Saying things are about to heat up in the world of high school softball takes on a double meaning this week.

With the cool, blustery weather conditions, a little end-of-the-week warmup will certainly be welcome, just in time for a slate full of softball section playoff games.

The softball state tournament is June 3-6. The first three days — quarterfinals, semifinals and consolation rounds — take place at Caswell Park in North Mankato, long the home of the tourney.

The venue changes for the championship round. Finals in all four classes will be held June 6 at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota.

Here's a look at the section playoffs across the state, expanding on a few worth a little extra attention.

Class 4A

Section 5

Perhaps the deepest section for the big schools. Centennial (14-6) earned the No. 1 seed, largely on the strength of an April victory over No. 2 seed Champlin Park (17-2), winner of 12 in a row. Perennial power Maple Grove (11-9) earned the No. 3 seed, while the highlight game of Tuesday's quarterfinals finds No. 5 seed Rogers (16-4), the 2024 Class 4A state champ, traveling to No. 4 seed Spring Lake Park (13-7). After a slow start, Rogers appears set on defending its title, having won 12 of its past 13 games.

Favorite: Champlin Park. Knocking: Centennial. Could happen: Rogers.

Section 2

Bloomington Jefferson emerged as the No. 1 seed thanks to its 18-1 regular-season record. The Jaguars look like a team prepared to win at this time of year, with two dependable pitchers in Brooke Borwege and Grace Rolek and a lineup with six regulars hitting better than .400. Minnetonka (16-4) won its first 11 games and is the No. 2 seed. Always tough Eden Prairie is No. 3, Chanhassen No. 4 and Prior Lake No. 5.

Favorite: Bloomington Jefferson. Knocking: Minnetonka. Could happen: Chanhassen.

Predicting the other sections:

Section 1

Favorite: Farmington. Knocking: Lakeville North. Could happen: Lakeville South.

Section 3

Favorite: Rosemount. Knocking: Eagan. Could happen: Hastings.

Section 4

Favorite: Stillwater. Knocking: White Bear Lake. Could happen: North St. Paul.

Section 6

Favorite: Edina. Knocking: Bloomington Kennedy. Could happen: St. Louis Park.

Section 7

Favorite: Forest Lake. Knocking: Blaine. Could happen: Cambridge-Isanti.

Section 8

Favorite: St. Michael-Albertville. Knocking: Sartell. Could happen: Brainerd.

Class 3A

Section 2

Section 2 has been the power section in Class 3A for the past three years, thanks to two teams from the softball hotbed of Mankato. Mankato East has won two straight Class 3A titles and could make it three as long as it has slugging senior pitcher Kylinn Stangl on the rubber. The future Gophers hurler is just as capable with the bat, leading the state with 10 home runs. However, as good as No. 1 seed East has been, No. 2 seed Mankato West could make a strong run. The Scarlets have won 12 of 13, including a victory over East on April 29.

Favorite: Mankato East. Knocking: Mankato West. Could happen: New Ulm.

Predicting the other sections:

Section 1

Favorite: Northfield. Knocking: Stewartville. Could happen: Byron.

Section 3

Favorite: Holy Angels. Knocking: South St. Paul. Could happen: Simley.

Section 4

Favorite: Cretin-Derham Hall. Knocking: Hill-Murray. Could happen: Mahtomedi.

Section 5

Favorite: Delano. Knocking: St. Francis. Could happen: Becker.

Section 6

Favorite: DeLaSalle. Knocking: Mound Westonka. Could happen: Benilde-St. Margaret's.

Section 7

Favorite: Chisago Lakes. Knocking: Cloquet. Could happen: Rock Ridge.

Section 8

Favorite: Rocori. Knocking: Alexandria. Could happen: Hutchinson.

Class 2A

Section 5

I'm intrigued by Section 5 in Class 2A and excited by the possibility of Spectrum, a 6-12 public charter school in Elk River, having a very real opportunity to advance to the state tournament for the first time in school history.

The Sting are 16-0 and incredibly have not allowed a run this season, thanks largely to the pitching of the Wallschlaeger sisters, junior Addison and freshman Reagan. Yet they still didn't get the No. 1 seed in the section. That went to Rockford, which went 18-1, losing only to Class 3A Chisago Lakes in mid-April.

Favorite: Spectrum. Knocking: Rockford. Could happen: Annandale.

Predicting the other sections:

Section 1

Favorite: Randolph. Knocking: Chatfield. Could happen: Caledonia.

Section 2

Favorite: Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial. Knocking: Tri-City United. Could happen: Fairmont.

Section 3

Favorite: Jackson County Central. Knocking: Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta. Could happen: Dassel-Cokato.

Section 4

Favorite: Visitation. Knocking: St. Agnes. Could happen: Mounds Park Academy.

Section 6

Favorite: St. Cloud Cathedral. Knocking: Kimball. Could happen: Melrose.

Section 7

Favorite: Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin. Knocking: Esko. Could happen: Rush City.

Section 8

Favorite: Hawley. Knocking: Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton. Could happen: Menahga.

Class 1A

Section 2

Anticipation is high for a potentially titanic showdown for the section title between undefeated and No. 1-ranked United South Central (19-0) and its amazing junior pitcher Mariah Anderson and No. 4-ranked New Ulm Cathedral (18-2), the defending Class 1A champ.

Don't sleep on Martin County West. The Mavericks (17-3) are possibly the best No. 3 seed in Class 1A. They're battle-tested; two of their losses have come to the two teams seeded ahead of them.

Favorite: United South Central. Knocking: New Ulm Cathedral. Could happen: Martin County West.

Predicting the other sections:

Section 1

Favorite: Bethlehem Academy. Knocking: Houston. Could happen: Wabasha-Kellogg.

Section 3

Favorite: Lac qui Parle Valley. Knocking: Wabasso. Could happen: Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian.

Section 4

Favorite: Braham. Knocking: West Lutheran. Could happen: Lester Prairie.

Section 5

Favorite: Blackduck. Knocking: Kelliher/Northome. Could happen: Hill City/Northland.

Section 6

Favorite: Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley. Knocking: Swanville. Could happen: West Central Area.

Section 7

Favorite: Moose Lake/Willow River. Knocking: Cherry. Could happen: Silver Bay.

Section 8

Favorite: East Polk. Knocking: Badger/Greenbush-Middle River. Could happen: Red Lake Falls.