MaxPreps Top 25 national high school softball rankings

By Tom Mauldin Jun 9, 2015, 9:25pm

Bishop Carroll moves atop poll with one week remaining, thanks to 1-0 losses by top two teams.

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With the top two teams losing by 1-0 margins in their season-ending championship games, Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.) has taken over the top spot in MaxPreps Xcellent Top 25 National Softball Rankings with only one more poll remaining this season.

Bishop Carroll concluded its season two weeks ago when it won its fifth-straight Kansas 5A state title. This is Bishop Carroll's first time being ranked No. 1 nationally.

The Golden Eagles finished the season with a 25-0 record and a .561 team batting average. Add to that, opponents scored just 16 times while Carroll averaged 14 runs per game.



Ranked No. 1 in MaxPreps' preseason poll in February, Mission Viejo (Calif.) had occupied that top spot the entire season – until Yucaipa defeated the Diablos, 1-0, in the finals of the California Interscholastic Federation's Southern Section Division 2 title game Friday night. The Diablos had defeated Yucaipa with a pair of one-run wins earlier in the season.

The dream of going wire-to-wire atop the poll ended when Yucaipa scored in the fifth inning on a controversial obstruction call at home plate. As a result and likely not a lot of consolation, Mission Viejo dropped to No. 3 in the poll, while Yucaipa moves to No. 2.

Ranked No. 2 a week ago, Lebanon (Ohio) suffered a 1-0 defeat losing to Teays Valley (24-9) in the title game of Ohio's D-1 state tournament. Lebanon's defeat was less controversial, as Teays Valley's Alyssa Rothwell homered off Lebanon ace Tara Trainer in the bottom of the eighth inning. It was Lebanon's first loss in 34 games and only second loss in two seasons.

Moving to No. 4 this week is McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.). There might not be a hotter team in the country than the Mustangs, who have won their last 28. And in the process, they won the Kentucky state title with a pair of wins last Saturday.

Aledo (Texas) captured the Texas 5A title and its 45th win in 46 games to move to No. 5, while last week's No. 4 Sherwood (Sandy Springs, Md.) dropped two spots.

Rounding out the Top 10 are Southington (Conn.), Washington Township (Sewell, N.J.) and Parkland (Allentown, Penn.).



New to the Top 25 this week are Tualatin (Ore.), Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.), Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.) and Reed (Sparks, Nev.). Tualatin and Reed were ranked in the Top 25 previously this season.

Click here to see softball playoff brackets from across the nation

MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings
Have a look at the new No. 1 softball team in the nation: Bishop Carroll High of Wichita, Kan.
Have a look at the new No. 1 softball team in the nation: Bishop Carroll High of Wichita, Kan.
Photo courtesy of Bishop Carroll softball

1. (No. 3 last week) Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.), 25-0, season over
Carroll won the state 5A title.

2. (6) Yucaipa (Calif.), 31-3, season over
The Thunderbirds defeated No. 1 Mission Viejo, 1-0, for CIFSS D-2 title and their 18th-straight win. It was Brooke Bolinger's 20th shutout of the season. Jordan Green drove in Megan Martin for the game's only run in the fifth inning. Bolinger allowed six hits with one walk and struck out seven. Earlier this season, Mission Viejo beat Yucaipa twice (both by one-run margins).

3. (1) Mission Viejo (Calif.), 31-1, season over
The Diablos saw their 35-game win streak come to an end in the CIFSS D-2 championship in a 1-0 loss to Yucaipa. In the semifinals, Taylor McQuillin threw a no-hitter and struck out 18 in 2-0 win over Sunny Hills. In 2015, the Diablos outscored their foes 204-17. McQuillin and outfielder Alyssa Palomino were 106-10 in their four seasons as varsity starters.

4. (7) McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.), 37-3, season over
Since losing 4-3 to Alabama power Sparkman on April 4, the Mustangs have won 28 in a row, including 14 by shutouts and none more important than 6-0 (over Ashland Blazer) and 2-1 (over Male, Louisville), to give the Mustangs the Kentucky state title.



5. (5) Aledo (Texas), 23-1, season over
Riley Sartain homered as Aledo defeated Vista Ridge (Cedar Park) to win the Texas 5A state title and recorded its 45th win in 46 games.

6. (4) 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.

7. (8) Southington (Conn.), 22-0
The defending state champions routed Ridgefield (10-2) and Trumbull (10-0) to move into the state large school semifinals on Tuesday against South Windsor. The winner will play on Saturday against the winner of the Darien/Cheshire game.

8. (12) Washington Township (Sewell, N.J.), 31-1, season over
Junior Lauren Shannon pitched six perfect innings before allowing a base hit, as Washington Township won the NJSIAA/Blue Ribbon Group 4 state championship game, 1-0.

9. (10) Parkland (Allentown, Pa.), 28-1
The Trojans defeated Avon Grove (5-1), Perkiomen Valley (5-3) and Daniel Boone (4-1) to reach the state final on Friday.

10. (14) King William (Va.), 22-0
The Cavs punched their ticket to the June 12-13 2A state tournament by defeating Buffalo Gap 10-2. Kayla Huffman gave up three hits and struck out 15.



11. (13) 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.

12. (17) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 27-3, season over
Mitty defeated previous No. 2 Pioneer (San Jose) to win the CIF Central Coast Section Division I title.

13. (NR) Tualatin (Ore.), 28-1, season over
Led by pitcher Emily Sorem (340 strikeouts on the season), Tualatin routed Westview, 10-0, to win the 6A state title.

14. (15) Kasson-Mantorville (Kasson, Minn.), 26-
Defending champion Kasson-Mantorville rode the arm of Maddie Damon to a 2-1, 10-inning win over Maple Lake in the state championship game. Damon, a Purdue recruit, pitched a no-hitter in her team's 3-0 victory over Milaca in the quarterfinals and had another no-hitter broken up in the seventh inning in a 4-0 victory over Germantown. She struck out 16 in the title game.

15. (NR) Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.), 31-1, season over
Led by eighth-grader Aspen Wesley (18-1), Central won its second-straight state 5A title.

16. (2) Lebanon (Ohio), 33-1, season over
Lebanon lost to Teays Valley, 1-0, in eight innings in the Ohio large school state title game. Prior the finals, the Warriors got a 16-strikeout performance from senior Tara Trainer in a 1-0 semi-finals win.



17. (NR) Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.), 24-3, season over
The Dons won their 14th-straight game and with it the CIF North Coast Section D-1 title. Freshman pitcher Danielle Williams finished the season with a 0.98 ERA and 24 wins.

18. (21) Wayland (Mich.), 32-2
Wayland beat Hamilton to win the district title. Senior pitcher Mallory Teunissen pitched a perfect game, striking out 17 out of the 18 batters she faced. Then the team won the regional title with 8-0 and 4-2 wins. Next up: St. Joseph on Tuesday.

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
Forest won Florida's 6A state title.

21. (22) Katy (Texas), 36-6, season over
The Tigers scored an unearned run on two errors in the bottom of the seventh inning and defeated Lewisville, 3-2, to win the Texas 6A state title. Kayla Garcia had three hits for the winners in the title game.

22. (25) Enka (N.C.), 29-0, season over
The Jets have won 43 of their last 45 and beat North Guilford twice (5-1 and 10-0) to win the state 3A title.



23. (23) Sam Houston (Lake Charles, La.), 24-2, season over
Sam Houston is the state 5A champion with its fourth title in five years.

24. (24) Hurricane (W. Va.), 37-2, season over
Hurricane captured the state 3A title.

25. (NR) 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: Maple Grove (Minn.), Turner Ashby (Va.), Crown Point (Ind.) and San Benito(Texas)