MaxPreps Top 25 national high school softball rankings

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Another week. Another prestigious tournament. Another No. 1.

First, it was the Dave Kops Tournament of Champions where then-No. 1 Mission Viejo lost. Then it was the Best of the West when then-No. 1 Los Alamitos lost. And most recently, it was the Kissimmee Klassic in Florida where last week's No. 1 Oakleaf fell.

Once again, there is a new No. 1 in this week's MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard. It's San Benito, which leapfrogged Eagle and Los Alamitos after the top three teams lost last week.

San Benito begins the week at 21-0. The Greyhounds reached the Texas 6A state semifinals in 2015 and have won 52 of their last 56 games. Despite losing four starters to graduation, San Benito is averaging 10 runs per game. Led by senior catcher Kim Harper, first-year coach Kristy Leal's team features four freshmen and three sophomores.

"We're continuing the tradition of winning softball at San Benito," said Leal, who praised the play of freshmen Erica Cortez and Sarah Garcia. "They play like seasoned veterans and are used to the pressure of quality softball."

There are nine teams in this week's Top 25 that were not ranked a week ago. New to the Top 25 this week are 20-1 Viera (Fla.), Crown Point (Ind.), West Orange (Winter Garden, Fla.), Norco (Calif.) and St. Mary's Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.) and previously ranked Arizona teams Can del Oro (Tucson) and Desert Vista (Phoenix) and Grand Terrace (Calif.).

Poll watchers will keep a close eye on the Michelle Carew Classic Wednesday through Saturday at Peralta Park in Anaheim Hills, Calif. The 32-team event includes several Top 25 teams, including Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Canyon del Oro and Norco, as well as previously ranked California teams Valencia, Great Oak (Temecula) and Saugus.


1. (No. 6 last week) San Benito (Texas), 23-0
The Greyhounds ran their winning streak to 23 games on Tuesday night with a 15-0 victory against Los Fresnos. Next up is host Harlingen on Friday.

2. (5) Los Alamitos (Calif.), 12-1
The Griffins, who play in the Michelle Carew Classic Wednesday through Saturday, have allowed just 15 runs this season.

3. (4) Eagle (Idaho), 12-0
The Mustangs won three games last week by a combined 42-1 margin and have scored 177 times while allowing just four runs this season. Pitchers Bradie Fillmore and Autumn Moffat have thrown a combined seven no-hitters this season.

4. (2) Etiwanda (Calif.), 19-1
The Eagles got base hits from eight different players, but committed six errors and lost 6-5 to Norco (10-2). They rebounded with a doubleheader sweep over Serrano (Phelan), 16-4 and 17-3, as Megan Stevens hit three homers in the first game and two in the second to give her 11 on the season.

5. (7) Mission Viejo (Calif.), 10-2
The Diablos play in the Michelle Carew Classic Wednesday through Saturday. The two losses have been against No. 2 Los Alamitos and 15-2 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and both have been avenged.

6. (8) La Grange (Texas), 24-1
The Tigers ran their win streak to 24 with a 10-0 win over Belleville, as Missy Zoch struck out 11 and pitched a two-hitter and MaxPreps All-American volleyball player Riley Fisbeck homered.

7. (11) Reed (Sparks, Nev.), 11-0
The Raiders beat Reno rivals Damonte Ranch (4-1) and Hug (18-0) and are hitting .463 as a team.

8. (10) Deer Park (Texas), 26-2
The Deer upped their win streak to 10 with victories over LaPorte 7-2 and 11-1 over Sterling (Baytown). During the streak, the Deer have a margin of victory of 97-12.

9. (NR) Downers Grove South (Ill.), 4-0
The Mustangs made a big impression at the Kissimmee Klassic by beating a trio of Florida teams, including previously unbeaten North Fort Myers, 8-3, and No. 19 Gainesville, 4-3.

10. (12) Eastlake (El Paso, Texas), 23-0
The Falcons routed El Paso foes Hanks and Yselta as Kasey Flores hit her 16th and 17th home runs of the season. She has a nation-leading 60 RBIs. The Falcons have scored 308 runs in 2016.

11. (13) West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.), 10-0
West Ranch, which plays in the Santiago Tournament Friday and Saturday, has stolen 66 bases this season.

12. (NR) Viera (Fla.), 20-1
The Hawks have 19 straight wins, including wins over Spruce Creek (Orange), Hagerty (Oviedo) and Winter Springs.

13. (17) Campbell (Ewa Beach, Hawaii), 8-0
The Sabers recorded their third shutout in their last four games.

14. (15) Bald Knob (Ark.), 16-0
The Bulldogs have won 41 straight over two seasons. Senior Autumn Humes (14-0, 0.17 ERA) has 137 strikeouts in 80 innings. She pitched a perfect game with 11 strikeouts and had four hits in Monday's 9-0 win over Cabot.

15. (NR) Grand Terrace (Calif.), 7-1
Grand Terrace has won five straight since a 1-0 loss with four of the wins via shutout. Junior Lilly Bishop is hitting .522 with seven RBIs.

16. (23) Union County (Union, S.C.), 10-0
The Yellowjackets ended the Byrnes (Duncan) winning streak at 17, 3-2.

17. (NR) Canyon del Oro (Tucson, Ariz.), 18-1-1
Batting .407 as a team, six different players have homered.

18. (22) West Forsyth (Clemmons, N.C.), 12-0
The Titans return from spring break by facing previously ranked and 12-1 North Davidson (Lexington) on Tuesday.

19. (9) Gainesville (Fla.), 18-2
In running its win streak to 12, Gainesville picked up a pair of wins (2-1 over Lake Region and 5-0 over Bishop Verot) in the Kissimmee Klassic before losing to Downers Grove South (Ill.), 4-3.

20. (21) Cibola (Yuma, Ariz.), 23-1
The Raiders ran their win streak to 17 with a lopsided victory over Kofa (Yuma), as Madison Sierra pitched a complete game victory, homered and drove in six runs.

21. (NR) Desert Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.), 19-2
During their current 13-game win streak, opponents have scored 18 times while the Thunder have plated 116. Both losses this season have been by one run.

22. (NR) St. Mary's Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.), 10-0
The Knights are outscoring their foes, 95-13, and junior Katie Prebble already has 22 RBIs. Pitcher Madison Aughinbaugh is 8-0 with five shutouts and a 0.28 ERA. Jaelyn Gorham homered in Monday's 4-3 win over Bishop McNamara (Forestville).

23. (NR) Crown Point (Ind.), 1-0
All-Americans Miranda Elish and Alexis Holloway opened the season impressively, as Elish pitched a one-hitter and struck out 17 and Holloway homered in 3-0 win over Portage.

24. (NR) Norco (Calif.), 10-2
Norco is riding a six-game winning streak since losing to Palo Verde (Las Vegas), 5-4. The most recent win came against previously ranked No. 2 Etiwanda, 6-5.

25. (NR) West Orange (Winter Garden, Fla.), 22-1
Junior Lauren Mathis is 17-1 with an 0.08 ERA (one earned run) and 181 strikeouts in 89 innings. Lexie Blair has driven in 34 runs with her .559 batting average. The Warriors' only loss was 1-0 to American Heritage (Plantation).

Dropped out: Newsome (Fla.), North Davidson (N.C.), Pioneer (Calif.), Oak Park-River Forest (Ill.), North Fort Myers (Fla.), Curry (Jasper, Ala.), Oakleaf ( Fla.), McCracken County (Ky.) and Penn (Ind.)