The stage is set in Texas for the current No. 1 team in the country to meet the defending state champion in the Class 5A championships.
Pearland, which won the 5A state title last season and began the year ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings, will take on The Woodlands, which has been ranked No. 1 by MaxPreps for most of the season.
Alyssa Jorgensen,
The Woodlands
Photo by Jason Jump
The Woodlands didn't appear to have a chink in its armor until last week when it suffered its first loss of the season. Tomball took one game from the Highlanders, forcing a decisive third game in last week's Region I final.
The winner of the Pearland-The Woodlands matchup will take on the winner of the Plano-Northside O'Connor game. Plano is ranked No. 3 in the Xcellent 25 rankings while O'Connor enters this week's rankings at No. 42.
A big showdown in North Carolina is also set to take place on Friday when Alexander Central, ranked No. 4 by MaxPreps, takes on defending champion North Davidson, which is ranked No. 11.
MAXPREPS XCELLENT 25 NATIONAL SOFTBALL RANKINGS
1. (last week 1) The Woodlands (Texas), 42-1
The Highlanders lost their first game of the season but remain the No. 1-ranked team after defeating a top-notch Tomball team for the Region II championship. The Woodlands edged Tomball 9-7 in the third. The Highlanders won the first game of the series 5-3 before losing to Tomball 9-8 in the second game.
2. (2) Gulliver Prep (Miami), 30-2
Florida 3A state champions. Season over.
3. (3) Plano (Texas), 39-4
The Wildcats reached the state tournament final four with a 5-4, 9-8 sweep of Keller in the Region I championship series.
Jill Holub and
MacKenzie Velasquez each hit a double to lead Plano in the 9-8 win.
4. (4) Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.), 28-1
The Cougars reached the 4A West regional championship game with a 7-1 win over Porter Ridge.
Chelsea Wilkinson struck out eight and allowed three hits while
Kaylea Payne rapped a home run. Alexander Central also topped North Mecklenburg 7-0 in the third round with Wilkinson striking out 13 and hitting a home run.
5. (5) Canyon del Oro (Tucson, Ariz.), 34-1
Arizona Class 4A Division I state champions. Season over.
6. (6) Northern (Owings, Md.), 22-0
The Patriots defeated Howard 3-0 for their fourth straight Maryland 3A state championship.
Kaitlyn Schmeiser picked up the win and became the first pitcher in state history to win four state championships.
7. (8) Niceville (Fla.), 26-4
Florida 5A state champions. Season over.
8. (9) Bartow (Fla.), 28-2
Season over.
9. (10) East Lake (Tarpon Springs, Fla.), 28-1
Season over.
10. (11) American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 23-1
Season over.
11. (14) North Davidson (Lexington, N.C.), 27-1
The Black Knights advanced to the 4A West championship game against Alexander Central with a 3-1 win over Southwest Guilford. North Davidson, the defending 4A champions, turned a double play in the seventh inning to preserve the win.
12. (15) Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.), 29-5
Florida 6A state champions. Season over.
13. (21) San Benito (Hollister, Calif.), 29-1
San Benito won its sixth straight Central Coast Section Division I championship with a 3-2 win over Gilroy.
Jessica Steigelman had the game-winning hit to lift the Haybalers to the win. The Haybalers beat Carlmont 5-0 to advance to the finals.
14. (17) Eau Gallie (Melbourne, Fla.), 27-5
Florida 4A state champions. Season over.
15. (18) Deer Valley (Glendale, Ariz.), 30-6
Arizona Class 5A Division II state champions. Season over.
16. (23) Sarasota (Fla.), 27-3
Season over.
17. (24) Piedra Vista (Farmington, N.M.), 26-5
New Mexico 4A state champions. Season over.
18. (25) Keystone (La Grange, Ohio), 30-1
Defeated Lakewood (Hebron) 5-4 in the Region 6 finals after topping Shawnee (Lima) 1-0 in the semifinals.
19. (20) Tomball (Texas), 34-6
Tomball handed The Woodlands its first loss of the season, but fell in three games 3-5, 9-8, 7-9.
20. (26) Hudsonville (Mich.), 27-2
Hudsonville was incorrectly credited with a loss to Muskegon Mona Shores last week. The defending state champions defeated Mona Shores twice and also swept a doubleheader from Reeths-Puffer 15-0 and 9-1 this week. Hudsonville downed East Kentwood 8-2 and 10-2 as well.
21. (NR) Conant (Hoffman Estates, Ill.), 26-2
Took over the No. 1 ranking in Illinois by the Chicago Tribune after defeating Elk Grove.
22. (27) Elk Grove (Ill.), 31-4
Defeated Schaumburg 2-0 and Glenbard West 4-2 last week.
Elisa Payne had a two-run single to lift Elk Grove to the latter win.
23. (31) Santiago (Corona, Calif.), 26-5
Defeated West Ranch 6-2 and Marina 4-3 to advance to the Southern Section Division I semifinals.
Danielle Hernandez hit a home run and had four RBIs in the win over West Ranch.
24. (35) Dripping Springs (Texas), 32-2
The Lady Tigers advanced to the state tournament by knocking off Canyon (New Braunfels) 6-2 in the 4A regional finals.
Cassie Carroll,
Sarah Wittenburg and
Brandi Needham each had a double in the win.
25. (36) Los Alamitos (Calif.), 27-3-1
The Griffins advanced to the Southern Section Division I semifinals with an 8-2 win over Chaparral and a 9-0 victory over Poly (Riverside).
Rachel Sellers had a home run and three RBIs among her four hits.
The Next 25
26. (39) Carmel (Ind.), 24-3
The Greyhounds downed Fishers 10-0 to win the sectional championship.
Katie Bosler,
Kennedy Haynes and
Michelle Huber all had one home run apiece.
27. (28) Dothan (Ala.), 59-7-1
Alabama 6A state champions. Season over.
28. (29) Newton County (Decatur, Miss.), 34-2
Mississippi 4A state champions. Season over.
29. (30) Hahnville (Boutte, La.), 31-3
Louisiana 5A state champions. Season over.
30. (33) Mann (Greenville, S.C.), 29-5
South Carolina 4A state champions. Season over.
31. (45) Frontier (Bakersfield, Calif.), 35-3
The Titans scored three runs in the fifth inning to defeat Lemoore 5-2 for the Central Section Division II championship.
Valerie Grijalva had 10 strikeouts in the win.
32 (47) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 28-3
The Monarchs won the Central Coast Section Division II championship with a 4-2 triumph over Valley Christian.
Jazmyn Jackson was 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored for the Monarchs.
33. (NR) Pequannock (Pompton Plains, N.J.), 23-0-1
Took over the No. 1 ranking in New Jersey.
34. (NR) Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.), 20-0
Ranked No. 1 in Class AA by the New York Sportswriters Association.
35. (NR) Walla Walla (Wash.), 27-1
Won the Class 4A state championship in Washington.
36. (NR) Lee-Davis (Mechanicsville, Va.), 20-1
Top-ranked team in the Central Region of Virginia.
37. (41) Red Mountain (Mesa, Ariz.), 31-8
Arizona Class 5A Division I state champions. Season over.
38. (46) East Ridge (Clermont, Fla.), 28-3
Season over.
39. (NR) Beech (Hendersonville, Tenn.), 42-11-2
Captured the Tennessee AAA state championship.
40. (NR) Soddy Daisy (Tenn.), 41-9
Defeated Riverdale in the semifinals but fell to Beech in the Tennessee AAA state finals.
41. (7) Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), 47-5
The Warriors lost to Beech, 5-1, and Soddy Daisy 2-1 and were eliminated from the Tennessee AAA state playoffs. Also defeated Maryville 6-1, Mt. Juliet 9-2 and Seymour 1-0 during the tournament.
42. (NR) O'Connor (Helotes, Texas), 33-4
Advanced to the Texas Class 5A state tournament by winning the Region IV championship.
43. (NR) Urbana (Ijamsville, Md.), 21-0
Knocked off Chesapeake to win the Maryland 4A state championship.
44. (12) Chesapeake (Pasadena, Md.), 23-1
Lost the first game of the season in the Maryland 4A state finals with a 5-3 loss against Urbana.
45. (NR) Battlefield (Haymarket, Va.), 20-1
Ranked third in the District of Columbia area by the Washington Post.
46. (NR) Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio), 20-4
Defeated Lakota East and advanced to the Ohio Division I state championship semifinals.
47. (NR) Pearland (Texas), 35-13
The defending 5A state champions advanced to the final four by winning the Region III championship.
48. (16) Lakota East (Liberty Township, Ohio), 28-2
Kelly Hardison hit her ninth home run of the season to lift Lakota East over Wayne, 3-2, and advance to the regional final. However the Thunderhawks fell to Lakota West 1-0 in the Region 4 final.
49. (49) Bryant (Ark.), 25-5
Arkansas 7A state champions. Season over.
50. (50) Jordan (Morris, Ala.), 33-7
Alabama 5A state champions. Season over.
Dropped Out: No. 13 Bonita Vista (Chula Vista, Calif.); No. 19 Lake Norman (Mooresville, N.C.); No. 22 Etiwanda (Calif.); No. 32 Archmere Academy (Claymont, Del.); No. 34 Richards (Oak Lawn, Ill.); No. 37 Simi Valley (Calif.); No. 38 Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.); No. 40 Glencoe (Hillsboro, Ore.); No. 42 Unicoi County (Erwin, Tenn.); No. 43 Olathe East (Kan.); No. 44 Stockdale (Bakersfield, Calif.); No. 48 Burleson (Texas).
