In advance of this year’s preseason FAB 50 rankings being launched, we go back a decade to see what teams and players were the best in the year that George W. Bush was the President and Mean Girls and The Notebook were playing in the movie theaters.

In looking at the final 2004 FAB 50 rankings from 10 years ago we see several familiar school names that are still powerhouses today, especially in California, including Santiago (Corona), which finished No. 2 in last year’s final FAB 50, Norco (No. 10) and Pacifica of Garden Grove (No. 11).

You’ll also recognize some names of players like Kim Reeder (Ohio State), Rachel Mitchell (LSU) and Mindy Cowles (Arizona State) who went on to have success at the collegiate level.

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Notes: Includes final won-loss record and preseason ranking in parentheses.

1. Elkins (Fort Bend, Texas) 39-0 (1)
Going 39-0 is one thing, but doing it as the preseason No. 1 team in the nation with all the extra pressure that it brings is something else.

2. Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) 31-2 (5)
One of the losses that the Mariners suffered was by 1-0 to No. 1 Elkins at the Arizona Tournament of Champions. They also went unbeaten against fellow California squads en route to a second straight CIF Southern Section Div. III title.

3. Santiago (Corona, Calif.) 28-3 (9)
The Sharks have a strong case that they should have been No. 1 in California ahead of Pacifica. They won the much stronger CIF Southern Section Div. II title (compared to Div. III) and they also had two wins and three wins, respectively, over the only teams they lost to, which were league rivals Norco and Corona.

4. Cactus (Glendale, Ariz.) 38-0 (8)
If the Cobras had won the Class 5A state title with that record instead of Class 4A, they would have perhaps pushed Elkins for the No. 1 ranking.

5. Tomball (Tomball, Texas) 31-3 (36)
What do top-ranked Texas teams Garland, Marshall of San Antonio and Rockwall all have in common? They all lost to Tomball in the Class 5A playoffs and the Cougars also were the ones who played and lost to Elkins in the title game.

6. Bartow (Bartow, Fla.) 31-1 (7)
This school is now 63-1-1 over the last two seasons and has won five state titles in eight years.

7. St. Amant (St. Amant, La.) 38-1-2 (22)
Leah Heintze was the team’s pitching ace and will return for her senior season next year.

8. Notre Dame (Salinas, Calif.) 31-1 (18)
Junior standout Kim Reeder led the Spirits to their seventh straight CIF Central Coast Section title, this year in Div. III. The only loss broke a 50-game winning streak, one of the longest in California history.

9. La Porte (La Porte, Texas) 30-2 (6)
Rachel Mitchell and Tiffany Garcia were all-state team picks from the Bulldogs, who were ranked among the top three in the state all year in Class 5A and were a loser to Elkins in the Region III final.

10. Hillcrest (Simpsonville, S.C.) 33-2 (10)
The Rams won their third straight Class AAAAA title by sweeping South Florence in a best of three finals’ series. Kate Pouliot was 19-2 for team that won 94 straight games before losing.

11. Central Cabarrus (Concord, N.C.) 32-1 (nr)
This team’s lone loss came to South Carolina champ Hillcrest by 1-0 in late March.

12. Garland (Garland, Texas) 24-2 (nr)
The Owls fell to Tomball in the Class 5A Region II semifinals. Stacy Braddock and Brittney Cargill earned all-state honors.

13. Hollywood Christian (Hollywood, Fla.) 31-1 (nr)
The Class 2A state champions defeated Lakeland McKeel Academy, 5-0, in the finals on a three-hitter by Angel Shamblin, who ended 18-0 with a 0.00 ERA.

14. Southwest Miami (Miami, Fla.) 28-3 (nr)
The Class 6A state champions downed Cypress Bay, 8-0, in their title game on a one-hit, 12-strikeout effort from Melissa Penna.

15. Freedom (Oakley, Calif.) 28-4 (13)
Sophomore pitcher Amanda Williams hurled back-to-back no-hitters as the Falcons blanked Foothill of Pleasanton and Newark Memorial to win their third straight CIF North Coast Section Class 3A championship.

16. Elk Grove (Elk Grove, Calif.) 34-1 (nr)
This is the new kid on the block on the California scene after a 34-1 season that saw the Thundering Herd win the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I title.

17. St. John Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.) 33-0 (nr)
Coach Aado Kommendant (one of the best names for a coach we’ve ever seen) and his squad wrapped up the best season in Garden State history with a 1-0 win over Mount St. Dominic in the Parochial Class A state tourney.

18. Poly (Riverside, Calif.) 25-5 (nr)
Mindy Cowles was one of the best pitchers/hitters in California this season and led the Bears to the CIF Southern Section Div. I title.

19. Deer Valley (Glendale, Ariz.) 29-6 (nr)
The Cruickshank sisters, sophomore Kristen, a pitcher, and senior Kailey, a catcher, led the Skyhawks to the Class 5A state title. Was it a case of the Cruickshank Redemption?

20. University (Palm Harbor, Fla.) 28-3 (nr)
The Hurricanes defeated perennial power Naples, 1-0, in the Class 5A state final to win their second title in the school’s seven-year history.

21. Carlmont (Belmont, Calif.) 33-2 (nr)
Under California’s all-time winningest coach, Jim Liggett, the Scots have now won three CIF Central Coast Section titles in the last four years.

22. Bloomingdale (Valrico, Fla.) 28-3 (nr)
This team’s playoff loss was by 1-0 to eventual champion Southwest Miami in the Class 6A state semifinals.

23. Norco (Norco, Calif.) 25-5 (21)
BYU-bound Daniela Urincho led the Cougars to a pair of wins over No. 3 Santiago in the Mountain View League of the CIF Southern Section, undoubtedly the best league in the nation this season.

24. Lake Central (St. John, Ind.) 29-3 (nr)
Outfielder Alyssa Duncan smashed a walkoff three-run homer in the bottom of the 12th inning to give Lake Central a 4-1 victory over defending champ Center Grove in the Class 4A state final.

25. Regina (Harper Woods, Mich.) 38-2 (nr)
This team denied perennial power Portage Northern a fourth state title in five years with a 5-2 win in the largest class title game.

THE NEXT 25 IN ORDER:

26. Westview (Beaverton, Ore.) 28-3 (27)
27. Beaverton (Beaverton, Ore.) 28-1 (nr)
28. Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.) 38-4-1 (19)
29. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) 34-2 (23)
30. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 26-5-2 (3)
31. Southington (Southington, Conn.) 24-0 (nr)
32. Naples (Naples, Fla.) 29-3 (32)
33. Stevens Point (Stevens Point, Wis.) 25-1 (nr)
34. Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.) 28-4 (14)
35. Alamagordo (Alamagordo, N.M.) 25-3 (nr)
36. St. Ursula (Toledo, Ohio) 27-4 (nr)
37. Lockport Township (Lockport, Ill.) 35-5 (nr)
38. East (Olathe, Kan.) 24-1 (nr)
39. East Fairmont (Fairmont, W.Va.) 30-1 (nr)
40. Goodpasture (Madison, Tenn.) 43-5 (25)
41. Stonewall Jackson (Manassas, Va.) 27-2 (nr)
42. Keystone (LaGrange, Ohio) 31-3 (24)
43. Paschal (Fort Worth, Texas) 27-6 (nr)
44. Marshall (San Antonio, Texas) 33-3 (nr)
45. Corona (Corona, Calif.) 23-9 (nr)
46. Eagle (Eagle, Idaho) 28-3 (nr)
47. Portage Northern (Portage, Mich.) 36-6-1 (nr)
48. San Pedro (San Pedro, Calif.) 29-3 (nr)
49. Barrington (Barrington, Ill.) 37-5 (nr)
50. Cedar Park (Cedar Park, Texas) 31-5 (nr)