Video: Softball: 3-run pop-up results in bizarre play
See the wildness out of Ohio.After seeing three teams leapfrog them into the No. 1 spot in recent weeks, the Eagle Mustangs finally find themselves atop the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.
The Mustangs, who have outscored their opponents 326-21, enter the postseason having won 53 of their last 54 games. They are the first Idaho team to ascend to No. 1. In 2013, Lake City (Coeur d'Alene) finished the season ranked No. 2 in the final Top 100.
Last week's No. 1, Crown Point, dropped to No. 6 after splitting a doubleheader with Downers Grove South (Ill.).
New to the Top 25 are McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.), Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), Lakewood (Hebron, Ohio), Prior Lake (Minn.) and Etiwanda (Calif.).
See softball playoff brackets from across the nationMaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard
1. (last week No. 2) Eagle (Idaho), 24-0 The Mustangs closed out the regular season with a 15-0 rout of Centennial (Boise).
2. (3) La Grange (Texas), 33-1With 8-1 and 5-2 playoff wins over Splendora, the Tigers ran their win streak to 33.
3. (4) Grand Terrace (Calif.), 22-1Melanie Olmos blanked Bloomington to lower her ERA to 0.32. She has 111 strikeouts in 66 innings.
4. (5) Deer Park (Texas), 34-2The Deer defeated Fort Bend Travis 11-3 to run their win streak to 19.
5. (6) West Orange (Winter Garden, Fla.), 30-1Behind the three-hit, 15-strikeout pitching performance of junior
Lauren Mathis, the Warriors won Florida's 9A state title game, 6-0.
6. (1) Crown Point (Ind.), 17-1The Bulldogs saw their 15-game win streak snapped by previously ranked Downers Grove South (Ill.), 4-2, then avenged the loss, 3-1, in the second game of the doubleheader. And behind
Miranda Elish's four-hit, 11-strikeout effort, beat 16-2 Penn (Mishawaka), 2-1.
7. (8) Los Alamitos (Calif.), 21-2The Griffins have won four straight since losing 3-2 to Huntington Beach. The teams meet again on Tuesday.
8. (12) Robinson (Texas), 32-0-1The Rockets routed Huntington 10-0 to advance in the state 5A playoffs. The only blemish on their record is a 3-3 tie with Corsicana on March 5.
9. (10) Bald Knob (Ark.), 32-0The Bulldogs recorded playoff wins over Rosebud and Perryville and meet Smackover on Thursday in regional playoff action.
10. (16) East Union (Manteca, Calif.), 20-0The Lancers are batting .414 as a team.
11. (14) East Carter (Grayson, Ky.), 26-0The Raiders won the Queen of Swing Tournament last weekend and have won 20 games by shutout this season.
12. (13) Gainesville (Fla.), 28-2Katie Chronister struck out nine and had three base hits as Gainesville won Florida's 7A title, 1-0, over Lake Region.
13. (11) Union County (Union, S.C.), 24-0The Yellowjackets opened the state 3A playoffs with three convincing wins – 18-1 over Seneca, 7-0 over Daniel (Clemson) and 10-0 over Greer.
14. (19) Tahoma (Kent, Wash.), 20-0The reigning state 4A champs have won 24 in a row and have lost just once the last two seasons. Tahoma opens the playoffs on Thursday.
15. (15) Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.), 18-0The Golden Eagles routed North (Wichita) twice to continue their winning streak.
16. (24) Orange Lutheran (Calif.), 26-3Led by tournament MVP
MacKenzie Boesel, the Lancers beat Huntington Beach 6-4 to win the rain-delayed Michelle Carew Classic and ran their win streak to 13 in a row.
17. (17) Sherwood (Sandy Spring, Md.), 16-0After winning three games last week, Sherwood's winning streak sits at 102 in a row.
18. (18) Cape Fear (Fayetteville, N.C.), 23-0 The Colts edged Jack Britt 3-2 to remain unbeaten.
19. (22) Curry (Jasper, Ala.), 40-2The Yellowjackets opened the postseason with three wins, the last two on one-hitters by senior
Ashlee Swindle (7-0 over Carbon Hill and 17-0 over Cordova).
20. (20) Lampeter-Strasburg (Lampeter, Pa.), 19-0A dozen of the team's victories have been via shutout.
21. (NR) McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.), 25-1, McCracken County has won 21 straight since an early 9-8 loss to Madison County.
22. (NR) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.), 26-0-1Oaks Christian has won 24 in a row since an early-season tie.
23. (NR) Lakewood (Hebron, Ohio), 21-0Lakewood has outscored its opponents 218-16.
24. (NR) Prior Lake (Minn.), 17-0After winning a pair of one-run games (1-0 over Rosemont and 8-7 over Apple Valley), Prior Lake routed Burnsville 12-3.
25. (NR) Etiwanda (Calif.), 26-2Vanessa Taukeiaho and
Megan Stevens have combined for 32 home runs to lead Etiwanda.
Dropped out: Canyon del Oro (Ariz.), Cibola (Ariz.), Eastlake (Tex.), Reed (Nev.), Mission Viejo (Calif.)