Undefeated Trenton remains #1 in all-classification regional rankings as season heads to district tournaments
GAINESVILLE — The regular season has flown by for high school softball in Florida, and the second season begins this week as district tournaments get underway.
And there remains only one unbeaten team in The Prep Zone Power Poll. That team is at the top of the regional rankings for the second straight poll.
Trenton finished off an unbeaten regular season at 21-0 as the Tigers, ranked #1 in 1A according to the Miracle Sports state softball poll, rallied past #18 Columbia (Lake City), 6-3, after edging #7 Gainesville, 1-0 in 8 innings, earlier in the week.
The Tigers, who had moved to the top spot in the previous poll after an upset of then-#1 and nationally-ranked Oakleaf (Orange Park), receives six of the seven first-place votes and hosts the District 7-1A tournament as the #1 seed starting on Tuesday.
Speaking of Oakleaf, they move back up a spot to 2nd and receive the other first-place vote after wins over then-#18 Keystone Heights and #11 Baker County (Glen St. Mary) following a 2-0 loss at #17 Ridgeview (Orange Park) earlier in the week. The Knights (20-4) are the #1 seed in District 2-8A.
Eustis moves up a spot to 3rd after a 3-0 week that included a 12-0 win at #19 Dunnellon. The Panthers (23-1) have won eight in a row after suffering their only loss, 4-3, to Winter Springs on April 4.
Mandarin (Jacksonville) is 4th. The Mustangs (22-2) dropped two spots from the previous rankings after dropping a 3-1 decision to #5 Creekside (St. Johns).
Creekside (20-3) is the big mover this week, up seven positions after going 3-0 with wins over Mandarin as well as victories over Middleburg and Ponte Vedra.
The second five consists of Spruce Creek (Port Orange), Gainesville, Bartram Trail (St. Johns), Hernando (Brooksville) and Matanzas (Palm Coast).
Creekside and Hernando are new to the top ten this week, with Baker County (Glen St. Mary) and East Ridge (Clermont) dropping to the second 10.
Madison County (#13), No. 14 Clay (Green Cove Springs), and Ridgeview are new to the poll this week.
Keystone Heights, West Nassau (Callahan), and Springstead (Spring Hill) drop out from the previous rankings.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, basketball, baseball & softball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is fueled by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
The Prep Zone Power Poll – 2019 Softball Poll #5
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through April 26, and total voting points)
1. Trenton (1A) (6) (21-0) – 139
2. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (1) (20-4) – 127
3. Eustis (5A) (23-1) – 126
4. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (9A) (22-2) – 120
5. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (20-3) – 110
6. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9A) (21-4) – 102
7. Gainesville (7A) (17-7) – 98
8. Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (20-4) – 95
9. Hernando (Brooksville) (5A) (23-2) – 85
10. Matanzas (Palm Coast) (18-4) – 77
11.Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (18-6) – 69
12. Santa Fe (Alachua) (5A) (17-6) – 56
13. Madison County (1A) (19-3) – 44
14. Clay (Green Cove Springs) (6A) (16-9) – 40
15. Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville) (4A) (13-6) – 35
16. East Ridge (Clermont) (8A) (16-7) – 33
17. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (17-8) – 19
18. Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (14-7) – 18
19. Dunnellon (6A) (18-6) – 15
20. Bell (1A) (18-4) – 14
Also receiving votes: Keystone Heights (5A) (16-9) – 13; Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (18-6) – 12; Belleview (6A) (19-6) – 11; West Nassau (Callahan) (5A) (13-11) – 5; Mount Dora Christian Academy (2A) (21-4) – 2; Hilliard (1A) (12-8) – 1.
