Powerhouse Bentonville softball looks for fourth state title in five seasons
BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON
Bentonville’s ultra-successful high school girls softball program is in a familiar spot as the postseason gets underway.
The Tigers will be looking to make it four state crowns in five seasons as the Class 6A state tournament begins Thursday and which they are co-hosting with Bentonville West.
6A-West champion Bentonville (19-2, 14-0) will first see action Friday at 12:30 p.m. against the winner of Thursday’s 10 a.m. tournament opener between North Little Rock and Fayetteville.
“I feel pretty good about the kids, but is always comes down to can you play your best game on that day because it is a one and done,” Bentonville head coach Kent Early said. “I like our line up. I think we are pretty hard to pitch to, we are a tough 21 outs and defensively, other than a couple of games, we have been pretty solid defensively.
“So I like our chances.”
6A-Central top seed Bryant (19-1), West second seed Springdale Har-ber (22-4) and Central runner-up Cabot (22-3) also earned first-round byes.
“I think pitching is the key,” Early said. “I think that can be said of any year, but I think in our conference that we have three very strong pitchers and I know Conway’s pitcher is very good as well.
“I just feel like we have more depth honestly. If you are looking on paper, that’s just being honest. We have more pitching depth, we have more offensive depth.
“I don’t know if that is an advantage or not, but it helps to have that.”
Bentonville knows it is the hunted as it has won six state championships since 2016, including three of the last four in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
They have also been state runners-up in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2019.
“It’s the whole David vs. Goliath thing,” Early said. “It’s Bentonville, blah, blah, blah. I told them to go ahead and accept it. That’s what I have been telling them every game.
“It the World Series for everybody else.”
Early is happy to have the tournament in Bentonville, but knows it us more about execution than location.
“I tell our kids all the time that even when we go on road, it ain’t home field advantage unless you win,” Early said. “That’s what it comes down to.”
Photo courtesy of Bentonville athletics
