Since 2018, the city of Abilene has had at least one team reach the third round of the softball playoffs every year but 2020, when no postseason was played due to COVID.

A local team has reached the fourth round of the playoffs in three of the last five completed seasons.

With Abilene High and Wylie set for a Region I-5A quarterfinals series Friday and Saturday at Abilene Christian University’s Poly Wells Field, that’s already guaranteed to happen again this season. The only question is which of those two surging teams it will be that represents the Key City in the region semifinals next week.

Wylie, the No. 1 seed out of District 4-5A after sharing the league’s championship with fellow region quarterfinalists Lubbock Cooper and Lubbock Monterey, enters the series on a nine-game winning streak, including sweeps of Amarillo Tascosa and Canutillo to open the postseason.

Abilene High, the district’s fourth seed, has won seven of its last eight games, rallying past District 3-5A champion Amarillo High in bi-district before sweeping a 33-win El Paso Ysleta team in the area round.

Throw in a pair of competitive district matchups that saw the Lady Bulldogs edge the Lady Eagles 3-2 on March 5 and AHS return the favor with an impressive 2-0 win on March 28, and you have all the makings of an epic clash between two consistent Class 5A threats.

“It’s going to be a fun, competitive series (and a) great time to watch some good softball,” Abilene High coach Jenna Aguirre said. “We knew our district was tough — district was a dogfight each game — and the fact that we’re all four back in Round 3 facing off again shows how tough it was.

“Wylie’s always going to put up a fight. (Coach) Heather (Collier) has always done a great job with her kids. It’s awesome to see how much talent we have right here in Abilene. Most of them are friends and have been playing together their whole life, which makes this series so special.”

This weekend’s series isn’t the first meeting between two Abilene teams this deep in the softball playoffs. But it is the first in any of the current players’ lifetimes.

Abilene High and Cooper met in the same round in 2001, with the Lady Eagles outlasting the Lady Cougars in three games.

After two tightly contested games in district play, both AHS (23-13-1) and Wylie (28-8) are bracing for a similarly competitive series more than 20 years later.

“I expect it to be (competitive),” Collier said. “There’s so much talent on both squads and just so much respect for each other. These girls have played together — a lot of them are very familiar with each other, and I just think there’s that mutual respect and knowing you need to go out there to play well to keep yourself in the game. I think that makes it exciting.

“And getting to play at a nice venue at ACU, we’re very thankful to bring this great game. We have some fans who probably don’t get to travel all the way to Fort Stockton — and Abilene High was at Pecos — so it’s nice that some can get to see these girls showcase the talents that they have right here in town.”

And both teams have plenty of talent to showcase.

Each couples a strong two-headed pitching tandem with a potent lineup, capable of putting near-constant pressure on opposing pitchers.

For Abilene High, senior Diana Silva (the school’s all-time strikeout leader) and sophomore Avah Reyes split the pitching load, while center fielder Brie Reed, shortstop Kinzley Cantu, third baseman Mariah Estrada and second baseman Aubriana Camacho spearhead a strong offense from top to bottom. 

After losing one of the area’s top power hitters, ACU signee Amyah Starks, to a season-ending knee injury early in the year, the Lady Eagles have leaned heavily on their speed to put pressure on defenses, and the formula has been a winning one.

Aguirre said continuing that trend will be a key to success this weekend.

“Everyone is back to 0-0 this season and both teams are playing really good ball,” she said. “Our plan is to continue putting the ball in play, let our speed make things happen and have our pitchers hit their spots. Play together, for one another and fight until they call ‘ballgame.'”

Wylie, meanwhile, counters with senior Halli Russell and freshman Avie Faries in the circle. 

And led by catcher Cameron Gregory, infielders Kinsley Turner, Mycala Reed and Wynslow Miller and outfielder Shyla Thompson, the Lady Bulldogs can put runs on the board in a hurry. 

WHS has averaged 12.4 runs per outing in the nine games since being no-hit by Silva in the 2-0 loss to Abilene High, reaching double figures six times.

Collier is hoping to see her team continue to swing a hot bat, and she believes the mental side of the game will play a significant role in whether or not that happens against such a familiar opponent in Abilene High.

“I think (calming our) nerves and just keeping things simple will be important. Don’t overthink,” she said. “And I definitely want them to have fun. I think you play better when you’re relaxed and you have fun and aren’t carrying too much pressure.

“Everybody’s just got to do their job and communicate and encourage each other. I just think if everybody kind of stays within themselves and just kind of enjoys the moment and enjoys each other, the rest will take care of itself.”

Wylie, which is back in the third round for the fifth straight postseason, is trying to reach the region semifinals for the third time since 2019. 

Abilene High, which last reached the region quarterfinals in 2018 as a Class 6A program, is looking for its first trip to the fourth round since 2003. 

With the stage set and the stakes high, all that’s left to do is play the games.

“It’s exciting,” Collier said. “We had a feeling this could happen if both teams continued to play well.

“When you’re playing a familiar opponent, I think it’s fun, but I think you also have to just make adjustments and work on the fundamentals and be solid. It’s going to come down to execution, calming those nerves, having confidence and just having fun.

“At this point, both programs are having a great year. I think it’s a time to definitely have some fun with it and just be grateful that we’re still getting to be together and we’re still getting to play this great game.”