Top 25 national high school softball rankings: Pacifica (California) No. 1 in first 2024 rankings

After finishing at No. 8 in last year’s Power 25, the Mariners claim the top spot as they welcome back essentially everybody from 2023’s CIF Southern Division I championship. Long Beach State commit Bynne Nally has compiled a .82 earned run average, while Cal commit Kayli Counts is batting .364 and UCLA commit Kaniya Bragg is hitting .304 and has a team-high three home runs. 

After knocking off Pace in 2023 to win the program’s ninth state title, the Yellowjackets are off to another rocking start. The arm of Florida commit Katelynn Oxley (4-0, 29 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 74 K, .00 ERA in 2024 so far) and bat of catcher McKenzie Gibson (.474/.607/.736, 8 RBI) are big reasons why this team has done what it has.

Arkansas commits Cameryn Harrison (.500/.592/.963, 7 2B, 6 HR, 28 RBI) and Ashtyn Reichardt (.483/.597/.948, 6 HR, 24 RBI) headline a powerful Tigers lineup that is batting over .400 as a team. Other top hitters include Houston commit Hailey Gore (.421/.507/.804, 3 3B, 3 HR) and Oklahoma State commit Montgomery Henderson (.475/.516/.797, 4 HR, 18 RBI). 

On a mission to flip the script of how last season ended, LSU commit Jayden Heavener (7-0, 27 IP, 64 K, .26 ERA) is off to another hot start in the circle and is also slashing .577/.656/.1000, with 11 runs batted in, two doubles and three home runs at the plate. Florida State commit Shelby McKenzie (.696/.788/1.173, 10 RBI, 5 2B, 2 HR). A big matchup at No. 11 Orange Beach (Ala.) goes down on Tuesday. 

Southern Miss commit Jolie Hays (.515/.568/.727, 8 RBI, HR) has been the key cog to the Cougars outscoring their opponents 88-10 through the first 10 games and she has struck out 53 batters in 32.2 innings, while compiling a .43 earned run average. Georgia commit Brooke Smith (.345/.500/.689, 3 2B, HR) and Coastal Carolina commit Reese Collier (.448/.433/.827, 14 RBI, 3 HR) have been other top performers. 

The three-time defending Louisiana state champions have not experienced much push in 2024. Louisiana Tech commit Laney Johnson pitched a three-hit, complete game shutout in the final game of last week’s Converse Tournament and struck out six batters. Mia Norwood, a Louisiana commit, went 2-for-4 with a double in the contest, while North Texas commit Raegan Henderson finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double. 

The Timberwolves only needed five innings to rout Inglemoor in their season opener on Monday night. UNLV commit Yanina Sherwood pitched a four-hit, complete game shutout and punched out 12 batters while also finishing 3-for-4 at the plate with 3 RBI and two home runs. Fresno state commit Rachel Sysum finished 2-for-3 with three runs scored, plus a home run. 

Cal State Fullerton commit Sarah Coccillos is slashing .524/.556/1.190 and has two doubles, plus 11 runs batted in. She and Northern Illinois commit Hailey Olivera (.421/.538/1.210, 3 2B, 10 RBI) each have smashed four home runs to tie for the team lead. Indiana commit Jasmine Reyes (.381/.500/1.142) has also hit four bombs and compiled a 4-0 record in the circle with 46 strikeouts in 26 innings while compiling a 1.08 earned run average. 

The season begins on April 2. As if the pressure of being a three-time defending state champion were not enough, the Ghosts come into the 2024 season riding an impressive 81-game win streak. Virginia commit Karly Meredith returns after going 23-0 in 27 appearances and compiling a .33 earned run average. Highly-touted 2026 Paige Bodenheimer (.425/.495/.435, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 30 SB) also returns. 

It only took four innings for the Irish to handle Thurston in their season opener on Monday night. Arkansas commit Payton Burnham struck out six of seven batters faced in the two innings she pitched, while walking only one. Burham also finished 2-for-4 at the plate with four runs batted in, a double and a triple. Utah Tech commit Kinley Pappas went 3-for-4 with 4 RBI and a home run. 

The Makos, who won their third consecutive state title last spring after bumping up to Class 4A, take on No. 4 Pace on Tuesday in one of the nation’s premier showdowns this week. South Carolina commit KG Favors is dominating at the plate with a .619/.609/1.190 slash line, along with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 11 runs batted in. Auburn commit Daigle Wilson (.450/.542/.750, 3 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI) is another of Orange Beach’s top prospects.

The three-time defending state champion opens the season on Tuesday against Riverton. Top returners include Utah Valley commit Tatum Hall (.483 BA, .580 OBP, 12 HR, 39 RBI) and leadoff hitter Jade Romero (.415 BA, .462 OBP, 6 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 39 RBI). 

The season begins on Thursday. The Kingsmen upset Roncalli by a run in the 4A state final to finish the 2023 season with their 10th consecutive win. The stellar duo of Toledo commit Olivia Signorino (5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K in 2023 state finals) and Purdue – Fort Wayne commit Aubrey Zachary will be another great one-two punch one another season for a squad that has now taken the role of the hunted. 

The season begins on Friday. The Redhawks are looking to win their second consecutive state title and third in the past four years. Bradley commit Gianna Hillegonds (27-1, 159 IP, 159 K, .97 ERA in 2023) returns in the circle, while Boston commit Camryn Lyons (.555/.590/.873, 15 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 43 RBI) and Notre Dame commit Caroline O’Brien (.523/.582/.781, 16 2B, 1 B, 5 HR, 35 RBI) are back as the squads best batters. 

Clemson commit Sarah Breaux (.765/.789/1.235, 7 RBI, 2 2B, 2 HR) is putting up crazy numbers at the plate for the Firebirds, who have been on a tear through their first five contests. Florida International commit Meagan Villazon (.333/.316/.555, 10 RBI, 2 2B) has provided both with her bat, as well as in the circle (2-0, 11 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 28 K, .00 ERA), along with Stetson commit Emily Santana (.385/.529.538, 2 2B). 

Season begins on Mar. 24. Georgia Tech commit Sydnie Watts is one of the nation’s continuously rising players after helping the Falcons win their first state title while striking out 281 batters in 129 innings and compiling a .38 earned run average. AF also brings back Youngstown State commit Ayla Ray, who batted .534 with seven doubles, four triples and six home runs in 2023. 

Season begins on Friday. The Lava Bears are led by UCLA commit Addisen Fisher, the nation’s top 2024 prospect, who owns a 46-3 career record and has thrown 19 no-hitters, seven perfect games, in her career with over 600 strikeouts. 

The season begins on April 1. The Lancers were hardly touched in 2023, allowing only 26 runs on the year, en route to winning the NJSIAA Non-Public A state championship. They were led there by current senior leader Elisabeth Figiolino (.450 BA, .975 SLG, 36 H, 7 2B, 11 HR, 47 RBI), a Seton Hall commit, plus 2026 standout Madison McDougall (.563 BA, .931 SLG, 49 H, 13 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 32 RBI).

The season begins on April 9. Gaylord won its first-ever state championship last spring. A loaded group of college prospects are back with the Blue Devils hoping to make another run that includes Oklahoma State commit Aubrey Jones, Virginia Tech commit Jayden Jones, Ferris State commit Braleigh Miller and Toledo commit Alexis Shepherd. 

The season begins on April 1. The Warriors are led by Ohio commit Jordyn Wycuff, who has batted over .500 the past two seasons, including .570 with 11 home runs last year. Bowling Green commit Ava McKee (.297/.378/.500, 7 2B, 1 3B, 23 RBI, 2 HR in ‘23) also returns behind the dish. 

The expectation for the Green Wave is now back-to-back championships after winning the program’s first state title last spring. It all starts with South Carolina commit Ansley Bennett, who won 18 games as a sophomore and struck out 226 batters while compiling a .19 earned run average. 

The Lancers have been about as well-rounded as you could ask through three games, led in the circle by Texas A&M commit Kate Munnerlyn (1-0, 9.1 IP, 3 BB, 16 K, .00 ERA). Boise State commit Shannon Keighran, who is 2-0 in 7.2 innings with 11 strikeouts, has compiled a .91 earned run average.

A 3-2 loss to Chino Hills on Feb. 22 was certainly a noticeable blemish, but the Cougars’ only other defeat was to top-ranked Pacifica – the same squad who conquered the Cougars in last spring’s CIF-SS Division I final. They did graduate Mya Perez (Texas A&M) and Alyssa Hovermale (Florida), but returned outfielder Tamryn Shorter, a Boise State commit and the team’s leadoff batter.

Season begins Tuesday against Stone Bridge. Pitchers dream of finishing a season the way George Mason commit Abbey Lane did in 2023. She tossed three straight shutouts while leading the Wolverines to their sixth VHSL state championship in program history and will be their unquestioned leader this year. 

They have had one hiccup in the young season, but the Tigers are still a squad with an immense amount of talent, headlined by Oregon commit Kaylynn Jones and Texas State commit Erin Peterson, plus six others who have signed to play at the next level.