High school softball: California's Chino Hills begins 2021 season atop preseason MaxPreps Top 25 rankings

As the 2021 high school softball inches closer to first pitch, questions persist. Of the 44 states that play spring ball, which ones will have a season? Will a powerhouse state like California be allowed to play ball? Who is the top team in the land?

This year's preseason MaxPreps Top 25 high school softball rankings has seven teams from the Golden State, including Chino Hills which begins at No. 1. Nebraska signee Kendall Mangel has 58 total wins in the circle in just over two years for the Huskies and hopes to lace up her spikes for her senior season.

Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton, Fla.) ended the shortened 2020 season as the top team in the country and while Coach T.J. Goelz graduated some incredible talent the Mustangs still have a lot of returning firepower.


1. Chino Hills (Calif.)
The entire lineup is filled with future college signees and commits, including Minnesota signee Kayla Chavez.

2. Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton, Fla.)
The Mustangs were 8-0 and outscored its opponents 83-4 before the 2020 season was canceled.

3. Marist (Chicago)
The RedHawks are stacked with talent at every position. Pitcher Abby Dunning (Boston College) and shortstop Easton Lotus (Louisville) are just a few standouts.

4. Norco (Calif.)
It's a shame pitcher Sarah Willis (University of Washington) didn't get to finish her career with the Cougars. Oregon signee Stevie Hansen is the next great pitcher from the Southern California power.

5. Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.)
Coach Taylor Burt returns a talented group of seniors, including catcher Jenna Lord (Alabama), shortstop Anyce Harvey (Middle Tennessee State University), outfielder Katelyn Murphy (Birmingham Southern), infielder Crystal Maze (Troy) and first baseman Madison Mitchell (Birmingham Southern).

6. Los Alamitos (Calif.)
The Griffins were 10-0 to start 2020. Oklahoma signee Sophia Nugent and South Carolina signee Emma Sellers hope to keep that perfection rolling into 2021.

7. Eastern Alamance (Mebane, N.C.)
The Eagles welcome back North Carolina commit Kenna Raye Dark, who went 20-2 in the circle as a freshman and led the team to a 3A state title in 2019.

8. Santa Fe (Texas)
Texas Girls Coaches Association Preseason Softball Poll has the Indians as the state's top 5A squad. When the season ended in March of 2020, they were 15-0.

9. O'Connor (Phoenix)
Rylee Holtorf (Washington) and Jocelyn Erickson (Oklahoma) were looking to build a dynasty in 2020 by defending their 2019 6A title. Now, 2021 is setting up to be another magical season for the Eagles.

10. Crown Point (Ind.)
The Bulldogs finished 29-5 in 2019 and return Madi Elish, an Arizona signee, in the circle. Also back is a two-time first team All-State honoree in Anna Holloway (Notre Dame).

11. Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas)
The Eagles jumped out to a 19-2 start to the 2020 season. Expect more of that in 2021 as they return a pair of top players in pitchers Samantha Landry (Louisiana-Lafayette) and Sophia Simpson (Texas).

12. Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Stanford signee Kylie Chung was off to a 4-0 start with a 0.33 ERA in 2020. The Warriors were 6-0. You can expect more perfection in 2021.

13. Notre Dame (Crowley, La.)
The 2019 Division III state champions return the No. 1 player in the Class of 2022 in Maci Bergeron, who hit 20 home runs as a freshman and had 12 more before the season was canceled in 2020.

14. Spring-Ford (Royersford, Pa.)
When you return loads of talent, plus the reigning state Gatorade Player of the Year, you're going to get noticed.
Brianna Peck (Virginia Tech) is back after going 16-1 with 160 strikeouts and a 0.797 ERA as a pitcher as a sophomore.

15. Gahr (Cerritos, Calif.)
The Gladiators were off to a 6-0 start in 2020. Now, UCLA signee Taylor Stephens hopes she can finish what she started in 2021.

16. Park Vista (Lake Worth, Fla.)
The Cobras won the school's first state title in 2019. They were off to an 11-0 start in 2020. Senior pitcher Tyrina Jones is back and has a career 25-2 record.

17. Saugus (Calif.)
The Centurions return a pair of Tennessee signees, Grace Keene and McKenna Gibson, and Arizona signee Allie Enright. These are just three big-time players back in 2021.

18. Mahopac (N.Y.)
Pitcher and Notre Dame signee Shannon Becker leads a talented group of players itching to get back on the diamond in 2021.

19. Trenton (Fla.)
The Tigers went 27-0 in 2019 and jumped out to a 10-0 start in 2020. Senior pitcher Darian Ingram has been a varsity pitcher since seventh-grade.

20. Glen Allen (Va.)
After a 20-3 mark in 2019, returning Gatorade State Player of the Year and Michigan signee Emerson Aiken is back in the circle for the Jaguars. She struck out 304 in 144 innings as a sophomore.

21. Cooper City (Fla.)
PrepZone's top-ranked Class 6A team from Florida, jumped out to a 7-0 start in 2020 and returns a ton of talent aiming at a deep run in 2021.

22. Spain Park (Hoover, Ala.)
The Jaguars were off to a 21-0 start in 2019 before the pandemic closed things down. Michigan signee Annabelle Widra will close a prep career that began in the seventh grade.

23. Winter Springs (Fla.)
Ole Miss pitcher Aynslie Furbursh graduated, but the Bears still return a solid core of players including Duke signee Taylor Krapf.

24. Crescenta Valley (La Crescenta, Calif.)
The Falcons were climbing up the national polls in 2020 after a 9-1 start. San Diego State signee Dee Dee Hernandez is back in the circle in 2021.

25. Williamsburg (Ohio)
The Wildcats have a solid foundation of key returners, including pitcher Madi Ogden who went 17-1 as a sophomore.