MaxPreps 2015 Maryland preseason softball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

1. Eastern Tech (Baltimore)
2014 finish: 25-0, won 2A state championship
Head coach: Jack Meyers

The Mavericks won their first state championship in school history and first softball state title in Baltimore County since 1981. They won by mercy rule in 20 of the 25 games they played last year. Eastern Tech has almost its entire roster back, led by senior catcher Brooke Samios-UY, who will be moved to shortstop this year. She hit .640 with 48 RBIs last year. Also back is senior Breanna Casper, who hit .597 with nine home runs and set the Maryland state record with 59 RBIs in 25 games. Senior centerfielder Giselle Alvarez hit .550 with 40 RBIs. Allie Meyers, a junior, will play first base and hit .466, and junior Sarah Heagy will move from right field to catcher and hit .514 last year.

View last season's Maryland softball rankings, presented by the Army National Guard

2. Northern (Owings)
2014 finish: 23-2, won seventh-straight 3A state championship
Head coach: Robert Radford



The Patriots never rebuild. They just reload. They're loaded again — led by senior catcher Sarah Bennett, who's bound for Georgetown and hit .388 last year. Junior centerfielder Kassidy Cross hit .500 and had 15 RBIs, and will be joined by junior first baseman Micaela Cummings, who hit .463 and drove in 19 runs. Junior Kaylee Cross, Kassidy's twin, and sophomore Zoe Weadon will handle the pitching.

View last season's Maryland softball playoff brackets

3. Sherwood (Sandy Spring)
2014 finish: 20-0, won third-straight 4A state championship
Head coach: Ashley Barber-Strunk

The three-time defending 4A state champion Warriors return 11 players. They'll be led by senior shortstop Nicole Stockinger, who batted .709 with 48 hits and eight home runs. Senior second baseman Julie Swarr, a four-year varsity starter, hit .476, and junior first baseman Kelly Bouma batted .509 with 26 RBIs. Junior McKenzie Bina, a three-year varsity starter, batted .519 with 23 RBIs as a sophomore.

View last season's Maryland softball stat leaders

4. C. Milton Wright (Bel Air)
2014 finish: 17-7, lost in 3A state semifinals to state champion Northern
Head coach: Russ Kovach



The Mustangs play a tough schedule, which includes state powers Northern and Eastern Tech. Senior catcher Emily Luzetsky tops the list of returning players. She hit .446 and led the team with 41 hits and 27 runs scored. She threw out 13 of 14 would-be base stealers. Senior second baseman Catherine Kim hit .475 and will be joined by her sister, freshman shortstop Emily Kim, in the middle of the infield. Senior first baseman Caroline Weimer hit .414 and led the team with eight doubles and two homers, and drove in 26 runs.

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5. Chopticon (Morganza)
2014 finish: 17-2
Head coach: Kevin Cioppa

The Braves, who finished 16-1 during the 2014 regular season, broke 3A state champion Northern's 77-game winning streak. Second-team all-SMAC pitcher Andrea Davis returns and will be joined by fellow All-SMAC returnees Allie McLane, Courtney Taft and Jolie Rawlings. McLane compiled a lofty .509 batting average last year. Davis, Taft and Shanna Peters all hit over .400. The Braves have nine players coming back on a team that hit .431 last season.