Final MaxPreps Top 25 national high school softball rankings

Video: Top 10 plays of 2015-16
See the incredible softball highlight that checks in at No. 4 on the list.

When Eagle (Idaho) head coach Nicole Rollins was told her Mustangs had been named the 2016 national softball champions by MaxPreps, she enthusiastically said, "that's pretty amazing."

Then her thoughts shifted quickly and quietly to what her team had to overcome to have an unbeaten (29-0) and state championship (second straight 5A title) year, let alone a successful season.

"We had to overcome the biggest obstacle of all," said the first-year Eagle head coach. "We lost head coach Doug (Corta). He led us to the state title last year. Losing him was so very difficult. He was like a father figure to most of the girls. Many had played for him since they were little."

Corta lost his battle with a malignant (cancerous) glioblastoma brain tumor last November. Since the initial diagnosis two years ago, Corta underwent two brain surgeries and numerous chemo and radiation treatments.

Despite the treatments, he continued to coach, running practices – sometimes only hours after a chemo treatment. Corta was active with the team up until the point he was physically unable to participate.

"We couldn't take those tears on the field," said Rollins, an assistant under Corta during the team's 30-1 campaign in 2015. "A lot of them were ready to crumble ... tears coming through the eye black. They wanted to win for Doug."

After finishing the 2015 team ranked No. 10 in the final MaxPreps national rankings, expectations were high as the Mustangs lost just one starter and were returning National Junior Player of the Year, Bradie Fillmore.

"There was a lot of pressure living up to his legacy," added Rollins, a former collegiate softball and volleyball standout. "We talked a lot about it last year, dealing with illness and then losing Doug. Basically, our motto this year was to ‘stay humble, but hungry.'"

Rollins said she thought the hardest 2016 game for the girls was playing Boise on April 15 – the day after the community of Eagle held Doug Corta Day.

It was the only game during the season that Eagle trailed after the second inning. They were down 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh when they scored four times to win. Until that point, the Mustangs had allowed just nine runs while scoring 236 times in 17 games.

Led by Fillmore (who will play for Cal next season) and junior Autumn Moffat (BYU commit), Eagle had two of the state's best pitchers. They combined for 18 shutouts and 10 no-hitters. Opponents managed just 61 hits in 29 games.

While Fillmore and Moffatt combined for a 0.63 ERA and 1.72 strikeouts per inning, the offense was a headline grabber. The Mustangs batted .468 as a team with an on base percentage of .547 and a .815 slugging pct. Led by Fillmore's .641 average, seven players batted over .430.

This was a team that had only one weakness – "bunting," Rollins said.

Then again, when you win 22 times by run-rule margins (10 runs or more after five innings), who needs to bunt? A dozen times, the Mustangs scored 15 or more runs in a game.

Rollins is quick to point out that they were more than just Fillmore and Moffat. As a team, they hit 65 home runs – the second most in high school softball history. The Mustangs were led by Fillmore's 14 and 12 more from Martha Tooley. In all, 10 different players homered.

"Each game, everyone stepped up," Rollins said. "While we have Bradie and Autumn, we have other players who did well all season long. They understood that you can't win a game based on one player. Their calm confidence was huge."

Eagle started the year ranked No. 5, but Rollins said the team didn't talk about the rankings.

"I think we kept an eye on it as it is an honor just to be ranked and we did get excited about being ranked. But it's hard to compare with teams from other areas that we don't play," she said. "We just wanted to focus on one pitch, one play."

That philosophy played true in the state tournament when inclement weather forced the tournament to be relocated twice and a semifinal game against Coeur d'Alene took parts of three days to complete a 1-0 Eagle win.

"The conditions were difficult ... it was an emotional weekend," added Rollins. "But we knew we could win regardless of the many delays and time sitting on a bus waiting. We wanted another ring for Doug."

The future looks very bright for the Mustangs.

Eagle will lose Fillmore, Martha Tooley (College of Idaho) and Olivia Tooley and Madison Strickler (Northwest Nazarene), but looks to be reloading with Moffat expected to take Fillmore's role as the top pitcher in the state. Four other starters return.

"Our junior varsity lost just one game this season – to us, the varsity," said Rollins, who turned down a college offer to be head coach at Eagle.

Rollins said you don't replace a player like Fillmore, but you learn from her legacy.

"Bradie is a different caliber of player. She just understands the game better than other player in the state," said Rollins. "She left a dominant legacy here. Hopefully, others will be inspired by her and will come in and leave their individual legacy just like Doug did. He touched us all in many ways."

The Mustangs set their preseason goals to win district, state, go unbeaten and earn state academic honors.

About the only thing the Mustangs didn't get this season was the top academic honor.

Maybe a MaxPreps national title will make up for that missing academic honor.

1. (Last week No. 1) Eagle (Idaho), 29-0
Class 5A state champions.

2. (2) Grand Terrace (Calif.), 28-1
CIF Southern Section Division III champions.

3. (3) Lakewood (Hebron, Ohio), 29-0
Class 2A state champions.

4. (4) Fitch (Groton, Conn.), 27-0
Class L state champions.

5. (5) West Orange (Winter Garden, Fla.), 30-1
Class 9A state champions.

6. (6) La Grange (Texas), 40-2
Class 4A state champions.

7. (7) Curry (Jasper, Ala.), 47-2
Class 4A state champions.

8. (8) Bald Knob (Ark.), 36-0
Class 3A state champions.

9. (9) - Mission Viejo (Calif.), 27-4
CIF Southern Section Division II champions.

10. (10) Gainesville (Fla.), 28-2
Class 7A state title.

11. (11) Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.), 31-1
Non-Public state champions.

12. (12) Sherwood (Sandy Spring, Md.), 20-0
Class 4A state champions.

13. (13) Oak Park-River Forest (Oak Park, Ill.), 37-2
Class 4A state champions..

14. (14) Mercy (Farmington Hills, Mich.), 44-2
Division 1 state champions.

15. (16) West Forsyth (Clemmons, N.C.), 30-2
Class 4A state champions.

16. (17) Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.), 27-1
Class 5A state champions.

17. (18) Jesuit (Portland, Ore.), 30-2
Class 6A state champions.

18. (19) Ironwood Ridge (Tucson, Ariz.), 35-4
Division II state champions.

19. (20) Campbell (Ewa Beach, Hawaii), 18-1
Division I state champions.

20. (21) Lebanon (Ind.), 27-1
Class 3A state champions.

21. (22) Bentonville (Ark.), 27-1
Class 7A state champions.

22. (23) Scott County (Georgetown, Ky.), 36-3
State champions.

23. (24) Hempfield Area (Greensburg, Pa.), 26-2
Class 4A state champions.

24. (25) Keller (Keller, Texas), 32-6
Class 6A state champions.

25. (NR) Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.), 30-2
CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I champions.

Dropped Out: Dakota (Macomb, Mich.)Dakota (Mich.).

26. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 26-2
Class 6A state champions.

27. Downers Grove South (Downers Grove, Ill.), 35-4
Class 4A semifinalist.

28. Cheshire (Conn.), 27-0
Class LL state champions.

29. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 27-7
CIF Southern Section Division I champions.

30. Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.), 30-4
CIF Southern Section Division I runner-up.

31. Los Alamitos (Calif.), 26-3
CIF Southern Section Division I semifinalist..

32. Dickson County (Dickson, Tenn.), 42-7
Class 3A state champions.

33. McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.), 42-4
State runner-up.

34. Hartsville (S.C.), 31-3
Division III state champions.

35. Coral Springs Charter (Coral Springs, Fla.), 26-3
Class 5A state champions.

36. Alexandria (La.), 30-4
Class 5A state champions.

37. Spanish Fork (Utah), 30-3
Class 4A state champions.

38. Snohomish (Wash.), 22-3
Class 4A state champions.

39. San Benito (Hollister, Calif.), 26-3
CIF Central Coast Section Division I champions.

40. Birdville (North Richland Hills, Texas), 28-7
Class 5A state champions.

41. Binghamton (N.Y.), 22-2
Class 2A state champions.

42. South (Olathe, Kan.), 23-2
Class 6A state champions.

43. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), 30-2-1
CIF Southern Section Division II runner-up.

44. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 31-7
Class 1A state champions.

45. Stevens Point (Wis.), 29-3
Division 1 state champions.

46. Sparkman (Harvest, Ala.), 34-7
Class 7A state champions.

47. Alhambra (Martinez, Calif.), 24-2
CIF North Coast Section Division II champions.

48. Avon (Ind.), 26-5
Class 4A state champions.

49. Seaman (Topeka, Kan.), 23-2
Class 5A state champions.

50. Onate (Las Cruces, N.M.), 27-3
Class 6A state champions.