High school softball rankings: Defending national champion Melissa of Texas headlines Preseason MaxPreps Top 25

The Cardinals went 38-1 last spring and broke a national record with 122 home runs as a team. Florida commit Kennedy Bradley led the way with 24 bombs and is back for her senior season. Others returning to the lineup include Finlee Williams (Oklahoma), Amariee Bradford (Auburn) and Hutton Adrian (Arkansas).

Arizona commit Eloisa Maes is also back for Melissa after going 31-1 in the circle with 238 strikeouts. During a 13-game span in February and March, Maes went 51 innings without allowing a run.

The Cardinals return four players who hit at least 10 home runs including Florida commit Kennedy Bradley, who was a first team MaxPreps All-America selection. Ace Eloisa Maes was also an All-America pick after winning 31 games for the Class 5A Division 1 state champions.

2. Orange Beach (Ala.), 46-2
The reigning Southern Section Division 1 champs have one of the best pitching staffs in the nation with top-ranked junior Coral Williams (UCLA) and senior Peyton May (Oklahoma State). Underclass All-American Leighton Gray returns to the lineup after hitting .435 with eight bombs.

4. Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport, La.), 37-1
5. Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.), 47-6
The Warriors had to win four elimination games in one day to win the Class 7A state championship and two key players from that Herculean effort are back. South Alabama commit Kadyn Bush pitched a shutout in the title game and 18 innings over the four games without allowing an earned run. Kelsey Burden had nine hits on the day and three in the state title game, where she earned MVP as a freshman.

6. Katy (Texas), 36-2
Senior Oklahoma commit E.K. Smith dominated in the circle with a 0.58 ERA and at the plate with 15 home runs. North Carolina State commit Maddie Smith and Auburn pledge Evie Willemssen help fill out a stacked lineup.

7. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 27-3
Ole Miss senior commit Nevaeh Williams won 15 games with a 0.88 ERA last season. Colby Reish and Central Florida commit Addison Poe combined to drive in 58 runs in 2025. Five-star senior basketball player Missy Odom is back on the diamond after winning 17 games and hitting eight home runs in Alabama as a sophomore in 2024.

8. Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.), 31-1
Freshman Camila Diaz dominated in the 44 innings she pitched last season with a 0.80 ERA. Texas pledge Anabela Abdullah leads an extremely young lineup that is the defending Class 6A state champions.

9. Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.), 30-1-1
Northwestern pledge Lilly Goodwin had a perfect 20-0 record in 2025 while leading the Class 5A state champs in every major hitting category. The rest of the offense is stacked as Penn State pledge Avery Gehrke and sophomore Eve Huczek provide plenty of power.

10. Lake Creek (Montgomery, Texas), 37-0
All-American Sara Wiggins returns to the circle for the Conference 5A Division 2 state champions before heading to Wichita State in the fall. The lineup returns several starters including fellow All-American Madalyn Davis, who is committed to North Carolina.

11. Del Oro (Loomis, Calif.), 31-2
The Golden Eagles were Northern California Division 1 champions in 2025 and are led by Mikayla Finn, who won 21 games and struck out 210 batters as a sophomore. The lineup returns senior Chloe Champas as well as sophomores Caelyn Campos and Emma Johnson, who all hit over .400.

12. Palo Verde (Las Vegas, Nev.), 25-0
The defending state champions in 2025 and return Boston University commit Ava Koenig in the circle. The lineup has plenty of power as Georgia pledge Taylor Johns enters her senior year with 26 career home runs. Halle Law adds plenty of pop after hitting .533 as a freshman.

13. Sam Houston (Lake Charles, La.), 32-2
Kailyn Mire is a workhorse in the circle and helped lead the Broncos to the Division 1 Non-Select state title as a sophomore with a 30-2 record. Texas commit Aubrey Portie and junior catcher Layla Landry both hit over .500 last season while combining for 105 RBI.

14. Midway (Waco, Texas), 32-3
The Conference 6A Division 1 state champs return two pitchers with 10-plus wins last season. Baylor commit Peyton Phillipp won 19 games as a sophomore and hit .391 with 36 RBI for the Panthers. Kaitlyn Lowe went 10-0 as a freshman.

15. Kenton Ridge (Springfield, Ohio), 32-0
Ivee Rastatter is coming off a freshman season where she went 28-0 with 210 strikeouts in the circle. The ace is also a slugger who bashed seven home runs to go with a .548 batting average. Junior J.J. Davis hit 13 home runs last season and is committed to Ohio State.

16. Northwest Rankin (Brandon, Miss.), 32-4
The defending Class 7A state champions bring back pitcher Bella Pierce, who went 12-1 with 124 strikeouts. Jaliya Sullivan hit six bombs as a freshman in 2025.

17. Gray Collegiate Academy (West Columbia, S.C.), 32-3
South Carolina commit Aspen Boulware blasted 22 home runs as the War Eagles won the Class 4A state championship. Peyton Hendrix and Mackenzie Sease are a 1-2 punch at pitcher.

18. Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.), 20-0
The Virginia powerhouse has won 13 straight state titles. Leading the Knights in the circle will be Ella Fletcher and Annie Van Dyck, who both contribute offensively with their bats. Virginia Tech pledge M.J. Melvin is coming off a sophomore season where she hit .596 with 20 RBI and 16 extra-base knocks.

19. Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.), 30-1
Morgan Spinner recorded a 0.61 ERA and 60 strikeouts as a freshman and also batted .324 with half of her hits being for extra-bases. The lineup is sparked by Braylee Rano, who hit .442 with 16 extra-base hits as a freshman.

20. Kingwood (Texas), 37-4-1
The Mustangs are led by Underclass All-America selection Hunter Quentel, who struck out 177 batters while hitting .458 with 16 bombs for the Conference 6A Division 2 state champs.

21. La Salle Academy (Providence, R.I.), 25-1
Hailey Vigneau helped lead the Rams to the Division 1 state crown with a 20-1 record in the circle with 157 strikeouts. Senior Elle Kershaw provides power after hitting seven home runs.

22. Pace (Fla.), 24-4
Following a 24-win sophomore season, Hannah DeMarcus committed to Auburn. The workhorse struck out 418 batters for the Class 6A runner-up, third in the nation.

23. Catawba Ridge (Fort Mill, S.C.), 31-2
Keira O'Brien was lights out as a freshman with 319 strikeouts in 234 innings for the Class 5A Division 2 state champs. The Copperheads also return Division I commits Jaidyn Harris and Mia Kovacs to the lineup.

24. Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.), 25-6-4
Junior Angie Falls and sophomore Sydney Root combined to win 21 games and pile up 318 strikeouts for the Class 6A state champions. Fleet, a California-San Diego commit, also led the team with a .571 batting average and Falls was tied for the team lead in home runs with Sariah McNabb, daughter of six-time Pro Bowl selection Donovan McNabb.

25. Bear River (Garland, Utah), 33-3
26. Destiny Christian Academy (Sacramento, Calif.), 23-3
27. Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas), 35-4
28. South Caldwell (Hudson, N.C.), 32-2
29. Crown Point (Ind.), 31-4
30. George County (Lucedale, Miss.), 34-3
31. Mater Dei Catholic (Chula Vista, Calif.), 27-7
32. Taunton (Mass.), 25-0
33. Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills, Calif.), 26-5
34. Somerset Academy-Silver Palms (Miami, Fla.), 24-6
35. Glenwood (Chatham, Ill.), 37-1
36. Bentonville (Ark.), 27-4
37. Liberty Creek (Gallatin, Tenn.), 32-2
38. Curry (Jasper, Ala.), 55-4
39. Oswego (Ill.), 38-2
40. Saline (Mich.), 26-3-1
41. Floyd Central (Floyds Knobs, Ind.), 27-5
42. Hernando (Miss.), 33-4
43. Coahoma (Texas), 35-1
44. Moody (Ala.), 44-6
45. Wellington (Fla.), 23-4
46. Neshannock (New Castle, Pa.), 26-0
47. Kaukauna (Wis.), 28-0
48. Mount St. Dominic Academy (Caldwell, N.J.), 27-4
49. Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.), 24-6
50. Fullerton (Calif.), 21-8