Softball FAB 50 Rankings
The ESPN RISE FAB 50 national softball rankings are released each Wednesday through the regular season. This is the final FAB 50 of the 2009 season. The rankings are compiled by Mark Tennis, Garland Cooper, Doug Huff, Paul Muyskens and Mike Loveday.
After winning the Class 4A state title last weekend in Illinois, Loyola Academy of Wilmette, Ill., made the most dramatic move in the final ESPN RISE FAB 50 softball rankings of the 2009 season.
The Ramblers encountered a strong opponent in the semifinals of last weekend?s state tourney and needed an extra inning to get past Fremd of Palatine, 1-0.
Devin Miller has been untouchable as a pitcher for Loyola Academy in recent weeks and was perfect in those eight innings against Fremd.
In the final against Edwardsville, the Ramblers plated two unearned runs in the first inning and that was all Miller needed as they went on to post a 2-0 win. She ended the season with six straight postseason shutouts.
Those two outings combined with Loyola?s overall 37-2 record was enough for the team to go from No. 43 in last week?s FAB 50 up to No. 30 in this week?s finale.
The only team to drop out of last week?s rankings was previous No. 36 Lakeland of White Lake, Mich., which was replaced by another Michigan team, Hudsonville.
In addition to Illinois and Michigan, other states concluding their softball playoffs last weekend were New York, Wisconsin, Indiana and Pennsylvania.
It?s no surprise that the final No. 1 ranking and mythical FAB 50 national championship is going to Archbishop Mitty of San Jose, Calif.
The Monarchs concluded their season on May 30 by winning their fifth straight CIF Central Coast Section Div. II title. They were 32-0 overall and moved up into national championship contention in April when they topped then-No. 1 Sheldon of Sacramento, 5-2, in the championship game of the Livermore Stampede tourney.
Before that tournament, Mitty also posted a shutout win against Freedom of Oakley in a non-league game. That result gained in significance as the season evolved since Freedom had a win over Southern California powerhouse Norco at the Nike Faster to First tournament. Norco went on to finish 32-2 and won the CIF Southern Section Division I title.
University of Oklahoma-bound Keilani Ricketts led the way for the Monarchs on offense and defense.
Other honors candidates for Mitty include junior outfielders Jillian Anderson and Lindsay Norton, senior first baseman Shea Williams and junior second baseman Miyuki Navarrete.
Coach Sarah Thomas has won all five CCS titles since taking over the program five years ago. She will be delivering her first child in December and it is unclear whether she will coach the team next season.
Results through June 13.
| Final Rankings | |||||
| Rank | School | Record | Prev. Rank | Notes/Comments | |
| 1 | Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, CA) | 32-0 | 1 | California's last No. 1 team for the nation was Valencia two years ago, which went 32-1. Three years ago, the San Francisco Bay Area had its first No. 1 team in the nation, which was 25-0 Freedom of Oakley. | |
| 2 | Canyon Del Oro (Tucson, AZ) | 33-2 | 2 | Kenzie Fowler ended her senior season with her third straight statechampionship. The Dorados started strong and then hit a bump in the road at the Desert Mountain Invitational when they recorded what would be their only two losses of the season. Since then, the team remained strong behind Fowler, who turned on the heat in postseason. She struck out 87 batters in her last six games. Fowler graduated with a career record of 105-8. Katie Asher, the Oklahoma State-bound catcher, led the offense with nine home runs on the season. | |
| 3 | Norco Senior (Norco, CA) | 32-2 | 3 | The Cougars ended the season as the No. 2-ranked team in California behind the national No. 1 Archbishop Mitty after they won the always-challenging CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs. Led by Riverside County Player of the Year Teagan Gerhart, the Cougars defeated Santiago of Corona in the championship game as she finished her senior season with 30 wins and in three years put together a career record of 81-12. | |
| 4 | Dunnellon Senior (Dunnellon, FL) | 32-1 | 4 | The Tigers made the most of their first state tournament appearance. They captured a state Class 4A title by defeating Lake Wales, 3-1, in the finals after blanking Stanton, 9-0, in the semi-finals. In the title game, junior pitcher Kasey Fagan (21-1) hurled a two-hitter and was 3-for-4 at the plate. The Lake Wales run was the first against the Tigers in post-season play as they outscored foes, 94-1, in the playoffs. The Tigers should be in the national title hunt next season since they return Fagan, who also batted over .500, plus a pair of .600hitters in sophomore catcher Sami Fagan and junior shortstop Victoria Williams. The Fagans are daughters of head coach Kevin Fagan. | |
| 5 | Lake Wales (Lake Wales, FL) | 28-2 | 5 | Junior pitcher Hannah Rogers, who went 21-2 in the circle and also batted over .350, led the way for the Highlanders. They ended as Class 4A state runnerup to FAB 50-ranked Dunnellon. Outfielder Tabatha Martin led the hitters with over a .450 average, including a run-scoring triple and the team's only two hits in the finals. | |
| 6 | Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove, CA) | 26-5 | 6 | The Eagles were challenged early and often this season as they twice lost close games to Sheldon of Sacramento, but they finally broke through with a win when it mattered the most as they defeated the Huskies to capture their first ever Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship. Sophomore Ally Carda was in the circle for all but one of their wins as she struck out 380 batters while leading the team in RBIs with 39 to establish herself as one of the top sophomores in the nation. | |
| 7 | Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, TX) | 31-5 | 7 | The Rangers won their second-ever state championship this year after a shaky start. After losing seven seniors off of last year's team andgoing 6-4 to start the season, the Rangers didn't look like they wouldfinish their season with a win. Pitcher Bailey Watts and centerfielderCassie Tysarczyk were the only returners on the team and stepped up throughout the season. Watts, a University of Houston signee, was the state tournament MVP. | |
| 8 | Sheldon (Sacramento, CA) | 28-3 | 8 | With the Cal-bound tandem of pitcher Jolene Henderson and catcher Lindsey Ziegenhirt, the Huskies were ranked No. 1 in the nation for a good portion of the season before losing to the eventual end of the season No. 1-ranked Archbishop Mitty. The Huskies started the season with 18 straight wins and didn't allow a single run during four wins at the Nike Faster to First tournament. | |
| 9 | Basha (Chandler, AZ) | 32-6 | 9 | Behind Arizona State-bound pitcher Sam Parlich, the Bears won the Class 5A-I state championship. They defeated Red Mountain in the final game, 5-2, in extra innings. Parlich will be the only senior to graduate from the Bears roster. Returning will be junior second baseman Sierra Rodriguez, who had three hits, scored twice and led off two double plays in the championship game. She batted .521 on the season. | |
| 10 | Livermore (Livermore, CA) | 25-2 | 10 | Coach Bill Keller's team earns a top 10 ranking in our end of the season FAB 50 as they ended their season with a 2-0 win against Freedom of Oakley. At the time, Freedom was ranked No. 7 in the FAB 50, and the win gave the Cowgirls the CIF North Coast Section Div. I title. | |
| 11 | Klein Oak (Spring, TX) | 28-2 | 11 | It was a tough finish for the Panthers. The team was undefeated until a three-game series with Cy-Fair in the state playoffs abruptly ended their state championship dreams. The Panthers were No.1 in the FAB 50 before those two upsets. Outfielder Brittany Walker, a Baylor signee, and catcher Meagan May, signed by Texas A | |
| 12 | Masuk (Monroe, CT) | 23-0 | 12 | This was a tough team to rank because the competition in Connecticut was questionable and there were no games against more proven opposition. But Masuk was dominant against the teams it did play, stretched its win streak to 74 games, and of course there's little doubt that pitcher Rachele Fico, who tied a national record with 10 straight no-hitters, is one of the best in the nation. | |
| 13 | Etiwanda (Etiwanda, CA) | 29-2 | 13 | The Eagles lost just twice this season while capturing the CIF Southern Section Division II championship with a 4-0 win over Vista Murrieta in the finals of one of the strongest divisions of the state. On the year, they twice had double-digit winning streaks as they won their first 14 games and ended it by winning their last 10. Freshman Melissa Taukeiaho led the offense with a .429 average to go with eight home runs and 34 RBIs. | |
| 14 | Canyon (New Braunfels, TX) | 38-3 | 14 | Canyon and Smithson Valley made history this year after being the only schools in the same district to win a Texas softball state championship in the same year since the University Interscholastic League started sanctioning the sport in 1993. The Cougars ended the season on a 20-game winning streak and were led by senior Texas A | |
| 15 | Naples (Naples, FL) | 27-2 | 15 | The Golden Eagles, which won the 2008 Class 4A state crown, were ranked No. 1 in the state in the regular season but were derailed by Lake Wales, 2-1 in the regional tournament finals. Pitcher Jaclyn Traina, the state Miss Softball as a junior and a contender this season, is a University of Alabama recruit. | |
| 16 | Cooper City (Cooper City, FL) | 26-5 | 16 | The Cowgirls chalked up their first state title by handing Fletcher of Neptune Beach its first loss in the Class 6A finals, 3-1. Pitcher Corrine Clauss (19-3) hurled a six-hitter and struck out five. In the semifinals, Cooper City ousted Miami Ferguson, 7-1. Catcher Stromi Grzybek led the hitters with a .500-plus average. | |
| 17 | Mortimer Jordan (Morris, AL) | 50-2 | 18 | One of the only switches made for the final rankings was move up the Lady Blue Devils up from No. 18 to No. 17. In addition to winning the Class 5A state title, they set a state record with a 43-game winning streak. | |
| 18 | Red Mountain (Mesa, AZ) | 36-4 | 17 | The Lions lost a heartbreaker against Basha in the finals of the Class 5A-I state playoffs. Outfielder Kayla Ensminger batted .396 on the season with 52 hits, which led the offense. The good news is that while the Lions lose two important seniors, Lucy Aubrecht and Kayla Ensminger, they have already proven they can pull together and win without their key players after Aubrecht was out due to injury for part of the season. | |
| 19 | Freedom (Oakley, CA) | 23-4 | 19 | Led by Fresno State-bound Hannah Williams, the Falcons nearly ended the season as the No. 3 ranked team in California if not for one bad pitch in a 2-0 loss to Livermore in the CIF North Coast Section championship game. They did go 5-1 at the Nike Faster to First tournament with wins over Norco and Pleasant Grove. | |
| 20 | Alexander Central (Taylorsville, NC) | 31-1 | 20 | Coach Monte Sherrill's team won twice in two days against FAB 50-ranked North Davidson to win the Class 4A state title. With state tourney MVP Chelsea Wilkinson being just a freshman, the Knights could be in the FAB 50 for a long time to come. | |
| 21 | Fletcher Senior (Neptune Beach, FL) | 31-1 | 21 | The Senator appearing in their first srtate tournament, suffered their only loss in the state Class 6A title game to Cooper City, 3-1. Senior pitcher Erin Schuppert (26-1) also batted .390. Two underclassmen, junior Brooke Peacer and freshman Kenzie Schuppert, batted over .400. | |
| 22 | Santiago (Corona, CA) | 27-5 | 22 | The Sharks had a third chance to defeat Norco in the CIF Southern Section Division I championship game but were unable to defeat the Cougars as they suffered more than half of their losses this season to the same squad. Kamerin May ended her high school career in the circle with a 98-19 record to become the Inland Empire area all-time win leader while recording 1,233 career strikeouts. | |
| 23 | Sunrise Mountain (Peoria, AZ) | 29-5-1 | 23 | Senior shortstop Brigette DelPonte batted .495 with 35 RBIs and 48 runs scored to lead the Mustangs, who won their second straight Class 4A Division II state title. DelPonte will play with the Arizona Wildcats next season. Fordham-bound Jamie LaBovick led the force for the Mustangs in the circle with a 0.42 ERA, a .475 batting average and 48 RBIs. | |
| 24 | Bartram Trail (Jacksonville, FL) | 27-4 | 24 | The Bears repeated as Class 5A state champion by besting Venice, 1-0, in the finals after defeating Niceville, 1-0, in the semis. Junior pitcher Kalyn Loverich (22-4) will return next season in search of a third straight crown. | |
| 25 | Bowie (Austin, TX) | 34-6 | 25 | Despite the efforts of Texas-bound Blaire Luna as a pitcher, Bowie couldn't defeat Smithson Valley and advance in the state playoffs. It was a pitcher's duel in the three-game series between Luna and Smithson Valley's Bailey Watts, but in the end it was Watts and her team that got the win. Luna pitched back-to-back perfect games against Harlingen and Westlake leading up to the series against Smithson Valley. | |
| 26 | Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, CA) | 27-5 | 26 | With junior sisters Tatum and Taylor Edwards leading the way, the Broncos fell just short of ending their season with a 15-game winning streak as they lost in the CIF Southern Section Division II finals to Etiwanda. Taylor led the team with 52 RBIs and 15 homers while her sister, Tatum, was right behind her with 44 RBIs and nine homers. | |
| 27 | Pearland (Pearland, TX) | 38-7 | 27 | The Oilers lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Smithson Valley in the finals of the Class 5A state playoffs. The team was led offensively by Louisiana-Lafayette signee centerfielder Jensen Tydelski, who batted .482 and was named to the UIL 5A All-Tournament Team. Pitcher Jessica Bowden ended the season with a record of 22-2 with a 1.58 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 113 innings pitched. | |
| 28 | William S. Hart (Newhall, CA) | 27-5 | 28 | The Indians ended the season ranked 10th in the state of California after making the Southern Section Division I semifinals where they had the unfortunate task of playing Norco who ended their season. Destiny Rodino tossed three straight shutouts in the postseason and allowed just three hits in those wins as she finished the season 26-5 with a 0.75 ERA and 277 strikeouts. At the Nike Faster to First tournament the Indians picked up victories against Sunrise Mountain of Arizona and Piedra Vista of New Mexico who went on to win their fourth straight state championship. | |
| 29 | Elyria (Elyria, OH) | 30-3 | 29 | After finishing as state runner-up the previous three seasons, the Pioneers pocketed a state Division 1 title. Elyria won its second crown - the first was in 2002 -- by defeating Hudson, 10-1, in the title game. Tess Sito, a two-time state player of the year, hurled a two-hitter and struck out 11. In the 2-0 semifinal win over Hilliard Darby, Sito fanned 17 and allowed only one infield single. | |
| 30 | Loyola Academy (Wilmette, IL) | 37-2 | 43 | Led by senior ace Devin Miller, the Ramblers won their first ever state championship with a 2-0 win over Edwardsville in the Class 4A state championship game. Miller has been joined on the All-State team by her catcher for the last four years at Loyola, Teresa Aguilar, and they will both be headed to the University of Illinois-Chicago next year. | |
| 31 | Belle Chasse (Belle Chasse, LA) | 32-4-1 | 30 | State player of the year Lauren Wilson scattered six hits and drove in both runs when the Bruins downed West Oachita for the Class 5A state title. Besides going 25-4 with a 0.93 ERA in the circle, Wilson also batted .444 with 41 RBIs. | |
| 32 | The Seton Keough (Baltimore, MD) | 17-0 | 31 | Sophomore pitcher Megan Hyson led this team to the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland Class A title. Hyson pitched her sixth no-hitter when Seton Keogh defeated Archbishop Spalding, 2-0, in its final game. The Gators also notched a win over 2008 Maryland Class 4A champ Chesapeake. | |
| 33 | Riverside Polytech (Riverside, CA) | 24-9 | 32 | Playing in a league filled with outstanding pitching, the Bears suffered a few more losses than most teams but they were one of two teams to knock off Norco of California this season as they gave the Cougars their first loss of the season by a 1-0 final back in March to open league play. During a season-best 10-game winning streak the Bears also defeated FAB 50-ranked Santiago of Corona. They lost to Santiago in the CIFSS Div. I semifinals. | |
| 34 | San Benito (Hollister, CA) | 27-4 | 33 | For the fourth year in a row, the CIF Central Coast Section Division I championship will stay with the Haybalers after a 4-3 win over league-rival Gilroy in the finals. San Francisco State-bound Marissa Ibarra also earned the title game win for the fourth straight season. Senior J.C. Clayton led the team with 57 hits as she hit .464 and knocked in 21 runs. | |
| 35 | North Davidson (Lexington, NC) | 30-3 | 34 | This team was clearly No. 2 in the Tarheel State and considering that No. 1 Alexander Central is a top 20 team in the FAB 50, then it's not a stretch at all to include North Davidson in these final rankings. | |
| 36 | Broadneck Senior (Annapolis, MD) | 20-0 | 35 | Once the Bruins got past Chesapeake in the Class 4A East region finals, they completed their quest of winning a state title with a 5-2 win in the final over North Carroll. Chesapeake had ended Broadneck's title hopes in the regional round each of the past two years. The team dedicated its season to former head coach Jim Ware, who died last summer. | |
| 37 | Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills, CA) | 24-4-1 | 37 | The Trojans were victorious in their final seven games to capture the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship over Del Oro of Loomis. During a season-best 12-game winning streak, Oak Ridge defeated Spanish Springs of Nevada and the eventual Sac-Joaquin Section Division I champions from Pleasant Grove. Sophomore Kasey Stanchek allowed just four hits in the final four games and had a 0.43 ERA. | |
| 38 | Pembroke Pines Charter School (Pembroke Pines, FL) | 26-4 | 38 | The Jaguars bowed to FAB 50 ranked Lake Wales, 4-0, in the state Class 4A semifinals. Ace pitcher Lauren Sewell, a University of Alabama recruit, also batted over. 400. Two sophomores led the offense with .500 averages - center fielder Dani Heichen and third baseman Julie Brito. | |
| 39 | Tesoro (Las Flores, CA) | 27-4 | 39 | The Titans had one heck of an up-and-down season as they won their first 19 games before losing four of their next five but rebounded with a seven-game winning streak and a CIF Southern Section Division III championship. Oregon-bound hurler Samantha Pappas ended the season with six straight shutouts to cap a 26-win, 230-strikeout senior season. | |
| 40 | Piedravista (Farmington, NM) | 27-4 | 40 | When it comes to softball in New Mexicom the Lady Panthers continue to be the team to beat at the Class 4A level as they won their fourth straight championship and had May 19 declared "Panther Softball 2009 State Champs Day." Six different Lady Panthers were named to the all-state first team, including Chanel Ewing, who was named Player of the Year. | |
| 41 | Eau Gallie (Melbourne, FL) | 24-3 | 41 | The Commodores were clipped by then unbeaten, and FAB 50-ranked Neptune Beach Fletcher, by 5-4, in the state Class 6A semifinals. Pitcher Alexandria Carroll was 22-3 to lead the way. Freshman shortstop Alez Powers also batted over .500, not far above catcher Jacquelyn Reese. | |
| 42 | Marist (Eugene, OR) | 29-1 | 42 | Not often does a second straight state title get overlooked but that was almost a reality as Kayla Braud wrapped up her senior season with national attention and a national record. With a fifth-inning infield single in the state championship win over Hanley, Braud ended her high school career with a 103-game hitting streak. | |
| 43 | Hudsonville (Hudsonville, MI) | 41-2 | NR | Sophomore Sara Driesenga (21-2) hurled a four-hitter and struck out eight as Hudsonville beat Anchor Bay, 3-0, to win the Division I state title. The team's other pitcher, Shelby Mast, had a 20-0 record. | |
| 44 | San Pedro (San Pedro, CA) | 28-4 | 44 | In Los Angeles, there's one thing that's been almost as reliable as bad traffic the last 10 years and that's the Pirates capturing the City Section championship as they won their fourth straight and ninth in the last 10 years with a 7-6 win over Banning. Leading the Pirates was head coach Tony Dobra, who was recently announced as the CalHiSports.com state softball coach of the year. | |
| 45 | Northwest (Olathe, KS) | 25-0 | 45 | The Ravens avenged a loss to Washburn Rural in last year's Class 6A state finals by beating the same team, 3-2, in this year's final. Jacinda Ramos outdueled Gatorade state player of the year Paige Ladenburger to pick up the win in the title game. | |
| 46 | Center Grove (Greenwood, IN) | 33-3 | 47 | The Trojans earned a record fifth state crown with a 2-0 victory last weekend over Harrison of West Lafayette (25-8) in the Class 4A finals. Sarah Franklin pitched and posted her 26th season shutout. In earlier regional play, the Trojans avenged regular season losses to No. 1 state-ranked Avon and No. 3 Carmel. | |
| 47 | Buchanan (Clovis, CA) | 26-7-1 | 46 | Head coach Dean Gregory's Bears started the season with a 12-0-1 record with a tie against Stockdale of Bakersfield but there would be no tie in their final game of the year as they defeated Stockdale to capture the CIF Central Section Division I championship. Kelsey Dodd led the offense with 24 RBIs. | |
| 48 | Riverdale (Murfreesboro, TN) | 47-7 | 48 | Dene Souviney smacked a grand slam homer and ended with six RBIs as the Warriors won the Class AAA state title with a 9-1 win over Beech. Heading into that game, Beech was the state's No. 1 team and was climbing up toward the top half of the FAB 50. | |
| 49 | Bingham (South Jordan, UT) | 22-2 | 49 | Behind the tandem of Cienna Smith and Tori Almond, the Miners captured their second straight 5A state championship with a victory over Viewmont. Almond, who last year as a sophomore was named the state's Ms. Softball, was unable to repeat the honor but was named the postseason MVP as they defeated this year's Ms. Softball, Shelbi Tytecam and the the Vikings in the finals. | |
| 50 | Rancho Bernardo (San Diego, CA) | 26-7 | 50 | After a five-game slump that saw the Broncos with a 13-7 record, they couldn't have had a much better finish as they won their last 13 games and claimed the CIF San Diego Section Division I championship. Junior Laura Winter did it all in their 1-0 title game victory over El Camino of Oceanside as she tossed a complete-game shutout with 14 strikeouts and scored the game's only run with a solo homer in the fourth inning. | |
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