With the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the Student Sports Softball FAB 50 from the preseason meeting in the championship game of last weekend’s Dave Kops Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Ariz., and perhaps playing again this Saturday, why not make it a No. 1 vs. No. 2 potential matchup?

Even before the Bullhead City tourney, which remains one of the best high school events in the nation each season, the preseason No. 1 team, Red Mountain of Mesa, Ariz., had already lost twice.

Then in Bullhead City, No. 2 Mission Viejo (Calif.) and No. 3 Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) earned their way into last Saturday’s final game. Although Pacifica was No. 1 in the nation from another media source, it was the Diablos that were dominant on that night. They blanked the Mariners 5-0 as Arizona-bound junior Taylor McQuillin fired a three-hitter and had 15 strikeouts.

What makes Mission Viejo so strong is that not only is there a big-time presence in the circle, but there’s one of the nation’s top sluggers to deal with when the team is batting. And like McQuillin, junior Alyssa Palomino is also enjoying a great start to the season. She hit a homer in the win over Pacifica, which was her seventh of the year.

Pacifica’s power-packed lineup and pitching – both Kalee Carlson and Kaley Winegarner are major college signers – still has just the one loss so far to Mission Viejo and could avenge the loss in Arizona in Saturday’s Best of the West tournament.

After those first two, Florida’s hot team to start the season, St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale, has been jumped from No. 12 to No. 3. The Raiders are followed by two teams that have yet to play – Northern (Owings Mills, Md.) and Hoover (North Canton, Ohio).

The highest rising newcomer in the first regular season FAB 50 is Atascocita of Humble, Texas. The Lady Eagles already have wins over Lewisville (defending Class 5A state champion) and Deer Park (No. 11 in the preseason FAB 50) and improved to 18-0 with a 6-0 win on Tuesday of this week over Klein. In that game, sophomore Shelby McGlaun tossed a no-hitter and had 10 strikeouts. Megan Calfee led the offense with three hits, one run and one RBI.

Here are this week’s rankings:

(Preseason ranking listed in parentheses)

(Through reported results of Tuesday, March 18)

***

1.    (2) Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, Calif.) 8-0

2.    (3) Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) 7-1

3.    (12) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 14-0

4.    (4) Northern (Owings Mills, Md.) 0-0

5.    (5) Hoover (North Canton, Ohio) 0-0

6.    (6) Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.) 7-0

7.    (7) Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.) 5-0

8.    (10) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 4-0

9.    (20) Mountain Ridge (Glendale, Ariz.) 11-1

10.  (9) Columbia (Lake City, Fla.) 10-0

11.  (NR) Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 18-0

12.  (14) Esperanza (Anaheim, Calif.) 8-0

13.  (15) John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) 7-0

14.  (25) American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 13-2

15.  (17) Harmony (Harmony, Fla.) 15-1

16.  (13) Horizon (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 10-1

17.  (26) Marina (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 6-0

18.  (33) Cinco Ranch (Katy, Texas) 15-1

19.  (16) St. John Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.) 0-0

20.  (28) Yorba Linda (Yorba Linda, Calif.) 7-0

21.  (19) The Woodlands (Conroe, Texas) 21-2

22.  (21) Olathe East (Olathe, Kan.) 0-0

23.  (23) Greenwood (Bowling Green, Ky.) 1-0

24.  (38) Santiago (Corona, Calif.) 9-1

25.  (24) Basha (Glendale, Ariz.) 6-1

26.  (1) Red Mountain (Mesa, Ariz.) 8-2

27.  (27) Bloom-Carroll (Carroll, Ohio) 0-0

28.  (NR) Gibbs (corryton, Tenn.) 10-0

29.  (NR) Pearce (Richardson, Texas) 14-1

30.  (NR) Tate (Cantonment, Fla.) 12-1

31.  (29) Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.) 0-0

32.  (NR) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.) 6-0

33.  (30) Naperville Central (Naperville, Ill.) 0-0

34.  (NR) Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas) 16-0

35.  (NR) P.K. Yonge (Gainesville, Fla.) 14-0

36.  (NR) Cypress-Fairbanks (Cypress, Texas) 18-1

37.  (34) Immaculate Heart (Washington Township, N.J.) 0-0

38.  (37) Sherwood (Sandy Springs, Md.) 0-0

39.  (NR) Verrado (Buckeye, Ariz.) 10-2-1

40.  (NR) Hillcrest (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) 18-1-1

41.  (40) Lake City (Couer d’Alene, Idaho) 0-0

42.  (42) Portage Central (Portage, Mich.) 0-0

43.  (NR) Chino Hills (Chino, Calif.) 7-3

44.  (NR) Naples (Naples, Fla.) 6-0

45.  (NR) North (Torrance, Calif.) 5-2

46.  (11) Deer Park (Deer Park, Texas) 17-4

47.  (44) Chino (Chino, Calif.) 9-2

48.  (47) South Salem (Salem, Ore.) 0-0

49.  (48) Southington (Southington, Conn.) 0-0

50.  (NR) Sparkman (Harvest, Ala.) 10-1

Dropped Out: Previous No. 8 Lewisville (Lewisville, Texas); No. 18 Vintage (Napa, Calif.); No. 22 Norco (Norco, Calif.); No. 31 California (San Ramon, Calif.); No. 32 Smyrna (Smyrna, Tenn.); No. 35 Copper Hills (West Jordan, Utah); No. 36 Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.); No. 39 Hays (Buda, Texas); No. 41 Ironwood Ridge (Tucson, Ariz.); No. 43 Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.); No. 45 Las Cruces (Las Cruces, N.M.); No. 46 Pearland (Pearland, Texas); No. 49 Conley (Greenville, N.C.); No. 50 Estrella Foothills (Goodyear, Ariz.).

 

Teams On The Bubble:

• Apex (Apex, N.C.) 5-0
• Bishop McNamara (Kankakee, Ill.) 0-0
• Brazoswood (Brazoswood, Texas) 19-2
• Calfornia (San Ramon, Calif.) 2-1
• Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.) 5-1
• Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) 8-4
• LaGrange (LaGrange, Texas) 23-1
• Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 7-2
• Mt. Juliet (Mt. Juliet, Tenn.) 8-1
• Onate (Las Cruces, N.M.) 7-0
• Ponte Vedra (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) 18-0
• Rocklin (Rocklin, Calif.) 7-1-1
• San Benito (Hollister, Calif.) 0-0
• Smyrna (Smyrna, Tenn.) 5-2
• Stephen F. Austin (Austin, Texas) 18-3
• Vacaville (Vacaville, Calif.) 7-0-1
• Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.) 5-1