FAB 50 High School Rankings - 3/16/2016

There’s no question that the Los Alamitos High softball team put up monster numbers in winning last weekend’s prestigious Dave Kops Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Ariz.

The Griffins outscored their foes 30-1 in five games and won in the championship game, 11-1, over Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.). Maryland commit Ryan Denhart was stellar in the circle all weekend for head coach Rob Weil’s team, striking out 39 and won all four of her starts.

Mater Dei, which advanced to the title game by beating two-time defending champ Mission Viejo in the semifinals, also had a difficult time with Los Al’s hitters. Mary Iakopo, Caitie Ladd, and Jade Lowe all hit home runs in that contest.

Despite the impressive showing, there’s still a valid reason why Los Al did not jump all the way to No. 1 in this week’s FAB 50 national rankings, which is the first for the 2016 regular season. That is because the preseason No. 1 team for the Cal-Hi Sports state rankings and in the FAB 50, Pioneer of San Jose (Calif.), also has not lost so far this season and in the FAB 50 system No. 1 teams do not drop if they keep on winning.

Heading into Tuesday, Pioneer had only played four games to start the season and all were routes of outclassed competition. On Tuesday, however, it was discovered that a last-second matchup had been set up between the Mustangs and Amador Valley of Pleasanton, Calif.

Both Pioneer and Amador Valley were nationally ranked all of last season and both of the team’s top pitchers – junior Holly Azevedo (UCLA) and sophomore Danielle Williams – were in the circle. Pioneer plated three early runs and despite Williams getting a two-run single off of Azevedo in the top of the seventh the Mustangs held on for a 3-2 triumph.

With the way these seasons go, it could be that Tuesday’s win by Pioneer over Amador Valley may wind up as the one that determined the FAB 50 national title.

--- By Mark Tennis (Editor, CalHiSports.com)

***

(After games of Saturday, March 12)
(Some results from this week already accounted for)
(Preseason ranking in parentheses)

1.  (1)  Pioneer (San Jose, Calif.) 5-0

2.  (21) Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos, Calif.) 8-0

3.  (50) Oakleaf (Orange Park, Fla.) 17-0

4.  (NR) Guyer (Denton, Texas) 18-0

5.  (39) Etiwanda (Etiwanda, Calif.) 12-0

6.  (37) American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 11-0

7.  (6) Newsome (Lithia, Fla.) 14-0

8.  (9) North Davidson (Lexington, N.C.) 8-0

9.  (NR) Pinnacle (Phoenix, Ariz.) 14-1

10.  (10) Eagle (Eagle, Idaho) 3-0

11.  (14) Curry (Jasper, Ala.) 8-0

12.  (NR) Plano West (Plano, Texas) 9-1

13.  (NR) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 7-1

14.  (23) Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, Calif.) 6-1

15.  (15) Crown Point (Crown Point, Ind.) 0-0

16.  (2) Deer Park (Deer Park, Texas) 21-2

17.  (25) Coral Springs Charter (Coral Springs, Fla.) 14-1

18.  (8) Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.) 0-1

19.  (38) Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.) 6-0

20.  (19) Teas Valley (Asheville, Ohio) 0-0

21.  (NR) LaGrange (LaGrange, Texas) 19-1

22.  (20) Penn (Mishawauka, Ind.) 0-0

23.  (NR) Gainesville (Gainesville, Fla.) 14-1

24.  (NR) West Orange (Winter Garden, Fla.) 14-1

25.  (4) Norco (Norco, Calif.) 8-2

26.  (27) Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.) 0-0

27.  (NR) San Benito (San Benito, Texas) 13-0

28.  (7) Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) 4-3

29.  (33) McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.) 3-0

30.  (28) Sherwood (Sandy Springs, Md.) 0-0

31.  (NR) Canyon del Oro (Tucson, Ariz.) 12-1-1

32.  (NR) Ironwood Ridge (Glendale, Ariz.) 11-1

33.  (29) Oak Park-River Forest (Oak Park, Ill.) 0-0

34.  (30) Lakewood (Hebron, Ohio) 0-0

35.  (34) St. Mary’s Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.) 0-0

36.  (NR) Murrieta Valley (Murrieta, Calif.) 5-1

37.  (36) O’Connell (Arlington, Va.) 1-0

38.  (41) Baylor School (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 3-0

39.  (42) East Union (Manteca, Calif.) 4-0

40.  (40) Keystone (La Grange, Ohio) 0-0

41.  (NR) Tate (Cantonment, Fla.) 14-1

42.  (NR) Desert Ridge (Mesa, Ariz.) 11-1

43.  (43) Reed (Sparks, Nev.) 0-0

44.  (NR) West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.) 7-0

45.  (45) Tahoma (Kent, Wash.) 0-0

46.  (NR) Kingwood (Kingwood, Texas) 20-3

47.  (11) Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 16-2

48.  (47) Parkland (Allentown, Pa.) 0-0

49.  (49) Westview (Portland, Ore.) 0-0

50.  (NR) Conley (Greenville, N.C.) 6-0

***

Dropped Out From Preseason Rankings:
Previous No. 3 Baker County (Glen St. Mary’s, Fla.); No. 5 Katy (Texas); No. 12 Forest (Ocala, Fla.); No. 13 Horizon (Scottsdale, Ariz.); No. 17 Lutheran (Orange, Calif.); No. 18 O’Connor (Phoenix, Ariz.); No. 22 West Forsythe (Clemmons, N.C.); No. 24 Midway (Waco, Texas); No. 26 Lewisville (Texas); No. 31 Grand Terrace (Calif.); No. 32 Pearland (Texas); No. 35 Sam Houston (Lake Charles, La.); No. 44 Cienega (Vail, Ariz.); No. 46 Yucaipa (Calif.); No. 48 Mountain Ridge (Glendale, Ariz.).

Teams On The Bubble:

• Alhambra (Martinez, Calif.) 0-0
• Bishop Amat (La Puente, Calif.) 4-1
• Campbell (Ewa Beach, Hawaii) 3-0
• Cape Fear (Fayetteville, N.C.) 6-0
• Eastlake (Chula Vista, Calif.) 6-1
• Eastlake (El Paso, Texas) 16-0
• Elyria (Elyria, Ohio) 0-0
• Enumclaw (Enumclaw, Wash.) 0-0
• Hallsville (Hallsville, Texas) 12-0
• Lady Bird Johnson (San Antonio, Texas) 11-1
• Lake Region (Eagle Lake, Fla.) 14-0
• Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) 4-1
• Marist (Chicago, Ill.) 0-0
• North Fort Myers (Fort Myers, Fla.) 15-0
• Palo Verde (Las Vegas, Nevada) 2-1
• Salpointe (Tucson, Ariz.) 7-0
• Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) 4-0
• Southington (Southington, Conn.) 0-0
• Washington Township (Sewell, N.J.) 0-0