ADVERTISEMENT
Rivals.com Home  

June 24, 2008

Mark Tennis
Rivals High

Compiled by Mark Tennis
Contributing; Doug Huff, Garland Cooper, Christine Jimbo, Paul Muyskens

Unbeaten teams Broad Run of Virginia and Butler of North Carolina top the final 2008 Rivals.com FAB 50 national softball rankings.

All the reasons for why Broad Run was chosen at the top were previously released, so this week's final rankings are spotlighting several of the teams that made major moves upward since the next to last FAB 50 was compiled.

The only new team to the final top 10 was previous No. 14 Valencia of California, which was last year's mythical national champ. The Vikings jumped up after winning their second straight CIF Southern Section Div. I title with a 3-0 triumph in the final over Simi Valley, which was unbeaten and would have been this year's mythical national champ with a win in that game.

The major mover from among the next set of teams was previous No. 48 Alvin of Alvin, Texas. The Yellowjackets were the lowest ranked team from among the four who made it to this year's Class 5A state championships, but they won the coveted crown with wins over Odessa in the semifinals and then Bowie of Austin in the final. Bowie was the team that took out two-time defending champ and previous FAB 50 No. 10 Garland in the other semifinal.

Alvin's state title forced that team all the way up to No. 14 in the final FAB 50. Bowie ended up not dropping at all for the final rankings, but Garland had to go down to No. 23.

Another team that moved up in the final rankings was previous No. 29 Hoover of North Canton, Ohio. That team avenged an earlier loss with a classic 1-0 win in 10 innings over previous No. 19 Elyria in this year's Division I state championship. Led by pitcher Jessica Simpson, Hoover basically went up to the same spot in the rankings that Elyria occupied while Elyria dropped back close to the same spot at No. 28 where Hoover was placed.

In addition to the FAB 50, this week's final softball rankings have been expanded to include 20 additional teams from around the country listed alphabetically that are considered high honorable mention.

California has the most teams in the FAB 50 with six among the top 25, another five that are between No. 26 and No. 50 and another three that are in the 20 high honorable mention.

These rankings also, as usual, are far different than the top 25 that was released on June 12 by USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Those rankings, in our opinion, violated a cardinal rule of any organization that releases these types of lists and that's to drop a No. 1 team after that team had finished its season.

The team in question is Aledo High of Aledo, Texas. The student-athletes from that team celebrated after their last game when they were No. 1 in USA Today/NFCA and won in their state championship. Then when the final rankings from that group came out, Aledo was bumped down to third.

While we haven't had Aledo ranked No. 1 at any point this season, it's hard not to feel bad for the players from that school to be treated in such a disrespectful manner. If the folks at USA Today/NFCA did their homework in the first place (they do not), those types of things would never happen.

Read below for the final Rivals.com FAB 50 national rankings for softball:
(Previous FAB 50 ranking in parentheses)

1. Broad Run (Ashburn, Va.) 28-0 (2)
There were four four-year varsity standouts for Broad Run, so its dominance of the Washington D.C. metro area was not surprising. The team posted 23 straight shutouts through the state finals and upped its current winning streak to 57 games. Villanova-bound Caitlyn Delahaba was the team's top player.

2. Butler (Charlotte, N.C.) 29-0 (3)
Ashton Ward may have left after last year for the University of Tennessee, but the Bulldogs still repeated as the largest-class champions in North Carolina and improved their winning streak to 59 games. Constance Orr had a 22-0 pitching record with a 0.02 ERA as Butler came up just short of topping Broad Run for the final No. 1 ranking.

3. Aledo (Aledo, Texas) 38-1-1 (4)
Although we didn't rank the Ladycats No. 1, it's a complete sham that they were dropped from the NFCA/USA Today top spot after their season had ended. To us, that's a violation of a cardinal rule of high school rankings. These girls were No. 1 in the other poll, they won their last game and it was widely reported in the Texas media that they would be No. 1. To drop them at the end is heartless, clueless and disrespectful. Baylor-bound pitcher Whitney Canion led Aledo to the Class 4A state title while leading hitters included senior shortstop Lyndi Samuelson and sophomore first baseman Rebecca Phillips.

4. Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) 32-2 (5)
If the Huskies hadn't dropped a game in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section double-elimination Division I playoffs, they would have been the final No. 1 team in the nation. They came back to beat Elk Grove twice, both by 1-0 scores, and instead settle for No. 1 in California and No. 4 in the nation. Junior Jolene Henderson pitched a no-hitter in one of those game and has been named CalHiSports.com State Junior Player of the Year.

5. Sunrise Mountain (Peoria, Ariz.) 34-2 (6)
Leading this mainly junior squad was pitcher Jamie LaBovick, who struck out seven and didn't allow a hit in the Class 5A Division II state finale. Sunrise Mountain posted a 10-0 mercy-rule win over Ironwood Ridge of Tucson in that game and stamped itself as a contender for preseason national No. 1 status for next year. In the semis, the team defeated 2007 state champion Sunnyside of Tucson.

6. Naples (Naples, Fla.) 28-3 (7)
The Golden Eagles won a state record 10th championship by knocking off previously unbeaten and national No. 1 Pembroke Pines Charter, 5-2, in the Class 4A title game. Pitcher Jaclyn Traina (21-3) struck out 10 and allowed five hits, but retired the side in the sixth and seventh innings.

7. Pembroke Pines Charter (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) 30-1 (8)
The Jaguars had only allowed 13 runs through their first 30 games before suffering the upset loss to Naples. They earlier in the year won the prestigious Nike Faster to First tournament in California, topping Sheldon of Sacramento in the championship game. Lauren Sewell (15-1) took the loss in the final, but had a very impressive year.

8. Canyon del Oro (Tucson, Ariz.) 32-4 (9)
The Dorados captured their second straight Class 4A Division I championship in their third straight final by defeating Sahuaro of Tucson, 3-2, led by Kenzie Fowler in the circle once again. Fowler finished her junior year 24-1 striking out 309 with a 0.33 ERA and in her three years so far has racked up 80 wins in the circle.

9. Valencia (Valencia, Calif.) 29-5 (14)
Jessica Spigner has been picked as the Ms. Softball State Player of the Year and was spectacular in leading the Vikings to their second straight CIF Southern Section Div. I title. She got the pitching win and hit two homers in a 3-2 semifinal win over FAB 50-ranked Santiago of Corona, then in the final pitched a two-hitter and reached base four times in a 3-0 win over Simi Valley.

10. Simi Valley (Simi Valley, Calif.) 30-1 (1)
Winning three tournaments, including the Best of the West event in Santa Maria, catapulted the Pioneers upward in the rankings and they were still unbeaten heading into the CIFSS final vs. Valencia. A win in that game and they would have finished No. 1 in the nation, but instead they absorbed a 3-0 defeat.

11. Ooltewah (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 46-3-1 (13)
The Lady Owls earned the Class AAA title title with a 6-1 finals win over Hendersonville Beech. Holly Thomas pitched a four-hitter and allowed her only run in four tournament wins. She struck out 34 in those four games, too.

12. Central Davidson (Lexington, N.C.) 29-0 (16)
This was North Carolina's champion in the Class 2A playoffs. The team, led by state player of the year Chelsea Leonard, defeated South Lenoir, 7-0, in the final game.

13. Santiago (Corona, Calif.) 26-4 (17)
Coach John Perez's team couldn't quite get over the hump this year in either the Nike Faster to First tourney or the CIFSS playoffs. Still, the Sharks knocked off league rival Norco three times and beat every team they played at least once. Standout pitcher Kamerin May still has one year to go, so this is a team that isn't going anywhere in the national rankings looking ahead to next season.

14. Alvin (Alvin, Texas) 35-9 (48)
Alvin took the jump from 48 to 14 for the final rankings after winning the 5A state championship in Texas. With big wins over Odessa in the semifinals and Bowie of Austin in the final, the Yellow Jackets claimed their first state softball championship and a big hop from the bottom to the top of the rankings. Nine losses is a lot, but this is one of the toughest two postseason playoff brackets in the nation to win.

15. Bowie (Austin, Texas) 32-5 (15)
After a great run to the Class 5A state title game, beating two-time defending champion Garland in a state semifinal, Bowie fell short of the championship. The team made it towards the top of our final rankings, nonetheless, and likely would have been in the top eight if it had won that last game.

16. Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) 32-4 (16)
The Bears won their first state title as they came from behind late to defeat Corona del Sol of Tempe, 9-5, in the Class 5A Division I state championship game. Sophomore Darlene Valles hit game-deciding grand slam homer in the sixth inning to break a 5-5 tie.

17. Palmetto (Miami, Fla.) 26-3 (18)
A 2-1 win over Palm Beach Gardens that took 12 innings and is the longest title game in state history gave the Panthers the Class 6A state crown. They were down to their last strike, but rallied to the game in the bottom of the seventh and win their first state crown since 2003.

18. Hueytown (Hueytown, Ala.) 61-5-2 (20)
The Golden Gophers won their third state championship in four years and first in the largest class with a 5-1 win in the finals over Daphne (46-15). Tourney MVP Lindsey Dunlap (44-1) struck out 13 and earned her second MVP honor. She had 442 strikeouts for the season and 1,646 for her career.

19. Hoover (North Canton, Ohio) 32-2 (29)
Hoover won its fourth state championship in school history with a nail-biting 1-0 extra-inning win over Elyria, which was previously top-ranked in the state. Jessica Simpson lulled the opponents' bats to sleep as she allowed just two hits before Erin Riccardi singled in McKenna Russ to win the game in walkoff fashion. Hoover previously won titles in 1998,1999 and 2006.

20. Bartram Trail (Jacksonville, Fla.) 30-3 (21)
The Bears won their first state title with a 4-2 triumph in the finals over previously unbeaten Venice. Villanova recruit Molly Manning (24-3) struck out 15 and allowed four hits as the Bears won 18 of their last 19 games.

21. Venice (Venice, Fla.) 31-1 (22)
Pitcher Stephanie Sullivan was perfect all season long, but two errors helped Bartram Trail score four runs right off the bat in the team's disappointing loss in the state final. If Venice had won that game, it's likely it would have been No. 1 in the state and possibly top five in the nation.

22. Burlington Central (Burlington, Ill.) 32-1 (23)
One swing of the bat in a playoff game vs. Freeport ended Burlington Central's season. Over the past three years, the Rockets can't seem to pull it together in the postseason having been knocked out in the sectional semifinal round each year. They did bring home the Big Northern East title for the fourth straight year, and they ended the season ranked No.1 by the Illinois Coaches Association.

23. Garland (Garland, Texas) 31-6-2 (10)
The two-time defending state champions started high on the list at No. 10, but fell towards the bottom after losing to Bowie in the state semifinal game. Despite the help of pitcher Tomi Garrison, the two-time state tournament MVP, the Owls could not pull out another championship and therefore could not hold a higher spot in the FAB 50 rankings.

24. Norco (Norco, Calif.) 29-6 (24)
Teagan Gerhart edged Kamerin May for Riverside County Player of the Year honors and recently committed to Stanford. The six losses don't look that good, but three were to Santiago, one was to Sheldon and another came in the CIFSS semifinals to Simi Valley. Gerhard will be back next year for her senior season along with triplet sisters Whitley and Kelsey.

25. Escondido (Escondido, Calif.) 27-1-1 (43)
The consensus of those who follow softball in the San Diego area was that the Cougars should be No. 1 despite their upset loss to Helix of La Mesa in the Division I section playoffs. That loss was their only one of the season and basically came on one swing of the bat. Escondido also beat Division II champion Mt. Carmel not once, not twice, but three times during the season. Mt. Carmel didn't beat Escondido at all.

26. Klein Oak (Klein, Texas) 24-2 (11)
Klein Oak only lost two games on the season, but that was enough to send the team from No.11 to 26 on the final list. The final loss was a 1-0 heartbreaker against Garland in the state tournament. Then when Garland lost its game in the semifinals, Klein Oak had to drop in the final rankings right along with the Owls.

27. Cibola (Albuquerque, N.M.) 31-1 (25)
It was a dominating season for Cibola in the Land of Enchantment. The team won its second straight state title and took its state title game by a 10-3 score.

28. Elyria (Elyria, Ohio) 28-2 (19)
The Pioneers lost in heartbreaking fashion by a 1-0 score to Hoover in 10 innings in the Division 1 state championship game. Elyria entered the postseason as the number one seed in the playoffs but for the third straight year in a row lost in the championship game.

29. San Benito (Hollister, Calif.) 28-4 (26)
The Haybalers didn't play when they were No. 26, but had to drop a few spots in the final rankings to make room for teams that had to go up like Alvin TX, Hoover OH and Escondido. They won their third straight Central Coast Section Div. I title and will have junior pitcher Marissa Ibarra back for a fourth season in 2009.

30. Mt. Carmel (San Diego, Calif.) 27-4 (27)
Three of the Sundevils' four losses were to Escondido. They beat Scripps Ranch, 6-1, to win a second straight San Diego Section Div. II title and in the playoffs outscored their foes by 16-2.

31. Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas) 32-4 (28)
Bowie's Blaire Luna dominated the Rangers in the three-game series of regional finals, ending their season. Starting towards the top of the rankings, Smithson Valley made its way down after suffering those two regional defeats that account for half of their total losses.

32. Eastlake (Sammamish, Wash.) 26-4 (30)
A 4-1 upset of defending state champion Shadle Park pushed up Eastlake in the final weeks, although the team slipped a couple of spots for the last rankings. It was just the second state championship appearance in school history after previously making the title game in 2004 where it lost 2-0 to Inglemoor. Eastlake defeated Rogers of Puyallup 4-0 in the semifinals.

33. Shadle Park (Spokane, Wash.) 28-1 (31)
University of Oregon bound senior Sam Skillingstad finished her high-school career with a record of 97-7, but had one bad inning a 4-1 upset loss to Eastlake in the Class 4A state final. Skillingstad struck out 16 and threw the 23rd no-hitter of her career in a 6-0 semifinal win over Redmond. The loss to Eastlake ended a 35-game win streak.

34. Hickory (Chesapeake, Va.) 28-1 (32)
With only two seniors, Hickory brought home the school's first ever state title. They defeated a scrappy Battlefield lineup, 4-2, in the final game. Hickory went undefeated in the Southeastern District regular season, then the Eastern District Championship, and took second place in the district tournament after its lone loss to Western Branch.

35. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 23-3-1 (33)
One of the top programs in California, Mitty won its fourth straight Central Coast Section title with a 3-0 win over Presentation of San Jose. Junior pitcher Keilani Ricketts, already ticketed for Oklahoma, pitched a one-hitter and got the team out to quick start with a triple in the first inning.

36. Palm Beach Gardens (Palm Beach, Fla.) 30-5 (34)
The Gators bowed, 2-1, in the Class 6A state final to Palmetto in the longest title game (12 innings) in Florida history. They were going for their third state title in four years. Brittany Bowles pitched valiantly in defeat.

37. South Panola (Batesville, Miss.) 30-4 (35)
It wasn't a surprise that the Tigers won their second straight Class 5A state title since senior pitching ace Whitney Kiihnl was returning after being named Miss Softball of the state as a junior. South Panola bested Harrison Central in a best-of-three series to win its championship.

38. Elk Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.) 27-4 (37)
The Thundering Herd guaranteed themselves of a final FAB 50 ranking with their 4-3 win over Sheldon in the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I playoffs. Although Sheldon came back to win twice later on in the event, Elk Grove showed it could compete at the highest level of the game in those games and also due to a win over Nevada powerhouse Spanish Springs.

39. Mandarin (Jacksonville, Fla.) 26-3 (38)
This team was solid all year in the Sunshine State and lost in the Class 6A state semifinals by just 5-4 to eventual champion Palmetto.

40. Eau Gallie (Melbourne, Fla.) 28-2 (40)
Eau Gallie was near the top of the national rankings early in the season when it was unbeaten. Some even had them ahead of Pembroke Pines after Pembroke Pines had won the Nike Faster fo First tourney. The two teams then played at the Kissimee Classic and Pembroke Pines won. Eau Gallie's only other loss was in the playoffs to Mandarin.

41. Mt. Carmel Academy (New Orleans, La.) 29-5-2 (41)
Fans of pitching duels had to enjoy Mt. Carmel's 1-0 win over Pineville, scoring the lone run of the game in the seventh inning, to capture the state championship in dramatic fashion. Alanna DiVitorio led off the inning with a triple and then scored on a wild pitch. DiVitorio also had both RBIs, including the walkoff game winner, in the Lady Cubs' 2-1 semifinal win over Byrd.

42. Byrd (Shreveport, La.) 31-2-1 (42)
This was Louisiana's top-ranked team all season, but had its hopes of a Class 5A state championship end with a 2-1 loss in the semifinals to the eventual state champs from Mt. Carmel. With the loss, it ended Byrd's finest season this decade as it hadn't reached the state tournament since 2000.

43. El Modena (Orange, Calif.) 24-8-1 (nr)
Freshman Devin Vanderhoff smacked a walk-off homer to give the Vanguards a win over Kennedy of La Palma in the CIF Southern Section Division II semifinals. El Modena, which played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, then won the title with a 12-4 triumph over Glendora.

44. Kennedy (La Palma, Calif.) 29-4 (44)
Since the Fighting Irish were No. 1 in the preseason, you have to say their season was a disappointment. They were upset in the Nike Faster to First tourney and they also didn't win in the Southern Section playoffs. The biggest win ended up possibly being the one over five-time L.A. City Section champ San Pedro.

45. Spanish Springs (Sparks, Nev.) 31-5 (45)
All the Cougars' losses were suffered early in the season, mostly at the prestigious Faster to First tourney in California. Three of the teams they lost to also are ranked above. Spanish Springs came back home and didn't lose again, rolling to a second straight Class 4A state title.

46. Sandra Day O'Connor (Glendale, Ariz.) 27-5-1 (46)
The Eagles won 15 straight games before their season-ending 2-1 loss in the state semifinals to FAB 50-ranked Canyon del Oro. Senior Kirstin Linert led the way as she hit .483 with 22 RBI and in the circle was 16-2 with a 0.32 ERA.

47. Williamstown (Williamstown, N.J.) 26-1 (nr)
Behind the pitching of Rachael Matreale, Williamstown shut out all five teams it faced in the postseason, outscoring opponents by 9-0. Top-seeded Toms River East fell in the quarterfinals by a 2-0 score, then Matreale led the way in a 2-0 win over Ridgewood in the final.

48. Hatboro-Horsham (Horsham, Pa.) 25-2 (nr)
Amanda Sadowl struck out six and allowed just three hits as the Hatters defeated Latrobe, 3-0, in the Class 4A state final. The Hatters defeated Owen J. Roberts, 12-3, in the semifinals to advance to their second state title game in the last three years.

49. Bingham (Salt Lake City, Utah) 28-3 (49)
This Bingham team did what no other softball team in the state had ever done. After a first round loss, the Miners won eight straight games to take the title. The Miners ended the season taking two games in one day against Taylorsville to clinch the 5A crown.

50. Eagan (Eagan, Minn.) 24-2 (nr)
Sophomore pitcher Sara Moulton and Butler University-bound shortstop Paige Ashton led Eagan to a 14-1 romp past Mankato West in the state finals. Getting past Osseo and fellow sophomore phenom pitcher Becca Girvan was the team's toughest playoff obstacle.

Dropped Out: Previous No. 36 Ryle (Union, Ky.); No. 39 Odessa (Odessa, Texas); No. 47 St. Joseph (Hammonton, N.J.); No. 50 Plainfield Central (Plainfield, Ill.).

Honorable Mention Next Top 20 Teams
(Listed in alphabetical order)
Brazoswood (Brazoswood, Texas) 34-6; Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) 27-9; Coronado (Lubbock, Texas) 37-4; Freedom (Oakley, Calif.) 26-2; Galesburg-Augusta (Galesburg, Mich.) 40-3; Goodpasture (Madison, Tenn.) 43-6; Grants Pass (Grants Pass, Ore.) 27-4; Greenwood (Bowling Green, Ky.) 37-9; Hart (Newhall, Calif.) 24-5; Huntington (Huntington, W. Va.) 26-5; Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.) 25-3; McCutcheon (Lafayette, Ind.) 31-5; Mortimer Jordan (Morris, Ala.) 50-4; Odessa (Odessa, Texas) 33-5-3; Park Vista (Boynton Beach, Fla.) 24-3; Piedra Vista (Farmington, N.M.) 30-2; Plainfield Central (Plainfield, Ill.) 28-2; Roseburg (Roseburg, Ore.) 24-5-1; San Pedro (San Pedro, Calif.) 29-3; Toms River East (Toms River, N.J.) 25-2.

About Student Sports
We provide national high school content for SPARQ and Rivals.com and previously published Student Sports Magazine for 11 years. We produce the Nike Football Training Camps, EA SPORTS Elite 11 Quarterback Camp, the EA SPORTS All-American teams, the Area Code Games for baseball and numerous television projects. Student Sports also owns and operates 11 different high school-based web sites that can all be seen on the Rivals.com network.

Rivals.com News
Rivals.com is your source for: College Football | Football Recruiting | College Basketball | Basketball Recruiting | College Baseball | High School | College Merchandise
Site-specific editorial/photos © Rivals.com. All rights reserved. This website is an unofficial and independently operated source of news and information not affiliated with any school or team.
About | Advertise with Us | Contact | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Copyright/IP policy