USA Today Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 Softball Rankings for Week 9: Who’s on Top? LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Unbeaten Lake Creek swept the Texas playoff series to remain No. 1 for the 24th straight week, while everyone else kept pace unchanged 2023 USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25.
The defending state champion Lions (36-0) blanked Shoemaker 12-0 and 11-1 last Friday to take its bi-district playoff streak. The best-of-three zone playoff series against Elgin begins tomorrow.
Meanwhile, only one team in the entire Super 25 lost in the last week, and that loss came in extra innings for an unbeaten team.
Two-time Gatorade National Player of the Year Keegan Rothrock scored 13 and had four hits, including a home run, as fourth-ranked Roncalli (14-2-1) topped New Palestine 13-4 on Wednesday. Rothrock had a perfect game against Martinsville last Wednesday, during which she struck out 11 of the 15 batters she faced.
No. 10 St. Amant (34-2) was the first ranked team to win a state championship in 2023, winning its second straight crown and third in the last four years. The Gators beat West Monroe — who they beat in the final last season — in Friday’s semifinal, 13-1, then beat Sam Houston 4-0 for the unseeded Division I title on Saturday.
On the other hand, defending Kentucky state champion Ballard (22-0) continued to roll, extending its winning streak to 61 games with a 4-2 win over Greene County on Wednesday to remain in 11th place.
No. 20 Donovan Catholic (16-1) didn’t move in the lineup after Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to Notre Dame in eight innings. Julia Apostolakos was her usual stellar self, striking out 12 and allowing just one hit through the first seven innings. But Rylee Michalak was a little better for the (13-0) Irish, striking out 16. And after Notre Dame went ahead 1-0 in the top of the eighth, Madelena Creo put the game out of reach with a two-run homer.
State rankings presented by 2023 NFCA High School Management Committee are used to compile the USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25. Teams are selected based on performance, roster quality, strength of schedule and active NFCA membership.
USA TODAY Sports/NFCA High School Super 25 Poll – May 4, 2023
1. Lake Creek (Texas)
Record: 36-0 | PR: 1
2. Willow Canyon (Arizona)
Record: 28-0-1 | PR: 2
3. Bentonville (Arkansas)
Record: 27-1 | PR: 3
4. Roncalli (Indiana)
Record: 14-2-1 | PR: 4
5. Jackson (Washington)
Record: 17-1 | PR: 5
6. Los Alamitos (California)
Record: 24-3 | PR: 6
7. Neshoba Central (Miss.)
Record: 22-3 | PR: 7
8. Moorpark (California)
Record: 18-1 | PR: 8
9. Watkins Memorial (Ohio)
Record: 19-0 | PR: 9
10. St. Amant (La.)
Record: 34-2 | PR: 10
11. Ballard (KY)
Record: 22-0 | PR: 11
12. Springfield (Holland, Ohio)
Record: 19-0 | PR: 12
13. Rockridge (Illinois)
Record: 21-1 | PR: 13
14. Saint Francis (California)
Record: 21-2 | PR: 14
15. Coral Springs (FL) Charter
Record: 30-0-2 | PR: 15
16. Mount Vernon (Mo.)
Record: 29-1 | PR: 16
17. Anthony Wayne (Ohio)
Record: 16-1 | PR: 17
18. Salpointe Catholic (Arizona)
Record: 32-1 | PR: 18
19. West Stanley (North Carolina)
Record: 22-1 | PR: 19
20. Donovan Catholic (NJ)
Record: 16-1 | PR: 20
21. Queen Creek (Arizona)
Record: 28-1-1 | PR: 21
22. Benton (Ark.)
Record: 21-4 | PR: 22
23. Norco (California)
Record: 24-3 | PR: 23
24. Spanish Fork (Utah)
Record: 20-2 | PR: 24
25. Bend (Ore.)
Record: 19-2 | PR: 25
Dropped out: None.
Celebrating 40 years in 2023, the NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its vast library of digital education, NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches at various levels: from podcasts to extensive Awards and Scholarships platform, to NFCA Webinar and a National convention.