MaxPreps Top 25 national high school softball rankings

The next home run Alyssa Palomino hits will be her 54th and will be a California record. And if the roundtripper comes during a victory, it will be Mission Viejo's 20th of the season.

Palomino, who has signed with Arizona, is one of the main reasons why Mission Viejo has won 24 straight and has been ranked No. 1 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Softball Rankings all season long.

Meanwhile, No. 2. Alexander Central needs one more win to set the North Carolina record for consecutive victories. The Cougars defeated South Iredell 12-0 Friday night for their 83rd-straight win, which ties them for the longest winning streak in NCHSAA history. They last lost on March 5, 2013 to St. Stephens (Hickory, N.C.), 5-4.

The remainder of the Top 5 remains the same.

New to the Top 10 this week is No. 8 Lebanon, which swept the Wendy's Classic in Ashland, Ohio, last weekend and is 10-0. In winning the tournament, led by pitchers Tara Trainer and Kim Frank, Lebanon did not allow a run.

Also new to the top 25 this week is Southside (Gadsen, Ala.), which was ranked earlier this season.


1. (No. 1 last week) Mission Viejo (Calif.), 19-0
Stellar pitching has limited opponents to just 10 runs, and one of those came last week in a 13-1 win over Dana Hills. Mission Viejo's other win was also a run-rule victory ... and a shutout (11-0 over Aliso Niguel). It was the team's 13th shutout of the season.

2. (2) Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.), 17-0
The Cougars won two more to run their win streak to 83 and tie the state record for consecutive wins.

3. (3) Pioneer (San Jose, Calif.), 19-0
The Mustangs play April 23. Sophomore Holly Azevedo is 18-0 and has not allowed an earned run in 107 innings.

4. (4) St. Amant (La.), 26-0
St. Amant has won its last three games by a combined 35-1 margin.

5. (5) Crown Point (Ind.), 10-0
Though they allowed eight runs in five wins last week, pitchers Miranda Elish and Alexis Holloway have allowed 21 base hits and are averaging more than two strikeouts per inning each.

6. (8) Rockwall (Texas), 16-0-1
The Jackets run-ruled Naaman Forest, 16-0, and Sachse, 14-4, to remain unbeaten. They are crushing the ball. Take a look at a few of their season batting averages: Hayley Baker (.633), Bailey Wallace (.620), Peyton Mills (.578), Dani Greenlee (.514) and Alyssa Henry (.488).

7. (7) Aledo (Texas), 12-0
The Bearcats ran their win streak to 47 by beating Everman, Crowley and Burleson in run-rule victories.

8. (NR) Lebanon (Ohio), 12-0
Lebanon won the prestigious Wendy's Classic for a record third-straight year behind the pitching of Tara Trainer and Kim Frank.

9. (9) Reed (Sparks, Nev.), 24-0
The Raiders ran their streak to 24 and have allowed just 25 runs while scoring 234. The two most recent wins, however, were 2-1 and 4-3 over rival Reno.

10. (10) American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 21-1-1
American Heritage routed Archbishop McCarthy, 15-0, as pitcher Jenna Goodrich tossed a no-hitter.

11. (11) Coronado (Lubbock, Texas), 23-0-1
Quinn Fortner (2), Helen Lin (2), Taegan Kirk (2) and Mckenzie Cristan all homered for Coronado in its 27-3 win over Monterey.

12. (13) Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.), 10-0
The Golden Eagles are averaging 14.6 runs scored and have allowed just seven.

13. (14) Woodinville (Wash.), 11-0
The Falcons blanked Inglemoor, 10-0, and Bothell, 9-0, and routed Redmond, 17-1.

14. (15) La Grange (Texas), 25-0
La Grange routed Smithville, 19-0, for its ninth-straight shutout win.

15. (17) West Orange (Winter Garden, Fla.), 23-1
The Warriors, averaging 11 runs and allowing one run per game, have won 14 straight.

16. (16) Gainesville (Fla.), 24-2
With shutout wins over Santa Fe (Alachua), Eastside (Gainesville) and Palatka, the Hurricanes ran their win streak to 21. The streak - and season - ended with a 4-2 loss to Orange Park Oakleaf in district semifinals.

17. (18) Eagle (Idaho), 19-0
Since moving into the Top 25 two weeks ago, Eagle has routed five opponents by a combined 84-7 score.

18. (22) Deer Park (Texas), 23-4
Deer Park is putting it all together: six straight wins, the last three by shutout, and a 33-0 scoring margin.

19. (19) Yucaipa (Calif.), 18-3
Since losing to No. 1 Mission Viejo (3-2), the Thunderbirds have shut out five opponents.

20. (20) Curry (Jasper, Ala.), 31-3
Curry has given up just 27 runs in 34 games and is hitting .411 as a team.

21. (21) Boiling Springs (Spartanburg, S.C.), 18-2
Behind the pitching of McKenna Quinn, the Bulldogs blanked Riverside, 12-0.

22. (12) Atascocita (Humble, Texas), 21-3
Atascocita lost for the second time this season to 20-5 Kingwood, then beat Conroe, 4-1. Now Atascocita takes on 23-4 Deer Park on Tuesday.

23. (6) Orange Lutheran (Calif.), 20-2
Orange lost to Mater Dei, 2-1, for its second one-run loss in seven days.

24. (24) Cape Fear (Fayetteville, N.C.), 13-0
The run-rule win over Overhills (Spring Lake) was Cape Fear's sixth-straight shutout.

25. (NR) Southside (Gadsden, Ala.), 29-2
Southside returns to Top 25 after just one week away.

Dropped Out: Bloom-Carroll (Ohio), Santiago (Calif.).