2016 Mississippi Preseason Softball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard
1. Neshoba Central (Philadelphia)2015 record: 31-1, Class 5A state champion
Head coach: Trae Embry
There haven't been many teams to stand in the way of the Rockets the last three years. The team has won three straight fast-pitch titles as well as three slow-pitch titles in a row. The Rockets, ranked No. 15 in the final MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard, are loaded again this year on the fast-pitch side.
Aspen Wesley was a dominant pitcher last season as an eighth-grader with an 18-1 record and 0.80 ERA to earn first-team all-state status.
Kayla Robertson was all-state honorable mention a season ago as a junior with five home runs, 41 RBIs and a .341 batting average. The fifth-year player has 134 hits in 131 career games. Fellow senior
Kayla McKinion had 22 hits and 31 RBIs a season ago. The Rockets will have to replace infielder Hailey Lunderman, who is now playing at Ole Miss, after hitting .611 with 11 doubles and 43 runs scored last season.
See last season's Mississippi softball computer rankings2. Harrison Central (Gulfport)2015 record: 28-6, Class 6A state champion
Head coach: Jimmy Parker
The Red Rebelettes completed back-to-back state championships last season. Getting three straight is going to be a challenge. However, the team has some good pieces returning. Senior pitcher
Madison Burge, a first-team all-state selection who signed with Mississippi College, was 12-2 a season ago with an ERA of 0.71 and 139 strikeouts. She also hit over .300 at the plate. Reliever
Kristen Cade, who is just a sophomore, picked up six wins with a minuscule 0.44 ERA. Centerfielder
Simone McKinney is coming off a productive junior season with 35 hits, 37 runs scored and a .368 average. Last year's leading hitters, catcher Natalie Hogue and shortstop Kaylen Kosbab, both graduated.
See national softball pro photo galleries 3. St. Martin (Ocean Springs)2015 record: 18-9-1
Head coach: David Price
The Yellowjackets came up a couple wins shy of winning a state title, falling to Harrison Central in the 6A state semifinals. The team returns its best hitter in infielder
Katelyn Gruich. The South Alabama signee was second-team all-state after hitting .582 with a .682 on-base percentage, nine triples and 35 RBIs last season as a junior. Senior pitcher
Rebecca Anderson is coming off a 13-5 season with 163 strikeouts and a 1.83 ERA. Outfielder
Deona Morgan was a big stick in the lineup last season for St. Martin, batting .366 with 26 hits and 14 RBIs.
Sheyen Wilson hit .382 and added 10 RBIs and 18 runs scored.
See last season's Mississippi softball playoff brackets4. Brandon2015 record: 20-11
Head coach: Heidi Hill
With a strong 1-2 punch in
Karley Nichols and
Amber Pack, the Bulldogs will be a team to be reckoned with this season. Nichols is coming off a season in which she was first-team all-state, registering a .505 average, four homers, nine doubles and 27 RBIs. A solid first baseman, Nichols also doubles as a pitcher with an 8-5 record and a 1.47 ERA as a sophomore. Pack was a second-team all-state outfielder after putting up impressive numbers: .452 average, five triples, five doubles and four home runs. The Bulldogs return seven starters that include underclassmen
Shelby Anderson and
McCall Lee, who saw extended playing time last season.
See last season's Mississippi softball stat leaders
5. Philadelphia2015 record: 28-4, Class 3A state champion
Head coach: Austin McNair
The Tornadoes are coming off their first fast-pitch state title in school history and only lost one senior. The team has one Division I commit (
Alyssa Davis, Southern Mississippi) and three junior college commits (
Kenyatta Moore,
Autumn Davis and
Precious Sanders). Davis had a big sophomore season at shortstop with a .549 average and six home runs as a second-team all-state selection. Moore is an athletic centerfielder who hit .389 last season and was also all-state. Coach McNair has a deep bench this season as well.
