State Team of the Year Archbishop Mitty leads a group of four squads from the Central Coast Section that gain final writeups as we add 20 more teams with writeups compared to the 20 we usually do. The biggest change is Etiwanda going up to No. 6 from No. 10. Go inside for more and to see how high unbeaten small school powerhouse Sutter finished or if the Huskies made it into the final overall top 40 at all.

Compiled by Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Writeups by Harold Abend, Paul Muyskens, Steve Brand, Ronnie Flores and Mark Tennis

(After all games played during 2009 season)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

1.  (1)  Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 32-0
Is there anything left to be said about the Monarchs that hasn't already been said? No. 1 in the ESPN RISE FAB 50 and a perfect season just about says it all. So being No. 1 in the state, while a dream come true for most teams, almost takes a back seat for Coach Sarah Thomas and her girls. The real turning point in the season and what really propelled Mitty to the top of both heaps was the championship game of the Livermore Stampede. It was in that game that the term "Ricketted” was born after Oklahoma-bound Keilani Ricketts had a career game and one of the most dominating one-girl performances in recent California history in a 5-2 victory over the then No. 1 team in the nation and state, Sheldon of Sacramento. Ricketts came into the game not having given up an earned run at that point in the season with the team 22-0. When she gave up a first-inning home run to Cal-bound Lindsey Ziegenhirt, Ricketts and the other girls could have begun to fold. Instead, Ricketts blasted a three-run homer in the bottom of the first and went on the fan 20 from the circle while only allowing four hits. In the story that appeared on this site, we mused "the way Ricketts pitched and hit on Saturday and the way her teammates slapped the ball effectively, a loss may not get posted on Mitty's ledger for quite some time.” In fact, it did not and the Monarchs ran the table and won their fifth consecutive CCS title.

2.  (2)  Norco 32-2
Although the Cougars were able to get dominant pitching performances from four-year standout Teagan Gerhart, the championship season was greatly aided by a strong lineup of bats one through nine. According to Eric-Paul Johnson of the Riverside Press-Enterprise, coach Rick Robinson got 11 game-winning hits from his team this season. With its 5-1 victory over Big VIII League rival and previous No. 5 Santiago of Corona in the CIF Southern Section Div. I title game, Norco won its second section title in seven years and Robinson's third overall, his first coming at Corona Centennial in 1996. In beating Santiago for the third time this season, Norco not only received a dominant performance from Gerhart, but three timely hits and two runs from junior outfielder Nicole Sappingfield. Norco definitely had a State Team of the Year resume, with a 9-2 win over league foe Poly of Riverside that avenged a 1-0 loss in the sixth game of the season. The only other loss was also a 1-0 setback in a ridiculously tough opening round matchup against No. 7 Freedom of Oakley at the Nike Faster to First Tournament.

3.  (3)  Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 26-5
With sophomore Ally Carda leading the way in the circle all season long, the Eagles not only made their first-ever Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game but also ended the season with the win as they defeated Sheldon of Sacramento, 1-0, in the finale. After losing two close games to the Huskies earlier in the season, it was the Eagles who won the game that meant the most as Carda allowed just two hits and struck out eight in a complete game shutout. Carda on the year won 25 of their 26 games with a 0.37 ERA and 380 strikeouts while also leading the team with 39 RBI and nine homers. Other key wins this season for the Eagles were back to back victories against Vista Murrieta and Valencia and they twice defeated Elk Grove, who lost just six times all year.

4.  (4)  Sheldon (Sacramento) 28-3
The Huskies end the season as the highest ranked team in the state that didn't win a section title after falling to Pleasant Grove in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game despite a pitcher-catcher tandem like no other. Ranked as high as No. 1 in the state and nation the Huskies opened the season with wins over Oak Ridge and Freedom and then went a perfect 4-0 at the prestigious Nike Faster to First tournament, winning the tournament without allowing a single run. Sheldon's 18-game winning streak and No. 1 national ranking came to a halt against Archbishop Mitty to set the stage for the Monarchs to end the season as the top team in the nation. Cal-bound Jolene Henderson finished up a sensational high school career with 28 wins, 352 strikeouts, and a 0.90 ERA in her senior season throwing to future college teammate Lindsey Ziegenhirt. Ziegenhirt on the year hit .482 with a team-high 11 homers and 35 RBI while Henderson was second on the team with 27 RBI.  

5.  (7)  Livermore 25-2
Coach Bill Keller's girls may really be a team to watch for next year and should start the season near the top of the state rankings. This season, they only dropped two games with one of them a 2-0 loss to Sheldon in the semis of their own Livermore Stampede. The other setback was earlier in the season in the semis of the Queen of the Mountain tournament in Concord when they hit the ball but right at the fielders in a 1-0 loss to EBAL rival San Ramon Valley of Danville. As it turns out, in the end, that defeat did not hurt the Cowgirls in the rankings either here or in the Bay Area. The reason is a 2-0 victory in the NCS Division I title game at Freedom over a Falcons squad that was No. 3 in the state and No. 7 in the FAB 50 at that time. All in all it was an amazing season that ends with Livermore ranked no lower than No. 10 in the FAB 50 and with sluggers returning. Louisville-bound coach's daughter Katie Keller returns for her senior season, and sophomore Kaitlyn Taylor, who launched a two-run blast off Freedom's Hannah Williams for the game's only runs, brings her bat back in her junior campaign. "We're excited about it and look forward to next season,” said Keller, after giving out a big "yee-haw” when told his girls are fifth in the state. "This season makes it a stronger motivator to do better next season and we have the senior leadership we'll need.”

6.  (10)  Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga) 29-2
It's a four-spot jump for the Eagles in the final rankings after they topped Vista Murrieta, 4-0, in the CIFSS Div. II final. Early in the season, they weren't perceived by some in the SoCal media for being that strong, mainly because they didn't get into any of the super tournaments. Now that they've won the second strongest division in the section and ended with just two losses, you can't do anything but say that this was one of the top teams this year in the state and in the nation. Before beating the Broncos, head coach David Masucci's team downed Redlands, 1-0, in the semifinals. Taylor Thomas, who hit a homer in the title game, was one of the team's leading hitters down the stretch.

7.  (8)  Freedom (Oakley) 23-4
One bad pitch by Fresno State-bound Hannah Williams prevented the Falcons from finishing No. 3 in the final rankings, but after Norco took care of business in the Southern Section playoffs, the girls from the Delta get a bump one spot for the final rankings. They also claim the No. 19 spot in the FAB 50. Nobody played a tougher schedule than Coach Jeff Jonas' girls, who won 5-of-6 games at the Faster to First tournament, including a 1-0 victory over Norco and a 7-0 thumping of Pleasant Grove. Those two wins over top five teams says something in itself. The loss at the Faster to First was to Camarillo and the other two setbacks on the campaign besides Livermore are 1-0 to Sheldon to open the season and 2-0 to Mitty at home in early April. Williams and sluggers Chrissy Stalf and Susan Robertson depart, leaving Jonas with some holes to fill and incoming senior Jackie Zepeda and juniors Melanie Padilla and Katie Wood as his top returnees.

8.  (5)  Santiago (Corona) 27-5
The Sharks fall three spots in the final ratings in the aftermath of their 5-1 loss to league rival and state No. 2 Norco in the CIFSS Div. I final. The five runs, only two of which were earned, tied Santiago's season-high for runs allowed, which occurred twice against the Cougars. Norco won the second meeting between the two rivals 5-3 and took the first game, 2-1. Although ace Kamerin May didn't get the defense she needed behind her in the title game, she did give up a season high 10 hits. Her previous high was five, which also occurred twice against the Cougars. Despite Santiago's inability to defeat Norco in three tries, coach John Perez's club was able to atone for two early season losses by defeating No. 32 Los Alamitos, No. 40 Pacifica and No. 11 Riverside Poly in the postseason. The semifinal win over Poly avenged a 2-0 loss during the first round of league play, as the Sharks took two of three from the Bears this season.

9.  (6)  Vista Murrieta (Murrieta) 27-5
Offensively, the Broncos were off the charts in 2009 and entered the final game vs. Etiwanda with outputs of 12, 7, 6 and 5 runs in their previous playoff outings. They were kept off-balance by the Eagles, however, and couldn't overcome some early wildness by Tatum Edwards in dropping a 4-0 contest. Tatum will come back next season and hopefully will be a stronger player after the tough outing. Her twin sister, Taylor, led the team with 15 homers and had a .570 batting average. Eric-Paul Johnson of the Riverside Press-Enterprise says Taylor is one of the best hitters he's ever seen and already ranks her as among the best hitters in Inland Empire history. Vista Murrieta, which won its semifinal game 5-0 over Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga, also welcomes back some other top players for next season, such as freshman Sierra Romero and sophomore Katie Tackett.

10.  (9)  Hart (Newhall) 27-5
Rounding out the top 10 is head coach Steve Calendo's Indians, who saw their hopes of a Southern Section Division I title end with a loss to the eventual section champions, Norco, in the semifinals. The Indians opened the season with nine straight wins before going 3-2 at the Nike Faster to First tournament to wrap up their non-league portion of the schedule. Hart then had trouble with Valencia during league play as they lost both games to the Vikings but finished tied for first in the Foothill League with Valencia after not losing to any other team. The Indians then won three straight 1-0 games in the postseason behind the arm of senior Destiny Rodino over Trabuco Hills, Moorpark and Esperanza. Rodino allowed a combined three hits in the three wins with a no-hitter against Esperanza as part of a season that saw her go 26-5 with a 0.75 ERA and 277 strikeouts.

11. (11)  Poly (Riverside) 24-9
In a league filled with great – not just good – pitching (Teagan Gerhart, Natalee Pulver, Kamerin May), the good news for the Bears in that one of the returnees next year will be current soph Desiree Ybarra. Consider that of the nine losses, five came to Big VIII League opponents, including the 5-1 setback to Santiago (Corona) in the CIFSS DI semifinals. Among their wins during the season were victories over No. 2 Norco and No. 8 Santiago (Corona) while rolling to a 10-game winning streak. Coach Vanessa Czarnecki can take solice in how close the Bears came to making the title game and build behind Ybarra. All the lefty did was compile a 20-9 record against some of the best teams in the state, posting a 1.19 ERA with 237 strikeouts in 182 innings. She had 20 complete games, 11 of them shutouts, and no-hit highly respected Edison (Huntington Beach) and Rosary (Fullerton).

12.  (12)  San Benito (Hollister) 27-4
There is no change in the final rankings for Coach Scott Smith's squad, who despite being dissed by the CCS seeding system won a fourth consecutive Division I crown, this time as the third seed. The Balers got solid performances all season from San Francisco State-bound hurler Marissa Ibarra, senior J.C. Clayton, and a host of other girls including sophomore Jessica Steegelman. In the 4-3 section title game win over league-rival Gilroy, Ibarra pitched a complete game victory, just like she did in CCS title games as a freshman, sophomore and junior. Steegleman knocked in three runs with a bases-loaded triple. Clayton was the leading hitter on the team for the season with 57 hits and 21 RBI and a .464 average.

13.  (13)  Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 24-4-1
No one wants to lose a game but the Trojans made sure those few losses came in the middle of the season and not at the end as they ended the season on a seven-game winning streak to capture the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship over Del Oro of Loomis. After a early season loss to Sheldon of Sacramento, the Trojans won 12 straight which included back to back wins over Pleasant Grove and Spanish Springs of Nevada to capture a mid-season tournament championship. Sophomore hurler Kasey Stanchek was nearly unhittable in their postseason run as she allowed just a total of four hits in four games while striking out 41 as she finished her year with a 21-2 record and 0.43 ERA with 276 strikeouts. The Trojans will not only return their ace pitcher for two more years but also this year's leading hitter the next two season as sophomore Jenessa Jeppesen led the team with four homers and 23 RBI.

14. (20)  Tesoro (Las Flores) 27-4
The Titans basically had three mini seasons rolled into one. They were rolling at 19-0 as Orange County's No. 1 ranked team when they stumbled and lost four of their next five games. In that five-game stretch, Tesoro was outscored 39-13, including a bizarre 21-7 loss to a Dana Hills team they defeated 1-0 right before the slide started. Ace Samantha Pappas, bound for Oregon, was shelled in a couple of those losses and had five unearned runs against her in a 8-1 loss to San Clemente, but she got back on track at the right time. The Titans entered the CIFSS Div. III playoffs as a wild card, but
Pappas regained her dominant form and shut out six consecutive playoff opponents, including a 4-0 victory over Glendora in the title game. Rachel Watson hit homers in the season's final two games, including a line drive shot in the first inning that gave Tesoro a 1-0 lead over Glendora. That was all the run support Pappas really needed, as she ended the season with six straight shutouts and 45 consecutive scoreless innings in the circle.

15.  (14)  San Pedro 28-4
For the fourth year in a row and ninth in the last 10 years the Pirates captured the Los Angeles City Section championship but had to do so in come from behind fashion after trailing 6-3 to get a 7-6 victory over Banning. Three of the four losses by the Pirates were against teams they were also defeated on the year. Coach Tony Dobra's team ended the season on a 10-game winning streak that saw them score at least 20 runs in three different games and outscore their opponents by a combined 100-14 margin. The Pirates showed all year long that their entire batting order was dangerous as 10 different players recorded at least 10 RBI with Holly Stevens leading the way with 31 and Hannah Degaetano right behind her with 28 RBI.

16.  (15)  Buchanan (Clovis) 26-7-1
That tie on the Bears' record came in their third game against Stockdale, which ended up being the team they faced in the CIF Central Section Div. I final. Buchanan won that game, 5-3, and benefitted in the final rankings because Bullard of Fresno (which lost in that playoff division to Buchanan in an earlier game) won the prestigious Best of the West tourney in Santa Maria. Bullard was as high as No. 10 overall in the state before losing to the Bears. Buchanan's attack was led by Kelsey Dodd (.389 average, 24 RBI) and Natalie Rendon (0.92 ERA).

17.  (16) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) 26-7
The Broncos could only sit back and watch as Tesoro of the Southern Section knocked them and five other teams down a notch in the final rankings by capturing the Southern Section DIII title. Finishing the season in impressive fashion by shutting out its last three playoff opponents, Coach Steve Kuptz' girls won their last 13 straight games after nothing seemed to work in the Carew Classic starting a five-game skid. Once that ship was righted, there would be no stopping the Broncos, led by junior pitcher-first baseman Laura Winter. On the seaso,n Winter went 19-3 with two saves, striking out 240 while walking just 11. She had nine shutouts and 18 complete games, including four shutouts in the final five games, tossing blanks in 27 straight innings. Oh yes, she also batted .512 with 35 RBI, 27 runs scored and 11 homers, including one in the 1-0 win over El Camino of Oceanside for the title.

18.  (17)  Edison (Huntington Beach) 22-6
The Chargers' run through the postseason was ended pretty quickly as they lost a nine-inning 1-0 game to Poly of Riverside to end their season in the Southern Section Division I quarterfinals. They opened the season on a seven-game winning streak which included the first of two wins they'd record over Marina this season, which they  tied for first with in Sunset League play. The Chargers also picked up a 1-0 win over Ocean View, who only lost five times this season. Alyson Hecht led the pitching staff with 104 innings pitched as she struck out 124 with a 0.88 ERA.

19.  (18)  Canyon (Anaheim) 24-8
Collecting some quality wins along the way, the Comanches won 10 of their last 11 games, taking a 1-0 lead into the top of the seventh inning against Pacifica of Garden Grove)before it all slipped away, 3-1. This is a team that beat Rancho Bernardo, San Diego's best, in the Carew Classic and gave No. 4 Sheldon all it could handle in a 2-0 loss. After edging out El Modena of Orange for the Century League crown, the Comanches kept rolling until that seventh inning. Canyon will be one to watch next spring, however, as only two of the 16 roster players at the end of the season graduate. Star pitcher, Cheyanne Tarango, and .378 batter Shannon Bustillos, both 10th graders this year, lead the returnees.

20.  (19)  Thousand Oaks 25-6
The Lancers were another team that rode the arm of a talented sophomore as Taylor Yamek led them to a Southern Section Division I quarterfinal appearance before having their season end with a loss to Norco. Yamek on the year went 15-5 with a 1.49 ERA while also helping her own cause at the plate finishing second on the team with 17 RBI. Gary Walin's Lancers lost just once in Marmonte League play and defeated Simi Valley twice to take home the championship. They played at the Best of the West tournament and won their first four games before losing to Bullard of Fresno. Paris Shipp led the team in batting average at .344, in home runs with five and RBI with 22.

SPECIAL EXPANDED: NEXT TOP 20

21. Rodriguez (Fairfield) 22-8
We can pretty much guarantee that the Mustangs will be in the top 20 and probably in the top 10 to start next season as just about everyone will be back. This year's team played one of the toughest schedules in the state (one win was over Valencia) and won the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. III title. Junior pitcher Andriana Collins (0.59 ERA) and sophomore shortstop Cheyenne Cordes (.556) led the way.

22. Valencia 25-7
The two-time defending Southern Section Division I champions were an early elimination in this year's postseason play as they lost in the quarterfinals to Poly of Riverside. Playing a tournament filled season, the Vikings defeated Vista Murrieta and Sunrise Mountain of Arizona at the Nike Faster to First and then defeated Rancho Bernardo at the Michelle Carew Classic. Freshman Carly Mortensen went 17-4 in the circle with a 1.15 ERA and had 160 strikeouts.

23. Notre Dame (Belmont) 27-8
Much like their counterparts from San Benito, which won the CCS D1 title, the Tigers were also overlooked by the CCS seeding system. Despite being only third-seeded, first-year Coach George Silvey's squad still won its second CCS Division III title in the past three years with a 4-1 victory over Stevenson of Pebble Beach.

24. Mt. Carmel (San Diego) 27-5
Winning 12 straight games to end the season, the Sundevils made it tough on themselves by losing the CIFSDS playoff opener. Coming back through the losers' bracket, the Sundevils rolled to their third straight DII title. Although all-everything second baseman Maggie Doremus graduates, the Sundevils will build behind star pitcher Briana Williams (24-5, 1.30 ERA).

25. Presentation (San Jose) 26-6-1
Being in the same league as Mitty and Notre Dame of Belmont pretty much sealed the Panthers' fate. Of their losses, three are to Mitty and one is to ND Belmont, and another is a non-league loss to San Benito. They did have a win over ND Belmont and also ND Salinas, plus Wilcox of Santa Clara.

26. Esperanza (Anaheim) 19-14-1
Coach Ed Tunstall's Aztecs struggled with consistency this season but picked up some impressive wins over Sunrise Mountain of Arizona and eventual Sac-Joaquin Section Division I champions Pleasant Grove at the Nike Faster to First. In the postseason, they defeated Mater Dei and El Modena before having the season come to an end with a loss to Hart in the Southern Section Division I quarterfinals. Kailyn Johnson led the Aztecs in multiple offensive categories as she hit .469 with 36 RBI and six homers.

27. El Modena (Orange) 22-10
Some might wonder: 10 losses? Playing Sheldon, Freedom of Oakley, Mater Dei of Santa Ana, Canyon of Anaheim twice, Valencia and Esperanza twice can do bad things to your record. Beating Esperanza, Marina of Huntington Beach, Rodriguez and Canyon is why the Vanguards are here. With only two seniors on the roster, look for El Modena to move up next year.

28. Notre Dame (Salinas) 26-6
The Spirits beat their league rival San Benito three times this season and it was looking like a Notre Dame vs. Notre Dame showdown in the CCS D3 title tilt until California's second winningest softball Coach Joe Given's team was upset by 2-1 by Stevenson in the semis. This team also only lost 1-0 in a game against Mitty.

29. Bullard (Fresno) 21-7
The Knights started out just 1-3 and were just 7-6 when they went to Santa Maria for the elite Best of the West tourney and came home with a first-place finish. Coach Jaime Maxey's team then stretched its win streak to 15 games before falling to Buchanan in the playoffs. Since Bullard also had a win earlier vs. the Bears, they can be the next team out of the Central Section to be listed in the state rankings.

30. Marina (Huntington Beach) 22-6
The Vikings finished tied for first in the Sunset League with Edison before an early first-round exit in the playoffs after losing to Pacifica. They started the season with four wins and had a season best nine-game winning streak down the stretch before losing three of their last four. Taysia Kaufman had a 1.19 ERA in 118 innings pitched while Jamie Sullivan recorded a 0.55 ERA in 38 innings in the circle.

31. Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 20-5-1
It's not easy to beat a good team twice. Just ask the Monarchs, who were ushered out of the Southern Section DI playoffs by an Esperanza of Anaheim team they had beaten earlier, 4-1. Shutout wins over Los Alamitos and El Modena of Orange were big as senior Brittany Schutte (.447) led the way with freshman pitcher Brianne Matthews (14-4, 138 Ks) reason to look ahead.  

32. Los Alamitos 23-9
A good majority of the Griffins' losses this season came to teams who will end the season ranked among the top 40 in the state as they were challenged early and often. At the Tournament of Champions, they went 4-1 and defeated Poly of Riverside and Foothill of Santa Ana with their loss coming to Norco. Los Al opened up the Southern Section Division II playoffs with a win against Simi Valley before a second- round loss to Santiago of Corona.

33. Sutter 34-0
It's hard to say how good the Huskies may have been as their schedule lacked marquee wins like so many others ranked ahead of them. For a small school from the Northern Section, though, we think they dominated enough to at least get into the top 35 of the expanded rankings. On the year, the Huskies outscored their opponents by a 227-7 margin behind the arm of Oregon-bound Jessica Moore. She picked up every win as she struck out 504 in 210 innings with a 0.17 ERA and also led the team with 44 RBI and eight homers.  

34. Stockdale (Bakersfield) 21-8-1
The runner-up to Buchanan of Clovis in the Central Section Div. I playoffs posted earlier playoff wins over Clovis West and Central of Fresno. The Mustangs also defeated Centennial of Bakersfield twice after losing to the Golden Hawks early in the season. Stockdale pitcher Justine Vela had a no-hitter against Clovis West and was more than the equal to Florida-bound standout Ensley Gammel of Centennial. The team had an 11-game win streak snapped before running into Buchanan in the final.

35. Parker (San Diego) 25-4
Four for four -- a highly successful day at the plate for any batter. For four Lancer seniors, it was four San Diego Section DIV titles in four years with record-setting pitcher Amye McIntyre leading the way. McIntyre finished with 951 career Ks, a San Diego Section record, and plenty of championship hardware after the 6-3 win over Christian of El Cajon capped off the season. After Rancho Bernardo and Mt. Carmel, this was the San Diego Union-Tribune's No. 3-ranked team.

36. El Camino (Oceanside) 24-7
It's tough enough to win a section title but going through the losers' bracket is especially difficult. The Wildcats almost pulled it off behind pitcher Naomi Amu and .400 hitter Olive Naotala, but lost to Rancho Bernardo in the CIFSDS DI title game, 1-0. El Camino beat RB earlier, 1-0, as well as Esperanza of Anaheim, 4-0, and counted quality losses to Mt. Carmel, Norco and Canyon of Anaheim.

37. Redlands 23-8
After winning nine straight games, the last five without allowing a run, the Terriers found out what it was like on the other side as they could not score in a tough 1-0 loss to No. 6 Etiwanda in the Southern Section DII playoffs, ending their season. It was the second loss to No. 6 Etiwanda. Redlands also had close setbacks to No. 8 Santiago (5-4) and No. 31 Mater Dei (4-3) during the season.  

38. Tulare Western (Tulare) 27-7
Division II in the Central Section seems underrated to us at times, which was shown when Lemoore won the NorCal Classic title in April over a field that included Oak Ridge and Notre Dame-Belmont. Tulare Western emerged as the champion this year in that division with a 3-2 win over Golden West of Visalia in the final. MacKenzie Mendonca had a .455 batting average and 30 RBI at the plate while Brianne Hardman had a 0.91 ERA in 193 innings in the circle.

39. Pinole Valley (Pinole) 24-3
How about those Spartan girls, who crack the final rankings after scoring an unearned run in the sixth inning and holding on for a 1-0 victory over Montgomery of Santa Rosa in the NCS Division II title game? Coach and alum Tiffany Valdehueza's squad was led by the junior battery duo of pitcher Veronica Kersten and catcher Nicole Kuykendall. Kersten was 16-2 with a 0.52 ERA and 152 strikeouts. She also hit .532 with four home runs and 32 RBI. Kuykendall hit .702 with four homers, 23 doubles and 44 RBI.

40. Pacifica (Garden Grove) 24-11
The Mariners started the season 0-4 but were playing great when it meant the most as they won the Empire League and won 13 straight games before a quarterfinal loss to Santiago of Corona to end their season. At the Nike Faster to First, they picked up a 6-1 win over Simi Valley and opened the Michelle Carew Classic with a 7-1 win over Los Alamitos. Krystian De Witt struck out 142 batters with a 1.03 ERA doing most of the work in the circle this season for the Mariners.

Dropped Out From Previous Top 20:
None.

Note: Check out our final divisional state softball rankings for more teams that would be on the bubble if the season was still in progress.

Comments or corrections? Email mark@studentsports.com and be sure to leave a comment so others can check out what you have to say.