With the battery of pitcher Morgyn Otte and catcher Megan Erickson, Randolph has been nearly unbeatable in Class 1A the past four seasons.
The Rockets, ranked No. 1 in the Class 1A coaches' poll from May 13, won 48 of 53 games played in 2018 and 2019, and they enter the week unbeaten in 2021. Randolph can secure the Southeast Conference championship Tuesday with a victory over GMLOK, a co-op of players from Grand Meadow, Leroy-Ostrander and Kingsland high schools.
But conference championships are just a stepping stone for Randolph, which advanced to the state tournament semifinals in 2018 and 2019, resulting in the Rockets claiming a third-place trophy both seasons.
The Rockets were denied the opportunity to get over the semifinal hump when the 2020 season was called off to help curb the spread of COVID-19, though the now-senior duo of Otte and Erickson are playing at a state championship level now that they're back in action.
Erickson paces the offense for Randolph, which has scored an astonishing 175 runs this season. Erickson's 51 hits and 49 RBIs as a sophomore in 2019 rank among the top-10 totals in state history.
Even more astonishing is Randolph's run differential. With Otte, a Southwest Minnesota State commit, in the circle, the Rockets (14-0, 8-0) have surrendered just 14 runs this season for a run differential of plus-161.
GMLOK (10-2, 7-1), led by senior pitcher Lily Hughes, has had a solid season. The Bulldogs allowed just nine runs in their 10 victories, but a 12-0 home loss to Randolph on May 4 showed the ground they have to close on the Rockets.