Video: Top 25 national softball rankings Norco finishes No. 1 after starting preseason as top team.
Todd Petersen's 2017 Papillion-LaVista softball squad came close to running the tables, and outscored 38 opponents 292-33, on its way to the Class A state championship.
Featuring All-Staters Courtney Wallace, Jordyn Bahl, Brooke Dumont, Madeline Vejvoda and Taylor Hoelscher, the Monarchs bullied their way through the Class A field, outscoring their four opponents 37-7, and now stand as Nebraska's best prep softball team since MaxPreps started ranking the Cornhusker State's high schools back in 2012.
Over the past seven seasons, no other Nebraska softball team has posted a higher MaxPreps power ranking than Papillion-LaVista's 29.1, which landed the Monarchs in the No. 9 spot nationally that year.
Wallace, Dumont and Bahl all hit home runs in the 16-4 state championship win over Lincoln Southwest. According to the Omaha World Herald, Papillion-LaVista broke three all-class state championship game records for most runs scored, largest margin of victory and runs scored in an inning. Petersen's club scored 11 runs in the title game's first inning.
Wallace hit a home run on the third pitch to put the champions up 1-0. Then Hoelscher singled and moved to second on a wild pitch before scoring on Vejvoda's triple.
"When we first started hitting – Courtney had the home run, then Taylor got on and everybody started hitting," Dumont told the Omaha World Herald following the state championship win. "Everybody just wanted to keep going. We wanted to get the win so bad.
"It just makes me really happy because I like to do it for our team. It makes everybody happy, and it feels really good because everybody's happy."
Only six softball programs are represented this week. Along with the Monarchs grabbing the No. 1, 4 and 5 spots, Millard South and Elkhorn South tied for the No. 2 spot to round out this week's Top 5. Papillion-LaVista played its way into four Top 10 spots, while Millard South grabbed two spots this week.
Steve Kerkman's Patriots earned the highest national ranking of any of the teams listed in this week's Top 10. Millard South went 32-4 in 2013 and finished seventh nationally. Nine members of this week's Top 10 finished in the Top 25 nationally in their year(s) of greatness.
Nebraska's Top 10 softball teams since 2012
1. Papillion-LaVista (Papillion) (2017)Head Coach: Todd Petersen
Overall Record: 36-2
Run Differential: 292-33
Rankings: Class A (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (9th).
2017 Monarch Greats: Courtney Wallace, Jordyn Bahl, Brooke Dumont, Madeline Vejvoda, Taylor Hoelscher.
2. (tie) Millard South (Omaha) (2013)
Head Coach: Steve Kerkman
Overall Record: 32-4
Run Differential: 299-77
Rankings: Class A (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (7th).
2013 Patriot Greats: Jordan Johnson, Madi Unzicker, Vicky Kinney, Emily Hove, Rylie Unzicker, Camille Fowler.
2. (tie) Elkhorn South (Omaha) (2016)
Head Coach: Terry Graver
Overall Record: 31-3
Run Differential: 256-60
Rankings: Class B (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (11th).
2016 Storm Greats: Olivia Ferrell, Morgan Nixon, Hannah Sederburg, Alicia Perrien, Taylor Knight.
4. Papillion-LaVista (2013)
Head Coach: Todd Petersen
Overall Record: 34-3
Run Differential: 311-74
Rankings: Class A (2nd), Nebraska (2nd), Nationally (8th).
2013 Monarch Greats: Julia Andersen, Gina Metzler, Kylie Schwarting, Amanda Butera, Lauren McNeil.
5. Papillion-LaVista (2018)
Head Coach: Todd Petersen
Overall Record: 34-2
Run Differential: 345-59
Rankings: Class A (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (12th).
2018 Monarch Greats: Jordyn Bahl, Madeline Vejvoda, Brooke Dumont, Mia Jarecki.
6. Millard South (2016)
Head Coach: Steve Kerkman
Overall Record: 30-7
Run Differential: 356-113
Rankings: Class A (1st), Nebraska (2nd), Nationally (19th).
2016 Patriot Greats: Payton Huscroft, Rylie Unzicker, Peyton Glatter, Hailee Fliam, Bailey Urban, Taelar Solano.
7. Lincoln Southwest (Lincoln) (2018)
Head Coach: Mark Watt
Overall Record: 39-5
Run Differential: 425-101
Rankings: Class A (2nd), Nebraska (2nd), Nationally (20th).
2018 Silver Hawk Greats: McKenzie Steiner, Emma Kauf, Abbie Squier, Brin Swanson, Emma Hain.
8. (tie) Skutt Catholic (Omaha) (2013)
Head Coach: Keith Engelkamp
Overall Record: 28-4
Run Differential: 227-69
Rankings: Class B (1st), Nebraska (3rd), Nationally (13th).
2013 SkyHawk Greats: Kaylan Jablonski, Darya Kaboli-Nejad, Allyssa Stevens.
8. (tie) Papillion-LaVista (2016)
Head Coach: Todd Petersen
Overall Record: 34-6
Run Differential: 279-120
Rankings: Class A (2nd), Nebraska (3rd), Nationally (24th).
2016 Monarch Greats: Courtney Wallace, Hannah McCarville, Taylor Hoelscher.
10. Elkhorn (2018)
Head Coach: Allen Schutte,
Overall Record: 30-6
Run Differential: 266-102
Rankings: Class B (1st), Nebraska (3rd), Nationally (27th).
2018 Antler Greats: Sydney Nuismer, Cassie Coltvet, Ella Dalton, Jayden Hunt.
