When the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) released its field for this year’s softball state playoffs, there were two area teams in particular that stood out.

The Bronson softball team earned an at-large bid in the Rural state playoffs. It marks the Eagles’ first playoff appearance in over two decades.

“For Bronson to make the postseason, especially for the first time since 2003 under Coach Judy Beauchamp, it’s a big deal,” said second-year Bronson coach Jeff Blankenship. “It speaks directly to this group’s work ethic and their willingness to improve every single day.”

Although the Eagles finished 14-12 in Blankenship’s first season, they missed the playoffs.

However, this year, thanks to playing a difficult schedule, they’re in.

“More than anything, this run is about changing the culture,” Blankenship said. “For many years, the Bronson softball team has been labeled as the underdog or an easy win. We’ve made it a priority to eliminate that mindset. We don’t accept losing as ‘okay’ anymore. Our motto this year is ‘Think it, believe it’ – and that belief is starting to show up in how we practice and how we play.”

Bronson (11-11) lost to Williston, 9-6, in last Tuesday’s Rural-District 7 semifinals, but earned the No. 4 seed in Rural-Region 4.

Their 6.23 strength of schedule includes a pair of 1-run losses to 3-time state semifinalist Branford and two losses to 2A-District 5 champion Newberry by a combined three runs.

“Work beats talent, and belief changes performance, and these girls have bought into that,” Blankenship said. “This postseason appearance is just the beginning of what we expect moving forward.”

The Eagles are led at the plate by sophomore Makenna Dean (.371, 8 DBL, HR, 22 RBI), 8th-grader Amelia Ayala (.345, 3 triples, HR, 18 RBI) and senior Madison Dean (.333, 6 DBL, 16 RBI), who recently became the first Bronson softball college signee in six years.

Junior Julianne Lampton leads the pitching staff with 3.85 earned run average (ERA) and 165 strikeouts in 112.2 innings pitched.

“This is a very young team with just one senior starter, and we’re asking middle schoolers to compete at the varsity level,” Blankenship said. “That alone says a lot about their toughness and commitment.”

Standing in the way of a potential region final is a trip on Thursday to 2-time defending state champion Trenton, who outscored the Eagles, 24-4, in their two meetings.

“We know what we’re walking into with Trenton,” Blankenship said. “They’re the defending state champions for a reason. They’re talented, experienced, and they play the game the right way. But we also know we can compete. We’ve already shown that we can put runs on them, and that gives our girls confidence.”

The host Tigers (21-3), who defeated Williston, 12-2, in last Thursday’s Rural-District 7 championship game to win their third straight district title, are the overall No. 1 seed in the classification.

“The key for us is discipline and belief,” Blankenship said. “We have to stay under control defensively, handle their speed, and make routine plays without giving them extra opportunities. Offensively, we have to stay aggressive but smart, put the ball in play, apply pressure, and take advantage of chances when they come.”

Blankenship believes his team has a chance.

“At the end of the day, it’s about effort and confidence,” he said. “If we play loose, trust our preparation, and believe we belong on the field with them, we can give them a game they’re not expecting. We’re not satisfied just being here. We’re going there to compete.”

When Buchholz lost to Bartram Trail (St. Johns) in last Tuesday’s 6A-District 3 semifinal, the Bobcats knew the chances of getting an at-large bid were “very slim,” according to Buchholz coach Will Hooper.

Forest (Ocala), which was a No. 10 seed last week, stole a bid with upset wins in the 6A-District 4 tournament against Horizon (Winter Garden), the No. 5 seed in 6A-Region 1, and Lake Minneola, which got bounced from the postseason.

However, 6A-District 3 top seed Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) edged Bartram Trail, 3-2, in the title game, ensuring the Bears would not steal a bid from Buchholz.

Instead, the Bobcats are in the postseason for the first time since 2014.

“We’re excited to get this program back to the postseason for the first time in 12 years,” said Hooper, the FACA District 7 Class 6A Coach of the Year. “It’s a big step forward. We’ve had talented players come through here, but this group has taken it to another level, especially with how young we are, including seven freshmen contributing.”

Buchholz (17-9) earned the No. 6 seed in the region and will travel to No. 3 seed Navarre (13-10), which lost at top seed Pace, 4-3, in the 6A-District 1 championship game.

“We were disappointed not to finish the job in districts because we had high expectations, but overall, this has been a strong season,” Hooper said. “Every experience from here on out is valuable for our growth, and it’s building something special for the future.”

Bronson and Buchholz are two of 12 area teams participating this week, including six district champions (Branford, Trenton, Newberry, Santa Fe, Columbia, and Gainesville).

2026 FHSAA Softball state playoffs
(teams in the Mainstreet coverage area in bold)

All games at 7 p.m. unless noted

Wednesday, May 6 (Classes 1A-4A)

Class 2A-Region 2 Quarterfinals
3 Cornerstone Charter Academy (Belle Isle) at 6 Newberry, 6:30 p.m.
7 Keystone Heights at Montverde Academy

Class 3A-Region 1 Quarterfinals
7 Suwannee (Live Oak) at 2 Paxon (Jacksonville)

Class 3A-Region 2 Quarterfinals
8 Mount Dora at 1 Sant Fe (Alachua)

Class 4A-Region 1 Quarterfinals
8 Escambia (Pensacola) at 1 Columbia (Lake City), 6 p.m.

Thursday, May 7 (Rural & Classes 5A-7A)

Rural-Region 3 Semifinals
3 Union County (Lake Butler) at 2 Branford

Rural-Region 4 Semifinals
4 Bronson at 1 Trenton
3 Williston at 2 Fort Meade

Class 5A-Region 2 Quarterfinals
7 Deltona at 2 GHS

Class 6A-Region 1 Quarterfinals
6 Buchholz at 3 Navarre, 6 p.m.*

*Due to the chance of rain, Buchholz is awaiting confirmation from the FHSAA to move their game to Wednesday at 6 p.m.