MaxPreps 2017 North Carolina preseason high school softball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

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1. Orange (Hillsborough)
2016 record: 23-4
Head coach: Cliff Davidson

The Panthers have pitching and hitting and should get much farther than the third round of the postseason this year. For starters, they have MaxPreps All-American Mia Davidson (state Gatorade winner and Mississippi State signee) and pitcher Kristina Givens. In 26 games, Davidson drove in 49 runs on 37 hits in just 50 official plate appearances. She walked 44 times (most were intentional) and had an .851 on-base percentage. Despite pitchers working around her, she still managed to hit 18 home runs and scored 57 times. That's not a misprint, she hit 18 home runs in 50 plate appearances or better than one round-tripper in every three at bats. If she doesn't get your attention, Alysann Lloydd (.388), Mackenzie Bartlett (.394) and Abigail Hamlett (.324) will. They'll make opponents pay for walking Davidson. To win it all, you need pitching and the Panthers have it in Givens (21-4, 1.37 ERA and a strikeout per inning). She also batted .307.

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2. D.H. Conley (Greenville)
2016 record: 27-4
Head coach: Wayne Deans

The Vikings reached the state semifinals in 2016 before losing to state runner-up West Forsyth. Wanting more for 2017 are senior pitcher Emily Kirby (21-4, 1.28 ERA, 221 strikeouts), Cara Davis (.459, 40 runs), Grace Cochran (.432 with 26 RBIs) and Makenna Matthijs (.447 average and 27 RBIa). They are All-State players, are hungry and experienced. Add in the All-District pair of Alexis Phillips and Lexi Phillips and the Vikings are deep. D.H. Conley will be well represented at the next level as Mathijs and Davis have signed with UNC-Greensboro, Cochran chose Lincoln Memorial University and Kirby signed with Liberty.

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3. C.B. Aycock (Pikeville)
2016 record: 29-4
Head coach: Lavon Matthews

Senior pitchers Allison Shingleton (10-0 with a 1.22 ERA and .419 batting average) and Taylor Waddell (9-0 with a 1.23 ERA) are back along with classmates Connor Vinson (39 steals, 51 runs and a .524 batting average), Tanika Powell (19 steals, 38 runs and .413 batting average) and Makenzie Wheeler (.304 batting average) with goals of a big final season. Juniors Hannah Vinson (a .378 hitter with 30 RBIs), Cassandra Lassiter (.396 batting average) and Taylor Puetz (.418 batting average) will have an impact.

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4. Enka
2016 record: 26-3, 3A state champion
Head coach: Jennifer Kruk Enka lost twice to out-of-state teams and to D.H. Conley. Other than that, they ran the table, especially on North Carolina 3A teams. In eight postseason games, Enka outscored its foes, 66-15, as the Jets captured another state title. On the season, the margin was 248-66. They should be as strong this season. From that power-laden 2016 team, just three seniors departed. Five All-State selections return – Danielle Harris, Kloyee Anderson, Claire Crout, Brittany Fletcher and Mariah Foxworth. All were also All-District selections along with Payton Trantham.

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5. Cape Fear (Fayetteville)
2016 record: 29-3
Head coach: Jeff MacPhail

If the Colts can replace All-State senior pitcher Audrey Reep, they'll be contenders. They might be the best hitting team in the state. Reep was one of only two seniors on last year's state runner-up team and seven players who batted over .400 return. As a team, the Colts averaged 13 runs per game and recorded 17 mercy-rule victories. Most of that offense (.446 team batting average and 116 extra-base hits) is back.

Key returnees are seniors Bri Bryant (Campbell signee) and Haley Cashwell (UNC Wilmington signee). Cashwell, who owns three state records (she hit in 22 consecutive at-bats, reached base safely in 23 straight at-bats and set the state record for a 35-game hitting streak), had 63 hits and 58 runs, batting .534 last season. Bryant batted .422 with 46 hits, including 14 extra-base hits. Other All-State selections were Alyssa Goshorn (.426 hitter), Kaitlyn Knuckles (.402 batting average), Sammi Jo Loney (.405 batting average with a team-high 47 RBIs), Kayla Molivas (.464 batting average) and Morgan Wienand (.429 batting average to go with 44 RBIs and a team-high nine home runs).