Penn, Kaukauna, North Posey, Woodgrove join national mix after championship runs.
State title games over the weekend caused significant changes to the MaxPreps Top 25 high school softball rankings as the final week of play now leads to the crowning of the 2023 MaxPreps National Champion.
Second-ranked
Ballard (Louisville, Ky.) accomplished something done twice before: winning consecutive Kentucky state championships. Led by University of Kentucky commit
Emory Donaldson, the Bruins displayed their dominance by delivering 12 hits and scoring 12 runs to defeat Henderson County on Saturday. Donaldson, a senior, contributed four base hits, including a pair of doubles on her future home field. Louisville commit
Brooke Gray concluded her prep career with an outstanding performance, recording 10 strikeouts in the circle. This marked her second consecutive season with over 300 strikeouts.
Roncalli (Indianapolis), the reigning MaxPreps National Champions, lost 2-1 to
Penn (Mishawaka, Ind.) in an extraordinary nine-inning 4A final on Saturday.
Keagan Rothrock, one of the most dominant prep pitchers in history struck out 17 batters and allowed only two hits, but the Kingsmen countered with remarkable pitching and timely situational hitting. In the seventh inning, Rothrock hit a home run to tie the game, but
Olivia Signorino struck out the next batter, escaping a potentially disastrous situation to force extra innings. In the ninth inning,
Ava Zachary hit a triple and later scored on a passed ball, securing Penn's first state title since 1999.
Meanwhile,
North Posey (Poseyville, Ind.) won the school's first state championship, ending with a 29-0 record.
Erin Hoehn, the Michigan commit and Indiana State Player of the Year, ended her remarkable career on a high note, tossing a no-hitter and delivering a walk-off three-run home run to clinch the Class 2A state championship.
After narrowly missing the state championship last year with a 3-2 loss,
Marist (Chicago) made a strong comeback by decisively defeating Yorkville 9-1, securing their second title in the past three seasons.
Morgan Rogers,
Payton Benoit and
Eileen Donahue each contributed two RBI, culminating in a season-ending winning streak of 26 games and a Class 4A state championship for the RedHawks.
In Wisconsin,
Kaukauna extended its reign as the team with the longest current active winning streak to 81 games after a resounding 4-0 victory over Superior in the Division 1 title match. The Galloping Ghosts have now claimed three consecutive state championships.
Karlee Meredith, a sophomore ace, pitched her second shutout in three games during the state tournament, leading the team to victory.
Making an impressive entry into the rankings this week is
Woodgrove (Purcellville, Va.) following its convincing 3-0 triumph over Hickory in the Virginia Class 5 softball championship.
Abbey Lane, a George Mason commit, pitched a complete game shutout, while
Alaina Santoli drove in two runs for the Wolverines.
George Mason commit Abbey Lane helped Woodgrove win the Virginia Class 5 title and join the MaxPreps Top 25 softball rankings. (Photo: Steve Prakope)
Record: 44-1 |
Last week: 1
Season complete. Class 5A state champions.
2. Ballard (Louisville, Ky.)
Record: 36-1 |
Last week: 2
The Bruins have gone 75-1 over the past two seasons, which includes back-to-back state championships.
3. Hollister (Calif.)
Record: 30-3 |
Last week: 5
Season complete. NorCal Division 1 champions.
4 Bartow (Fla.)
Record: 29-3 |
Last week: 4
Season complete. Class 6A state champions.
5. St. Amant (La.)
Record: 32-2 |
Last week: 7
Season complete. Division I Non-Select state champions.
6. Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.)
Record: 24-8 |
Last week: 8
Season complete. Southern Section Division 1 champions.
7. Pearland (Texas)
Record: 40-3 |
Last week: 12
Season complete. Class 6A state champions.
8. Marist (Chicago)
Record: 37-2 |
Last week: 16
Sophomore
Gianna Hillegonds went the distance for the RedHawks, allowing five hits without an earned run in the 4A title game.
9. Salpointe Catholic (Tucson, Ariz.)
Record: 35-1 |
Last week: 10
Season complete. Class 4A state champions.
Record: 46-8 |
Last week: 11
Season complete. Class 7A state champions.
11. North Penn (Lansdale, Pa.)
Record: 26-0 |
Last week: 11
The Knights play Chambersburg Tuesday in the 6A semifinals.
Record: 21-0 |
Last week: 12
Season complete. VISAA champions.
13. Jackson (Mill Creek, Wash.)
Record: 27-1 |
Last week: 14
Season complete. Class 4A state champions.
14. Austintown-Fitch (Youngstown, Ohio)
Record: 22-0-2 |
Last week: 15
Season complete: Division 1 state champions.
15. Penn (Mishawaka, Ind.)
Record: 28-4-1 |
Last week: NR
Alexis Riem scored the first run for the Kingsmen after
Izabella Hanna put a ball in play during the 4A state championship game.
16. Kaukauna (Wis.)
Record: 30-0 |
Last week: NR
Kally Meredith had a pair of hits and scored three of the four runs in the Division 1 state title game.
17. Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.)
Record: 28-4 |
Last week: 17
Season complete. Class 5A state champions.
18. Norco (Calif.)
Record: 28-4 |
Last week: 18
Season complete. Division 1 runner-up.
19. Basha (Chandler, Ariz.)
Record: 26-4-1 |
Last week: 19
Season complete. Class 6A state champions.
20. Northwest Rankin (Brandon, Miss.)
Record: 32-4 |
Last week: 20
Season complete. Class 6A state champions.
Record: 38-1 |
Last week: 21
Season complete. Class 2A state champions.
22. Roncalli (Indianapolis)
Record: 31-4-1 |
Last week: 3
Season complete. Class 4A runner-up.
23. North Posey (Poseyville, Ind.)
Record: 29-0 |
Last week: NR
Sophomore
Alyssa Heath had a pair of hits and a double during the Vikings' 2A state championship victory.
Record: 32-1 | Last week: 24
Season complete. AAAAA state champions.
Record: 27-1 |
Last week: NR
Virginia Tech commit
Michelle Chatfield was big for the Wolverines all season, batting .527 with six home runs.
On the bubble: Guyer (Denton, Texas), 38-2;
Parrish Community (Parrish, Fla.), 24-3;
West Stanly (Oakboro, N.C.), 31-1;
Pace (Fla.), 28-2;
Georgetown (Texas), 37-4;
Canyon (New Braunfels, Texas), 33-1
