Jamestown Hosts ND High School Girls Fastpitch Softball State Tournament

Twelve high school softball teams descended on the Nelson Family Bubble this weekend for Softball Day North Dakota, a three-day event hosted by the University of Jamestown softball program running Friday through Sunday, March 27-29. Among the early highlights: Hillsboro-Central Valley outlasted May-Port-CG in extra innings, one of six high school games scheduled each day inside the dome.

University of Jamestown softball coach Kevin Gall said the indoor facility gives teams a guarantee that weather won't derail the season opener. "We're going to get as many girls together and play and celebrate the sport and make a big deal out of it," Gall said.

The 12 high school teams participating include Jamestown, Carrington, Valley City, Williston, Horace, May-Port Clifford-Galesburg, West Fargo Sheyenne, Grand Forks Red River, Central Cass, Hillsboro Central Valley, Thompson and Hankinson. Each team plays two games, with the first game tipping off at 9 a.m. Friday, March 27, and the final high school game concluding at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28. To split up the high school action on Saturday, the UJ softball team is scheduled to play a doubleheader against St. Cloud State, with the first game at 1:30 p.m.

The weekend showcase is a preseason warmup to a bigger stage Jamestown will host later this spring. The 2026 NDHSAA Class B Softball State Tournament will be held May 28-30 at Lyle "Trapper" Lawrence Field, located at 4th Ave and 14th St. SE in Jamestown, with Jamestown High School Athletic Director Jim Roaldson serving as tournament manager. Pairings and game times will be published on ndhsaanow.com prior to the tournament.

The Class A counterpart will run concurrently at Minot's Scheels South Hill Softball Complex, 301 16th Ave SE, with Minot Public Schools Athletic Director Mitch Lunde managing that tournament.

Fans planning to attend the Class B tournament in May can purchase tickets digitally through GoFan. GameChanger Sports serves as the exclusive scorekeeping, pitch count, video clipping and team management provider for the NDHSAA, and the organization encourages fans to download the app to access live scoring and other game-day features. Box scores for the state tournament will be posted round by round as games go final, covering quarterfinals through the championship.

Gall said he hopes the combination of events like Softball Day North Dakota and the NDHSAA state tournament will help establish Jamestown as a destination for the sport. "With events like this, we're hoping that it creates excitement in our town, and that way softball can be more of a prominent sport," he said.