Sometimes the biggest challenges for the Buckfield softball team this year were off the field rather than between the foul lines.

The defending Class D state champions faced its share of adversity this year but still earned the top seeding in Western Maine.

The Bucks finished 12-3 and earned the No. 1 slot after finishing second behind Richmond last year.

“I knew it would be either us or Richmond,” said Bucks coach Ken Farrington. “They got a big win at the beginning of the week (over St. Dom’s). So we knew it would be first or second, and it didn’t really matter to us.”

The Bucks have succeeded in the Western D tourney no matter whether they were the top seed or not, but after enduring a difficult season, the Bucks have the East-West Conference title and top seeding to be proud of. Buckfield only graduated three seniors last year but that included its starting pitcher, catcher and a veteran outfielder. Then the Bucks lost starting shortstop Ashlee Hamann, who led the team in hitting last year but hurt her knee during the basketball season. Buckfield was also plagued by disciplinary problems and suspensions that forced the club to bring up young players at one time in the season.

“This year we’ve gone through a lot of different problems,” said Farrington. “They earned it this year. This team had to really work hard. It’s a good morale boost for them to be able to overcome all that.”

The Bucks have a team that has relied on many sophomores and freshmen, but Farrington still has a group that has plenty of playoff seasoning. He hopes that pays dividends in the tourney. The Bucks expect to be able to reach the Western D final once again and know anything can happen from there. Last year, Buckfield rallied late in the game to overcome Richmond in the regional final and then fought back in the final inning to stun Bangor Christian in the state game.

Farrington says his club has been working hard on perfecting the little things that make a big difference in the most critical games.

“The girls have a lot of confidence,” said Farrington. ” I give them credit, and I think they will give anybody a pretty good game. I’ve told the kids that it’s not always the best team that wins but it’s the team that plays the best that day.”

In Eastern A, Oxford Hills turned its hot start into a fourth-place seeding and 13-3 mark. The Vikings get a rematch with Brewer, who the Vikings lost to 8-3 on the road last month.

With tough games against Edward Little and Cony down the stretch, the Vikings have been tested and primed for the challenge ahead.

“I’ve seen a lot more improvement in the other teams that we’ve seen the second time around,” said Oxford Hills coach Cindy Goddard. “I don’t know if we’ve stayed the same because we started out kind of strong. Everybody else has, I don’t want to say is catching up, but they’re putting on a lot more pressure.”

EL isn’t far behind in sixth with an 11-5 mark. The Red Eddies will host Brunswick in a prelim game. EL has saved some of its best play for down the stretch and are poised to be a threat in the postseason.

“We talked all season long about playing your best softball at the end of the year and peaking at the right time,” said EL coach Elaine Keene. “We played Cony tough the second time two weeks ago. We’re hitting the ball really well, and we’re peaking at the right time, and that’s what we asked them to do.”

Leavitt and Mt. Blue also join the Eastern A tourney field. The Hornets (6-10) grabbed the ninth seed and play a prelim at Mt. Ararat. The Cougars finished 6-10 after a tumultuous year in which they endured a coaching change just prior to the start of the season. Mt. Blue earned the 10th spot and plays at Messalonskee in the prelims.

“They were 4-12 last year and had a long season,” said Paul Rodrigue, who filled in for the season and will be an assistant at the University of Maine next year. “We had 14 kids. The parents have been having a good time with it and have been working at it. We’re upbeat, and we were hoping to get to the next level and make the playoffs and after that, who knows.”

In Western C, George Valley earned the top spot with a 14-0 record, despite losing its entire infield to graduation. The Bucs proved they could still hit the ball and remain the favorites to defend their state crown.

“Georges Valley is so disciplined at the plate,” said St. Dom’s coach Brian Kay. “They don’t swing at balls in the dirt or up in the air. If it’s a strike, they swing. We played them last year in the semifinal, and we had them for four innings, and we had that one bad inning.”

Telstar, which lost to Georges Valley in the regional final last year, went 13-1 and finished as the second seed. The Rebels lone loss was to the Bucs. Jay (13-3) took the third seed while Monmouth (9-5) landed fifth, despite a young lineup. Mt. Abram earned the sixth seed at 10-6 and St. Dom’s landed seventh with a 10-5 mark in its final year in the WMC. The Saints host Sacopee in a prelim and would play at Telstar if they advance.

“We’re just looking forward to the playoffs and getting to play some of those other teams,” said Kay. “We played Georges Valley last year, and I think we can compete with them.”

Dirigo earned the eighth spot with a 7-8 record and host Carrabec in a prelim.

In Western B, the defending state champs from Fryeburg landed third at 15-1. Coach Fred Apt says it will be a challenge for his team to go through Cape on the road. It was a loss to the Capers late in the year that accounted for the lone loss and dropped them in the standings.

“We’ve always had a hard time at Cape, just like they always have a hard time at our place,” said Apt.

Gray-New Gloucester (12-4) finished fifth and draws a tough trip to York in the quarterfinals. Oak Hill (9-7) will host a prelim against Falmouth with the hope of advancing to take on Cape. Mountain Valley (8-6) also earned a prelim game and plays at Greely.