MaxPreps 2016 Wisconsin preseason high school softball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

1. Westosha Central (Salem)
2015 record: 28-4, D-1 state champion
Head coaches: Konnie and Tom Lampe

The Falcons are no stranger to entering the season at the top. After winning state titles in 2013 and '15 and placing runner-up in the middle year, the team is primed for another championship run. The Falcons return all but two starters and are led by the 1-2 punch of Wisconsin commit Kayla Konwent and pitcher Alyssa Hrncar. Konwent, the two-time state player of the year at catcher, had a monster junior campaign, hitting .630 with a state-record 21 home runs and 49 RBIs. Hrncar, a junior, had a 25-3 record with 11 shutouts, 231 strikeouts and a 0.78 ERA. At the plate, she hit .381. Infielders Chyanne Onstad (Green Bay commit; .429, 38 RBIs) and Kira Mickelson (Northern Illinois commit; .373, seven home runs, 37 RBIs) were key in the Falcons' lineup in 2015. Olivia Klean is back after driving in 22 runs as a sophomore and Jenna Kontaxis scored 23 runs.

See last season's Wisconsin softball computer rankings

2. Greenfield
2015 record: 26-2
Head coach: Jack Miller



Getting upset in sectionals after carrying a No. 2 ranking in the state polls doesn't sit well with the Greenfield players who are returning. Eight starters are back, five of those were underclassmen, and depth at key positions gives the Hawks plenty of experience. First-team all-state pitcher Bella Matthias leads the way. She was 19-2 as a sophomore with 284 strikeouts in just 145 innings. She also was dangerous at the plate, hitting .461 with 20 RBIs. Sophomore shortstop/No. 2 pitcher Alyssa Vilkoski put up big numbers, .453 average, 37 RBIs and a .616 slugging percentage. In the circle, Vilkoski was 7-0 with a 0.45 ERA. Senior centerfielder Kaylan Biersack (.375, 20 RBIs) and sophomore catcher Taylor Johnson (.341, 19 RBIs) are valuable both offensively and defensively.

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3. Kaukauna
2015 record: 24-5
Head coach: Tim Roehring

The past two years, the state-ranked Galloping Ghosts have been knocked off in the sectional final, one game shy of state. Could this be Kaukauna's year to get over the hump? With a dominant pitcher and a number of strong hitters, making a deep postseason push is definitely possible. Junior pitcher Haley Hestekin tallied an ERA of 0.34 and struck out 169 hitters in 124 innings. Junior Megan Huss hit .536 last season and had a fielding percentage of 1.000. Senior Bree Braeger had a big year, hitting .481 with an on-base percentage of .512. Amanda Diedrich is another strong hitter in the Ghosts' lineup.

See last season's Wisconsin softball playoff brackets

4. Logan (La Crosse)
2015 record: 28-1, Division 2 state champion
Head coach: Matt Marohl

The Rangers nearly ran the table last season, losing by one run to Division 1 school Stevens Point. Only three starters return from the state title team, but they are a trio of valuable players. Jordyn Kleman was on MaxPreps' Junior All-American Team last season. She tallied a 22-1 record with a 0.35 ERA and 314 strikeouts in just 159 innings. She hit .404 with 21 extra-base hits and 33 RBIs. Senior Sydney Lamars hit .439 with 21 runs scored. Kylie Dohlby is coming a junior season in which she batted .324 with 15 runs.



See last season's Wisconsin softball stat leaders

5. Germantown
2015 record: 23-6
Head coaches: Amy Barbiaux and Kurt Raguse

The Warhawks made it all the way to the state quarterfinals last season before falling. Germantown scored double-digit runs in 12 of their 23 victories, so offense was never an issue. Seven starters are back, including top hitters Emily Doran, a senior third baseman, and Carly Szada, a junior leftfielder. Michelle Moore split time last year in the circle and will be the ace in her final season.