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

1. Reed (Sparks)
2015 record: 37-2
Head coach: Jon Wunder

The defending Division I state champs bring back Gatorade State Player of the Year Julia Jensen at pitcher after going 34-2 with a 0.80 ERA and 346 strikeouts in 211 innings. She also hit .447 with 43 RBIs. Then there's the versatile Jessica Sellers, who comes back after hitting .504 with 21 extra-base hits. And they're just juniors this season. Senior Alysha Imperato smashed 10 homers last season with 41 RBIs and Kenzi Goins scored 53 runs. Reed opens the season ranked No. 4 in the nation.

See last season's Nevada computer rankings

2. Coronado (Henderson)
2015 record: 25-14
Head coach: Missy Krueger



Every starter is back for the Cougars this season after a run that saw them come up one win short of the Sunrise Region final. Sophomore Tatum Spangler was solid in the circle with a 9-2 record and 2.16 ERA and she also hit .423 with 41 runs scored. Senior Sarah Pinkston also pitches and had good numbers with a 10-5 mark to go with a 1.85 ERA. Senior Basia Query knocked in 36 runs last season and hit .452, while fellow senior Brooke Younie
hit .327. Tons of depth will have Coronado in the state title mix this season.

See last season's Nevada softball photo galleries

3. Palo Verde (Las Vegas)
2015 record: 33-10
Head coach: Kelly Glass

The Panthers were oh-so-close to a state title, falling to Reed twice in the state tournament by one run each time. That's the good news. The bad news is that five players who received all-state accolades graduated. Haylee Lupinetti is back for her junior year after posting an 11-2 record and 2.56 ERA, while sophomore outfielder Makall Whetten hit .363 with five homers as a freshman. Kali Tomlinson is back for her senior year at second base after hitting .379 with eight doubles.

See last season's Nevada playoff brackets

4. Foothill (Henderson)
2015 record: 24-15
Head coach: Tom Mayes



The Falcons have a pair of all-state players coming back as they look to build upon reaching the state tournament and going 1-2. Senior first baseman Sarah Maddox hit .526 with three homers, four triples and 10 doubles to earn first team all-state honors, and outfielder Alexia Campbell was honored on the second team after hitting .465 with 10 triples and 10 doubles. All three players who split the pitching duties last season are back.

See last season's Nevada softball stat leaders

5. Spanish Springs (Sparks)
2015 record: 27-8
Head coach: Jeff Davidson

The Cougars beat Reed in their final regular-season game but sputtered in the playoffs. This season they will ride the arm of Hayley Fein, who was a first team all-state choice after going 19-3 with a 1.71 ERA and hitting .363. A name to keep an eye on is sophomore outfielder Katelyn Townsend. Townsend was a second team all-state choice after hitting .465 and stealing a team-high eight bases as a freshman.