_00 33:11

I think if you asked us at the beginning of the year, uh, between the four classes, what was the most likely rematch from last year, this would probably be the one. Um, so these two teams obviously work their way there, but uh probably not a surprise to anybody that these are the two teams in class S that are playing for this championship game. Um close game last year, Nick does a tremendous job um with that program in the in the shoreline conference. I think one thing that they have done very well over the last few years is that when they get out of their conference, he really loads them up with difficult competition. I know this year they played uh NFA, for example. So, you know, they go out and um Jonathan Law as well, like they go out of their conference and they they play these games to help them prepare to be ready to go in these types of situations. But I think you have to give a lot of respect to that because there's coaches that won't do that because of how it'll affect their seedings uh for the state, but he doesn't care. So, you know, he's like, you know, we got the program that can get ourselves there. We can take a loss or two because it's gonna be more beneficial to us in the long run, which you know that may pay dividends in a game like this. Um when I look at St. Paul, they've got multiple pitchers that are very, very, very good. I'm sure that they're gonna go with the Namora kid to start the game, and they've got like McCullough's galore um on their rock on their roster. I don't know if they've got three or four, they've got a lot of them, and they're all really good players. Um, that's a team where I feel like maybe the hitting advantage falls on the St. Paul side, um, the pitching advantage very slightly, maybe on the North Brantford side. I think it's gonna make an intriguing game. I don't know that it'll be a one-nothing score, but it could be maybe a four to three, something like that. Um, and again, it'll just come down to this about who makes more plays, but honestly, I think Gary at the nail on the head is who makes less mistakes. Um and if the ball gets put in play, you know, that that's what we're gonna be looking at.

SPEAKER_01 34:57

Now, John, I so John, so not to cut you off, so you and I, you know, we thought Notre Dame prep out of Fairfield was gonna make a little bit of a deeper run. And I was at the game where St. Paul played Notre Dame, and Notre Dame could not figure it out offensively. And they hit Leilani Navarro, who I think is a very good pitcher, and is a name we're gonna hear for the next two years. They beat Notre Dame 16-0. Like St. Paul is legit, and I'm very intrigued. But you also can't sleep on North Brantford because you never know what Nick's gonna pull out of his hat, too, over there, you know. So I think Adam can speak on it because he's obviously been there more than I have, but you gotta be creative at times and you gotta be able to sometimes take chances. And I think both those coaching staffs aren't afraid to do it if they have to.

SPEAKER_02 35:48

And what I was gonna say was North Brantford with two losses this year. The first was the Jonathan Law, a 1-0 game. I I got to witness that one in person. Um, but the second one was a 4-3 loss to Cromwell, which made me kind of be like, Cromwell, wow, and Cromwell's much improved over what they were, you know, over the past couple of seasons, certainly. Uh yeah, that was a kind of loss that that kind of said, wow, anything can happen to this North Brantford team. So who knows? St. Paul, meanwhile, like uh Adam said, did not win their conference tournament. And they're other than that, their only blemish uh defeat was New Milford 9-7. So we talked about Lydia Rocky early and what a good pitcher she is.

unknown 36:26

St.

SPEAKER_02 36:26

Paul put up seven runs on her, so that shows you this is a team that can hit. So uh, you know, we got about five or six minutes left here. Let's talk predictions. Uh let's go back to double L, the 10 a.m. game. The the you know, these these kids have trained their whole lives for a 10 a.m. game, right? Every summer they're getting up at 6 or 7 a.m. to go to their eight o'clock travel game. So, you know, I'm sure they're a little bit more used to it than than maybe uh uh some other sports would be. But Adam, let's start with you. You know, you're you're a double L, well, you're both double L coaches, but what are your thoughts? Uh, what's your prediction for that game?

SPEAKER_00 37:03

You know, we had a tradition at Ludlow that before the state championship game, we'd burn every piece of paper over an article that didn't pick us or a podcast or whatever. So I'm sure we're about ready to get our burned by whatever team we don't pick here. So this is not easy. This is not easy, um, obviously, to do. I tend to gravitate towards where's the shutdown pitching. Like I mentioned before, just to get out of jams if you if you create them because they can go out there and get that big strikeout when they really need it. Obviously, Cheshire is super battle tested, um, won their conference tournament last year, won the state championship last year. They're back there again. Jenica can throw up zero after zero after zero after zero. Uh Southington is a great hitting team. I think it'll be probably closer than their regular season matchup, but I'm gonna go with Cheshire um in this one.

SPEAKER_01 37:54

I I everything Adam said is spot on. I'm I just think when you have Jenica in the circle and you have Pearson roaming the outfield, and you've got McHugh over there at second base, and you know nothing against Sellington's coaching staff, but I know what's over there in Cheshiers, and you see it day in and day out. It's I could just see a storybook career for Jenica. Like Adam said, one run in the first inning could win this game. So I'm gonna go with Cheshire. I just think they're ready. I think they're built for this moment again, and here we are.

SPEAKER_02 38:31

And and certainly, you know, they've been the number one team all season long in the Connecticut softball blog, top ten. They became the uh number one team uh in the game time CT uh poll early in the season. So I I agree. I gotta go with Cheshire, you know, because they've been the best all season, they deserve that nod. Uh let's jump over to Class L, Brookfield New Milford. I can't wait to hear uh your pick on this one, Gary, but Adam will start with you.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

Oh, fantastic. Um, my logic on this is probably very flawed. Um, I go back to the last game that each one of them played. I think there's something about the psychology of overcoming the deficits that Brookfield did and coming up with a win when they probably felt like they didn't play their best, whereas New Milford rolled um in their game. And so the logic says, well, you know, team A is playing much better than team B, so they must win. So I'm gonna go with the opposite of that. I'm gonna go with Brookfield in this one, but in a very close game. This game could go 12 innings, 13 innings very, very, very easily. Um, I think Sid, this will be her final game in a Brookfield uniform. I think that that means something here. Um, where Lydia's a great pitcher, but she's got some some a little bit of time left on her side. I think maybe the depth of the Brookfield roster might play a factor here. When can I deploy a pinch runner? When can I pull a kid off my bench to get a bunt down where New Milford doesn't have that luxury? I think that could play a factor in a longer game. So, in a real close one, I'm gonna go with Brookfield. Definitely a one-run game.

SPEAKER_01 40:02

I got ridiculed when I made my prediction for the SWC one um by people obviously jokingly around and stuff like that. But um Adam's right. I mean, the depth that Brookfield can have. And this is this is the first time, these are the only two teams that are gonna roll into Yukon for the first time and be like, wow, like we're here. So it's gonna be our nerves gonna play in this game, maybe. Um, I'm sure they're gonna play in every game, but new environment, the college field, it's gonna be an awesome vibe. Um yeah, I mean, you could go either way, you could play this game ten times and it might be a five and five split. Um I think some of these kids are playing with a chip on their shoulder, not just because of living in you know, massive shadows, but I know there's some kids that are in this game that were kind of like, why wasn't I, you know, Gatorade Player of the Year, or this or that. You know what I mean? Like, so the chip is there. So I'm gonna, like I said, ten times they go, they could each win five, but I'm gonna go with what I said early on in the year, and I'm gonna still stick with New Milford, but I think Adam's right. This is gonna be one of those games that Sid Miller is going to put the stamp on this is me, Brookfield was mine, I came from Connecticut, I'm off to college. Like she's going to dominate, and it could come down to defense. I really think it's gonna come down to defense, and I'm hoping to see a clean game, but if the errors are showing up on that box score, who knows who it's for? But I think New Milford will edge this game maybe one-nothing or maybe two to one. I think we're gonna be seeing a tight one.

SPEAKER_02 41:53

I like you riding the green wave to the end. Uh, we got about less than two minutes left, so let's quickly class M, class S, uh Adam, New Milford. Uh I'm sorry, Foreign versus Woodland. Who should you pick?

SPEAKER_00 42:03

Yeah, I'm gonna go with Foreign in this one. I I know that Woodland's obviously looking to get some revenge uh back from last year, but that doesn't really mean a whole hill of beans and you know, with Abby Corus out there throwing 66 mile an hour rides. Ride ball's coming your way. You can want to win the game all you want, but then you've got to go out there and execute. I think actually foreign since getting knocked out of their conference rooms, playing real good ball right now, and I think they're gonna ride that one um to win in this game.

SPEAKER_02 42:27

And Gary, real quick. I think foreign's gonna I think Foreign's gonna win it. And the class S rematch.

SPEAKER_00 42:33

I'm gonna actually go with St. Paul in this one. I I normally will go with the pitching over there, but I think St. Paul can really hit the ball. Um, and uh I think they're gonna win this one, but it's gonna be another another close one.

SPEAKER_01 42:44

Yeah, I wish Rick the best in the North Brantford girls, but I think he's right. I think the offense is just gonna carry St. Paul. I saw what they did against Notre Dame, and I was very impressed. So St. Paul.

SPEAKER_02 42:55

And and one last intangible, we're not gonna talk about it, but it's supposed to be sunny, 85, playing on turf. How hot is that field gonna be, Adam, for the these players?

SPEAKER_00 43:04

Well, I played the 1 p.m. game against Cheshire, and uh, we went through like 74 boxes of oranges, and you name it. It's hot. It's really hot. And the dugouts are set down low, so the heat just compacts in there. And I look at a kid like Sid Miller who throws her entire body into every pitch he throws. There's a taxation effect that comes with that. It's not easy.

SPEAKER_02 43:23

That'll be interesting. Guys, thanks for joining us. Appreciate it. Hopefully, we'll see you up there as fans at least, maybe. If not, I'm sure we'll be texting back and forth all day. But thanks again for joining us, and it's gonna be a fun day on Saturday.

SPEAKER_00 43:36

Thanks, John.

SPEAKER_02 43:37

Thanks, John.

SPEAKER_01 43:38

Thanks, Adam.

SPEAKER_03 43:39

And so we head into um what should be a long Saturday of softball. Look, anything can happen weather wise. As you know, we've already seen some funky storms and power outages around Fairfield County, for instance, just within the last week or so. So uh, you know, anything can happen. But I would imagine we're going to have a long day of softball on Saturday up at stores.

SPEAKER_02 44:07

Bring your sunscreen, bring your little cooler fans that have the water that spray the water on you. What's funny is when I asked Adam the question at the end about, you know, the heat on a turf field in a college stadium, what it was going to be like for these players, I looked at the weather forecast and it was going to be 85. As I look at it now, it's temperatures in the 90s. So it's going to be a hot one. Hopefully the games will be just as hot. But uh, you know, it I just hope it's going to be an incredible day of softball. There were four teams that are going to end up uh as uh champions. There's going to be seniors who are going to be, you know, crying tears of joy because they're celebrating their final game as winners. There's going to be a lot of broken hearts from from you know uh kids who have worked so hard over their whole careers to make it there. And uh, you know, it's why we love sports. These are the championship moments. And uh, like I said, I just hope it's a great day. I hope everybody stays healthy and safe, and I hope there's no controversial calls, or I hope there's no games that end on you know errors or anything like that. Uh just hoping for a great day because this has been such a great sport, and for the last three years that I've been doing this blog, uh it's been so much fun covering all these games and telling all these stories, and and uh, you know, we're we're dropping this podcast on a Friday morning, and hopefully some people will, as they're driving up the stores, first and foremost, drive safely, but maybe they'll listen to the podcast. Who knows, just to get a take on the games we're talking about. But uh, you know, it's the the the the best day of the high school softball season, four state championship games, back to back to back to back. What could be better?

SPEAKER_03 45:52

And when all is said and done, there'll also be the polls to deal with, and time to decide who, at least in the polls' eyes, who's the number one team in the state. And that'll be interesting.

SPEAKER_02 46:06

It will. Can Cheshire run the table? Will uh you know, Southernton's always has been ranked in the top ten all season. And you know, I posted a story on the blog earlier today about how loose they are, and Cheshire is as good as they are, they're so business like, so it's kind of you know the uh yin and yang of of softball. And just the fact that the double L's are starting off at 10 a.m. is is to me, you know, that's one of the premier matchups of the day, and the and the CIAC you know has to balance all the different sports because other schools are playing at different times or uh other teams from the same schools are playing at different times, and and the job they do to figure all this out is is uh like a Jenga puzzle, I imagine. But uh but yeah, it's just you know uh again, four state championships in one day. You know, they do it at Mohegan Sun, you know, they do it for football at two different sites, but it's just it's just gonna be, you know, hopefully just a fun day, a great day. That's that's all I'm hoping for.

SPEAKER_03 47:04

I hope so as well. And and I will say as a side note, even though we we are absolutely softball focused, let's not forget uh Boys and Girls Lacrosse will be get resolved this weekend, as will baseball, and more or less you turn out the lights on the 2025-26 high school sports season. You do, and and what are we gonna talk about this summer?

SPEAKER_02 47:26

Well, it's softball season. We'll find stories. We've got to catch up on a lot of college stuff too. So so we're gonna keep being here, but but this one day, you know, uh what's what's the cliche? Going out with a bang. That's right. That's what this day is for the 2025-26 high school season, and you know, for these seniors, this is it. This is the end of their high school career. A small amount of them will be going off to college, and and we can't wait to follow them. But uh, you know, you played some high school sports, I'm assuming. I did a little bit, yeah. Uh you know, never at the level of these girls, that's for sure. Nor did I. Uh, you know, uh, I I won a state championship as a team in cross country uh my junior year, and I was the number seven runner on my team that day, and just had the worst race of my life. But uh, you know, some I still have the memory, I still have the photo and all that. So uh uh just I'm hoping for so many great memories for for these kids, and uh it's just been a pleasure to tell their stories, both here through the Inside Corner as well as the CT softball blog, and and you know, thank you for being a part of it this season, and and hopefully this will be a relationship that will keep continuing because of our history. And uh not to mention, you and I have always talked about growing this even more and finding ways to do that, and hopefully we'll be able to do that in the 26-27 school year.

SPEAKER_03 48:51

Absolutely true, and and there's no question that you know I feel like you and I should be up there broadcasting those games, but that's a conversation for another time, and maybe we'll get there down the road. But from my perspective, I just wish every athlete, every coach, every team, every parent the best of luck on Saturday and have fun. Have fun. That's what it's all about, Rob. Yep, absolutely true. On that, we say goodbye for this edition of the inside corner. Oh, we're not going anywhere. We're not saying goodbye just for this edition, I suppose, but that's about it. We'll do it next time. So for John Nash, I'm Rob Adams. You've been listening to the Inside Corner.