Defending state champion Eustis remains unanimous No. 1
GAINESVILLE — The high school softball season for the teams in The Prep Zone Power Poll is rounding the corner and heading for the finish line, with district tournaments just over a week away.
And very little has changed in the top five of the all-classification regional rankings this week. Especially for the team at the top, defending 4A state champion Eustis.
The Panthers, who won their first state title in softball in 2021, were a perfect 7-0 over the past few weeks.
Eustis (17-2), which is ranked 3rd in 4A and No. 29 overall statewide by MaxPreps, knocked off the 2nd-ranked team in 7A in Lake Brantley (Altamonte Springs) along with 5A No. 2 Auburndale and followed that up with wins over No. 17 Montverde Academy, The Villages, Windermere Prep, and Lake Minneola.
They are the unanimous top-ranked team with all seven first-place votes.
Baldwin remains 2nd.
The Indians (16-1), who are ranked No. 2 in 3A and 10th overall statewide by MaxPreps, won five games in a row over the past few weeks with wins over Fletcher (Neptune Beach), Mandarin (Jacksonville), and Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville).
Baldwin’s only loss this season is a 4-3 setback in eight innings at RV Baker County (Glen St. Mary). The Indians have won eight games in a row.
University (Orange City) remains No. 3.
The Titans (13-5) won four out of five games since the previous poll with the only loss coming at Deltona.
West Nassau (Callahan) is up a spot to No. 4. The Warriors (12-5) won all four of their games including beating No. 20 Palatka, Baker County, and RV Trinity Christian (Jacksonville).
With Bartram Trail (St. Johns) dropping from 4th previously all the way out of the poll, Deltona made the biggest move this week.
The Wolves (10-1), who are ranked No. 1 in 4A and No. 19 overall statewide by MaxPreps, beat 7A state-ranked Hagerty (Oviedo) and University. They moved up 12 spots from the previous poll to round out the top five at No. 5.
Spruce Creek (Port Orange), which went 7-0 since the previous poll, also makes a big move, up seven spots to lead off the second five at No. 6.
The Hawks (15-3), ranked No. 5 in 6A and #23 overall in Florida, defeated the No. 5 team in Florida, Melbourne, along with 7A Lake Mary and Mainland (Daytona Beach).
Hernando (Brooksville), which finished as runner-up to Eustis last spring, moved down to 3A and is off to a 13-4 start. The Leopards are up six spaces this week to No. 7 after going a perfect 4-0 over the past few weeks.
Union County (Lake Butler) is 8th.
The Class 1A No. 1 Tigers (13-2) suffered a setback to Trenton, but they rallied with their second win of the season over No. 11 Dixie County (Cross City) and a win at 5A Gainesville.
Rounding out the top 10 is No. 9 Oakleaf (Orange Park) and 10th-ranked East Ridge (Clermont). East Ridge had been ranked 8th previously.
All kinds of teams make their debuts this week.
First Coast (Jacksonville) is in at No. 12, followed by 13th-ranked Keystone Heights, Springstead (Spring Hill), which is tied for 15th with University Christian (Jacksonville), and also 18th-ranked Lafayette (Mayo), and No. 19 Providence (Jacksonville).
Dropping out from the previous poll along with Bartram Trail are Creekside (St. Johns), Branford, and West Port (Ocala).
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls volleyball, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball 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 powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2022 SOFTBALL POLL #4
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 4/18, and total voting points)
1. Eustis (4A) (7) (17-2) – 140
2. Baldwin (3A) (16-1) – 133
3. University (Orange City) (6A) (13-5) – 121
4. West Nassau (Callahan) (3A) (12-5) – 119
5. Deltona (4A) (10-1 ) – 99
6. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (6A) (15-3) – 98
7. Hernando (Brooksville) (3A) (13-4) – 92
8. Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (13-2) – 91
9. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (7A) (11-6) – 85
10. East Ridge (Clermont) (6A) (12-7) – 81
11. Dixie County (Cross City) (1A) (11-4) – 69
12. First Coast (Jacksonville) (6A) (10-4) – 51
13. Keystone Heights (3A) (11-7) – 39
14. Ridgeview (Orange Park) (5A) (9-5) – 36
15T. Springstead (Spring Hill) (5A) (12-3) – 29
15T. University Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (11-6) – 29
17. Montverde Academy (3A) (13-4) – 28
18. Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (10-4) – 27
19. Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (12-6) – 20
20T. Palatka (3A) (12-5) – 15
20T. Williston (1A) (13-6) – 15
Also receiving votes: Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (7A) (10-6) – 10; Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (10-7) – 10; Branford (1A) (10-5) – 8; Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (2A) (9-7) – 5; West Port (Ocala) (7A) (13-8) – 5; Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (4A) (8-9) – 4; Bell (1A) (10-4) – 3; Forest (Ocala) (6A) (13-8) – 2; South Lake (Groveland) (5A) (10-9) – 2; Middleburg (5A) (10-8) – 1; Santa Fe (Alachua) (3A) (11-7) – 1.
