MaxPreps 2016 Louisiana preseason high school softball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

1. Sam Houston (Lake Charles)
2015 record: 25-2, Class 5A state champion
Head coach: Beth Dominque

With four state titles in the last five years, the Broncos know all about winning. With Tanner Wright in the circle, losing doesn't happen often. The Louisiana Sports Writers Association Miss Softball pitched every game last season and registered 190 strikeouts in 169 innings with an ERA of 0.75. She also hit .375 and logged 17 RBIs, and is a Southeastern Louisiana signee. Shortstop Padyn Williams earned all-state honors by hitting .420 with an on-base percentage of .505 and 10 RBIs. Third baseman Taylor Strother (.452 on-base percentage, eight doubles) and outfielder Madigan Eldridge (.353 OBP, 16 RBI) will be key hitters in the lineup. The Broncos have a good freshman class that should provide plenty of depth as well.

See last season's Louisiana softball computer rankings

2. North DeSoto (Stonewall)
2015 record: 29-1, Class 4A state champion
Head coach: Lori McFerren

The Griffins had just one hiccup last season in the loss column, but that didn't stop them from winning the 4A state title. The team's success all starts with Gatorade State Player of the Year nominee EmmaCallie Delafield. Last season as a sophomore, the Northwestern State verbal commit went 26-1 on the mound with 110 strikeouts in just 61 innings. Senior second baseman Sami Walters has hit over .500 in each of her first three seasons. The Louisiana College signee will be important at the top of the lineup. Second-team all-state centerfielder Emily Henderson will patrol the outfield and provide a big stick. Bayli Simon, a Louisiana Tech verbal commit, is one of the best shortstops in the state, hitting .459 a season ago.

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3. East Ascension (Gonzales)
2015 record: 23-7
Head coach: Amy Pitre

The Spartans advanced all the way to the Class 5A state semifinals a season ago before bowing out of the playoffs. A trio of Division I signees will try and make sure the team takes home a state title this year. Claire Weinberger, a shortstop and LSU signee, is coming off a season in which she batted .582 and stole 15 bases. Pitcher Jessie Watts is headed to Louisiana-Monroe to play next season after registering a 23-8 record with 173 strikeouts. She also tallied a .483 batting average. Outfielder Verliencia Jackson signed with Mississippi Valley State after earning all-state honors last season.

See the MaxPreps Louisiana softball playoff brackets

4. Mt. Carmel (New Orleans)
2015 record: 22-4
Head coach: Jake Pierron

With the No. 2 seed last season in the Class 5A playoffs, the Cubs didn't met expectations, falling in the state quarterfinals. Some solid pieces are gone off last year's roster, but a nice core remains. Infielder Samantha Dares was first-team all-state after hitting .424 with 36 RBIs and 25 runs scored as a junior. Outfielder Jordyn Perkins didn't look like a freshman in 2015, hitting .422 and being an offensive catalyst for the Cubs.

See last season's Louisiana softball stat leaders

5. Dutchtown (Geismar)
2015 record: 26-9, Class 5A state runner-up
Head coach: Nancy Ensminger

A runner-up finish at state will fuel the Griffins this season. Pitcher Ali McCoy, who signed with Southeastern Louisiana, leads the way after registering a 26-9 record with a 1.77 ERA and 247 strikeouts. Royelle Cobb, who hit .235 with 10 RBIs, can cover a lot of ground in center field. Blaine Pence will be relied upon more offensively this season. All-state recipients catcher Bria White and infielder Hope Vezinat both graduated and will leave a big hole in the Griffins' lineup.