High school softball rankings: Orange Beach, Calvary Baptist Academy and Norco headline way-too-early MaxPreps Top 25 for 2026-27

Orange Beach is led by returning starters in the MaxPreps National Second of the Year, MK McMullan and outstanding Jayde Palmer and Taylor Poland. The Makos won their sixth straight state championship last season.

Calvary Baptist Academy is the reigning national champion and winner of six straight state championships. The Cavaliers return almost their entire lineup, including the All-American Baylor Bockhaus. The class of 2028 has 61 home runs in her high school career, including 21 in 2026.

In total, teams from 14 countries are represented. Texas leads with five selections, including No. 4 Barber Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas).

2025-26: 46-1, no. 4 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Ava Hodo, Katie King, Teagan Revette
Notable Returners: MK McMullan, Jayde Palmer, Taylor Poland
The Makos lose several All-American selections, but return their ace along with key pieces of the lineup.

2. Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport, La.)
2025-26: 37-1, no. 1 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Kynzee Anderson
Notable Returners: Baylor Bockhaus, Mallory Carver, Carly Guile
The Cavaliers return every hitter from a lineup that hit 66 home runs and won a national championship, but will have to replace national player of the year Anderson in the circle.

3. Norco (California)
2025-26: 28-3, no. 12 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Peyton May, Sasha Pham
Notable Returners: Savannah Gonzalez, Leighton Gray, Coral Williams
The Cougars lost three games by a combined five innings in 2026 and return All-American pitcher Williams.

4. Barber Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas)
2025-26: 41-5, no. 3 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: AshLynn Cooper
Notable Returners: Matthias Bryant, Zoey Hood, Izzy Lawrence
The state champions return eight starters in their lineup along with All-American Bryant.

5. Kenton Ridge (Springfield, Ohio)
2025-26: 32-0, no. 7 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Annie Fincham, Brenna Fyffe, Kendall Massie
Notable Returners: JJ Davis, Kendall Glass, Ivee Rastatter
The Cougars lose the star, but return several All-American selections from the undefeated team.

6. Melissa (Texas)
2025-26: 33-4, no. 11 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Kennedy Bradley, Hattie Winter
Notable Returners: Hutton Adrian, Eloisa Maes, Finlee Williams
Despite losing several big players, the Cardinals return a lineup full of Division I commits with state championship experience.

7. South Warren (Bowling Green, Ky.)
2025-26: 45-0. No. 5 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: McLaine Hudson, Layla Ogden, Parker Willoughby
Notable Returners: Kalie Kuzma, Courtney Norwood, Keagan Pruitt
The Spartans haven’t lost since 2025 and are loaded with young talent that contributed to an undefeated state championship campaign.

8. Ponderosa (Shingle Springs, California)
2025-26: 27-1, no. 24 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Haley Warney
Notable Returners: Trinidad Fuss, Lauren Klomp, Kate McCartney
The Bruins return three of the best players in the class in the country, along with nearly the rest of their lineup and staff.

9. Gray College Academy (West Columbia, SC)
2025-26: 33-0, no. 6 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Mackenzie Bradley, Aspen Boulware
Notable Returners: Georgia Gilliam, Peyton Hendrix, Mackenzie Sease
The War Eagles graduate one of the best players in the country in Boulware, but return nearly every starter, including Sease.

10. Katy (Texas)
2025-26: 40-5, no. 8 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: EK Smith, Maddie Smith, Read Waugh
Notable Returners: Nevaeh Phillips, Haley Schmitt, Evie Willemssen
Auburn pledge Willemssen enters her senior season after hitting 26 bombs last year, and Schmitt is back after posting a 0.59 ERA as a freshman.

11. Mater Dei Catholic (Chula Vista, California)
2025-26: 31-3, no. 16 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Gigi Flores, Bella Harris, Liana Quinones
Notable Returners: Maya Matthias, Reach Romero, Sunny Sosa
The season ended with a title and a 10-game hitting streak with Arizona, leading Romero to lead the way in the circle.

12. Rhythm (Fla.)
2025-26: 27-4, no. 13 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Britten Kettler, Ashley Pickard, Kamryn Pierce
Notable Returners: Hannah DeMarcus, Kennedy Franz, Gracie Ueberroth
The Patriots are led by Auburn commit DeMarcus, who threw 315 tackles as a junior.

13. Taunton (Mass.)
2025-26: 26-1, no. 15 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Mia Torres
Notable Returners: Aniyah Bailey, Bella Bourque, Kaylee Lopes
The Tigers bring in star Bourque in search of another state title.

14. Midway (Waco, Texas)
2025-26: 35-6-1, no. 17 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Camryn Carter, Amaya Locke, Tierra Ramos
Notable Returners: Lilly Davis, Taylor Kasten, Peyton Phillips
Baylor commit Philipp is a senior after winning 27 games and hitting 12 home runs in 2025.

15. Lake Creek (Montgomery, Texas)
2025-26: 40-1, no. 2 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Madalyn Davis, Abby Estay, Sarah Wiggins
Notable Returners: Nowak the cat, Annelise Torres

The Lions return plenty of power in catcher Nowak, while Torres adds a strong bat and a dominant handle on defense.

17. Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.)
2025-26: 46-3-2, no. 19 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Morgan Adolphus, Kadyn Bush, Blakely Davis
Notable Returners: Kelsey Burden, Crimson Calhoun, Angel of autumn
The Warriors won 46 games and reached back-to-back state titles as youth flourished.

18. Marist (Chicago, Ill.)
2025-26: 37-2, no. 20 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Ellie Holmstrom, Rylee O’Connor, Jacklyn Pigatto
Notable Returners: Layla Peters, Soleil Tate, Layla Termunde
The veterans return as the RedHawks seek redemption after losing 2-1 in the state semifinals.

19. Summerville (SC)
2025-26: 30-1, no. 14 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Daphne Frady, Katie Gulliam, Delaney Hayes
Notable Returners: Natalie Farlow, summer knight Maeven Moreno
The South Carolina powerhouse has returnees ready to play as the Green Wave aim to defend their state title.

20. Weddington (Matthews, NC)
2025-26: 27-0, no. 10 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Ciara Blakeney, Reece Lindsay, Joe Thomas
Notable Returners: Grayson Bopp, Maddie Diaz, Samantha Shipley
Weddington returns several starters, but will have to replace star Thomas from an undefeated team.

21. Hernando (Miss)
2025-26: 32-5, no. 22 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Molly Anderson, Callie Desmond, Katelyn Kirkpatrick
Notable Returners: Kaitlyn Gentry, Graycin Higginbotham, Olivia Skinner
The Tigers bring back a strong core from the team that won the thrilling state title game 9-7.

22. High Point Christian Academy (High Point, NC)
2025-26: 23-3, no. 23 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: Hailey Allred, Lila Allread
Notable Returners: Blakely Bowman, Paisley Dixon, Kerry Langfitt
The Cougars return the heavy hitting and ace in the circle from the state title team.

23. Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
2025-26: 31-5, no. 25 in the MaxPreps Top 25 final
Visible loss: ANY
Notable Returners: Mackenzie LatviaSaria McNabb, Sydney Root
Root dominated as a pitcher and hitter as a sophomore for a state title team.

24. La Salle Academy (Providence, RI)
2025-26: 24-2
Visible loss: Elle Kershaw, Samantha For Sale, Hailey Vigneau
Notable Returners: Erin Moran, Sophia Morgan, Nikki Pallotta
Top hitters return for state championship unit that averaged nearly 10 runs per game.

25. DH Conley (Greenville, NC)
2025-26: 25-4, No. 21 in the final MaxPreps Top 25
Visible loss: Ava Gaddis, Lena Zurface
Notable Returners: Sarah Booth, Harper Bradley, Kendall Howard
Workhorse Howard is back after winning 20 games for the Vikings as a junior.