MaxPreps Top 25 national high school softball rankings

Video: Holt triple play
Team pulls off the unlikely triple play.

Mission Viejo recorded a pair of impressive playoff wins last week to advance to the semifinals of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section softball tournament.

If Mission Viejo wins its semifinal game against 20-7 South Hills (West Covina, Calif.) on Tuesday, all that stands between the Diablos and a perfect season would be Saturday's CIF title game against the winner of Tuesday's Yucaipa-Westlake semifinal matchup. Yucaipa has lost twice to Mission Viejo by one run margins.

In defeating Arroyo Grande and Sunny Hills (Fullerton) by a combined score of 18-0, Mission Viejo ran its record to 29 straight wins. The Diablos have won four of their last five via shutout, as senior pitch Taylor McQuillin improved to 29-0 on the season.



For the second straight week, the No. 2 team lost and fell from the rankings. This time the victim was Pioneer (San Jose, Calif.) which saw its perfect season spoiled by Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), in a 1-0 loss.

Moving into the No. 2 spot this week is Lebanon (Ohio), while Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.) moves up to No. 3. Sherwood (Sandy Springs, Md.) and Aledo (Texas) round out the Top 5.

Yucaipa, which has won 16 in a row since losing 3-2 to Mission Viejo, jumps into the Top 10 at No. 6 and McCracken County (Paducah, Ken.) has won 25 straight and vaults from No. 24 to No. 7.

Rounding out the Top 10 are No. 8 Southington (Conn.), No. 9 Maple Grove (Minn.) and No. 10 Parkland (Allentown, Pa.).

Returning to the Top 25 this week is No. 16 Crown Point (Ind.) and Mitty took over at No. 17.

New to the Top 25 this week are Washington Township (N.J.), King William (Va.), San Benito (Texas), Wayland (Mich.), Hurricane (W.V.) and unbeaten Enka (N.C.). Enka, a 3A school, owns a 9-3 win over North Davidson (N.C.), which is playing for the state 4A title on Friday.



Click here to see softball playoff brackets from across the nation


1. (No. 1 last week) Mission Viejo (Calif.), 29-0
Taylor McQuillin won her 102nd game in a two-hit, 8-0 win over Sunny Hills (Fullerton). Mission Viejo won its 34th game in a row and moves into the CIF Southern Section D2 semifinals.

2. (3) Lebanon (Ohio), 31-0
The Warriors beat 28-3 Mason, 2-1, and move on to the State D1 semifinals on Friday.

3. (4) Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.), 25-0
A good playoff week for Bishop Carroll as it defeated Shawnee Heights (Tecumseh, Kan.), 7-2, Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.) 7-0 and Blue Valley West (Stillwell, Kan.), 10-0. As a team, Bishop Carroll is hitting .562, led by Brittany Finney's .774 (17 homers and 54 RBIs). She is also 17-0 with a 0.30 ERA.

4. (5) Sherwood (Sandy Spring, Md.), 22-0 *season over
Sherwood captured its fourth straight Maryland state large school title and ran its win streak to 83.

5. (6) Aledo (Texas), 20-1
Aledo needed nine innings to defeat Azle (Texas) and move into the Texas 5A State semifinals against 27-5 Fort Ridge Bend. Lauren Craine is 18-1 and batting .500, Senior Allie Arneson is hitting .603 and Chickie Cook is hitting .509. Aledo's lone loss this season was 2-1 to Canyon.



6. (12) Yucaipa (Calif.), 29-3
The Thunderbirds have won 16 in a row since losing 3-2 to No. 1 Mission Viejo, including three straight in the CIF-SS D-II playoffs as pitcher Brooke Bolinger has 27 strikeouts and allowed just eight hits.

7. (24) McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.), 32-3
Since losing 4-3 to Alabama power Sparkman on April 4, the Lady Mustangs have won 25 in a row, including 13 by shutouts. Next up: Kentucky State Tournament. Led by pitchers Jenny Chapman, Audrey Dodd and Hannah Ridolfi, McCracken has blanked 10 of its last 16 foes.

8. (10) Southington (Conn.), 20-0
Led by pitcher Kendra Friedt (13-0, 0.33 ERA, 189 strikeouts in 84 innings), the Blue Knights enjoyed Senior Day with a 15-0 win over New Britain. Freidt pitched a two-hitter and struck out 11 and Lauren Zazzaro had four hits and three RBIs.

9. (18) Maple Grove (Minn.), 36-2
Led by pitcher Sydney Smith, Maple Grove has won 10 straight, eight by shutout. Next up: Minnesota 3A State Tournament.

10. (21) Parkland (Allentown, Pa.), 25-1
The Trojans have won 10 straight since losing 2-1 in nine innings.

11. (15) Turner Ashby (Bridgewater, Va.), 24-0
The Knights have scored 245 runs, while limiting the opposition to 34.



12. (NR) Washington Township (Sewell, N.J.), 29-1
Jessica Hughes hit a two-run double to lead WT over Kingsway and advance her team to the State Group 4 semifinals on Tuesday. Hughes is the all-time state leader in hits with 215.

13. (16) 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.

14. (NR) King William (Va.), 22-0
Led by senior Essence Jackson, the Cavaliers have outscored their opponents, 170-11.

15. (15) Kasson-Mantorville (Kasson, Minn.), 24-2
Lost 1-0 to Zumbrota-Mazeppa, then rebounded with five straight shutout wins as Maddie Damon struck out 64 and homered twice. A senior, Damon has a 0.14 ERA and is hitting .488 with a dozen homers and a dozen doubles. Opponents have scored just eight runs this season and have been shutout 22 times.

16. (NR) Crown Point (Ind.), 29-2
Crown Point pitchers Miranda Elish (15-0) and Alexis Holloway (14-2) head into the state tournament having allowed just 15 earned runs in 29 games and have struck out 376 batters in 199 innings.

17. (NR) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 27-3
Mitty defeated previously ranked No. 2 Pioneer (San Jose) to win the CIF Central Coast Section title, 1-0. Mitty scored an earned run in the first inning for the game's lone run. It was also the first earned run allowed by Pioneer pitcher Holly Azevedo this season. It was Mitty's 16th-straight win and avenged an earlier season loss (2-1) to Pioneer, which finished the season 29-1.



18. (NR) San Benito (Texas), 30-3
Led by Crystal Castillo (26-2), San Benito opens Texas 6A state tournament play on Friday against 27-6 Lewisville. San Benito has won 26 of its last 28.

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

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

21. (NR) Wayland (Mich.), 28-2
Led by pitcher Mallory Teunissen (277 stakeouts, 0.15 ERA), Wayland won its 11th conference title and moves into the postseason on many high notes.

22. (22) Katy (Texas), 36-5
The Tigers took two of three from Brazoswood and move to the Texas 6A State Final Four.

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



24. (NR) Hurricane (W. Va.), 37-2 *season over
Led by Amber Null's three hits and Madi Hebb's three-run homer, Hurricane beat South Charleston, 6-2 for the state 3A title.

25. (NR) Enka (N.C.), 27-0
The Jets have won 40 of their last 42 and play North Guilford on Friday for the State 3A title. Since the playoffs began, Enka has outscored its opponents 57-3.

Dropped Out: Pioneer (San Jose, Calif.), Reed (Nev.), Alexander Central (N.C.), Santiago (Calif.), Mount St. Dominic Academy (N.J.), Musselman (W.V.), Woodinville (Wash.)