MaxPreps Top 25 high school softball national rankings

The main questions are:

• Will No. 1-ranked Norco (Calif.) hold on to its top ranking?

• Will Male (Louisville, Ky.) become the second team in state annals to complete a softball season unbeaten?

• Will Williamsville East (East Amherst, NY..) also run the table on the 2019 season?

• And how high will Male and Williamsville East climb in the rankings if each finishes without a loss. Greenwood finished third in the 2013 national rankings and East is nearing uncharted territory for a New York team. Will East be the first to crack the Top 5 should it finished unblemished?

Prospect of the Week: Huntley (Ill.) sophomore pitcher Brianna Bower tossed complete-game thriller as the Red Raiders won the state 4A softball title. Bower allowed two unearned runs as Huntley defeated previously ranked Marist (Chicago) 3-2 in the semifinals and then struck out 13 in a 1-0, eight-inning win over St.Charles East for the title. Bower finished the season with 25 wins and 338 strikeouts. Huntley (35-7) had not won a state title in any sport — boys or girls — before Saturday.

Game of the Week: Center Grove (Ind.) won the state 4A softball championship 1-0 over 25-2 Leo. Center Grove scored the game's lone run in the first inning on a walk, a stolen base and an error. Senior pitcher Abby Herbst (Wisconsin signee) then out-dueled Leo's Ashley Miller to make the run hold up. Herbst struck out 12 and allowed three hits.

Game to Watch: The New York State D state semifinals between La Fargeville and Deposit. Both are unbeaten. Sarah Johnson is unbeaten in 13 games and sports a 0.71 ERA, while Deposit's McKenzie Stiles has 17 shutouts among her 19 victories.

Streaks: Marist (Chicago) saw its 35-game win streak end with a 3-2 loss to Huntley in the Illinois state 4A tournament.

Southern Section Division 1 champions. Season complete.


3. (3) Winter Springs (Fla.), 31-0
Class 8A state champions. Season complete.

4. (4) Male (Louisville, Ky.), 36-0
The Bulldogs were denied an opportunity to finish the season unbeaten last weekend as the state tournament was postponed due to weather. The tournament will be held Thursday in Lexington.

5. (5) Oshkosh North (Oshkosh, Wis.), 31-0
The Spartans scored two runs on one hit, two errors and two walks in the top of the ninth to defeat Sun Prairie 4-2 for their first state D1 title. Senior pitcher Sydney Supple allowed four hits and struck out 12 to finish the season 29-0. The Northwestern signee struck out 36 in three state tournament victories.

6. (6) Katy (Texas), 37-2
Class 6A state champions. Season complete.
Class 5A state champions. Season complete.

8. (9) Angleton (Texas), 40-2
Class 5A state champions. Season complete.

9. (11) Neshoba Central (Philadelphia, Miss.), 33-2
Class 5A state champions. Season complete.

10. (10) Mater Dei Catholic (Chula Vista, Calif.), 31-4
San Diego Section Division 1 champions. Season complete.

11. (19) Williamsville East (East Amherst, N.Y.), 25-0
Summer Clark was 5-for-5 and threw a two-hitter to lead the Flames to a 12-0 win over Honeyonye Falls. By winning, they play Walter Panas in the state A semifinals on Saturday. Four members of the Flames' unbeaten softball team have committed to DI colleges – Christy Mack (Hartford), senior pitcher Cara Leone (University at Buffalo), senior infielder Rachel Steffan (Fordham) and sophomore Clark (Missouri).

12. (12) Hartsville (S.C.), 29-0
13. (13) Shadow Ridge (Las Vegas), 31-2
Class 4A state champions. Season complete.

14. (14) Shawnee Heights (Tecumseh, Kan.), 22-1
Class 5A state champions. Season complete.

15. (15) Huntingtown (Md.), 22-1
Class 3A state champions. Season complete.

16. (16) Trenton (Fla.), 27-0
Class 1A state champions. Season complete.

17. (17) Rains (Emory, Texas), 34-1
Class 3A state champions. Season complete.

18. (18) Donovan Catholic (Toms River, N.J.), 30-2
The Griffins, winners of 26 straight, got a four-hit pitching performance from senior Lindsay Nelson and took advantage of a dozen walks to rout Cedar Grove and capture New Jersey's Tournament of Champions. Season complete.Weather stopped the Lancers' bid for a state large school softball title. They play South County (Lorton) on Thursday as tournament play continues. The Lancers are led by senior pitcher Molly Grube (Virginia signee).


21. (21) Garfield (Seattle), 28-2
Class 3A state champions. Season complete.

22. (22) Millington (Mich.), 32-2-1
Millington defeated Chehansing, 4-3, and Byron, 6-0, to move into the state Division 3 quarterfinals on Tuesday against Marine City.

23. (23) Hoover (Clendenin, W.Va.), 34-1
Class AA state champions. Season complete.


25. (NR) Masuk (Monroe, Conn.), 26-1
Samantha Schiebe (Bridgeport signee) struck out 16 in a two-hit win over East Haven to give the Panthers their second straight state Class L title. Masuk won its final 12 games. Season complete.

Dropped out: Marist (Chicago), Klein Collins (Spring, Texas).

On the Bubble: Pine Grove (Pa.), 26-0; Notre Dame (Crowley, La.), 33-0; Beecher (Ill.), 40-2; Hallettsville (Hallettsville, Texas), 36-1; Oakdale (Calif.), 29-1-1; West (Salt Lake City); 26-2, Woodland (Wash.), 26-1; Champion (Warren, Ohio); 30-2, Poynette (Wis.); 30-0, Stone Bridge (Ashburn, Va.), 24-1; and Rose Bud (Ark.), 35-1.