USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 softball rankings: Week 6

The top high school softball teams in the country as of April 1.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Losses at the top two spots allowed perennial power Neshoba Central to ascend to the No. 1 position in this week’s USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 poll.

The (5-0) Rockets rolled past Enterprise, 14-2, last Thursday and play Morton on Friday. Neshoba has won the past seven Mississippi 5A state championships, and is riding a 22-game win streak dating back to April 26, 2019, when it lost 5-2 to Grenada in the opener of a best-of-three playoff series it won. Last year, the Rockets were 11-0 before COVID-19 intervened.

Unbeaten Lake Creek (26-0) also leapfrogged Lakewood Ranch and Hewitt-Trussville to take over the No. 2 spot this week. The Lions defeated New Caney, 5-1, last Thursday and Dayton, 9-0, on Tuesday. They have now won 30 straight games, having claimed their last four during last year’s pandemic-shortened 15-1 campaign.

Hewitt-Trussville (31-2-1) went 7-0 over the weekend at the Oxford Spring Sting Tournament, but slipped from second to third following Wednesday’s 8-6 loss to No. 21 Spain Park, while Lakewood Ranch (16-2) won twice, but dropped from first to fourth after a 3-2 loss to Venice on Tuesday. The rest of the top 10 stayed unchanged.

Elsewhere, Barbe (23-2) stayed put at No. 10 after a loss to a quality Sam Houston squad, No. 12 Bob Jones (23-3) rolled through the 28th edition of its own home tournament, and Barbers Hill (24-2) moved up to 19th after getting a perfect game from Reagan Duty in Tuesday’s 18-0 run-rule victory over Port Arthur Memorial.

State rankings submitted by NFCA member coaches are used to compile the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality and strength of schedule. In 2021, schools that are not competing will not be eligible for the poll.

USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 Poll – April 8, 2021

Rank | Team | 2021 Record | Previous Ranking

1. Neshoba Central (Miss.): 5-0 – PR: 3

2. Lake Creek (Texas): 26-0 – PR: 4

3. Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.): 31-2-1 – PR: 2

4. Lakewood Ranch (Fla.): 16-2 – PR: 1

5. Park Vista (Fla.): 15-0 – PR: 5

6. San Antonio Warren (Texas): 17-0 – PR: 6

7. Leander (Texas): 26-0 – PR: 7

8. Clear Springs (Texas): 20-0 – PR: 8

9. Los Alamitos (Calif.): 6-0 – PR: 9

10. Barbe (La.): 23-2 – PR: 10

11. St. Amant (La.): 22-2 – PR: 11

12. Bob Jones (Ala.): 23-3 – PR: 12

13. Norco (Calif.): 5-1 – PR: 13

14. Marist (Ill.): 0-0 – PR: 14

15. New Palestine (Ind.): 3-0 – PR: 15

16. Sickles (Fla.): 15-0 – PR: 17

16. Sickles (Fla.): 15-0 – PR: 17

17. Eastern Alamance (N.C.): 5-0 – PR: 18

18. Crown Point (Ind.): 3-0 – PR: 19

19. Barbers Hill (Texas): 24-2 – PR: 20

20. Alvin (Texas): 16-3 – PR: 16

21. Spain Park (Ala.): 24-5 – PR: 21

22. Trenton (Fla.): 11-1 – PR: 22

23. Cooper City (Fla.): 9-2 – PR: 23

24. Chino Hills (Calif.): 4-2 – PR: 24

25. O’Connor (Ariz.): 6-2 – PR: 25

Dropped out:

None.

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USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 softball rankings: Week 5

The top high school softball teams in the country as of April 1.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Top-ranked Lakewood Ranch won three more games last week to remain No. 1 in Thursday’s USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 poll.

The (14-1) Mustangs are back in action today with a home doubleheader against Braden River, following wins over Hardee (16-0 last Thursday), Venice (11-3 on Monday) and Canterbury (6-3 on Tuesday).

The next five teams in the poll also continued to win and stayed put. No. 2 Hewitt-Trussville (23-1-1) and fourth-ranked Lake Creek (24-0) added five victories apiece, while No. 3 Neshoba Central (4-0) and sixth-ranked San Antonio Warren (15-0) each won once. No. 5 Park Vista (12-0) was idle last week, but resumes play tonight with a home game against Dwyer.
Leander (25-0) continued to roll through its schedule in Texas, and is the new No. 7 team in the poll. Chino Hills (1-2), which had been the seventh-ranked team, fell all the way to 24th after dropping its first two games — one of which was a 5-4 loss to then-No. 12 Norco.

Meanwhile, Barbe (23-1) joined fellow Louisiana school St. Amant (21-2) in the rankings this week. The newcomer Buccaneers, who have won 20 straight, jumped in ahead of the Gators at 10th, based on St. Amant’s 4-2 extra-inning loss to West Monroe, a team Barbe beat 9-4 on March 19.

State rankings submitted by NFCA member coaches are used to compile the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality and strength of schedule. In 2021, schools that are not competing will not be eligible for the poll.

USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 Poll – April 1, 2021

Rank | Team | 2021 Record | Previous Ranking

1. Lakewood Ranch (Fla.): 14-1 – PR: 1

2. Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.): 23-1-1 – PR: 2

3. Neshoba Central (Miss.): 4-0 – PR: 3

4. Lake Creek (Texas): 24-0 – PR: 4

5. Park Vista (Fla.): 12-0 – PR: 5

6. San Antonio Warren (Texas): 15-0 – PR: 6

7. Leander (Texas): 25-0 – PR: NR

8. Clear Springs (Texas): 18-0 – PR: NR

9. Los Alamitos (Calif.): 5-0 – PR: 9

10. Barbe (La.): 23-1 – PR: NR

11. St. Amant (La.): 21-2 – PR: 10

12. Bob Jones (Ala.): 12-1 – PR: 11

13. Norco (Calif.): 3-1 – PR: 12

14. Marist (Ill.): 0-0 – PR: 13

15. New Palestine (Ind.): 2-0 – PR: 14

16. Alvin (Texas): 16-2 – PR: 15

17. Sickles (Fla.): 14-0 – PR: 16

18. Eastern Alamance (N.C.): 4-0 – PR: 17

19. Crown Point (Ind.): 0-0 – PR: 18

20. Barbers Hill (Texas): 23-2 – PR: 19

21. Spain Park (Ala.): 17-4 – PR: 20

22. Trenton (Fla.): 10-0 – PR: 21

23. Cooper City (Fla.): 8-1 – PR: 22

24. Chino Hills (Calif.): 1-2 – PR: 7

25. O’Connor (Ariz.): 4-2 – PR: 24

Dropped out:

Sheldon (Calif.)

Brandon (Miss.)

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USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 softball rankings: Week 4

The top high school softball teams in the country as of March 25.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Top-ranked Lakewood Ranch was idle, and there was no movement among the first seven teams in Thursday’s USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 poll.

The (11-1) Mustangs return to action tonight at home against Hardee, a team Lakewood Ranch defeated 15-3 on Feb. 22, while the six teams immediately below them went a combined 8-0 over the past week. No. 2 Hewitt-Trussville (18-1-1), third-ranked Neshoba Central (3-0) and No. 6 San Antonio Warren (14-0) all won twice, while No. 4 Lake Creek (18-0) and fifth-ranked Park Vista (12-0) won once each. No. 7 Chino Hills opens its season today versus Esperanza.

An early matchup between perennial California powers Los Alamitos (4-0) and Norco (1-1) on Tuesday was taken by the Griffins, 8-4, to swap their order again this week in the rankings, while the (8-0) Gryphons of Florida’s Sickles High kept winning to earn a place in the Super 25 this week.

Texas’ Clear Springs (17-0) was the other newcomer to the rankings, after Tuesday’s 11-1 rout of Clear Brook gave the Chargers their ninth double-digit scoring game of the season. Shawnee Heights and Oshkosh North, who haven’t started their season yet, dropped out this week but are expected to return once they get rolling.

State rankings submitted by NFCA member coaches are used to compile the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality and strength of schedule. In 2021, schools that are not competing will not be eligible for the poll.

USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 Poll – March 25, 2021

Rank | Team | 2021 Record | Previous Ranking

1. Lakewood Ranch (Fla.): 11-1 – PR: 1

2. Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.): 18-1-1 – PR: 2

3. Neshoba Central (Miss.): 3-0 – PR: 3

4. Lake Creek (Texas): 18-0 – PR: 4

5. Park Vista (Fla.): 12-0 – PR: 5

6. San Antonio Warren (Texas): 14-0 – PR: 6

7. Chino Hills (Calif.): 0-0 – PR: 7

8. Clear Springs (Texas): 17-0 – PR: NR

9. Los Alamitos (Calif.): 4-0 – PR: 9

10. St. Amant (La.): 18-1 – PR: NR

11. Bob Jones (Ala.): 10-1 – PR: 11

12. Norco (Calif.): 1-1 – PR: 8

13. Marist (Ill.): 0-0 – PR: 12

14. New Palestine (Ind.): 2-0 – PR: 13

15. Alvin (Texas): 15-2 – PR: 14

16. Sickles (Fla.): 8-0 – PR: NR

17. Eastern Alamance (N.C.): 2-0 – PR: 15

18. Crown Point (Ind.): 0-0 – PR: 17

19. Barbers Hill (Texas): 21-2 – PR: 18

20. Spain Park (Ala.): 16-4 – PR: 19

21. Trenton (Fla.): 8-0 – PR: 20

22. Cooper City (Fla.): 7-1 – PR: 21

23. Sheldon (Calif.): 4-0 – PR: 22

24. O’Connor (Ariz.): 2-1 – PR: 16

25. Brandon (Miss.): 11-2-1 – PR: 23

Dropped out:

Shawnee Heights (Kan.)

Oshkosh North (Wis.)

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USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 softball rankings: Week 2

The top high school softball teams in the country as of March 11.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lakewood Ranch added another win to its unblemished resume to remain No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 poll.

The (8-0) Mustangs galloped past Charlotte, 12-0, on Tuesday, with Olivia Laney tossing four scoreless innings and Ella Coiner driving in three runs with two hits, including a homer. Coiner also struck out two in an inning of relief, while Jillian Herbst added three hits, and Faith Ross and Olivia Ryan had two hits and two RBI apiece.

Lakewood Ranch has now outscored its opponents 86-5 in 2021 and is riding a 16-game win streak since falling 3-0 to Winter Park in the 2019 Florida state Class 8A title game. Lakewood Ranch was 8-0 when COVID-19 halted its 2020 season as the No. 2-ranked team nationally and is 46-1 over the last three years. The Mustangs have four games in the next three days: Parrish Community tonight, then Doral Academy on Friday, and Trinity Christian and Gainesville back-to-back on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Alabama’s Hewitt-Trussville (13-1) remains the second-ranked team, despite dropping one of its six contests last week. Two wins were over Hoover, which has also lost to No. 19 Spain Park this season. Spain Park (10-2) hosts Hewitt-Trussville in a matchup of ranked teams later today.

Elsewhere, a showdown between top Texas squads failed to impress, with Barbers Hill rolling past Alvin, 10-0, last Thursday. The (13-2) Eagles are in the midst of a nine-game win streak and gained four places in the rankings after a 7-0 week.

Another Texas school, San Antonio Warren (11-0), won three games in the last week, behind a big effort from pitchers Annika Litterio and Haley Vinton. The duo teamed for a no-hitter against Taft last Friday, then Litterio tossed a solo no-hitter in an 8-0 victory over O’Connor on Monday and Vinton had a one-hit shutout in an 11-0 triumph over Jay on Wednesday.

State rankings submitted by NFCA member coaches are used to compile the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality and strength of schedule. In 2021, schools that are not competing will not be eligible for the poll.

USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 Poll – March 11, 2021

Rank | Team | 2021 Record | Previous Ranking

1. Lakewood Ranch (Fla.): 8-0 – PR: 1

2. Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.): 13-1 – PR: 2

3. Neshoba Central (Miss.): 0-0 – PR: 3

4. Park Vista (Fla.): 9-0 – PR: 5

5. San Antonio Warren (Texas): 11-0 – PR: 6

6. Los Alamitos (Calif.): 0-0 – PR: 7

7. Norco (Calif.): 0-0 – PR: 8

8. Chino Hills (Calif.): 0-0 – PR: 9

9. Notre Dame (La.): 13-1 – PR: 10

10. Bob Jones (Ala.): 6-1 – PR: 11

11. Marist (Ill.): 0-0 – PR: 12

12. New Palestine (Ind.): 0-0 – PR: 13

13. Alvin (Texas): 12-2 – PR: 4

14. Eastern Alamance (N.C.): 0-0 – PR: 14

15. O’Connor (Ariz.): 0-0 – PR: 15

16. Crown Point (Ind.): 0-0 – PR: 16

17. Trenton (Fla.): 5-0 – PR: 19

18. Barbers Hill (Texas): 13-2 – PR: 22

19. Spain Park (Ala.): 10-2 – PR: 21

20. Cooper City (Fla.): 6-1 – PR: 17

21. Brandon (Miss.): 8-1 – PR: 18

22. North Pike (Miss.): 3-1 – PR: 20

23. Westlake (Calif.): 0-0 – PR: 23

24. Shawnee Heights (Kan.): 0-0 – PR: 24

25. Oshkosh North (Wis.): 0-0 – PR: 25

Dropped out: None.

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USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 softball rankings: Week 2

The top high school softball teams in the country as of March 11.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lakewood Ranch added another win to its unblemished resume to remain No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 poll.

The (8-0) Mustangs galloped past Charlotte, 12-0, on Tuesday, with Olivia Laney tossing four scoreless innings and Ella Coiner driving in three runs with two hits, including a homer. Coiner also struck out two in an inning of relief, while Jillian Herbst added three hits, and Faith Ross and Olivia Ryan had two hits and two RBI apiece.

Lakewood Ranch has now outscored its opponents 86-5 in 2021 and is riding a 16-game win streak since falling 3-0 to Winter Park in the 2019 Florida state Class 8A title game. Lakewood Ranch was 8-0 when COVID-19 halted its 2020 season as the No. 2-ranked team nationally and is 46-1 over the last three years. The Mustangs have four games in the next three days: Parrish Community tonight, then Doral Academy on Friday, and Trinity Christian and Gainesville back-to-back on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Alabama’s Hewitt-Trussville (13-1) remains the second-ranked team, despite dropping one of its six contests last week. Two wins were over Hoover, which has also lost to No. 19 Spain Park this season. Spain Park (10-2) hosts Hewitt-Trussville in a matchup of ranked teams later today.

Elsewhere, a showdown between top Texas squads failed to impress, with Barbers Hill rolling past Alvin, 10-0, last Thursday. The (13-2) Eagles are in the midst of a nine-game win streak and gained four places in the rankings after a 7-0 week.

Another Texas school, San Antonio Warren (11-0), won three games in the last week, behind a big effort from pitchers Annika Litterio and Haley Vinton. The duo teamed for a no-hitter against Taft last Friday, then Litterio tossed a solo no-hitter in an 8-0 victory over O’Connor on Monday and Vinton had a one-hit shutout in an 11-0 triumph over Jay on Wednesday.

State rankings submitted by NFCA member coaches are used to compile the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality and strength of schedule. In 2021, schools that are not competing will not be eligible for the poll.

USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 Poll – March 11, 2021

Rank | Team | 2021 Record | Previous Ranking

1. Lakewood Ranch (Fla.): 8-0 – PR: 1

2. Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.): 13-1 – PR: 2

3. Neshoba Central (Miss.): 0-0 – PR: 3

4. Park Vista (Fla.): 9-0 – PR: 5

5. San Antonio Warren (Texas): 11-0 – PR: 6

6. Los Alamitos (Calif.): 0-0 – PR: 7

7. Norco (Calif.): 0-0 – PR: 8

8. Chino Hills (Calif.): 0-0 – PR: 9

9. Notre Dame (La.): 13-1 – PR: 10

10. Bob Jones (Ala.): 6-1 – PR: 11

11. Marist (Ill.): 0-0 – PR: 12

12. New Palestine (Ind.): 0-0 – PR: 13

13. Alvin (Texas): 12-2 – PR: 4

14. Eastern Alamance (N.C.): 0-0 – PR: 14

15. O’Connor (Ariz.): 0-0 – PR: 15

16. Crown Point (Ind.): 0-0 – PR: 16

17. Trenton (Fla.): 5-0 – PR: 19

18. Barbers Hill (Texas): 13-2 – PR: 22

19. Spain Park (Ala.): 10-2 – PR: 21

20. Cooper City (Fla.): 6-1 – PR: 17

21. Brandon (Miss.): 8-1 – PR: 18

22. North Pike (Miss.): 3-1 – PR: 20

23. Westlake (Calif.): 0-0 – PR: 23

24. Shawnee Heights (Kan.): 0-0 – PR: 24

25. Oshkosh North (Wis.): 0-0 – PR: 25

Dropped out: None.

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USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 softball rankings

The top high school softball teams in the country as of March 4.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lakewood Ranch, which has one loss in the last three seasons, and is undefeated through its first seven games this year, opens No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 poll.

The (7-0) Mustangs have outscored their opponents 74-5 in 2021 and are riding a 15-game win streak since falling 3-0 to Winter Park in the 2019 Florida state Class 8A title game. Lakewood Ranch was 8-0 when COVID-19 halted its 2020 season as the No. 2-ranked team nationally and is 45-1 over the last three years.

Meanwhile, Alabama’s Hewitt-Trussville (8-0) starts second in the first poll of 2021. The Huskies handled No. 15 Bob Jones, 5-1, last Thursday, and next face Hoover (8-2), which got blown out by No. 21 Spain Park, 13-3, on Wednesday.

Perennial Mississippi powerhouse Neshoba Central (season opens March 23), which was 11-0 when the pandemic halted its quest for an eighth-straight Class 5A crown in 2020, is No. 3, while unbeaten Alvin (8-0) and Park Vista (6-0) round out the top five. Alvin is scheduled to face No. 22 Barbers Hill (6-2) later today in Texas.

State rankings submitted by NFCA member coaches are used to compile the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality and strength of schedule. In 2021, schools that are not competing will not be eligible for the poll.

USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 Poll – March 4, 2021

1. Lakewood Ranch (Fla.) 7-0

2. Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) 8-0

3. Neshoba Central (Miss.) 0-0

4. Alvin (Texas) 8-0

5. Park Vista (Fla.) 6-0

6. San Antonio Warren (Texas) 8-0

7. Los Alamitos (Calif.) 0-0

8. Norco (Calif.) 0-0

9. Chino Hills (Calif.) 0-0

10. Notre Dame (La.) 10-1

11. Bob Jones (Ala.) 3-1

12. Marist (Ill.) 0-0

13. New Palestine (Ind.) 0-0

14. Eastern Alamance (N.C.) 0-0

15. O’Connor (Ariz.) 0-0

16. Crown Point (Ind.) 0-0

17. Cooper City (Fla.) 4-0

18. Brandon (Miss.) 4-0

19. Trenton (Fla.) 4-0

20. North Pike (Miss.) 3-1

21. Spain Park (Ala.) 7-2

22. Barbers Hill (Texas) 6-2

23. Westlake (Calif.) 0-0

24. Shawnee Heights (Kan.) 0-0

25. Oshkosh North (Wis.) 0-0