STANDISH – The defending Class B champions may not even need to know much about this year’s foe in Saturday’s state championship game.

That’s because the Medomak Valley club that Fryeburg Academy beat last June gave the Raiders one of their toughest tests of the season. So Fryeburg expects nothing less of the Panthers this time around when the two meet again Saturday at 11 a.m. at Ward Field at St. Joseph’s College.

“It’ll be fun,” said senior pitcher Hannah Hill. “They’re a good team. They’re going to make us play hard. Last year, it was 6-2, and we had to break it open one inning with four runs because it was tied 2-2 for a very long time. We know we have to play our best. I think if we give it our all, we’ll do pretty well.”

The Panthers were the eighth seed last year and stormed through the Eastern A tourney. Medomak Valley even put a scare into the Raiders by taking a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning at Coffin Field. The Raiders tied the game in the fifth and then broke it open with four in the seventh. Catcher Heather Tripp delivered the decisive blow with a three-run triple.

Medomak Valley still produced five hits off Hill. The Panthers would have even been in better shape had it not been for seven errors, two of which came in that critical seventh inning.

“We think it’s going to be a real good game,” said Fryeburg coach Fred Apt. “Last year, they were the best hitting team we saw all year. This year, I guess, they’re even better defensively and their pitcher is a little bit tougher. I’m only going by what I’ve read.”

The Panthers lost some key talent but still resembled the club the Raiders saw a year ago. Medomak (16-4) was the eighth seed in Eastern A and toppled the No. 1 team from Mattanawcook. Senior pitcher Kayla Vannah has been impressive and struck out 12 and put down the final 20 batters in the 4-1 win over Erskine in the regional final. She’s joined by fellow returning starters Tessa Dodge at third and outfielders Rachel Keefe and Kayla Santheson. The Panthers are still a potent offensive club. Medomak pounded out 10 hits against Erskine, a team it lost to 2-0 in the regular season.

“They’re a good softball team, and they can hit,” said Apt. “They have most everyone back too. So it should be a real good game. I’m looking forward to it.”

Of course, the Raiders (18-1) are well-equipped to defend their title. Hill is the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Maine. She struck out 197 batters in 107 regular season inning and had a 0.26 earned run average. She also batted .491 and drove in 25 as the team’s leadoff hitter.

Tripp, outfielder Brylie Walker, second baseman Ariel McConkey, third baseman Tonya Randall, shortstop Ellen Head and first baseman Desiree Ramsay are all returning starters from last year’s game.

“We definitely know that playing them once before that we have to go in and score in the first inning,” said Tripp. “Then we have to stay up and be aggressive.”