LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kenton Ridge won its second straight Ohio Division IV state title to join the first 10 in a largely unchanged NFCA Spring High School Top 25 Coaches Poll, the Association announced on Thursday.
The rankings continue to be led by Alabama’s Orange Beach (46-1) and Louisiana’s Cavalry Baptist Academy (37-1), who both captured a sixth consecutive state title earlier this season.
No. 3 South Warren (43-0) won two more games to stay unbeaten and advance to Friday’s Kentucky state semifinal against Highlands. Senior Layla Ogden hit a two-run, walk-off homer in the eighth inning as the Spartans survived a rare test in last Thursday’s quarterfinal round, winning 4-3 against Madison Central.
Seventh-ranked Destiny Christian (31-0) closed its season with a 4-3 victory over Saint Francis in the CIF NorCal Division I final last Thursday, while No. 8 Carterville (39-1) defeated Seneca, 3-1, in Saturday’s Illinois state 2A championship.
Kenton Ridge edged Licking Valley, 7-6, in Sunday’s state championship to move up one spot in the rankings and finish a perfect 32-0 for a second consecutive year. Sophomore Ivee Rastatter hit two homers and tossed four scoreless innings, while junior J.J. Davis had three hits including the go-ahead hit in the sixth inning in the final. Last season’s title was the first in school history for the Cougars.
No. 11 St. John Vianney (30-0) beat two ranked squads en route to the New Jersey Non-Public A state title, their 10th crown in school history, and first since winning two straight in 2023 and 2024. The Lancers trail only Immaculate Heart Academy’s 12 for most softball championships in state history. St. John Vianney, who defeated then-No. 16 Donovan Catholic 11-1 Friday and then-No. 20 Mount St. Dominic Academy 10-0 in Wednesday’s finale, is the state’s first unbeaten softball champ in a decade. Madison McDougall was 3-for-3 with a homer and struck out 10, while Gabby Gonzalez hit a grand slam for the Lancers in the championship game.
Elsewhere, No. 15 Caldera (29-1) captured the Oregon state 5A title with a 9-4 triumph over Wilsonville in Saturday’s final, No. 16 Taunton (24-1) won two more games in Massachusetts, and No. 19 Lake Central advanced to Friday’s Indiana 4A state championship against Terre Haute North Vigo with a 5-2 semi-state final victory over Carroll on Saturday.
State rankings submitted by the NFCA High School Steering Committee are used to compile the NFCA Spring High School Top 25 Coaches Poll. Teams are chosen based on performance, roster quality and strength of schedule.
NFCA Spring High School Top 25 Coaches Poll – June 11, 2026
|
Rank |
Team |
2026 Record |
Previous |
|
1 |
Orange Beach (Ala.) |
46-1 |
1 |
|
2 |
Calvary Baptist Academy (La.) |
37-1 |
2 |
|
3 |
South Warren (Ky.) |
43-0 |
3 |
|
4 |
Lake Creek (Texas) |
40-1 |
4 |
|
5 |
Owyhee (Idaho) |
30-3 |
5 |
|
6 |
Gray Collegiate (S.C.) |
33-0 |
6 |
|
7 |
Destiny Christian (Calif.) |
31-0 |
7 |
|
8 |
Carterville (Ill.) |
39-1 |
9 |
|
9 |
Skyline (Wash.) |
22-1 |
10 |
|
10 |
Kenton Ridge (Ohio) |
32-0 |
11 |
|
11 |
St. John Vianney (N.J.) |
30-0 |
12 |
|
12 |
Weddington (N.C.) |
27-0 |
13 |
|
13 |
Barrington (Ill.) |
36-1 |
14 |
|
14 |
Austintown-Fitch (Ohio) |
26-1 |
15 |
|
15 |
Caldera (Ore.) |
29-1 |
17 |
|
16 |
Taunton (Mass.) |
24-1 |
18 |
|
17 |
Beecher (Ill.) |
32-1 |
19 |
|
18 |
Marist (Ill.) |
37-2 |
8 |
|
19 |
Lake Central (Ind.) |
30-2 |
21 |
|
20 |
Melissa (Texas) |
33-3 |
22 |
|
21 |
Mount St. Dominic Academy (N.J.) |
29-3 |
20 |
|
22 |
Donovan Catholic (N.J.) |
27-3 |
16 |
|
23 |
Murrieta Mesa (Calif.) |
26-3 |
23 |
|
24 |
Doral Academy (Fla.) |
26-3 |
24 |
|
T25 |
Norco (Calif.) |
28-3 |
T25 |
|
T25 |
Thompson (Ala.) |
46-3-2 |
T25 |
Dropped out: None.
2026 NFCA High School Steering Committee
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