Nationally-ranked Gainesville holds on to the top spot of the regional softball rankings
GAINESVILLE — The best softball team in the region is also one of the top teams in the country.
Defending 7A state champion Gainesville remained the top team in The Prep Zone Power Poll.
The Purple Hurricanes (13-2), ranked 29th nationally by MaxPreps, were off last week but still garnered six of the seven first-place votes to stay on top. GHS was ranked second in last week’s Miracle Sports Class 7A state rankings.
Class 1A Union County (Lake Butler) remained second. The Tigers (13-1) had a 2-0 week that including a 10-6 win at 3-time defending 1A state champion Chiefland, which dropped one spot in the rankings from No. 16 to #17. Union County’s only loss was at Gainesville, whom they split with this year.
Another nationally-ranked team, Class 8A Oakleaf (Orange Park), received the other first-place vote and is third in the regional all-classification rankings. The Knights, ranked 31st nationally, went 2-0 with wins at Chiles (Tallahassee), 14-0, and against No. 18 Aucilla Christian (Monticello), 5-1.
Oakleaf’s only losses have been at No. 11 Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) and at 9A #3 West Orange (Winter Garden). The Knights (11-2) have won seven in a row.
Belleview moved up one spot to fourth.
The Rattlers (11-2), who are ranked 7th in 6A, went 4-1 last week, with their only loss coming to 9A #1 Palmetto (Miami), 7-5, at the Miami Slamfest. They had wins there against 8A honorable mention Coral Gables, 13-0, and 7A honorable mention Estero, 11-4.
Nature Coast (Brooksville) dropped two spots from third to fifth after suffering its first loss of the season. The Class 5A Sharks (12-1) lost 2-0 to 6A #1 Springstead (Spring Hill), which moved up eight spots to No. 7.
Santa Fe (Alachua) (14-2) is ranked sixth, while Springstead (14-1), West Nassau (Callahan) (10-3), Deltona (10-1) and Trenton (11-1) rounds out the top 10.
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.
The Prep Zone Power Poll – Softball Poll #2
(School, followed by classification, first-place votes, record through 3/25, and total voting points)
1. Gainesville (7A) (6) (13-2) – 139
2. Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (13-1) – 128
3. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (1) (11-2) – 126
4. Belleview (6A) (11-2) – 113
5. Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (5A) (12-1) – 104
6. Santa Fe (Alachua) (5A) (14-2) – 103
7. Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (14-1) – 94
8. West Nassau (Callahan) (5A) (10-3) – 86
9. Deltona (7A) (10-1) – 84
10. Trenton (1A) (11-1) – 77
11. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (1) (11-3) – 68
12. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (4A) (9-3) – 67
13. Eustis (5A) (10-1) – 58
14. Columbia (Lake City) (7A) (7-3) – 55
15. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (4A) (1) (10-1) – 39
16. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (11-6) – 34
17. Chiefland (1A) (8-3) – 20
18T. Aucilla Christian (Monticello) (2A) (6-5) – 15
18T. Flagler Palm Coast (9A) (10-4) – 15
20. First Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (9-3) – 13
Also receiving votes: Keystone Heights (5A) (8-4) – 10, Clay (Green Cove Springs) (6A) (8-3) – 6; Creekside (St. Johns) (8A) (7-2) – 5; Montverde Academy (4A) (7-3-1) – 4; Bartram Trail (St. Johns) (8A) (7-3) – 2; Paxon (Jacksonville) (6A) (10-3) – 2; Dunnellon (6A) (12-5) – 1; Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9A) (9-5) – 1; Taylor (Pierson) (1A) (9-3) – 1.
