Norco (Calif.) chosen No. 1 in final FAB 50 national softball rankings

For a quick answer why this year’s Norco (Calif.) softball team may have been unmatched in the nation, no words are necessary.

Just point to the infield. All four positions were manned by players who are all headed to major colleges. The list includes junior Kayla Reed (Cal), junior Taylor Koenig (Tennessee), sophomore Ashley Goodwin (Ohio State) and senior Savannah Clark (Colorado State).

The Cougars, of course, also had Nebraska-bound Emily Lockman in the circle.  She posted a 0.35 ERA and also hit .389 with 31 RBIs. Reed, meanwhile, put her name into the state record book by collecting 66 hits and batted .550.

Norco’s girls plus coach Rick Robinson picked up their FAB 50 national championship gear during a presentation on Monday. They also obviously top the final FAB 50 rankings of the season, becoming the seventh team from California since 1997 to finish in the top position.

This week’s final rankings resulted in just one new team going  onto the list — unbeaten Massachusetts state champ Milford – and there also were several teams that moved up or down a few notches due to more careful examination of each team’s wins and losses.

 

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FINAL ESPNHS POWERADE
FAB 50 SOFTBALL RANKINGS

(2012 season)

1.  Norco (Norco, Calif.) 31-2
A championship at the Arizona Tournament of Champions early in the season sparked the Cougars to their memorable season. Adding the TNT tourney title in Torrance, Calif., and then winning the CIF Southern Section Division I title proved to be a much more difficult task then going unbeaten or posting a better record against lesser competition.

2.  Porter Ridge (Indian Trail, N.C.) 33-1
The Pirates captured the Class 4A state title with a best-of-three finals’ sweep of Holly Springs (N.C.) after ousting defending champion and FAB 50 No. 6 Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.) in the quarterfinals. Gatorade State Player of the Year and Auburn recruit Lexi Davis was a four-year standout. She was 33-1 this season with a 0.23 ERA and batted .450 with eight homers.

3.  Red Mountain (Mesa, Ariz.) 35-3
Sophomore catcher Jordan Beck hit a two-run homer to help the Mountain Lions defeat Basha (Glendale, Ariz.) 5-2 in the Division I state final. Sophomore pitcher Bre Macha and senior pitcher/infielder Siera Phillips (.455, 47 RBIs) also played starring roles for coach Richard Hamilton’s squad, which won its third straight state crown.

4.  James Logan (Union City, Calif.) 24-1
It was a year to remember for the Colts as they finished the season with their highest ranking in school history after capturing their fourth section championship with a 1-0 win over previously unbeaten Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.) in the CIF North Coast Section Division I finals. Senior Alexis Martinez hit .371 with 21 runs batted in while junior Raeann Garza went 21-1 in the circle with a 0.94 ERA. Logan’s only loss was to Amador Valley earlier in the season.

5.  Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.) 26-1
Despite the 1-0 loss to James Logan (Union City, Calif.) in the CIF North Coast Section Division I finals, the Dons had a standout season with a starting lineup that had just four seniors. One of those underclass players was sophomore pitcher Johanna Grauer, who went 24-1 with a 0.33 ERA while also hitting .356 and has committed to Arizona State. Amador Valley posted a win over Logan earlier in the season and also topped No. 8 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) in the finals of the Livermore (Calif.) Stampede.

6.  Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.) 28-2
The defending Class 4A state champion Cougars were halted in the quarterfinals 1-0 by eventual champion and FAB 50 No. 2 Porter Ridge (Indian Trail, N.C.). It ended a record-setting four-year career for pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson, a Georgia recruit. Wilkinson (23-1) was 112-6 with 84 career shutouts and nearly 1,400 strikeouts.

7.  Keystone (La Grange, Ohio) 32-0
The Wildcats capped an unbeaten season with their third Division II state title in their 13th trip to the Final Four. Before besting Greenville (Ohio) in the finals, Keystone avenged the 2011 title game loss to FAB 50 No. 21 Poland Seminary (Poland, Ohio) in the semifinals. Pitcher Kenzie Conrad, an Akron recruit and Gatorade State Player of the Year, was 25-0 with an 0.42 ERA and also cracked 11 homers.

8.  Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 27-2
Year in and year out the Monarchs are among the top teams in California and the nation and this year was no different. Cal-bound Vanessa Alvarez helped the Monarchs win their second straight CIF Central Coast Section championship and their 10nth since 1990. Alvarez went 25-1 with a 0.86 ERA and 197 strikeouts.

9.  Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) 32-3
With a 3-0 win over South (Torrance, Calif.) in the CIF Southern Section Division III final, the Huskies ended the season on a 26-game winning streak. Arizona State-bound shortstop Nikki Girard drove in a team-best 37 runs while freshman Tannon Snow drove in 34 runs. Nikki Innamorato won 22 games in the circle and will be headed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

10.  Soddy-Daisy (Soddy-Daisy, Tenn.) 46-5
Legendary coach Clifford Kirk has announced his retirement and leaves the Soddy-Daisy program with eight state titles plus two more he won at another school. This year’s team defeated Daniel Boone (Gray, Tenn.) 7-0 to win the Class AAA championship. Pitcher Kelsey Nunley, headed to Kentucky, was the team’s only senior.

11.  Woodinville (Woodinville, Wash.) 26-0
Junior pitcher Madi Schreyer, a member of the Canadian Junior National Team, tossed a three-hitter when the Falcons blanked defending champion Walla Walla (Wash.) 6-0 in the Class 4A state championship. The unbeaten squad also was nearly perfect in the classroom as it won a state honor for having a combined 3.78 GPA.

12.  Chamberlain (Tampa, Fla.) 27-5
The Chiefs pocketed their second state title with a come-from-behind 9-8 win over Bartow (Fla.) in the Class 7A finals. Madison Gonzalez was the hitting star in the Final Four with four homers and 11 runs batted in. The Gatorade State Player of the Year was senior shortstop and LSU recruit Bianka Bell, who batted .731 with 11 homers and 52 runs scored. In the regular season, the Chiefs defeated Class 8A state titlist and FAB 50 No. 25 Durant (Plant City, Fla.).

13.  Canyon del Oro (Tucson, Ariz.) 33-5
The Dorados may have been led by first-year coach Stephanie Nicholson but they continued their winning ways as they won their sixth state championship in the last eight years with an 11-9 extra-inning win over Sunrise Mountain (Peoria, Ariz.) in the Division II finals. Stanford-bound Kayla Bonstrom not only pitched but hit .603 with 16 home runs and 63 runs batted in to earn the Arizona Republic’s Big Schools Player of the Year honor.

14.  Deer Park (Deer Park, Texas) 31-8
Senior Kristen Davenport shined by pitching a three-hitter and going 2-for-4 with two RBIs in a 6-0 triumph over Klein Collins (Klein, Texas) in the Class 5A state final. The Deer also benefitted in their run to the state title by having another outstanding pitcher in sophomore Caitlin Plocheck. Deer Park topped four nationally-ranked teams on its way to the championship.

15.  Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) 28-3
The season came to an end earlier than expected for the Mariners in a loss to Santiago of Corona in the CIF Southern Section Division I quarterfinals. They earlier finished second at the Arizona TOC and won the Michelle Carew Classic, an event that Norco also entered. Sophomore Kaylee Carlson won 15 games and freshman Kaley Winegarner won 13 games in the circle while junior Rebecca Lee led the offense with 30 runs batted in.

16.  Klein Collins (Klein, Texas) 31-5
A 10-game winning streak pushed the Tigers all the way to the Class 5A state finals where they lost to Deer Park. All-State selection Laura Lopez, a senior outfielder, hit .522 and drove in 42 runs. It was the first state final four appearance for the team in school history.

17.  Northern (Owings, Md.) 25-0
The Patriots set a record with their fifth straight state title and the Class 3A crown was a state record-tying ninth. Next year’s team also will try to extend a 53-game winning streak. Sophomore pitcher Jess Cummings, the Gatorade State Player of the Year, was 20-0 with a 0.38 ERA and hurled six no-hitters, including three perfect games. Senior shortstop Lindsey Schmeiser, a Maryland recruit, also batted .641 and was the District of Columbia area Player of the Year.

18.  Plano East (Plano, Texas) 35-4
The season came to an end for the Panthers with a loss to Klein Collins in the Class 5A semifinals. Senior outfielder Chandler Cink was selected to the Class 5A all-tourney team. Senior pitcher Holly Kern, who will play next at Texas, was chosen as the Dallas Morning-News Player of the Year.

19.  Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) 27-5
Junior Jade Vecvanags went 16-1 in the circle and hit 10 home runs as the Lancers were one of just two teams to hand national champions Norco a loss this year. Senior Madison Osias also went 11-3 as a pitcher while leading the team with 11 home runs and 39 runs batted in. The team also won the Trinity League championship and made it to the CIFSS Division I quarterfinals.

20.  Sunrise Mountain (Peoria, Ariz.) 35-5
Rallying from a four-run deficit in the final inning, the Mustangs forced extra innings before losing to Canyon del Oro (Tucson, Ariz.) 11-9 in the Division II state finals. Junior pitcher Taylor Nowlin was named All-West Valley Player of the Year while Jody Pruitt was named Coach of the Year.

21.  Poland Seminary (Poland, Ohio) 26-3
After winning the Division II state crown in 2011 and finishing runner-up in 2010, the Bulldogs were halted in the semifinals by unbeaten, FAB 50 No. 7 Keystone (La Grange, Ohio) 4-0. Pitcher Erin Gabriel, a two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2010-11 and Tennessee recruit, was a four-year starter and went 16-2 this season.

22.  The Woodlands (Conroe, Texas) 28-5
It was a big blow to the Highlanders’ chances of finishing No. 1 in the FAB 50 for the second straight year when 2011 Gatorade National Player of the Year Paige McDuffie was lost for the season with an arm injury. The team still proved to be potent offensively, including when McDuffie batted. Three other senior standouts concluding brilliant prep careers were infielders Jessica Snyder and Faith Bohack and catcher Kayla Prater.

23.  O’Connor (Northside, Texas) 31-3
Junior pitcher Kenedy Urbany was named player of the year by the San Antonio Express-News for the second straight season after going 30-3 with a 0.90 ERA and also hitting .477 with 60 RBIs. It was the second straight year as well that the Panthers made it to the Class 5A state semifinals.

24.  Durant (Plant City, Fla.) 24-4
The Cougars won their first state title with an 8-2 Class 8A finals’ win over Palmetto (Miami). Paige Davis (22-4) was the lead pitcher. Brooke Freeman went 3-for-4, with a two-run homer, in the title game.

25.  Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) 33-6
Senior Kailey Regester and junior Kylie Shull each drove in 47 runs as the Bears reached the Division I state finals before losing to Red Mountain (Mesa, Ariz.). Regester also led the way in the circle as she went 26-4 with 198 strikeouts. Other than Red Mountain, Basha had a habit of beating teams it lost to earlier in the season, including its win in the semifinals against Mountain Ridge (Glendale, Ariz.).

26.  Sparkman (Harvest, Ala.) 64-7-1
A 5-4 triumph over Vestavia Hills (Ala.) gave the Lady Senators their third Class 6A state crown. The first two were in 2006 and 2009. The team hit 40 homers on the season, but it was sacrifice fly in the sixth inning of the final game by Janna Korak that accounted for the winning run.

27.  Alvin (Alvin, Texas) 33-4
At the time of the Yellow Jackets’ loss to Deer Park in the Texas Class 5A quarterfinals, it was considered a surprise. The Deer, however, went on to win the state title. Senior Karri Smith won 18 games in the circle while junior Lara Bean won 15 games.

28.  Ironwood Ridge (Tucson, Ariz.) 31-6
The Nighthawks’ offense was slugging the ball hard all season as they averaged more than 10 runs per game. The season ended in the final elimination round of the Division II state playoffs against Canyon del Oro (Tucson), a team Ironwood Ridge also defeated three times. Junior Alexis Clinton hit .486 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs while senior Erin Satterfield had 12 homers and 39 RBIs.

29.  Santiago (Corona, Calif.) 23-10
The Sharks made a deep postseason run to reach the CIF Southern Section Division I championship game, which moved them into the top 10 rankings in California despite the 10 losses. Senior Erin Rodriguez hit .448 with 10 home runs and 39 runs batted in while sophomore Randel Leahy hit nine home runs and drove in 41 runs. Two of Santiago’s losses were to No. 1 Norco and most were early in the season before coach John Perez made a lineup change.

30.  Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 26-5
Before heading to join the Fighting Irish at Notre Dame,  Casey Africano hit .416 and drove in 32 runs as the Chargers fought their way into the top 10 at one point in the season before losing in the CIF Southern Section Division I semifinals to Santiago of Corona. Junior Samantha Cordova also went 25-5 in the circle with a 0.88 ERA.

31.  Ladywood (Livonia, Mich.) 39-3
The Blazers won their first Division 2 state title last weekend after their senior ace pitcher and Gatorade State Player of the Year, Briana Combs, missed the game. Combs injured a knee in the semifinals. Lauren Hayes hurled a three-hit shutout in the 3-0 title game win over Swan Valley (Saginaw, Mich.) and was 3-for-4 at the plate. Combs, a Cleveland State recruit, was 36-1 with nine no-hitters and also batted over .500.

32.  Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 40-5
It wasn’t a second straight Division II-AA state title that was primarily why the Red Raiders earned a FAB 50 ranking this season. They also posted two wins against Class AAA state champ Soddy-Daisy and two of their losses also were to that same team. Baylor topped Girls Prep (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 6-3 in the final game.

33.  Pembroke Pines Charter (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) 22-4
The Jaguars, after three runner-up finishes since 2004, won their first state title with a 1-0 win over FAB 50 No. 33 Niceville (Fla.) in the Class 6A finals. Cristina Sacramento lost her bid for a no-hitter with two outs in the seventh inning but ended with a one-hitter and 18 strikeouts.

34.  Niceville (Niceville, Fla.) 29-3
The Eagles were Class 6A state runner-up after bowing 1-0 in the finals to FAB 50 No. 32 Pembroke Pines Charter (Pembroke Pines, Fla.). Pitcher Jamie Ujvari allowed only five hits in the title game while striking out seven batters. In the regular season, the Eagles defeated Class 4A champion Gulliver Prep (Pinecrest, Fla.).

35.  John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) 31-0
Sophomore Katie Brignac collected her 15^th shutout of the season when the Patriots beat Evangel Christian (Shreveport, La.) 2-0 to win the Class 2A state title. Brignac also ended with a 0.37 ERA and had a .380 batting average. Senior Casey Corcoran also contributed in the title game by collecting three hits.

36.  Palm Beach Gardens (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) 26-3
The two-time defending Class 8A state champion Gators were halted by Jupiter (Fla.) in the regional semifinals. At the time, they were ranked No. 1 in the FAB 50. In the regular season, the Gators defeated two state champions –Class 5A American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) once and Class 4A Gulliver Prep (Pinecrest, Fla.) twice.

37.  Olathe East (Olathe, Kan) 24-1
For the first time since 2007, the Hawks’ season ended with a state championship game win. They captured their seventh Class 6A state title with a 5-2 win over Olathe South. Junior Jenni Brooks, sophomore Allison Stewart, senior Samantha Olson, sophomore Elizabeth Leonard and senior Kiki Stokes were all named to the Class 6A All-State first team.

38.  Immaculate Heart (Washington, N.J.) 32-0
The Eagles recorded the second best unbeaten season in state history by winning the Non-Public A crown. It also was their ninth overall title. Pitcher Steph Thomas led the way by going 27-0 with 18 shutouts and three no-hitters.

39.  Bonita Vista (Chula Vista, Calif.) 25-3-1
After falling short in the CIF San Diego Section Division II final last year, the Barons got it done in 2012. They also finished as the top-ranked team in the section overall and were No. 2 in the final Division II state rankings behind Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.). University of Buffalo-bound Anissa Pinedo drove in 36 runs while Sacramento State-bound Jennifer Hartman went 19-1 with two saves in the circle.

40.  Eau Gallie (Melbourne, Fla.) 27-3
The Commodores advanced to the Class 6A state semifinals before falling to FAB 50 No. 33 Niceville 6-4. One of their two regular season losses was to eventual Class 8A state champ and FAB 50 No. 25 Durant (Plant City, Fla.).

41.  Royal (Simi Valley, Calif.) 25-3
Pitcher Nancy Bowling is off to Arizona after going 25-3 and driving in 20 runs at the plate during the Highlanders’ Marmonte League co-championship season. Their season came to an end in the second-round of a loaded CIF Southern Section Division I playoff bracket against FAB 50-ranked Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.).

42.  Hillcrest (Simpsonville, S.C.) 31-3
Led by all-state pitcher Courtney Roberts, the Rams captured the Class AAAA state championship with a 6-0 victory over Carolina Forest (Myrtle Beach, S.C.). It was the team’s first state crown since 2004 when it was in the midst of a 96-game winning streak.

43.  Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) 27-1
The Lady Knights ended the season with 16 straight shutouts and their 15th Virginia Independent Schools’ title in the last 16 seasons. The lone loss was to unbeaten and FAB 50 No. 18 Northern (Owings, Md.). Junior Tori Finucane, a Missouri recruit, was the Gatorade State Player of the Year after going 27-1 with a 0.09 ERA and 332 strikeouts in 161 innings. Junior catcher Jillian Ferraro, a North Carolina recruit, also batted .542.

44.  Glenbard South (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) 36-4
The Raiders captured their first Class 3A state crown after advancing to the state tournament for the fourth time in five years. Senior pitcher Danielle Chitkowski was 18-2 and junior sister Stephanie Chitkowski was the No. 2 hurler.

45.  Pearland (Pearland, Texas) 37-7
Freshman Samantha Snow emerged as a big-time player for the Lady Oilers, who were eliminated in the Class 5A state playoffs by eventual champion Deer Park. Snow batted .422 and went 9-1 in the circle with a 1.05 ERA. Pearland posted wins during the against against FAB 50-ranked Alvin, The Woodlands and O’Connor. The team also went 3-2 against bubble team Brazoswood.

46.  Bartow (Bartow, Fla.) 27-5
The Yellow Jackets advanced to the Class 7A state finals before bowing 9-8 to FAB 50 No. 13 Chamberlain (Tampa, Fla.). Bartow led after six innings against the Chiefs, a team it defeated in the regular season.

47.  Milford (Milford, Mass.) 25-0
Junior pitcher Shannon Smith, who has committed to Kentucky, struck out 22 batters last weekend when the Scarlet Hawks edged Malden (Mass.) 1-0 in nine innings to win the Division I state title. Smith was the team’s batting leader as well, but the game-winning RBI single in the final came from freshman Taylor LeBrun.

48.  North Medford (Medford, Ore.) 29-1
The Black Tornado blew past South Salem (Ore.) 3-0 to claim the Class 6A state crown. Junior pitcher Maryssa Becker pitched a four-hitter and struck out 15. For the season, Becker, the Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year, went 26-0 with a 0.43 ERA and batted .475 with 47 RBIs.

49. Kellenberg Memorial (Uniondale, N.Y.) 29-0
The Firebirds capped an unbeaten season by winning their first Catholic High School Athletic Association state title. Senior right-handed pitcher Susan Pardo, a Wesleyan University recruit, was a two-time CHSAA Pitcher of the Year.

50.  Daniel Boone (Gray, Tenn.) 50-6
This team, which knocked out previous FAB 50-ranked Beech (Hendersonville, Tenn.) from the Class AAA state playoffs, was built on power. Junior Natalie Sheffey bombed away for 19 homers and 90 RBIs while senior Andrea Rogers had 10 homers and 74 RBIs. Daniel Boone lost in the state final to Soddy-Daisy (Tenn.), but had a 2-1 win to force a winner-take-all title game.

 

Special Mention:

American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 27-5
Baldwin-Woodville (Baldwin, Wis.) 26-1
Beech (Hendersonville, Tenn.) 49-4
Brazoswood (Clute, Texas) 19-7
Central Bucks South (Warrington, Pa.) 22-4
Cosby (Midlothian, Va.) 23-5
Gibbs (Knoxville, Tenn.) 42-5
Gulliver Prep (Pinecrest, Fla.) 27-5
Hudsonville (Hudsonville, Mich.) 40-3
John Marshall (Glen Dale, W. Va.) 35-4
Madison Central (Madison, Miss.) 29-3
Holly Springs (Holly Springs, N.C.) 24-5
North Canton Hoover (North Canton, Ohio) 30-3
North Davidson (Lexington, N.C.) 28-5
Pequannock (Pompton Plains, N.J.) 30-2
Plano (Plano, Texas) 29-6
San Benito (Hollister, Calif.) 23-3
Sherwood (Sandy Spring, Md.) 21-0
Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas) 30-6
Tomball (Tomball, Texas) 25-4
Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.) 23-5
Walla Walla (Walla Walla, Wash.) 26-2
Woodcreek (Roseville, Calif.) 26-4

 

 

 

 

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