Believe it or not, the Eau Claire Express season begins just one week from now. It may not feel like late May thanks to the inconsistent weather, but summer baseball is right around the corner. Weekly conversations with Express players, coaches, and staff will return throughout the season, starting this Thursday with Craig Toycen stopping by to preview the year ahead. Fans should also mark down four special summer dates for “Tailgate Thursdays” before Express home games at Carson Park: June 11 July 16 July 30 August 6 The pregame festivities will begin around 5:30 p.m. with the Mobile Man Cave Hangout set up outside the ballpark. There will also be ticket giveaways and opportunities for fans to hang out before first pitch. Crosstown Baseball Takes Over Carson Park One of the biggest local events of the week arrives Tuesday and Wednesday as Eau Claire Memorial and Eau Claire North square off in the annual Crosstown Games at Carson Park. Both games are scheduled for 6 p.m., and with the regular season winding down, the matchups carry even more importance as teams prepare for the postseason. Wednesday’s game, in particular, should bring a strong atmosphere with additional activity happening around Carson Park ahead of upcoming concerts and summer events. There’s something special about high school baseball at historic Carson Park this time of year, especially when the Huskies and Old Abes meet with playoff momentum on the line. Conference Championship Season Has Arrived The postseason push isn’t limited to baseball and softball. This week features several major conference championship events across the area: The Big Rivers Conference track meet is being held at Memorial. The Clover Belt Conference meet takes place Tuesday at Fall Creek. Regional and sectional track meets begin next week. The WIAA State Track Field Championships are now less than two weeks away. Meanwhile, local tennis programs are preparing for postseason action as well. Altoona enters conference play undefeated and is enjoying what may be the best season in program history. The Middle Border Conference meet takes place at the Menard Center before subsectionals and sectionals begin next week. Golf and soccer postseason play are also rapidly approaching as the spring sports calendar races toward Memorial Day. Softball Playoff Brackets Bring Loaded Matchups WIAA softball playoff brackets are beginning to take shape, and several local programs earned strong seeds entering postseason play. Division II Highlights Altoona earned a No. 4 seed and will face La Crosse Logan. Rice Lake faces St. Croix Central in a 7-vs-10 matchup. Somerset sits as a No. 2 seed waiting in the next round. Medford also secured a No. 1 seed in its bracket. Division III Features Several Contenders The Division III field is loaded with local talent: Spooner earned a top seed. Cameron enters as a No. 3 seed. Cumberland hosts Northwestern as a No. 4 seed. Stanley-Boyd grabbed a No. 1 seed after a tremendous conference season. Fall Creek opens against Loyal-Greenwood with powerhouse Arcadia waiting next. Several teams in the region have battle-tested résumés after playing difficult schedules all spring long, which could make for some unpredictable playoff runs. Division IV Could Be One of the Most Competitive Fields Division IV may feature the deepest local sectional grouping of them all. Among the notable teams: Grantsburg earned a No. 1 seed. Boyceville continues to shine in both baseball and softball. McDonell Catholic sits atop its bracket. Augusta enters postseason play as one of the hottest teams around. Colfax, Osseo-Fairchild, Mondovi, Spring Valley, and Elmwood/Plum City all add depth to a loaded field. Many of these programs have recent playoff experience, and several teams regularly challenge larger schools during the regular season — something that often pays off in May and June. As discussed during the roundup, postseason softball can quickly become about one thing: a hot pitcher. One dominant arm can completely change the course of a sectional. Small-School Programs Ready for Deep Runs Division V also features several intriguing area teams: Northwood/Solon Springs earned a top seed and a double bye. Blair-Taylor sits as a No. 1 seed. Gilman earned a No. 2 seed. Independence-Gilmanton and Flambeau both enter with strong positioning. Meanwhile, Owen-Withee faces perennial contender Athens in what should be a challenging opening-round matchup. Blugolds Head to NCAA Outdoor Championships To wrap up the week, the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds will head to La Crosse for the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track Field Championships. The Blugolds once again enter nationals with expectations of podium finishes and national-title contenders. With favorable weather projected for the weekend, it should set the stage for another memorable championship performance. UW-La Crosse will certainly look to defend home turf, but the Blugolds have consistently proven they belong among the nation’s elite in Division III track and field. The Sprint to Summer Is Officially On Once Memorial Day arrives, the spring sports season moves at full speed. Conference championships, regionals, sectionals, state tournaments, summer baseball, and the return of the Eau Claire Express all collide at once — and the Chippewa Valley sports scene is about to become nonstop action for the next several weeks. ...read more read less