MaxPreps Top 25 national high school softball rankings

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It was a tough week for the top 10 teams in the rankings, as four suffered defeats and three fell out of the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings.

The biggest surprise loss was at No. 2, where Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.) had been ranked all season. North Davidson (Lexington, N.C.) ended the Cougars' 95-game winning streak in the third round of the North Carolina 4A state playoffs, 10-5.

The loss dropped Alexander Central from the Top 25 for the first time in three seasons.

Previous No. 5 Coronado (Lubbock, Texas) suffered its first defeats of the season, losing twice to Keller in the fourth round of the Texas 6A Playoffs.

No. 6 Aledo saw its 45-game win streak end, but bounced back to win two and remained at No. 6, moving on to the regional semifinals in the Texas 5A Playoffs.

Previously ranked No. 7 Crown Point (Ind.) lost and also dropped out of the Top 25.

Meanwhile, No. 1 Mission Viejo (Calif.) remained unbeaten and atop the Top 25 as it opened the playoffs with a 12-2 victory over Newbury Park (Calif.) for its 33rd-straight win.

New to the Top 10 this week is 26-0 South Caldwell (Hudson, N.C.). The No. 8 Spartans, who have scored 319 runs, play North Davidson on Tuesday.

Also new to the Top 25 this week are Katy (Texas), McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.) and Parkland (Allentown, Pa.).

Click here to see softball playoff brackets from across the nation


1. (No. 1 last week) - Mission Viejo (Calif.), 27-0
Top-ranked Mission Viejo continues to roll as Taylor McQuillin recorded her 100th career win in leading her team to its 33rd-straight win.

2. (3) Pioneer (San Jose, Calif.), 28-0
Sophomore pitcher Holly Azevedo homered and pitched a two-hitter as Pioneer defeated Westmont, 7-2, to advance in the playoffs.

3. (4) Lebanon (Ohio), 32-0
The Warriors shut out four opponents by a combined 40-0 margin to move into regionals.

4. (8) Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.), 22-0
The Golden Eagles ran their win streak to 30 with a pair of wins. As a team, they are batting .591, led by senior Brittany Finney, who has 15 home runs and is hitting .793.

5. (9) Sherwood (Sandy Spring, Md.), 21-0
With a 4-0 win over Northwest (Germantown), Sherwood captured its fourth-straight Maryland state large school title and ran its win streak to 83. Seniors Nicole Stockinger and Julie Swarr did not lose during their high school softball careers. Stockinger hit a home run to lead Sherwood's 1-0 semifinal win over Leonardtown.

6. (6) Aledo (Texas), 19-1
Aledo had its 44-game win streak snapped Friday, 2-1 to Canyon, but bounced back to win two (9-6, 11-8) to advance to the 5A semifinals.

7. (11) La Grange (Texas), 33-0
La Grange moves on to the state 4A regional semifinals on Thursday riding a streak of 17 shutout victories. La Grange has won 23 times via shutout this season. Missy Zoch is 24-0 with a 0.16 ERA and has 204 strikeouts in 131 innings. The last time a team scored off Zoch was March 13. She has pitched 14 shutouts since.

8. (NR) South Caldwell (Hudson, N.C.), 26-0
The Spartans last lost more than a year ago when they won 23 of 25 games. This year, however, they have scored 319 times while allowing just 33 runs and will play North Davidson (Lexington) in the state 4A semifinals. North Davidson ended Alexander Central's 95-game winning streak last week.

9. (10) Santiago (Corona, Calif.), 28-3
The Sharks, who have won 11 straight, opened the postseason with a 10-0 win over Long Beach Poly as Ashley Coleman pitched a no-hitter and struck out nine. Nichole Fry and Alondra Mejia homered and had four hits each. On Tuesday, the Sharks play Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga), a team that beat them 4-0 on March 5.

10. (12) Southington (Conn.), 19-0
Led by pitcher Kendra Friedt (12-0, 0.35 ERA, 178 strikeouts in 79 innings), the Blue Knights have outscored their opponents 259-11.

11. (13) Mount St. Dominic Academy (Caldwell, N.J.), 26-1
Led by Julianna Kocenski, Mt. St. Dominic Academy has six starters hitting over .300 and a 24-game win streak as regional action begins on Thursday.

12. (14) Yucaipa (Calif.), 27-3
The Thunderbirds are led by seniors Annie Bakenhus (.421) and Brooke Bolinger (27-3, 0.27 ERA, 276 strikeouts in 183 innings).

13. (15) Kasson-Mantorville (Kasson, Minn.), 19-1
The win streak stands at 13 as Maddie Damon homered and struck out 14 in an 8-0 win over Byron.

14. (21) Woodinville (Wash.), 22-1
The Falcons are averaging 11 runs per game and will enter the state tournament having outscored their opponents 242-39.

15. (18) Turner Ashby (Bridgewater, Va.), 21-0
The Knights have scored 219 runs, while limiting the opposition to 23.

16. (17) Eagle (Idaho), 30-1, season over
The Mustangs rebounded from their lone loss of the season to win five straight and capture the 5A state title.

17. (22) Musselman (Inwood, W. Va.), 32-1
Musselman repeated as Region 2 champion and moved onto the state tournament last Wednesday. Musselman has outscored its opponents 227-31, including 18 shutouts on the year, behind junior pitchers Sabrina Shroades and Taylor Stocks.

18. (24) Maple Grove (Minn.), 34-2
Led by pitcher Sydney Smith, Maple Grove has won eight straight, six by shutout. Maple Grove plays in the Region 5AAA semifinals on Tuesday.

19. (19) Bald Knob (Ark.), 30-2, season over
Bald Knob finished the season with 25 straight wins to capture its second 3A state title.

20. (20) Forest (Ocala, Fla.), 30-2, season over
Won Florida's 6A state title.

21. (NR) Parkland (Allentown, Pa.), 19-1
The Trojans have won nine straight since losing 2-1 in nine innings.

22. (NR) Katy (Texas), 34-4
The Tigers have won 20 of their last 21 games and are peaking at the right time.

23. (23) Sam Houston (Lake Charles, La.), 24-2, season over
State 5A champion. Fourth title in five years.

24. (NR) McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.), 29-3
Since losing 4-3 to Alabama power Sparkman on April 4, the Mustangs have won 22 in a row, including 10 by shutout.

25. (25) Reed (Sparks, Nev.), 37-2, season over
Reed won its final seven games of the season to capture Nevada's large school state title.

Dropped out: Coronado (Texas), Cape Fear (N.C.), Alexander Central (N.C.), Crown Point (Ind.).