Caldera pitcher Brooke Chapin has bounced back strong from missing last season with a foot injury. (Photo by KC Fresh Inc.)

In early 2025, Caldera softball was dealt a staggering one-two punch.

Before the season, coach Lisa Kienzle moved to Seattle with her husband, Michael, for him to undergo treatment for leukemia, which was diagnosed one week prior to tryouts. She missed the entire season.

Then, pitcher Brooke Chapin, a 5A Intermountain Conference first-team pick as a freshman in 2024, suffered a foot injury in a spring break tournament. She had surgery and was out for the year.

The Wolfpack, who made the state quarterfinals in 2024 after going 3-21 in their varsity debut season in 2023, battled through a choppy 14-14 season that ended with another quarterfinal exit.

So when the team reconvened this year – with Kienzle back in the dugout and Chapin returning to the circle – they had modest goals. They talked about finishing above .500, cutting their errors down to fewer than three per game, and winning the season series with IMC rival Ridgeview, the reigning state champion.

“We didn't have high expectations for them,” Kienzle said. “There were some missing pieces that needed to be put back together. It was kind of like a rebuild season.”

In the last three months, Caldera has defied its own expectations by going 28-1. The Wolfpack won the IMC, captured the top seed to the 5A playoffs and earned a spot opposite of No. 3 Wilsonville (23-7) in Saturday's 5A final at the University of Oregon's Jane Sanders Stadium.

“It's only our fifth year as a school, and to make it this far, this early, has been such a blessing,” Kienzle said.

Resilience is the team's defining characteristic. Caldera has shown a knack for battling back to win games, the latest example coming in the semifinals when the Wolfpack trailed Crater 5-1 in the second inning before rallying to win 7-5.

In a conference game against Mountain View in April, Caldera was down 8-3 but scored 15 runs in the fifth inning to win 18-8. The Wolfpack outlasted Bend 13-12 and Crook County 12-10 in IMC play.

“Every time we've been down this year, they kind of get tunnel vision,” Kienzle said. “It's almost like they crave that feeling of being down.”

After giving up 234 runs last season, Caldera has limited foes to 89 runs this season. Much has to do with the return of Chapin, who has thrown 143 1/3 innings, allowed 129 hits, struck out 206, walked 34 and has a 2.05 ERA.

“She's carried it for us,” Kienzle said. “She has that dog-grit mentality. She doesn't want to lose.

“I didn't know how she'd come back from her injury. I didn't know if she'd have the right mindset, if she'd get down on herself. It was interesting to see her process through this year and how she's risen up and overcome all she has in the last year.”

Chapin also has provided a big bat in the cleanup spot. She is hitting .511 with 15 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 45 RBIs while hitting behind lefty sophomore slugger Elle Morton (.519, eight home runs, 45 RBIs).

The Wolfpack have drawn inspiration from the fight of Michael Kienzle, a paramedic with Redmond Fire & Rescue. The players wear an orange cancer ribbon on their visors to recognize him.

Michael has undergone 12 rounds of chemotherapy and two stem-cell transplants. He spent nine months undergoing treatment in Seattle and is currently at Stanford University Medical Center in California, where Lisa visits him on alternating weekends along with their two-year-old son, Logan.

“He watches every single game online,” Lisa said. “It's been a great season to enjoy all these victories.”

Lisa said that if Michael's health allows, “We're trying to get him to the game on Saturday.”

A look at the state championship games, Friday and Saturday at the University of Oregon's Jane Sanders Stadium:

6A, Saturday, 6 p.m.

No. 2 Sherwood (27-3) vs. No. 1 West Linn (27-2): Sherwood, with six starters back from its first title team, goes for a repeat against the Lions, who are playing in their first final. The Bowmen beat West Linn 5-4 at home April 10 on senior Jordyn Henderson's walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh inning. In that game, Sherwood sophomore Presley Sarono-Ramos tossed a five-hitter with 11 strikeouts. Since that loss, West Linn has won 19 in a row. Last year, the Bowmen defeated West Linn 3-1 in the quarterfinals. Sherwood's losses this season have come against Lake Oswego, Wilsonville and Forest Grove. The Bowmen are on a 17-game winning streak. Henderson and Sarono-Ramos were 6A first-team picks last year. Henderson (.395, 13 HR, 39 RBIs) and seniors Daisha Cornwell (.471) and Maisy Schindler (.366, 5 HR, 28 RBIs) – committed to Delaware, Linfield and Montana, respectively – spark the offense. Sarono-Ramos (128 1/3 innings, 82 hits, 172 strikeouts, 28 walks, 1.64 ERA) is the two-time Pacific Conference pitcher of the year. West Linn, which has set a school record for wins, is loaded with college-bound seniors in Kendall Atwood (Boise State), Emily Sakys (Miami of Ohio), Piper Ruthrauff (Odessa), Claire Lenarduzzi (Wisconsin-La Crosse), Vivienne McGraw (Colorado-Colorado Springs) and Mckayla Castro (Cal State San Marcos). The Lions have hit 35 home runs, led by Sakys (.385, 10 HR, 42 RBIs), Castro (.346, 8 HR, 36 RBIs), Ruthrauff (.383, 8 HR, 34 RBIs) and junior Avery Wolf (.462, 5 HR, 18 RBIs). Atwood (.495) is the Three Rivers League player of the year and Wolf (84 innings, 61 hits, 101 strikeouts, 25 walks, 1.67 ERA) is the pitcher of the year. Wolf, junior Meadow Sanborn and freshman Emily Rucker have shared time in the circle all season, even in the playoffs. Gina Garvey, 94-47 in five seasons as West Linn's coach, plans to step down after the season and return to her home state of Arizona.

5A, Saturday, 3 p.m.

No. 3 Wilsonville (23-7) vs. No. 1 Caldera (28-1): Both teams, coming off quarterfinal losses last year, are going for their first titles. Wilsonville has played in one final, finishing as runner-up in 2022. Caldera won at Wilsonville 8-3 on April 3, but the Wolfpack did not face sophomore Addi Smith, the Northwest Oregon Conference pitcher of the year. In 26 playoff innings, Smith has allowed one run, 10 hits, struck out 49 and walked three. For the season, Smith has thrown 145 2/3 innings, fanned 296, walked 36 and has a 0.48 ERA. The Wildcats have two other NWOC first-team picks in junior catcher Morgan Christiansen and junior first baseman Shae Seber (.403, 2 HR, 34 RBIs). Wilsonville was NWOC runner-up to Canby but beat the Cougars 1-0 in 12 innings in the semifinals. Caldera, in its fourth varsity season, is bidding to become the third different Intermountain Conference team to win the title in three seasons, following Bend (2024) and Ridgeview (2025). The Wolfpack's only loss is a 4-3 setback at Ridgeview on April 28. In their win at Wilsonville, junior Brooke Chapin tossed a six-hitter with seven strikeouts and hit a solo homer and junior Analeigh Miller hit three doubles. Miller is batting .470 with 17 doubles. Chapin (.511, 5 HR, 45 RBIs), sophomore Elle Morton (.519, 8 HR, 45 RBIs) and freshman Makenzie Guerin (.438, 3 HR, 35 RBIs) also are having big seasons at the plate. Chapin (2.05 ERA, 206 strikeouts, 143 1/3 innings) is the IMC pitcher of the year.

4A, Saturday, 12 p.m.

No. 2 St. Helens (22-6) vs. No. 1 Scappoose (26-3): The stakes have never been higher in the Seven Mile War rivalry between the neighboring towns on Highway 30. St. Helens took two of three Cowapa League games against Scappoose – losing the first 7-1 and winning the next two 3-2 and 4-3 – but the Indians claimed the league title by one game over the Lions. St Helens, which lost to Cowapa rival Astoria 7-0 in last year's final, won the last of its four titles in 1996. Scappoose, appearing in its first final since 2007, won its only title in 1995. Indians senior Saige Casey (Linfield commit) is the Cowapa co-pitcher of the year. In 128 1/3 innings, she has fanned 188, walked 14 and has a 1.04 ERA. She also is batting .396 with seven homers and a team-high 38 RBIs. Junior Sophia Bloyd (.434, 7 HR, 34 RBIs) and sophomore Elly Casey (.440, 5 HR, 27 RBIs) also provide pop. St. Helens senior catcher Madelyn Hancock (committed to Lower Columbia College) is the Cowapa player of the year. She is hitting .518 with five homers and 33 RBIs. Oregon Tech-bound senior Addy Ellis (.418, 12 doubles, 34 RBIs) and juniors Jadyn Pense (.355, 25 RBIs) and Dakota Drake (.350, 25 RBIs) also are consistent contributors. Junior Eme Curaming, who took the loss in last year's final, is back as the Lions' ace. In 146 innings, she has yielded 134 hits, struck out 156, walked 22 and has a 1.68 ERA.

3A, Friday, 3 p.m.

No. 2 South Umpqua (27-2) vs. No. 1 Vale (29-0): The game features two of the state's most dominant two-way players in South Umpqua senior Jasmine Morales (committed to Union University in Tennessee) and Vale freshman Sophia Navarrete. Morales is the Far West League player and pitcher of the year. In 126 2/3 innings, she has given 30 hits, fanned 275, walked 51 and has a 0.44 ERA. She is hitting .500 with 17 doubles, five homers and a team-leading 38 RBIs. Navarrete has elevated a Vale team that lost in the quarterfinals last year, earning Special District 2 player of the year honors. She is batting .712 with 20 doubles, 11 homers and 55 RBIs and has been equally impressive in 92 1/3 innings in the circle, limiting foes to 36 hits, striking out 200, walking eight and carrying a 0.53 ERA. South Umpqua, which beat Scio 9-1 in the 2024 final and fell to Scio in the semifinals last year, is going for its second title in three seasons. Morales, seniors Danika Richardson (.488, 4 HR, 27 RBIs) and Regan Ireland (.463, 5 HR, 37 RBIs) and sophomore Shiloh Gilbert (.552, 4 HR, 33 RBIs) lead the offense. Richardson and Ireland are committed to Bushnell and Southwest Oregon Community College, respectively. It is the second final for Vale, which lost to Rainier 5-1 in 2014. The Lancers' only losses are to Dayton and Scappoose. Vale is bidding to become the first undefeated champion since Burns/Crane went 29-0 in 2023. The Vikings have several players from the state runner-up basketball team. Their top hitters are Navarrete, juniors Teagan Stokes (.343, 3 HR, 26 RBIs) and Grace Chamberlain (.457) and sophomores Sadie Blake (.434, 26 RBIs) and Braelyn Keller (.420, 29 RBIs).

2A/1A, Friday, 12 p.m.

No. 4 Heppner/Ione (19-5) vs. No. 3 Regis (28-3): Regis has a prolific offense, scoring 435 runs (counting two 1-0 forfeits) to break the state record of 424 (North Douglas, 2022). The Rams have scored at least 20 runs eight times. Their lowest output against an Oregon team came in a 15-7 loss to 3A Banks, their only in-state defeat. The biggest bats are senior Hadley Foster (.615, 7 HR, 45 RBIs), junior Addie Bishop (.420, 7 HR, 27 RBIs) and freshmen Peyton Welch (.469, 7 HR, 39 RBIs) and Macy Bohnke (.455, 5 HR, 35 RBIs). Foster, the Special District 3 player of the year, played on the school's state champion girls basketball team last season, scoring a game-high 21 points in the final. Bishop (3.77 ERA) is the team's top pitcher. Heppner/Ione has bounced back from losing to Grant Union/Prairie City 17-5 and 16-3 in a Special District 7 doubleheader to win five in a row and reach the final. Senior Sarah Estes (487, 4 HR, 41 RBIs), committed to Treasure Valley Community College, is the district player of the year. Sophomore Isabel Payne (.398, 7 HR, 37 RBIs) also is having a big year. Junior Maya Payne (3.95 ERA) is the Mustangs' ace. Both teams lost in the quarterfinals last year. Heppner hasn't been in the final since winning its only title in 2012. Regis is 2-1 in championship games, winning in 2004 and 2011 and losing in 1998.