High School Top 25 Poll
Fort Bend Elkins High School (Missouri City, Texas) is ranked No. 1 in the first release of the USA Today/NFCA National High School Softball Poll.
Head coach James McClanahan's Knights looks to be the favorite in a crowded Texas 5A race. The team features three Division I signees. Ragan Blake went 29-2 last season with 282 strikeouts in 151 innings and has signed with Mississippi State. Shortstop Jamie Hinshaw stole 25 bases, hit a .480 clip and has signed with Big XII power Texas A&M, while catcher Erin Howe is headed to Stanford after hitting .434 last season.
Flowing Wells (Tucson, Ariz.) shares the same ranking as their cross-town collegiate team, Arizona. The second-ranked Cadalleros also feature a trio of Division I signees, led by Texas-bound pitcher Desiree Williams. Williams went 27-4 last season and also hit .440 for FWHS.
Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.), who finished No. 2 in last year's final poll, checks in at No. 3 in this week's poll. The Mariners lost several key players to graduation, but return their top pitcher in Brittany Weil. Weil, the daughter of PHS coach Rob Weil, went 28-2 last season and compiled a 0.32 ERA.
Clovis (Clovis, Calif.) is No. 4 after losing just one starter (Nichole Willis, Fresno State) from last season. Hillcrest (Simpsonville, S.C.) is ranked fifth. The Rams are currently on a 77-game winning streak.
Bartow (Bartow, Fla,), last year's No. 1 team, is off to a 7-0 start this season. The Yellowjackets begin the season ranked No. 6. They are followed by Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), Santiago (Corona, Calif.), Cactus (Glendale, Ariz.) and La Porte (La Porte, Texas).
Two-time defending Louisiana 5A champion St. Amant (St. Amant, La.) is ranked No. 11. St. Amant lost only one player from last season, and return three first-team all state selections. Hollywood Christian (Hollywood, Fla.) is 12th, while Freedom (Oakley, Calif.), Crowley (Crowley, Texas) and St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) round out the top 15.
Defending Texas 5A champion Keller (Keller, Texas) and national coach of the year Moe Fritz begin the season ranked No. 16. KHS lost its top pitcher and hitter to graduation last season, but look to have a solid nucleus returning in 2004. Owensboro Catholic (Owensboro, Ky.), Eau Gallie (Melboure, Fla.), Notre Dame (Salinas, Calif.) and St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.) are the next four ranked teams.
Baker (Mobile, Ala.) is off to a national-best 22-0 start, and checks in at No. 21. The last four ranked teams are Carroll (Southlake, Texas), Miami Palmetto (Pinecrest, Fla.), Brighton (Brighton, Mich.) and Norco (Norco, Calif.).
