We're in the heavy part of the fall club showcase schedule and after weighing several factors--including summer performances, the return of key players, and the addition of talented new ones--we continue our "preseason rankings" with a look at the top 18U club teams.

Each day this week, we'll unveil 10 teams and conclude on Friday, October 14 with teams ranked 10-1. On Saturday, we'll list the Next In teams, those who are best poised to jump into the next updated FAB 50 with strong fall, winter, and spring play.

If we've missed anything or you would like to provide input on your favorite teams and players, send your info/insights to: Brentt.Eads@FloSports.tv.

Click here to see the previous rankings: 50-41, 40-31

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RANK	TEAM	BIO
30	PA Chaos Gold	Joe Spina's Gold team went 45-19 last year and finished fifth at TC/USA Nationals, where it beat the eventual PGF 18U National champion Firecrackers-Rico team. But that was with two top 10 2016 Hot 100 players in P Maggie Balint, now at Oregon, and OF Hannah Edwards, now at Pitt. Still, the team looks solid and beat two current FAB 50 18U teams at Team NJ last weekend. Players to watch include 2020 phenom pitcher Maddie Penta, who is getting recruited by many top-20 DI programs, and 2017 P/1B Victoria Galvan, who will play at South Carolina. Others expected to play big for the Chaos are seniors Reyna DeJesus (an outfielder signing with Delaware) and Devyn Losco (a catcher going to Hofstra).
29	Impact Gold - Jackson	KC Jackson has the Impact Gold positioned to reload and be competitive at the highest levels each year. This summer, his Texas team finished ninth at the TCS Fireworks/Sparkler Super 48 and 25th at PGF Nationals. Impact Gold returns a team that is balanced in hitting, pitching, and defense. Notables returning include 2017 1B/OF Maddison Demers (Illinois), 2017 OF Kylie George (Texas A&M), 2017 UT Cayla Jones (Northwestern), 2018 SS/3B Baylee Klinger, and 2019 P/UT Aliyah Pritchett.
28	Beverly Bandits - Allen	Cray Allen has a team deep with talent and all 14 of his players are committed. All are also either 2017s or 2018s and bring experience in playing against elite competition. At the PGF Ultimate Challenge two weeks ago, the team was without four players on college trips and still looked impressive behind one of the best batteries in the country in Hot 100 pitcher Meghan Beaubien (Michigan), who led the Bandits 16U squad to the PGF National Championship this summer. Behind the plate is fellow senior Taylor "T.J." Johnson (Wisconsin), who is a dangerous power hitter. Other standouts on the Bandits include leadoff hitter and 2017 2B Katie Polaski (Loyola), 2018 P/DP Lauren Rice (Missouri), 2018 SS Maddi Banks (Washington), and 2B Rachel Lewis (Northwestern).
27	Gametime Stars Gold	Former head coach Rusty Fisher has passed the baton to Chris Bradshaw, who has a lot to work with, including a new 20,000-square-foot facility for the Stars' 11 teams. Last year's team finished ninth at the USA Softball JO Cup and ninth at the Colorado Sparklers/Fireworks Super Pool. Bradshaw moves up from the 16U team to run a squad with a lot of returning talent such as 2017 3B/UT Sydney Sherrill (Florida State), 2017 2B/OF Brighton Gilbert (Oklahoma State), 2017 P Lyndsey Stoeckel (Oklahoma State), 2018 P Rhomie Bradshaw (Oklahoma State), 2018 1B/OF Kari Briggs (Tulsa), and 2017 P Erin Harris (Tulsa). New additions include 2017 Hot 100 C Trinity Edwards (Missouri) and 2019 2B/OF Emily Hott, who recently committed to Baylor.
26	Oro Valley Suncats	Beware the Suncats, who hail from Arizona and finished in the top seven at PGF Nationals every year since 2012 and has won the TV championship at TCS Fireworks the past two years. The core players of Todd Judge's team has been together since they were at 12U and most have played together with each other for over four years. There are 13 players on the team who are committed, led by 2018 P Marissa Schuld (Arizona), 2018 C Izzy Pacho (Arizona), 2018 P Brianna Hardy (Cal State Fullerton), 2019 SS/C Alynah Torres (Arizona State), and 2019 OF Maddie Bejarano (Central Florida).
25	Gold Coast Hurricanes - Cooper	Traditionally one of the top teams in the South, if not the country, the Hurricanes finished second at the USA Softball JO Cup and look poised to make a run at Nationals in 2017 behind 2017 P Kama Woodall (North Carolina State) and other major college talent. Coach Marty Cooper returns eight players, including power bats like seniors C/1B Danielle Romanello (Florida) and IF Taylor Bump (Michigan). A pair of talented juniors and Florida commits also return in SS Amanda Beane and SS/3B Hannah Sipos. Cooper will use the fall to evaluate players so the full roster won't be finalized until early next year, thus the jury is out on how good this team can really be.
24	Nebraska Gold	Mike Heard's organization has consistently grown and improved as demonstrated by taking third at the Top Gun Invitational and ninth at this summer's PGF 18U Nationals. Few organizations are able to be pipelines to in-state programs like the Gold, which has five current players going to Nebraska-Lincoln and one headed to Nebraska-Omaha (after two graduated in 2016 and are there now). The Cornhuskers commits include seniors P/1B Olivia Ferrell, 1B/OF Payton Huscroft and OF/IF Riley Unzicker, along with juniors OF/UT Peyton Glatter and P/IF Courtney Wallace. But it's not just Nebraska that recruits from the Gold. Baylor has committed 2017 P Alexis Koltz, a 6-foot-2 intimidator who hits her spots, and Missouri will sign 2018 C Emma Raabe.
23	Louisville Lady Sluggers - Dobina	The Lady Sluggers led by Don Dobina finished second at the TC/USA Nationals in New York City this summer and finished 50-12 for the summer with strong performances at the USA Softball JO Cup and Colorado Fireworks tourneys as well. The Kentucky-based team returns eight starters from last year's strong team, including top seniors such as Alabama-bound OF Kaylee Tow, SS Lauren Johnson (Kentucky), and C Kendall Smith (Western Kentucky). Several new pickups should help the team continue its strong run, starting with 2017 2B Mallory Peyton and a trio of 2017 prospects committed to Louisville: P Taylor Roby, OF Catie Barber, and 2B Caitlin Ferguson.
22	Rhode Island Thunder Gold	Coach Dave Lotti feels this Thunder team could be his best in the 15 years he's run the program. The perennial PGF Nationals qualifier has all four of his pitching starters back, including Hot 100 2017 hurler Mary Haff (Arkansas), who was only able to play in 10 games due to injury but is healthy now. Another Hot 100 pitcher to keep an eye on is 2019 grad Vanessa Oatley (Penn State). Lotti also has a pair of outstanding 2020s in infielder Kayla Baptista (uncommitted), who started at third base for the Gold team last year as an 8th-grader and batted in the two-hole, and CF Lauren Keleher, who has only had one strikeout at the plate in three years of club ball.
21	Ohana Tigers - Quarles	The Tigers had top-three finishes at PGF Nationals in four of the last five years including a 12U PGF title, a 14U runner-up finish, and third place at PGF 16U in 2015. In addition, Shawn Quarles' team won a 10U ASA National Championship in 2010 and a 14U ASA National Championship two years ago. Last year, the team caught the injury bug and had a disappointing showing at PGF after winning the TCS NIT Invitational in San Diego and going undefeated in Colorado to win the Fireworks Open Division. But the team appears to be healthy now and went 5-0 at a So Cal A's friendly two weeks ago and 4-1 at a TCS Showcase. The pitching staff returns with seniors Hannah Boos (San Diego), Madison James (Ohio State), Janelle Rodriguez (Cal State Fullerton), and Heather Turner (Dartmouth) all providing depth and quality innings. The offense will be led by seniors like OF Alexa Schultz (Oklahoma), 3B Malia Quarles (UCLA), OF Zia Norris (UCLA), and SS Jordan Matthews (Florida).