MaxPreps Top 25 national high school softball rankings

Video: Taylor McQuillin highlights
Video of Mission Viejo softball standout.

The top three teams in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings have opened the 2015 season leaving no doubt as to why they are ranked 1-2-3. Combined, they have outscored their opponents 92-7 and are a combined 10-0.

Top-ranked Mission Viejo has punished its first three opponents with three shutout wins and 25 runs scored. No. 2 Archbishop Mitty is a perfect 3-0 and No. 3 Alexander Central is averaging almost a dozen runs per game in starting 4-0 and running its win streak to 72.

Horizon improved to 7-0 and moved up to No. 4, while Pacifica, Atascocita and Crown Point were ranked 5-6-7.

Three teams — No. 8 Norco, No. 9 Pioneer and No. 10 Rancho are new to the Top 10 this week.

Also new to the Top 25 this week are Hagerty, Bayshore, O'Connor and Neshoba Central.


1. (No. 1 last week) - Mission Viejo (Calif.), 3-0
MVHS has outscored its opponents 25-0.

2. (2) - Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 3-0
The team is hitting .343 and the team ERA is 1.47.

3. (3) - Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.), 4-0
It was a good opening week for the Cougars: 47 runs and four wins.

4. (6) - Horizon (Scottsdale, Ariz.), 7-0
Next for the Huskies is 2-9 Camelback (Phoenix).

5. (8) - Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.), 2-0
Behind Faith Canfield's big bat, Pacifica is off to quick start.

6. (4) - Atascocita (Humble, Texas), 13-1
Atascocita beat The Woodlands, Oak Ridge and Cy-Fair (Cypress, Tex.) and then fell to Kingwood to end its 13-game winning streak.

7. (7) - Crown Point (Ind.), 0-0
The Bulldogs open the season March 30.

8. (16) - Norco (Calif.), 3-0
Taylor Dockins has been almost unhittable in three games.

9. (19) - Pioneer (San Jose, Calif.), 2-0
A nonleague showdown with Archbishop Mitty looms this week.

10. (NR) - Rancho (Las Vegas), 3-0
The Rams have opened with three shutouts.

11. (11) - Edwardsville (Ill.), 0-0
Edwardsville was 36-4 a year ago and open season April 11.

12. (NR) - Hagerty (Oviedo, Fla.), 14-1
Behind the hitting (.556, 9 homers and 23 RBIs) and pitching (5-1, 1.39 ERA) of Samantha Worrell, the Huskies have won eight in a row.

13. (15) - Bloomingdale (Valrico, Fla.), 9-1
Lace Smith is 8-1 and Elizabeth Jackson is hitting .696.

14. (12) - Aledo (Texas), 1-0
The Lady Bearcats opened with an 11-0 win.

15. (NR) - Bayshore (Bradenton, Fla.), 8-1
The Bruins have outscored their foes, 68-5.

16. (NR) - O'Connor (Phoenix), 11-1
Led by senior Justyce McClain (.575, 19 runs) and freshman Grace Lyons (15 RBIs, .556), the Eagles have won 10 straight.

17. (17) - North Little Rock (Ark.) 0-0
Reigning 7A state champions open their season March 12 against No. 21 Russellville.

18. (NR) - Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.), 4-0
Pitchers Aspen Wesley and Meg Martin have allowed just one earned run.

19. (20) - La Grange (Texas), 15-0
Averaging 10 runs per game, La Grange is batting .441 as a team.

20. (18) - Carson (Calif.), 2-1
Carson beat Poly (Sun Valley) and Glendale after an opening loss.

21. (21) - Russellville (Ark.), 0-0
Russellville opens season on March 12 versus No. 17 No. Little Rock.

22. (22) - Washburn Rural (Topeka, Kan.), 0-0
Returning state champions open season on April 3.

23. (23) - Viera (Fla.), 14-1
Viera bounced back from a loss to win twice by a 24-0 margin.

24. (24) - Keystone (La Grange, Ohio), 0-0
Season opener is April 11.

25. (14) - Red Mountain (Mesa, Ariz.), 8-1
Back on track with come-from-behind win over Centennial (Peioria, Ariz.).

Dropped Out: Sparkman (Ala.), Chino Hills (Calif.), The Woodlands, Deer Park (Texas), and Baker (Ala.).