Each week, O-Zone will release local spring softball power rankings. Because there is only one Class for spring softball, these rankings – unlike our traditional power rankings for every other team sport – can be viewed as overall head-to-head rankings.
Recent success and strength of schedule are factored into the rankings.
APRIL 6 RANKINGS
APRIL 13 RANKINGS
APRIL 20 RANKINGS
Current record and previous ranking are listed in parenthesis.
With the regular season concluding this week, our next softball power rankings will come out after the state Final Four.
1. Strafford (18-0, PR: 1) – In any sport, if you go through a regular season undefeated, you’re doing something right. Strafford’s two games away from doing that, thanks to passing its toughest test of the season against Mt. Vernon on Monday by pulling out a 3-2 win at home. In a game that had its fair share of miscues, the outcome marked Strafford’s closest margin of victory since a 4-1 home win against Fair Grove on April 4. The Indians close out the regular season with a trip to Stockton (April 28) and a home game against Blue Eye (April 29). Strafford is the No. 1 seed and host for next week’s District 9 tournament.
2. Purdy (22-2, PR: 2) – Last week, I detailed similar results for Purdy and Strafford against common opponents. This week, let’s focus on their defense and pitching. Fact: you can’t lose if the other team doesn’t score. Purdy and Strafford do a great job with that. Strafford’s allowed 26 runs in 18 games (1.44 per game), while Purdy’s yielded 30 runs in 24 games (1.25 per game). Even more impressive, a good amount of those runs allowed by both teams occurred in games where starters were likely taken out with the game already in hand, or during tournament competition where you’re playing multiple games in one day. As for Purdy, the Eagles picked up win No. 22 on the season Wednesday night by beating Pierce City 8-3 at home. The Eagles also beat Southwest 3-0 at home on Tuesday. Purdy concludes the regular season at home Thursday against Clever. The District 10 tournament bracket has yet to be released, but Purdy will be the top seed after wins against Southwest and Pierce City this week.
3. Mt. Vernon (17-7, PR: 3) – As they showed with a competitive 3-2 loss at Strafford on Monday and a recent win over Purdy, the Mountaineers are capable of stringing together some postseason wins and going to the state Final Four for the second time in three years. Mt. Vernon stands in the way of a Strafford district championship, and it’s hard to beat a good team three times in one season. Mt. Vernon’s first order of a business will be getting by a 14-8 Fair Grove team in the district semifinals. Fair Grove, which like Mt. Vernon was hampered by injuries this season, lost 10-4 and 7-3 to the Mountaineers during the regular season, so MV won’t be a shoo-in to reach the district finals. Mt. Vernon, which beat Clever 4-0 on April 26 a day after losing to Strafford, concludes the regular season at Pierce City on Thursday.
4. Southwest (20-3, PR: 6) – Outside of a recent 3-0 loss at Purdy, Southwest has been on fire in April. The Trojans have gone 13-1 in April, with two tournament championships to their credit. Included in that stretch have been wins over quality opponents like College Heights Christian (twice), Liberal, Skyline and Sarcoxie. Southwest would be a worthy 1-seed in most districts, but unfortunately they’re in the stacked District 10 group that will have Purdy as the 1-seed and a competitive district semifinal round regardless of how seeding ends up.
5. College Heights Christian (15-5, PR: 8) – We’re starting to enter that hazy territory where a lot of these teams 5-through-8 have beaten, and lost to, one another. It’s pretty fluid in these next four spots, with any of these teams capable of beating the other on a given night. With recent wins over Pierce City, Jasper and Sarcoxie, I’ll go with the Cougars in the No. 5 spot this week. CHC concludes the regular season on Thursday at Diamond. CHC figures to have a strong chance to land the No. 1 seed for next week’s District 11 tournament, hosted by Diamond.
6. Pierce City (16-5, PR: 5) – Pierce City’s five losses have come to teams listed on these power rankings, including twice to Purdy. Pierce City is playing four straight games this week to finish the regular season. After beating Golden City (16-0), Diamond (12-11 in 8 innings) and losing to Purdy (8-3), Pierce City hosts Mt. Vernon on Thursday. Pierce City will likely face Purdy or Southwest in what should be a good semifinal round from District 10.
7. Liberal (13-3, PR: 7) – Convincing wins over Diamond (10-1) and Jasper (12-5) earlier this week likely locked up the No. 1 seed for the Bulldogs in next week’s District 11 tournament. Liberal also owns a 9-7 win over fellow district member College Heights Christian from early April. Despite the win over CHC, Liberal also to Sarcoxie recently, a team CHC beat on Tuesday. So that’s my mad rationale for the slotting. Like I said, there isn’t much separation between these 5-through-8 teams. Liberal faces a pair of Kansas teams (St. Mary’s Colgan, Southeast) on Thursday and Friday to close the regular season.
8. Sarcoxie (16-7-1, PR: 4) – Seven losses on the resume, but four have come by three or fewer runs. The Bears had a pair of close losses to Southwest (2-0) and College Heights Christian (7-6) this week. Sarcoxie hosts Fair Grove on Thursday in its regular season finale. The Bears split a pair of regular season meetings with Pierce City, and it’ll likely be a tight district seeding vote to determine which lands the No. 3 seed and gets to avoid Purdy until the finals.
Knocking on the door: Fair Grove (14-8-1), Clever (14-3), Plato (14-2), Mountain Grove (11-3), Skyline (13-7)
