MaxPreps Top 25 national high school softball rankings

Amador Valley held on to the No. 1 spot in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings, but No. 2 Alexander Central is presenting a good argument as to why it should own the top spot after completing its record-breaking season over the weekend.

Central has won 67 straight games and the last two North Carolina 4A titles. In winning all 35 of its 2014 games, Alexander Central scored a state-record 426 runs, including 18 in the final game of the season (an 18-5 win over Cape Fear).

Senior Bailey Sherrill was named the 4A State Tournament MVP and her sister, junior Vada Sherrill, became North Carolina's first 60-60 player (60 hits, 60 runs scored) and she added 41 RBIs and 55 stolen bases.

Amador Valley completed its season on June 3.

Returning to the Top 25 this week is No. 15 Hoover, which captured the Ohio 4A title. In the state semifinals, Hoover beat previously unbeaten and highly ranked Lebanon, 5-3. Hoover started the season ranked No. 7.

New to the Top 10 this week are unbeaten No. 6 Parkland (Allentown, Pa.) and No. 7 South Salem. Parkland plays in the state semifinal on Tuesday. South Salem won Oregon's 6A title Saturday.

New to the Top 25 this week are Cosby (Midlothian, Va.), Rio Rancho (N.M.) and Bloomingdale (Valrico, Fla.). Rio Rancho won the New Mexico 5A title and Bloomingdale won Florida's largest (8A) division title. Cosby plays in the state semifinals on Friday.


1. (No. 1 last week) Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.), 27-0 *Season over
The Dons captured the CIF North Coast Section D-I title.

2. (2) Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.), 35-0 *Season over
Tianna Batts had four hits and Averi Miller and Kiana Millsaps three each as Central took the best-of-three series from Cape Fear to win another State 4A title. Bailey Sherrill was named tournament MVP for Central, a team that scored a state-record 426 runs while allowing just 41. The win was Central's 24th double-digit victory of the year and 67th in a row.

3. (3) Mission Viejo (Calif.), 26-1 *Season over
The Diablos won the CIF Southern Section D-2 title. Their only loss was to Division 1 winner Pacifica, a 2-1 setback.

4. (4) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 30-1 *Season over
Mitty captured the CIF Central Coast Section D-2 championship.

5. (7) Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.), 29-4-1 *Season over
Pacifica captured the Southern Section D-1 title.

6. (11) Parkland (Allentown, Pa.), 29-0
The Trojans have recorded back-to-back shutouts in the state tournament and meet 24-6 Lower Dauphin (Hummelstown) on Tuesday in the state 4A semifinals.

7. (13) South Salem (Ore.), 30-1 *Season over
Behind the pitching of senior Katie Donovan, the Saxons breezed through Oregon's 6A tournament, winning 6-0 in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. In the finals, Kelly Burdick had three hits as South Salem beat North Medford, 5-3. The Saxons' only loss in 2014 was by a 1-0 score. They allowed just 20 runs in 31 games as Donovan pitched 20 shutouts in 2014.

8. (10) Sherwood (Sandy Spring, Md.), 22-0 *Season over
Sherwood, which has won 62 straight games, has won last three 4A state titles.

9. (10) Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.), 25-0 *Season over
The Golden Eagles ran to their fourth-straight 5A state title.

10. (9) Unionville-Sebewaing (Sebewaing, Mich.), 38-0
Unionville-Sebewaing got off to a great start in the postseason with four wins by a combined 43-1 margin. Next up is rival Reese in the state 3A quarterfinals on Tuesday.

11. (15) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 30-2 *Season over
The Raiders won Florida's 7A state title for the second-straight year.

12. (12) Vacaville (Calif.), 29-1-1 *Season over
The Bulldogs won a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D-1 title.

13. (17) Indian Hills (Oakland, N.J.), 34-0 *Season over
Devin Durando picked up her 32nd win of the season and Indian Hills won the Division 3 New Jersey state title with an 8-5 win over Ewing. In the process, Indian Hills became the third team in state history to finish unbeaten. The 34 wins are a state record.

14. (14) Sparkman (Harvest, Ala.), 63-4-1 *Season over
Sparkman won the 6A state title.

15. (NR) Hoover (North Canton, Ohio), 29-3 *Season over
Hoover knocked off previous No. 5 and unbeaten Lebanon, 5-3, in the state semifinals and then beat Grove City, 6-1 for the D-1 title. It was Hoover's fourth-straight title.

16. (17) Eastern Tech (Baltimore), 24-0 *Season over
Tech beat Easton 3-1 to capture the Maryland 2A state championship.

17. (NR) Cosby (Midlothian, Va.), 23-0
Led by Chelsea Whitcomb, the Titans have allowed just 22 runs this season and scored 196. They will meet Lake Braddock (Burke) Friday in the 6A state semifinals. Whitcomb leads the Titans in the circle (0.47 ERA) and at the plate (.484, six home runs).

18. (18) La Grange (Texas), 40-2 *Season over
La Grange won the Texas 3A title.

19. (19) Curtis (River Ridge, La.), 30-2 *Season over
Curtis won the state 3A title.

20. (20) Kamiakin (Kennewick, Wash.), 24-2 *Season over
Kamiakin won its third-straight 3A Washington title.

21. (21) Deer Park (Texas), 39-6 *Season over
Deer Park won the Texas 5A title.

22. (NR) Bloomingdale (Valrico, Fla.), 27-2 *Season over
Bloomingdale won its last nine games and beat Hagerty for the state 8A title. Its last loss was to Alonso, 6-5, on April 4.

23. (NR) Rio Rancho (N.M.), 28-4 *Season over
Rio Rancho won 25 of its last 26 games and captured the 5A state title.

24. (24) West Florida (Pensacola, Fla.), 28-1 *Season over
The Jaguars won the state 4A title.

25. (9) The Woodlands (Texas), 39-4 *Season over
The Highlanders dropped the 5A state title game to No. 21 Deer Park.

Dropped out: Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.), Lebanon (Ohio), Crown Point (Ind.).