MaxPreps Top 25 national high school softball rankings

Behind the pitching of Taylor McQuillin, Mission Viejo continues to keep its firm grasp on the top spot in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball rankings.

In her latest gem, McQuillin struck out 15 and allowed just two hits as the Diablos blanked Los Alamitos (Calif.), 5-0. It was McQuillin's sixth shutout of the season. With the win, Mission Viejo improved to 13-0.

Meanwhile, No. 2 Alxander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.) routed West Iredell (Statesville, N.C.) to give coach Monte Sherrill his 700th career win.

No. 3 Amador Valley got a run-scoring base hit from Sammy Salustri in the bottom of the ninth to beat Livermore (Calif.) and remain unbeaten. In a pair of shutout victories, senior Johanna Grauer struck out 20 and allowed a total of five hits. She has not allowed an earned run this season.

Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) and St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) remained unbeaten and moved into the Top 5.

New to the Top 25 this week are No. 13 Marina (Huntington Beach, Calif.), No. 14 Russellville (Ark.) and No. 21 Reed (Sparks, Nev.).


1. (No. 1 last week) Mission Viejo (Calif.), 13-0
The Diablos blanked Los Alamitos, 5-0, behind Taylor McQuillin's two-hit, 15-strikeout performance. Shianne Ybarra was 4-for-4 and Alyssa Palomino homered. The Diablos visit Dana Hills (Dana Point) on Thursday.

2. (2) Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.), 11-0
Central gave coach Monte Sherrill his 700th win with an 18-3 victory over West Idredell (Statesville) on Thursday.

3. (3) Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.), 7-0
The Dons got 20 strikeouts from senior Johanna Grauer in back-to-back shutout wins last week. Junior Katelynn Moore is hitting .421 to lead the Dons, while Grauer, who is hitting .417, is 7-0 with an 0.00 ERA and has 79 strikeouts in 50 innings. The Dons visit Carondelet (Concord) on Tuesday.

4. (6) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), 9-0
Jazmyn Jackson continues to put up big numbers (flirting with a .700 batting average) as Mitty hosts Valley Christian (San Jose) on Tuesday.

5. (9) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 17-0
After a week off, the Raiders are ready to get back at it. Hitting .414 as a team, they host American Heritage (Plantation) on April 1.

6. (15) P.K. Yonge (Gainesville, Fla.), 16-0
Hitting .432 as a team (led by sophomore Kaitlyn Burke's .577 average), Yonge has also stolen 115 bases. Pitcher Kalen McGill is 16-0.

7. (7) Hoover (North Canton, Ohio), 0-0
Hoover brings a 34-game winning streak into its season opener at Perry Tuesday.

8. (12) Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas), 19-0
Barbers Hill won by shutout for the 14th time this season and for the fourth-straight game. Senior Randi Rupp is averaging better than two strikeouts per inning and has yet to allow an earned run this season. The Eagles host Humble on Tuesday.

9. (10) Ponte Vedra (Fla.), 20-0
The Sharks have allowed just nine runs during their 20-game winning streak. Avery Geehr is 20-0 with a 0.26 ERA and is averaging nearly two strikeouts per inning. They visit Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) on Tuesday.

10. (11) Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.), 11-2
Since losing to No. 1 Mission Viejo, Pacifica has posted a pair of 11-0 victories. Junior Faith Canfield has 18 RBIs and sophomore Irieanna Naea has 16. Next up is Trabuco Hills (Mission Viejo) on Wednesday.

11. (12) Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas), 21-1
The Bobcats got extra-base hits from Merris Schroder, Carly Ruffino and Micah Schroder in a 3-2 win over Cypress Ranch (Cypress). They visit Cypress Falls (Houston) on Friday.

12. (13) Cinco Ranch (Katy, Texas), 18-1
Kayla Ober and Chelsea Sellers homered in a 14-0 rout of Morton Ranch (Katy). Cinco hosts Mayde Creek (Katy) on Friday.

13. (NR) Marina (Huntington Beach, Calif.), 14-1
Behind the pitching of Tera Blanco, the Vikings won four games last week. Blanco struck out 44 in 25 innings, including 25 in 12 innings in a pair of Saturday wins. The Vikings next play on April 10 against Los Alamitos.

14. (NR) Russellville (Ark.), 8-0
Led by pitcher Andrea Kindrick, the Cyclones have outscored their opponents 66-5 in eight games. Kindrick, who is hitting .652 with four homers and 17 RBIs, has recorded 94 strikeouts in 45 innings en route to an 8-0 record and 0.33 ERA. Kindrick has four no-hitters this season. The Cyclones host Southside (Fort Smith) on Tuesday.

15. (15) La Grange (Texas), 26-1
Since losing their opener, the Leopards have won 26 straight. Missy Zoch is 18-0 and Alyssa Angel has accounted for 83 runs. They visit Cuero on Tuesday.

16. (16) The Woodlands (Texas), 23-2
Aubrey Leach hit three home runs and Abby Langkamp hit two in a 19-1 win over A&M Consolidated (College Station). It was a good week for the Highlanders, as they outscored three teams 44-2. Lufkin plays host on Friday.

17. (17) Clovis (Calif.), 9-0
The Cougars have had just one close game this season and allowed just 10 runs. Up next they host rival Clovis East on Tuesday.

18. (18) Esperanza (Anaheim, Calif.), 11-1
The Aztecs have won three straight (by a combined 18-1 margin) since losing 3-2. They host Aguora on Thursday.

19. (19) Bloom-Carroll (Carroll, Ohio), 0-0
B-C, which went 30-3 in 2013, opens the season Tuesday at Centerville (Ohio).

20. (20) Gibbs (Corryton, Tenn.), 16-0
Gibbs won its last four contests by a combined 29-5 margin. It hosts Halls (Knoxville) on Tuesday.

21. (NR) Reed (Sparks, Nev.), 11-0
Three pitchers – Jacquelyn Sertic, Julia Jensen and Megan Dettling – have combined to strike out 116 batters in 66 innings to lead the Raiders to a perfect 2014 record. The Raiders, who are hitting .391 as a team, host their own tournament beginning April 4.

22. (22) Olathe East (Kan.), 0-0
The Hawks, who were 24-1 a year ago, are favored to repeat as Kansas 6A state champions. They open the season Thursday by hosting North (Shawnee Mission, Kan.).

23. (23) Atascocita (Humble, Texas), 19-1
After scoring 30 runs in shutout wins, the Eagles lost 11-7 to Kingwood (Texas), then bounced back to beat Klein Oak (Spring), 13-3. They visit Westfield (Houston) on Friday.

24. (24) Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township, N.J.), 0-0
The 2013 state runner-up opens its season Tuesday at Paramus Catholic (N.J.).

25. (21) Sparkman (Harvest, Ala.), 30-2
The Senators lost to Curry, 4-3, in the finals of the Gulf Coast Classic. They host Bob Jones on Tuesday.

Dropped out this week: Curtis (River Ridge, La.), Mountain Ridge (Glendale, Ariz.) and Chopticon (Morganza, Md.).