A big week is in store for MaxPreps Top 25 high school softball teams looking to capture a title or advance deeper into postseason play.
In Alabama, state championship play begins Monday in a double-elimination format. No. 2
Orange Beach opens Wednesday morning and could face No. 15
Curry (Jasper) in a marquee matchup later that afternoon. In Class 7A, a powerhouse bracket features No. 13
Thompson (Alabaster) and No. 17
Central (Phenix City) as top contenders.
In Mississippi, No. 21
Hernando takes on two-time defending state champion
Northwest Rankin (Brandon) in a best-of-three series starting Wednesday. Hernando won the regular-season meeting 5-2 in early March, but Northwest Rankin is battle-tested coming off a 34–0 campaign and No. 2 national finish in 2024 that included a sweep of Hernando in last year's state finals.
Meanwhile in California, Southern Section playoff brackets dropped Monday, revealing a stacked field. Teams with championship aspirations include No. 7
Norco, No. 11
Rosary Academy (Fullerton) and No. 24
Orange Lutheran (Orange).
Strength of schedule, postseason success and overall record will be the defining factors in this year's race for the MaxPreps National Championship.
No. 21 Hernando begins a showdown championship series today with defending champion Northwest Rankin for Mississippi's Class 7A title. (PHOTO: Wes Hale)
Record: 34-0
| Last week: 1
Caigan Crabtree,
Finlee Williams,
Emmy Mabry,
Paisley Needham and
Hutton Adrian all hit home runs in the series win over Midlothian to bring the team's national-record home run total to 112.
2. Summerville (S.C.)Record: 28-0
| Last week: 2
The Green Wave will play Fort Dorchester in the third round of the Class 5A Division 1 playoffs Tuesday.
3. Orange Beach (Ala.)Record: 44-2
| Last week: 3
Teagan Revette hit a bomb and drove in five runs as the Makos smoked Opp 11-1 on Thursday.
4. Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.)Record: 27-1
| Last week: 5
Alondra Aldebol-Borrero and
Zoey Abdullah combined to drive in six runs as the Firebirds rolled to open state play with a 14-1 win over Miami Beach.
5. Lake Creek (Montgomery, Texas)Record: 32-0
| Last week: 5
Maggie Hayward hit one out and
Sara Wiggins tossed a no-hitter as the Eagles blanked Georgetown 10-0 in regional semifinal play.
6. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)Record: 26-2
| Last week: 7
Elena Friedman and
Luna Taboas combined to drive in seven runs as the Eagles opened state play with a 14-0 win.
7. Norco (Calif.)Record: 25-3
| Last week: 8
Tamryn Shorter hit a walk-off home run in the seventh to beat Santiago 5-4 to close out the regular season
8. Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport, La.)Record: 37-1
| Last week: 9
Season complete. Division III Select state champions.
9. Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas)Record: 32-3
| Last week: 9
Bre Norman hit a home run and had four RBI lifting the Eagles to a 13-2 victory Friday.
10. Coahoma (Texas)Record: 30-0
| Last week: 11
Hannah Wells pitched 14 innings, allowed no runs and struck out 25 during a two-game sweep over Henrietta.
11. Rosary Academy (Fullerton, Calif.)Record: 25-2-1
| Last week: 12
Audrinah Barajas closed out the regular season by hitting two home runs and driving in six runs during a 14-0 win over University.
12. Del Oro (Loomis, Calif.)Record: 25-1
| Last week: 13
The Golden Eagles were awarded the No. 1 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 playoffs, which begin on Wednesday.
13. Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.)Record: 39-4
| Last week: 15
Whitney Holtzapfel hit a two-run blast in the fourth to give the Warriors the lead and they never looked back in an 8-5 win over Hewitt-Trussville to advance to 7A state play.
14. Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.)Record: 25-1
| Last week: 15
Morgen Talley went yard and
Braylee Rano had a pair of doubles as the Warriors opened state play with an 18-0 win.
15. Curry (Jasper, Ala.)Record: 51-3
| Last week: 17
Ambrey Taylor hit her 25th jack of the season as the Yellowjackets enter 4A state tournament play.
16. Neshannock (New Castle, Pa.)Record: 18-0
| Last week: 16
After trailing 4-0 after two innings, the Lancers rallied to beat Elizabeth Forward 8-5 on Friday.
17. Central (Phenix City, Ala.)Record: 44-3
| Last week: 19
Gerritt Griggs,
Natalyn Lumpkin,
Allyson Supan and
Mariah Harrison had hot bats as the Red Devils beat Enterprise 7-1 on Tuesday.
18. Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.)Record: 18-0
| Last week: 20
Ashley Bond had four hits and eight RBI as the Knights opened Division 1 postseason play with a 15-0 win.
19. Lincoln-Way Central (New Lenox, Ill.)Record: 23-1
| Last week: 21
Ellie McLaughlin and
Brooke Seppi each had a RBI as the Knights squeaked out a 2-1 extra-inning victory over Andrew.
20. La Salle Academy (Providence, R.I.)Record: 17-0
| Last week: 22
Kayleigh Ventura,
Alivia Ring,
Elle Kershaw and
Phoenyx Silva all hit bombs during an 11-1 win Monday.
21. Hernando (Miss.)Record: 33-2
| Last week: 25
Macie Dever Boaz and
Jayla Sites led a hitting attack that put up 11 runs to close out the sweep over Madison Central.
22. Sam Houston (Lake Charles, La.)Record: 32-2
| Last week: 34
Season complete. Division I Non-Select state champions.
23. Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.)Record: 28-1-1
| Last week: 25
Lilly Goodwin homered twice while
Emmy Raines,
Zoe Horning and
Gabby Borovansky also went yard in the third round of 5A state tournament play.
24. Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)Record: 22-5
| Last week: 16
The Lancers open Division 1 play Thursday against Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks).
25. Forney (Texas)Record: 31-1-1
| Last week: 30
Cailey Slade struck out seven to help lift the Jackrabbits to the Conference 6A Division 2 regional finals.
Next 2526.
Kingwood (Texas)27.
Kenosha Bradford (Kenosha, Wis.)28.
Marist (Chicago, Ill.)29.
Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.)30.
Pace (Fla.)31.
Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills, Calif.)32.
Etiwanda (Calif.)33.
Centennial (Las Cruces, N.M.)34.
Destiny Christian Academy (Sacramento, Calif.)35.
North DeSoto (Stonewall, La.)36.
Palo Verde (Las Vegas, Nev.)37.
Coral Springs Charter (Coral Springs, Fla.)38.
George County (Lucedale, Miss.)39.
Springville (Ala.)40.
Northwest Rankin (Brandon, Miss.)41.
Donovan Catholic (Toms River, N.J.)42.
Kenton Ridge (Springfield, Ohio)43.
Rocklin (Calif.)44.
Oswego (Ill.)45.
Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)46.
Canyon del Oro (Tucson, Ariz.)47.
South Caldwell (Hudson, N.C.)48.
Clear Springs (League City, Texas)49.
South Warren (Bowling Green, Ky.)50.
St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.)
