MaxPreps Top 25 national high school softball rankings

Greenwood (Bowling Green, Ky.) and Hoover (Canton, Ohio) are trying to duplicate what No. 1 Northern (Owings, Md.) and No. 2 Lake City (Couer d'Alene, Idaho) have done this season — win a state title and finish the year unbeaten.

Greenwood has won a state-record 39 straight games and will attempt to become the first Kentucky softball team to finish a season undefeated. Greenwood remains No. 3.

Hoover (Canton, Ohio) remained unbeaten after beating Lake (Uniontown, Ohio), 10-0 and Louisville (Ohio), 5-1. Hoover is 30-0 this season. Keystone (LaGrange, Ohio) finished 32-0 last season and was crowned MaxPreps mythical National softball champion. Hoover remains No. 4.

Northern remained No. 1 after ending its season a week ago with another Maryland D-3 state title (sixth in a row) and with its winning streak at 76.



Lake City finished its second unbeaten season in three years two weeks ago.

Chino (Calif.) had a big jump, climbing from No. 21 to No. 12 after it won the CIF Southern Section D-2 title to improve to 26-2 on the season. Chino's only losses this season were one-run affairs against a pair of teams that were nationally ranked previously this season — 1-0 to 23-5 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and 7-6 to 26-2 Mission Viejo (Calif.).

North Medford (Medford, Ore.) returned to the Top 25 after defeating No. 11 Glencoe (Hillsboro, Ore.) 2-1 in the Oregon 6A title game as Maryssa Becker threw a no-hitter.

Santiago (Corona, Calif.) and Centennial (Las Vegas) also returned to the Top 25 as they won their season-ending tournaments. Santiago beat Norco to win the CIF Southern Section D-1 title and Centennial repeated as Nevada's D-1 state champion.

New to the Top 25 this week are Sparkman (Harvest, Ala.), which won the Alabama 6A title and Hudson (Lufkin, Texas) which won the Texas 3A title. Sparkman won 52 games this season.

Kingwood was one of four Texas teams ranked in the Top 25 a week ago, but all four lost in Texas state title games. Kingwood lost 3-2 to 32-13 Lewisville.



MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings *1. (1 last week) Northern (Owings, Md.), 23-0
Northern won its sixth straight 3A state title.

*2. (2) Lake City (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho), 28-0
The Timberwolves captured their second 5A state title in three years. The T'Wolves have won 77 of their last 79 games and two state titles (2011 and 2013).

3. (3) Greenwood (Bowling Green, Ky.), 39-0
The Lady Gators continued their march to the Kentucky state tournament as they recorded five wins last week to win District and Regional tournaments and run their win streak to 39. They beat South Warren 10-0, Bowling Green twice (6-2, 2-1), Glasgow 11-1 and Franklin-Simpson 6-1. Greenwood now moves on to the KHSAA State Softball Tournament beginning Thursday in Owensboro. The Lady Gators, who open against South Laurel, will try to become the first team in state fast pitch history to finish a season undefeated.

4. (4) Hoover (North Canton, Ohio), 32-0
The Vikings move on to the state tournament after beating 27-5 Grove City, 4-1 as Caly Russo hit a three-run homer and Tara Thacker pitched a four-hitter for her 20th win of the season. Hoover opens state tournament play versus 20-10 Mentor on Thursday.

*5. (5) Curtis (River Ridge, La.), 32-1
Curtis won Louisiana 2A state title and 64 of its last 65 games.

*6. (6) Sunrise Mountain (Peoria, Ariz.), 36-1
The Mustangs won the 2013 Arizona D-2 title and four state titles in seven years.

*7. (7) Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.), 30-1
The Knights won the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division I title.



*8. (8) Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.), 33-1
Central scored one run in the first off a bases-loaded hit-batter; two runs in the second inning on three straight hits and a sac-fly; three runs in the third off two walks and two singles; and three runs in the fourth with two walks and two doubles to win the 4A state title game 10-2 over Rolesville (Wake Forest, NC). The 8-9-1-2 hitters for Alexander Central were a combined 8-for-16 with seven RBIs and Mia Blochaviak had three hits in the title game. Central pitcher Bailey Rhoney hurled a three-hitter and was named tournament MVP.

9. (9) Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.), 30-1
Immaculate Heart's Steph Thomas threw a two-hitter and struck out five as Heart beat Indian Hills (Oakland, N.J.), 10-0, to win its third straight Berger County title. Ally Vergona tripled twice and drove in three runs for IHA, which takes on Mount St. Dominic Academy (Caldwell) in the opening round of the state section finals on Tuesday.

*10. (10) Logan (Union City, Calif.), 26-1
Led by clutch hitting Tayler Peters, who doubled in two runs, Logan beat  Freedom (Oakley) to win the North Coast  CIF Section title for the second year in a row. To reach the finals, Logan needed a 1-0 win over California. Senior Raeann Garza pitched both wins for Logan. Logan finished with a 15-game winning streak and has won 50 of its last 52 games.

*11. (12) Olathe East (Olathe, Kan.), 24-1
The Hawks repeated as Kansas 6A state champions.

*12. (21) Chino (Calif.), 26-2
The Cowgirls, who have not lost since March 8, finished the season with 22 straight wins, including 2-1 over Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) in the semifinals of the CIF D-2 Southern Section tournament and 4-0 over Lakewood in the title game. Miranda Viramontes pitched a one-hitter with two walks and eight strikeouts for the championship win. Ruby Barroso went 2-for-3 with a solo homer and Alyssa Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with a double, a stolen base a run and an RBI.

13. (13) Barrington (Ill.), 33-1
The Fillies recorded a 10-0 win over Prospect and 8-4 over Loyola Academy (Barrington) as sophomore Keenan Dolezal (25-1) threw a 3-hitter with 11 strikeouts. They have won 30 games or more in 12 of the past 13 seasons. The Fillies will face Fremd (24-7) in Tuesday's 4:30 p.m. semifinal game of the Class 4A Rolling Meadows sectional.



*14. (14) Connell (Wash.), 27-0
Won third straight Washington 1A title.

*15. (15) Las Cruces (N.M.) 30-1
The Bulldawgs won the Class 5A state title and finished the season with 26 straight wins.

*16. (16) Boiling Springs (Spartanburg, S.C.), 33-1
The Bulldogs won the State 4A championship and finished the season with 30 straight wins.

*17. (17) Coral Reef (Miami), 26-2
The Barracudas won the Florida 8A title.

*18. (NR) North Medford (Medford, Ore.), 29-2
Maryssa Becker pitched a no-hitter and struck out 13 as the Black Tornado defended its 6A state title by bumping off No. 11 Glencoe (Hillsboro), 2-1, in eight innings. N. Medford lost (4-3) to Glencoe (also 29-2) earlier in the season. N. Medford has won 60 of its last 62 games.

*19. (19) Estrella Foothills (Goodyear, Ariz.), 33-2
Estrella Foothills won the Arizona State D-3 title.

*20. (NR) Santiago (Corona, Calif.), 30-5
Santiago defeated Norco, 8-2, to win the CIF D-1 Southern Section title. Santiago swept through the playoffs with a 6-0 record to make coach John Perez the third coach in CIF-SS history to win five championships.

*21. (23) Vintage (Napa, Calif.), 34-1
The Crushers won CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I softball championship.



*22. (NR) Centennial (Las Vegas), 36-6
The Bulldogs won their final 13 games and 24 of their last 25 in defending their State D-1 title with a 13-0 win over Palo Verde (Las Vegas). Palo Verde was the only non-California team to beat Centennial in 2013.

*23. (NR) Sparkman (Harvest, Ala.), 52-8
The Senators defeated Pelham 9-1 in the finals to earn their second straight 6A state title and fourth overall. Sparkman also won titles in 2006, 2009 and 2012. Tournament MVP Meg Willis singled in Janna Korak with the go-ahead run in the first and had six RBIs in the Senators' four games. In the finals, Korak was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored and Jordan Bullock 1-for-4. Jessie Rice went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Willis was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Bevia Robinson, Bullock and Korak. Pelham's Emily Spain and Becky Fox made the all-tournament team along with Vestavia Hills' Taylor Coe.

*24. (NR) Kingwood (Texas), 35-4
The Mustangs had their 23-game win streak snapped as they lost the Texas 5A State title game to 31-13 Lewisville, 3-2.

*25. (NR) Hudson (Lufkin, Texas), 38-7
Led by pitcher Kelsee Selman, the Hornets won 12 of their last 13 games, including the 3A state title game over Mineola. Selman batted .394, had a team-high dozen home runs and tied with teammate Alyssa Dotson with 49 RBIs. Selman also was 35-5 and struck out 489 batters in 267 innings. In posting a 0.89 ERA, she pitched 24 shutouts.

Dropped out: No. 11 Glencoe (Hillsboro, Ore.), No. 18 La Grange (Texas), No. 20 San Benito (Texas), No. 22 Deer Park (Texas), No. 24 Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.), No. 25 Aledo (Texas)

*Season over