The path to the Louisiana High School Athletic Association state softball tournament in Sulphur later this month was laid out Wednesday morning when the playoff brackets were released.

Among area teams, Sam Houston, Iowa, Kinder, Merryville and Bell City earned first-round byes.

Bi-district games have to be played by Saturday, regionals by April 17 and the quarterfinals by April 20. The state tournament will run April 26 to 27 at North Frasch Park.

Kinder (24-4) is the area’s highest-seeded team at No. 3 in nonselect Division III. The District 3-3A champ have a chance to match up with No. 14 Rosepine (16-10) in the regional round for a second consecutive season. The Eagles beat Kinder 4-3 last year.

“I love them,” head coach Zach Montou said of his Yellow Jackets. “They are very a talented group that works very hard and is a very motivated group after a disappointing finish from last year.

“It is crazy because the guy (David Weldon) that replaced (former Rosepine head coach) Glenn (Granger) used to coach me (at Oberlin). He is a good, personal friend and a good guy. I have been texting him back and forth.”

Kinder has six starters from last year’s regional team and is looking for its second state tournament appearance in three seasons.

“We have to stay the course and play a hard style of softball,” Mouton said. “We have to have good pitching and good defense and be disciplined at the plate.

“We have to not try to do too much and take what they give us. And when they do give us something, we have to take advantage of it.”

The Yellow Jackets average 9.25 runs a game led by Brianna Fontenot, Samantha Hayes, Aubrey May and Hillari Shuff, who have combined to drive in 154 runs and score 106.

“We can get lackadaisical at times then, also, we can turn it on at times,” Mouton said. “It seems like we have been able to be a little more clutch in situations this year than we have in the past. The luck has been on our side this year.”

Fontenot and Hayes, a pair of junior three-year starters, have combined to strike out 201 batters in 172 innings and a 1.83 earned run average.

“We have two very capable pitchers,” Mouton said.

Sam Houston (19-10), a 2023 nonselect Division I finalist, enters the playoffs as the No. 6 seed and winner of 12 of its last 13 games since starting the season 2-6. The Broncos are after their third trip to Sulphur in four seasons.

In nonselect Division II, No. 5 Iowa (21-8) is looking to return to the state tournament for the first time since back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2021 and ’22. Iowa fell shy of the semifinals last season after a 6-5 loss to Brusly in the quarterfinals.

Merryville (16-5), a semifinalist three years ago, is the No. 6 seed in nonselect Division IV, while Bell City (13-9) is the four seed in Division V. The Panthers shared the District 5-1A title with East Beauregard. Bell City ran the table in District 6-B.

Schedule

Softball

State Playoffs

Area Bi-District

Pairings

Division I

No. 6 Sam Houston, bye

No. 20 Barbe at No. 13 Slidell, 6 p.m. Friday.

No. 23 Benton at No. 10 Sulphur, 5 p.m. Friday.

Division II

No. 25 Bastrop at No. 8 Jennings, 6 p.m. Friday

No. 5 Iowa, bye

No. 21 DeRidder at No. 12 Belle Chasse, 5 p.m. Friday.

Division III

No. 24 Crowley at No. 9 South Beauregard, 5 p.m. Friday.

No. 3 Kinder, bye

No. 19 North Webster at No. 14 Rosepine

Division IV

No. 17 South Plaquemines at No. 16 Lake Arthur, 5 p.m. Friday.

No. 24 West St. John at No. 9 Vinton, 4 p.m. Friday.

No. 25 White Castle at No. 8 East Beauregard, 5:30 p.m. Friday.

No. 20 Basile at No. 13 DeQuincy, 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

No. 19 Haynesville at No. 14 Welsh, 4 p.m. Friday.

No. 6 Merryville, bye

No. 26 Varnado at No. 7 Oakdale, 6 p.m. Saturday

No. 23 Oberlin at No. 10 Grand Lake, 5:30 p.m. Thursday

No. 18 Pickering at No. 15 Plain Dealing, 4 p.m. Saturday.

Division V

No. 25 Florien at No. 8 Lacassine, 5:30 p.m. Friday (at Iowa HS)

No. 4 Bell City, bye

No. 19 Starks at No. 14 Fairview, 5 p.m. Friday

Select

Division II

No. 21 St. Louis Catholic at Kenner Discovery Health Science, 5 p.m. Friday (Jefferson Parish Parks and Recreation Complex)

No. 22 Washington-Marion at No. 11 Evangel Christian, 5 p.m. Friday

No. 18 Lake Charles College Prep at No. 15 Cabrini, 4 p.m. Friday.

State Playoff Pairings

Nonselect

Division I

No. 1 Dutchtown, bye

No. 17 Hahnville at No. 16 Airline

No. 24 Denham Springs at No. 9 Destrehan

No. 25 Northshore at No. 8 Live Oak

No. 5 West Monroe, bye

No. 21 Walker at No. 12 East Ascension

No. 20 Barbe at No. 13 Slidell

No. 4 Ponchatoula, bye

No. 3 St. Amant, bye

No. 19 Mandeville at No. 14 Central-Baton Rouge

No. 22 Neville at No. 11 Natchitoches Central

No. 6 Sam Houston, bye

No. 26 Covington at No. 7 West Ouachita

No. 23 Benton at No. 10 Sulphur

No. 18 Ruston at No. 15 Chalmette

No. 2 Southside, bye

Division II

No. 1 North DeSoto, bye

No. 17 Rayne at No. 16 Cecilia

No. 24 West Feliciana at No. 9 Iota

No. 25 Bastrop at No. 8 Jennings

No. 5 Iowa, bye

No. 21 DeRidder at No. 12 Belle Chasse

No. 20 Franklinton at No. 13 Minden

No. 4 North Vermillion, bye

No. 3 Brusly, bye

No. 19 Franklin Parish at No. 14 Albany

No. 22 Lakeshore at No. 11 Eunice

No. 6 Grant, bye

No. 26 Erath at No. 7 Beau Chene

No. 23 Pearl River at No. 10 Assumption

No. 18 Morgan City at No. 15 Loranger

No. 2 Lutcher, bye

Division III

No. 1 Sterlington, bye

No. 17 Marksville at No. 16 Port Barre

No. 24 Crowley at No. 9 South Beauregard

No. 25 Vidalia at No. 8 Caldwell Parish

No. 5 Jena, bye

No. 21 Berwick at No. 12 Mamou

No. 20 Springfield at No. 13 St. James

No. 4 Kaplan, bye

No. 3 Kinder, bye

No. 19 North Webster at No. 14 Rosepine

No. 22 Pine at No. 11 Many

No. 6 Pine Prairie, bye

No. 26 Rayville at No. 7 Loreauville

No. 23 Ville Platte at No. 10 Winnfield

No. 18 Avoyelles at No. 15 Church Point

No. 2 Doyle, bye

Division IV

No. 1 Logansport, bye

No. 17 South Plaquemines at No. 16 Lake Arthur

No. 24 West St. John at No. 9 Vinton

No. 25 White Castle at No. 8 East Beauregard

No. 5 French Settlement, bye

No. 21 Delcambre at No. 12 Mangham

No. 20 Basile at No. 13 DeQuincy

No. 4 LaSalle, bye

No. 3 Montgomery, bye

No. 19 Haynesville at No. 14 Welsh

No. 22 Northeast at No. 11 Lakeside

No. 6 Merryville, bye

No. 26 Varnado at No. 7 Oakdale

No. 23 Oberlin at No. 10 Grand Lake

No. 18 Pickering at No. 15 Plain Dealing

No. 2 Oak Grove, bye

Division V

No. 1 Quitman, bye

No. 17 Castor at No. 16 Monterey

No. 24 Doyline at No. 9 Calvin

No. 25 Florien at No. 8 Lacassine

No. 5 Converse, bye

No. 21 Gibsland-Coleman at No. Pitkin

No. 20 Harrisonburg at No. 13 Summerfield

No. 4 Bell City, bye

No. 3 Choudrant, bye

No. 19 Starks at No. 14 Fairview

No. 22 Ebarb at No. 11 Holden

No. 6 Stanley, bye

No. 26 Simpson at No. 7 Anacoco

No. 23 Saline at No. 10 Hicks

No. 18 Evans at No. 15 Simsboro

No. 2 Zwolle, bye

Select Division I

No. 1 St. Thomas More, bye

No. 17 John Ehret at No. 16 Northwood-Shreveport

No. 24 Scotlandville at No. 9 Captain Shreve

No. 8 Alexandria, bye

No. 5 Archbishop Chapelle, bye

No. 21 McDonogh #35 at No. 12 Woodlawn-Baton Rouge

No. 20 St. Scholastica at No. 13 Acadiana

No. 4 Mount Carmel, bye

No. 3 Tioga, bye

No. 18 C.E. Byrd at No. 14 Caddo Magnet

No. 22 Ben Franklin at No. 11 Lafayette

No. 6 Pineville, bye

No. 7 St. Joseph’s Academy, bye

No. 23 Warren Easton at No. 10 Dominican

No. 18 Edna Karr at No. 15 Riverdale

No. 2 John Curtis Christian, bye

Division II

No. 1 Buckeye, bye

No. 17 Madison Prep at No. 16 The Willow School

No. 24 Lord Beaconsfield Landry at No. 9 St. Michael the Archangel

No. 8 David Thibodaux, bye

No. 5 Haynes Academy, bye

No. 21 St. Louis Catholic at No. 12 Kenner Discovery Health Science

No. 20 Booker T. Washington-Shreveport at No. 13 Lafayette Christian

No. 4 E.D. White, bye

No. 3 Archbishop Hannan, bye

No. 19 Peabody at No. 14 De La Salle

No. 22 Washington-Marion at No. 11 Evangel Christian

No. 6 Academy of Our Lady, bye

No. 7 Teurlings Catholic, bye

No. 23 Booker T. Washington-New Orleans at No 10 Bunkie

No. 18 Lake Charles College Prep at No. 15 Cabrini

No. 2 Vandebilt Catholic, bye

Division III

No. 1 Calvary Baptist, bye

No. 17 Beekman Charter at No. 16 Loyola Prep

No. 24 St. Mary’s Academy at No. Fisher

No. 8 Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technolgy Academy

No. 5 Notre Dame, bye

No. 21 St. Thomas Aquinas at No. 12 Parkview Baptist

No. 20 Acadiana Renaissance Charter at No. 13 University Lab

No. 4 Holy Savior Menard, bye

No. 3 Houma Christian, bye

No. 19 Dunham at No. 14 Thomas Jefferson

No. 22 Glenmora at No. 11 Metairie Park Country Day

No. 6 D’Arbonne Woods Charter, bye

No. 7 Northlake Christian, bye

No. 23 Episcopal at No. 10 Pope John Paul II

No. 18 Isidore Newman at No. 15 Catholic-New Iberia

No. 2 St. Charles Catholic, bye

Division IV

No. 1 Opelousas Catholic, bye

No. 17 Cedar Creek at No. 16 Louise McGehee

No. 24 Delta Charter at No. 9 Ouachita Christian

No. 8 Ascension Christian, bye

No. 5 Ascension Catholic, bye

No. 21 St. Martin’s Episcopal at No. 12 Covenant Christian

No. 20 Vermillion Catholic at No. 13 Glenbrook

No. 4 St. Frederick, bye

No. 3 Riverside Academy, bye

No. 19 Highland Baptist at No. 14 St. Edmund

No. 22 Northwood-Lena at No. 11 St. John

No. 6 Sacred Heart, bye

No. 7 St. Mary’s, bye

No. 23 Hanson Memorial at No. 10 Central Private

No. 18 Slaughter Community Charter at No. 15 Central Catholic

No. 2 Catholic-Pointe Coupee, bye

Quarterfinals

Division V

No. 8 Avoyelles Public Charter at No. 1 Grace Christian

No. 5 St. Joseph’s-Plaucheville at No. 4 Northside Christian

No. 6 Downsville at No. 3 Claiborne Christian

No. 7 Oak Hill at No. 2 Family Community