It all went poof for defending Class 6A state champion Columbia of Lake City, Fla., in last weekend’s regional finals.

Most in the state had the Fighting Tigers as the top-ranked overall team, thanks primarily to a 28-1 overall record, a title at the prestigious Kissimmee Klassic and having players such as pitcher Erin Anderson and first baseman Kayli Kvistad, the 2013 Class 6A Player of the Year and a Florida recruit.

With another Florida state title and a possible 31-1 final record, Columbia (which was No. 12 in last year’s final FAB 50) had risen to No. 5 in this year’s FAB 50 as of last week and conceivably could have had a shot to finish No. 1.

Instead, coach Jimmy Williams and his girls will be absent from this year’s state final four after a 3-0 upset loss to Creekside of Jacksonville.

Although Creekside has five losses on the season and is not yet nationally ranked, its pitcher, senior Sami Hayes, has been on a roll and tossed her fourth straight shutout to handcuff the Fighting Tigers. Offensively, Creekside got all it needed from sophomore Hannah Dekle, who hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning.

Florida softball, in fact, will be wrapped up by this weekend. In some years, a winner in one of the divisions also has wrapped up a mythical FAB 50 national title. That isn’t the case this season but Ponte Vedra in Class 5A could finish 30-0.

The extra difficulty in ranking Florida teams is that they tend not to face each other in the state playoffs. It’s not quite like the Texas Class 5A playoffs or California’s CIF Southern Section Division I or Division II  playoffs. Instead, the top teams are spread out in different divisions.

Creekside will be in this week’s Class 6A semifinals. Ponte Vedra probably has American Heritage of Plantation (23-6) to worry about the most in 5A. The big matchup that could take place if both teams win in the semifinals would be in Saturday’s Class 7A championship between St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale and Harmony. St. Thomas is No. 7 in this week’s FAB 50 while Harmony is No. 9.

Here are this week’s rankings:

(Previous ranking listed in parentheses)

(Through reported results of Saturday, May 3)

*Indicates forfeit wins, losses not included.

 ***

1.    (1) Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, Calif.) 18-0

2.    (2) Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.) 20-0

3.    (3) Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.) 24-0

4.    (4) Cinco Ranch (Katy, Texas) 28-1

5.    (8) The Woodlands (Conroe, Texas) 32-2

6.    (6) Ponte Vedra (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) 28-0

7.    (9) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 28-2

8.    (7) Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas) 29-0

9.    (11) Harmony (Harmony, Fla.) 26-2

10.  (10) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 23-1

11.  (12) Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 30-1

12.  (13) Verrado (Buckeye, Ariz.) 25-2-1

13.  (14) Cypress-Fairbanks (Cypress, Texas) 28-1

14.  (15) Lebanon (Lebanon, Ohio) 21-0

15.  (16) Halls (Knoxville, Tenn.) 38-2

16.  (17) Sparkman (Harvest, Ala.) 56-3-2*

17.  (29) Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) 20-4-1

18.  (18) Olathe East (Olathe, Kan.) 10-0

19.  (20) Vacaville (Vacaville, Calif.) 22-0-1

20.  (21) West Florida (Pensacola, Fla.) 26-1

21.  (22) Immaculate Heart (Washington Township, N.J.) 19-0

22.  (23) Sahuaro (Tucson, Ariz.) 24-3-1

23.  (24) Brazoswood (Clute, Texas) 27-3

24.  (25) Alhambra (Martinez, Calif.) 17-2

25.  (26) Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.) 14-0

26.  (28) Deer Park (Deer Park, Texas) 31-4

27.  (32) Mauldin (Mauldin, S.C.) 26-0

28.  (36) Manteno (Manteno, Ill.) 27-0

29.  (37) North Davidson (Lexington, N.C.) 24-0

30.  (NR) Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, Calif.) 18-3

31.  (31) Sherwood (Sandy Spring, Md.) 16-0

32.  (34) Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) 21-4

33.  (35) John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) 25-2

34.  (38) Esperanza (Anaheim, Calif.) 20-4

35.  (40) Hoover (North Canton, Ohio) 17-2

36.  (45) O’Connor (Phoenix, Ariz.) 26-4

37.  (44) Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) 18-3

38.  (47) Red Mountain (Mesa, Ariz.) 24-5-1

39.  (39) LaGrange (LaGrange, Texas) 33-1

40.  (19) M.L. King (Riverside, Calif.) 20-4

41.  (41) Gibbs (Corryton, Tenn.) 28-4

42.  (42) Tahoma (Kent, Wash.) 18-0

43.  (43) Bay City Western (Auburn, Mich.) 16-0

44.  (33) Santiago (Corona, Calif.) 22-4

45.  (48) P.K. Yonge (Gainesville, Fla.) 24-3

46.  (46) Southington (Southington, Conn.) 9-0

47.  (50) Bloomingdale (Valrico, Fla.) 25-2

48.  (NR) Chamberlain (Tampa, Fla.) 26-3

49.  (NR) Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) 20-1

50.  (30) Clovis (Clovis, Calif.) 27-2

Dropped Out: Previous No. 5 Columbia (Lake City, Fla.); No. 27 South Salem (Salem, Ore.); No. 49 Camas (Camas, Wash.).

 

Teams On The Bubble

• American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 23-6
• Baker (Mobile, Ala.) 58-4
• Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 25-3-1
• Bloom-Carroll (Carroll, Ohio) 17-2
• Chino (Chino, Calif.) 21-4-1
• Chopticon (Morganza, Md.) 15-1
• Columbia (Lake City, Fla.) 28-2 (season complete)
• Creekside (Jacksonville, Fla.) 21-5
• Downer’s Grove South (Downer’s Grove, Ill.) 20-1
• Eastern Tech (Baltimore, Md.) 18-0
• Flower Mound (Flower Mound, Texas) 25-6-1
• Hagerty (Oviedo, Fla.) 27-4
• Gilbert (Gilbert, Ariz.) 24-6
• Greenwood (Bowling Green, Ky.) 25-2-1
• Indian Hills (Oakland, N.J.) 18-0
• Lewisville (Lewisville, Texas) 23-7
• Lincoln-Way West (New Lenox, Ill.) 20-1
• Marysville (Marysville, Ohio) 18-1
• McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.) 26-4
• Middle Creek (Apex, N.C.) 15-1
• Portage Central (Portage, Mich.) 22-2
• South Salem (Salem, Ore.) 20-1
• Sunrise Mountain (Peoria, Ariz.) 21-3
• Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.) 18-4