Hempfield, Shaler and Union are favored to defend their titles as the WPIAL softball playoffs commence.
All three were awarded No. 1 seeds in their respective classifications when the district playoff brackets were released Thursday afternoon — Hempfield in Class 6A, Shaler in 5A and Union in Class A.
Elizabeth Forward (4A), South Park (3A) and Laurel (2A) also earned top seeds for the tournament, which will get underway with opening-round matchups Monday, Tuesday and next Thursday.
The championship games are scheduled for May 27-28, at PennWest’s Lilley Field in California.
Hempfield (19-1) is seeking its 10th title and won twice in the past three seasons. The other top seeds in 6A went to No. 2 Seneca Valley, No. 3 Norwin and No. 4 Canon-McMillan.
Shaler (16-1) rolled to the Section 1-5A title at 12-0 and defeated Hempfield in a nonsection game in March. Class 5A’s other top seeds were awarded to No. 2 Thomas Jefferson, No. 3 Penn-Trafford and No. 4 West Allegheny.
Elizabeth Forward (16-3) was the Section 2-4A champ and is looking return to the finals after winning the 2024 WPIAL title. No. 2 Knoch, No. 3 Blackhawk and No. 4 Hampton were the other top seeds in Class 4A.
South Park (16-1), which won it’s lone title in 2003, won the Section 3-3A title. The Eagles’ only loss came against Hempfield on Tuesday. No. 2 Mohawk, No. 3 Mt. Pleasant and No. 4 Ellwood City drew Class 3A’s other top seeds.
Laurel (13-4) edged Neshannock (14-5) and Shenango (13-5) for the Section 1-2A title and is looking for its fourth WPIAL title after winning in 2018, ‘19 and ‘21). No. 2 Chartiers-Houston, No. 3 Bentworth and No. 4 South Allegheny followed as the next top seeds in Class 2A.
Union (15-2) is seeking its fourth WPIAL title after winning in 2022, ‘23, and ‘25. The Scotties were followed by No. 2 Carmichaels, No. 3 West Greene and No. 4 Serra Catholic in Class A.
Hampton (4A), Mohawk (3A) and Neshannock (2A) also won WPIAL titles in 2025. Mohawk has won back-to-back crowns in 3A, and the Lancers have won four straight WPIAL championships in Class 2A.
Class 6A
Quarterfinals
Tuesday’s schedule
Mt. Lebanon (8-11) vs. Canon-McMillan (8-10) at Pleasant Valley Elementary, 6 p.m.
Pine-Richland (7-11) vs. Norwin (10-8) at Plum, 5 p.m.
Bye: Hempfield (19-1), Seneca Valley (14-4)
Class 5A
Preliminary round
Monday’s schedule
Moon (8-10) vs. Upper St. Clair (8-9) at Montour, 3 p.m.
First round
Tuesday’s schedule
Moon/Upper St. Clair winner vs. Shaler (16-1) at North Allegheny, 5 p.m.
Fox Chapel (14-5) vs. Armstrong (11-8) at Plum, 3 p.m.
Latrobe (10-8) vs. West Allegheny (12-3) at Gateway, 3 p.m.
Kiski Area (13-5) vs. Baldwin (15-4) at Norwin, 3 p.m.
South Fayette (10-8) vs. Thomas Jefferson (14-3) at Pleasant Valley Elementary, 4 p.m.
Plum (13-5) vs. Trinity (17-3) at Gateway, 5 p.m.
Connellsville (12-7) vs. Penn-Trafford (17-3) at Norwin, 5 p.m.
North Hills (9-6) vs. Montour (12-5) at North Allegheny, 3 p.m.
Class 4A
First round
Monday’s schedule
Derry (10-4) vs. Beaver (9-7) at Gateway, 3 p.m.
Greensburg Salem (5-8) vs. Hampton (12-5) at Gateway, 5 p.m.
Uniontown (9-7) vs. Indiana (13-5) at Norwin, 4 p.m.
West Mifflin (12-7) vs. North Catholic (12-4) at Montour, 5 p.m.
Freeport (8-10) vs. Laurel Highlands (10-4) at Norwin, 2 p.m.
Bye: Elizabeth Forward (16-3), Knoch (15-2), Blackhawk (10-4)
Class 3A
First round
Thursday’s schedule
Yough (12-7) vs. Avonworth (10-8) at Gateway, 5 p.m.
Hopewell (6-8) vs. McGuffey (9-5) at Montour, 3 p.m.
Deer Lakes (7-12) vs. Keystone Oaks (15-4) at Plum, 5 p.m.
Charleroi (5-11) vs. Burrell (10-8) at Norwin, 3 p.m.
Bye: South Park (16-1), Ellwood City (8-5), Mohawk (14-4), Mt. Pleasant (13-3)
Class 2A
First round
Thursday’s schedule
Shady Side Academy (5-8) vs. Laurel (13-4) at North Allegheny, 6 p.m.
Frazier (11-8) vs. Seton LaSalle (10-4) at West Mifflin, 3 p.m.
Brownsville (10-7) vs. South Allegheny (12-6) at Norwin, 5 p.m.
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (8-8) vs. Neshannock (14-5) at North Allegheny, 4 p.m.
Washington (9-7) vs. Chartiers-Houston (16-1) at Trinity Middle School, 6 p.m.
Brentwood (8-6) vs. Riverside (8-5) at West Mifflin, 5 p.m.
Burgettstown (7-7) vs. Bentworth (17-1) at Trinity Middle School, 4 p.m.
Apollo-Ridge (8-6) vs. Shenango (13-5) at Seneca Valley, 6:30 p.m.
Class A
First round
Thursday’s schedule
Bishop Canevin (5-9) vs. Jeannette (10-3) at Plum, 3 p.m.
Leechburg (2-10) vs. Jefferson-Morgan (14-5) at Gateway, 3 p.m.
Monessen (7-10) vs. Sewickley Academy (9-3) at Montour, 5 p.m.
Beth-Center (5-8) vs. South Side (9-8) at North Strabane Intermediate, 4:30 p.m.
Bye: Union (15-2), Serra Catholic (11-5), Carmichaels (15-4), West Greene (12-6)
Visit Trib HSSN for complete brackets.