Minot North senior Kate Coleman led the Sentinels with a .511 batting averaging, recording 48 total hits, including 10 doubles, a triple and a home run, while driving in 34 runs. Minot North hosts Watford City in a WDA Tournament play-in game on Tuesday, May 19, at 1 p.m. at Scheels South Hill Sports Complex. Mike Kraft/MDN

They were picked to finish 1-2 in the WDA preseason coaches’ poll. They were 1-2 in the Class A coaches’ poll throughout the season. And they finished 1-2 in the conference standings when the regular season came to an end this week.

Dickinson and defending state champion Williston shared the WDA regular season title, but the Mavericks received the No. 1 seed in the upcoming WDA Tournament by virtue of head-to-head run differential. The two teams split their regular season doubleheader, with Dickinson winning the opener 9-3 and Williston claiming the finale 11-10.

The Mavericks (25-3 overall, 18-2 WDA) claimed their fifth WDA regular season title, which required winning their final doubleheader of the season against Bismarck Legacy. Dickinson’s only other conference loss came against Bismarck High in the second game of its doubleheader.

Dickinson finished third in the WDA in offense with 232 runs scored in 20 conference games played. Gabriella Sobolik led the Mavericks with a .633 average and a team-best nine home runs. She added 11 doubles and seven triples, driving in 38 runs. Kyndall Peterson was right behind her with a .611 average and also had nine home runs. She led the team with 14 doubles and 44 RBIs. The Mavericks hit 22 home runs as a team.

Dickinson has three go-tos on the mound in Peterson, Hali Henke and Reagan McMahen. Henke and McMahen both sport a sub-2.00 ERA. The three have combined for 155 strikeouts in 143 innings pitched.

The Coyotes shared WDA title gave them their second crown in as many years. Williston and Dickinson represent the last three state champions. The Coyotes enter the postseason on an eight-game winning streak.

Williston (26-2, 18-2) had the top offense in the WDA with 290 runs, while also being the stingiest on defense, allowing just 57 runs in 20 games this season. The Coyotes put up 10-plus runs in 21 games and amassed 20 or more runs in seven contests. They allowed two or fewer runs in 17 games.

Williston had seven hitters bat over .400 who appeared in at least 15 games, led by Rylee Irgens (.532) and Kyah Stundal (.524). The Coyotes compiled 334 hits with 134 going for extra bases.

Alana Thomas and Mekiah Klumker are the team’s top two pitchers. Klumker led the staff with a 2.73 ERA, striking out 100 batters in 59 innings. Thomas yielded a 2.78 ERA with 98 strikeouts over 73 innings pitched.

Both teams await to learn their quarterfinal round opponents. Both play-in games feature Minot-based teams, with No. 9 Minot High traveling to play No. 8 Bismarck Century on Saturday, May 16, at 2:30 p.m. in a rematch that took place just this past Tuesday. The other play-in game features No. 7 seed Minot North hosting No. 10 Watford City on Tuesday, May 19, at 1 p.m. at Scheels South Hill Complex.

The winner of Minot High/Century will play Dickinson in the quarterfinals on Thursday, May 21, at 11 a.m. at Williston State College. The Majettes (10-17, 5-15) endured a rebuilding season after losing the majority of the team that advanced to the state championship game last year. They leaned on their lone senior Darby Mowbray, who delivered with a stellar final season in a Majettes uniform. She led the team in batting average (.471), total hits (32), doubles (13), triples (3), RBIs (28) and was one of two players with a home run. Grace Burdick hit the other. Burdick and Daysi Alm also hit over .400 for the Majettes.

Williston awaits the winner of Minot North and Watford City. The Wolves landed in the 10th and final position following their first two wins of the season against Turtle Mountain to close out the regular season. The Sentinels (12-14, 8-12) defeated Watford City, 17-10, in a double-counter on April 21.

Minot North didn’t struggle to put runs on the board, scoring 228 runs this year. Kate Coleman batted a team-best .511, leading the team in total hits (48) and singles (36) and finished tied for the team-lead in doubles with Tiecyn Hertz with 10. She drove in 34 runs and scored 36 times. Aven Kelly led the team with nine of Minot North’s 14 home runs and batted .457. Hertz also hit above .400 with a .417 average. She finished with 22 RBIs and 35 runs scored.

Minot North scored 10 or more runs in 10 games this year, but also allowed 10 or more runs in 13 games.

The two quarterfinal games set in stone feature No. 3 Bismarck High playing No. 6 Jamestown and No. 4 Bismarck Legacy going against No. 5 Mandan. The Demons (23-4, 17-3) finished one game behind both Dickinson and Williston in the WDA standings. Bismarck High played Williston to within two runs in each game and split a doubleheader with Dickinson. The Demons swept Jamestown in a close series, winning 6-5 and 13-9. The Blue Jays (18-12, 11-9) took a game from Williston in the first game of their doubleheader.

Legacy swept Mandan earlier in the season.

Minot High, Williston, Dickinson and Bismarck High advanced to the state tournament last season. The Majettes are the defending WDA Tournament champion.