Top 20 New Jersey high school softball rankings (5/22/2025)

With the NJSIAA state tournament just a week away, you’d expect the top teams to be clear, but last week’s results muddied the waters. Ten teams in the previous Top 20 suffered 13 losses to lower-ranked or unranked opponents, and head-to-head results caused significant shifts in the rankings—more than typical at this stage.

May 17, 2025; Wood-Ridge, NJ, USA; Ramapo vs. Immaculate Heart Academy in the Bergen County Softball Tournament semifinals at Wood-Ridge Athletic Complex. IHA #5 pitcher Gabi Dellavolpe. / Michael Karas-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the fifth time this season, a new No. 1 team emerged: Immaculate Heart (20-1), which surged from No. 5 after dominant wins, including a 6-1 victory over Ramapo and a 10-0 rout of Northern Highlands. Other notable movements include Red Bank Catholic (19-3) rising to No. 2 after winning the Shore Conference title, Donovan Catholic (22-1) climbing to No. 3 with a walk-off win over Kingsway, and St. John Vianney (14-2) dropping to No. 4 after a loss to Red Bank Catholic. Mount St. Dominic (21-3) jumped to No. 5 with four Top 20 wins, while Kingsway (20-2) fell to No. 6 after two losses. Teams like Columbia (17-5) and Morris Knolls (16-4) dropped to Nos. 11 and 12, respectively, while Gloucester re-entered at No. 20 after a strong week.

See below for this week’s New Jersey High School on SI Softball Top 20 rankings as we see it.

1. Immaculate Heart (20-1)

Riding a 12-game win streak, Immaculate Heart soared from No. 5 to No. 1 after a 6-1 victory over Ramapo in the Bergen County Tournament semifinals and a 10-0 shutout against Northern Highlands. With an 18-5 scoring margin in three tournament games, IHA aims to make history as the first team to win four consecutive Bergen County titles when the Blue Eagles face No. 11 Ramsey on Saturday.

2. Red Bank Catholic (19-3)

The Caseys claimed their first Shore Conference title in 15 years with a 9-1 rout of Colts Neck, following a 1-0 upset over then-No. 1 St. John Vianney, powered by Lily Hagan’s shutout and a solo home run from freshman Mackenna Savage. This propelled Red Bank Catholic to No. 2 in this week’s rankings.

3. Donovan Catholic (22-1)

The Griffins jumped to No. 3 after a dramatic 5-2 walk-off win over then-No. 2 Kingsway, thanks to Sophia Senger’s three-run homer in the seventh. This victory also secured the top spot in the power rankings, giving Donovan Catholic a favorable path to a sectional title, needing to beat only one of Red Bank Catholic or St. John Vianney.

4. St. John Vianney (14-2)

The former No. 1 Lancers dropped to No. 4 after a 1-0 loss to Red Bank Catholic in the Shore Conference semifinals, their second defeat to the Caseys in three matchups. Despite the setback, their pitching and defense remains stellar, allowing just one run in their last six games, with a potential fourth clash looming in the South Jersey Non-Public A playoffs.

5. Mount St. Dominic (21-3)

The Lions leaped five spots to No. 5, their first Top five appearance since early April, after a remarkable week with four Top 20 wins, including two over Columbia, a 6-2 triumph over Cedar Grove in the Essex County final, and a victory against Passaic Valley. The Lions face St. Mary (Rutherford.) and No. 1 Red Bank Catholic before the postseason.

6. Kingsway (20-2)

Previously No. 2, the Dragons plummeted to No. 6 after a 5-2 walk-off loss to Donovan Catholic and a 9-3 defeat to Audubon, marred by six errors. This 0-2 week marked their first losses of the season, shaking up their standing.

7. Cedar Grove (19-5)

Despite a 6-2 loss to Mount St. Dominic in the Essex County Tournament final, the Panthers rose from No. 11 to No. 7, capitalizing on losses by higher-ranked teams. Their 2-1 week included a 3-2 win over Hanover Park, with All-State pitcher Cayce Kavakich pitching just two innings.

8. Steinert (15-3)

The top-seeded Spartans fell 2-1 to Hightstown in the Colonial Valley Conference semifinals, with Hightstown claiming the title. Steinert faces a tough non-conference slate against Cedar Grove and St. John Vianney before the postseason.

9. Vineland (18-3)

The Fighting Clan dropped three spots from No. 6 after back-to-back losses: 6-2 to rival Millville and 4-2 to St. Joseph (Hammonton) in the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament final. Despite earlier wins over both teams, these defeats disrupted their knack for close victories.

10. Ramsey (19-2)

After starting 1-2, Ramsey has won 18 straight, climbing five spots to No. 10. Allowing just one run in three games last week, including a 2-0 win over Ridgefield Park in the county semifinals, the Rams face No. 1 IHA in the Bergen County final, aiming to derail IHA’s historic four-peat.

11. Columbia (17-5)

The Cougars slipped from No. 9 to No. 11 after two losses to Mount St. Dominic, despite a win over West Essex. With ace pitcher Claire Shupe (0.52 ERA, 210 strikeouts in 134 innings), they face Wayne Valley and No. 10 Morris Knolls next.

12. Morris Knolls (16-4)

Dropping from No. 7 after a loss to West Morris, whom they previously beat, Morris Knolls still notched a 9-3 win over Sparta. As the North 1, Group 4 favorite, the Golden Eagles host No. 9 Columbia in a potential sectional semifinal preview.

13. St. Thomas Aquinas (17-4)

The Trojans dominated their way to the GMC Tournament final, outscoring opponents 19-0 in three games. With 10 GMC titles, the Trojans now face South Plainfield for the third time this season, having split their prior meetings (14-4 win, 4-3 loss).

14. Delsea (20-1)

The Crusaders’ perfect season ended with a 7-5 loss to Pennsville, hurt by 10 walks in wet conditions. They previously edged Triton in extra innings to go undefeated in the Tri-County Conference Diamond Division and now face a rematch of their 7-6 Eastern Viking Invitational final win on senior night.

15. Pope John (14-5)

The Lions re-entered the Top 20 after winning their first Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex title since 2017, defeating No. 14 Hunterdon Central 3-1. They face county champs DePaul and Immaculata next, gearing up for the state tournament.

16. Hunterdon Central (19-2)

The Red Devils fell three spots after a 3-1 loss to Pope John, despite an earlier win over them. They also beat Morris Catholic 6-2 and crushed Phillipsburg 14-0. Led by pitcher Emily Van Cleef (0.41 ERA, 217 strikeouts in 138 innings), they’re favored in Central, Group 4.

17. Ramapo (17-5)

The Raiders dropped after a 6-1 loss to newly-crowned No. 1 Immaculate Heart in the Bergen County semifinals but secured wins over Northern Highlands and Passaic Tech. They face three playoff contenders, starting with Pascack Valley, in the next five days.

18. Watchung Hills (17-6)

The Warriors went 3-1 but fell after losing to unranked Immaculata in the Somerset County final, despite two prior wins over the Spartans. With two All-State pitchers, they’re the projected top seed in North 2, Group 4, bolstered by wins over Warren Hills and Marlboro.

19. Passaic Valley (19-3)

The Hornets dropped three spots after a 2-1 week, with wins over Fair Lawn and West Essex but a 6-2 loss to Mount St. Dominic. As the No. 2 seed in North 1, Group 2, they added late-season games against Cedar Grove and Mount to prepare for a competitive playoff bracket.

20. Gloucester

The defending Group 2 state champs re-entered the rankings after defeating Haddon Heights, Florence, and Haddon Township. A walk-off homer by Vayda Pino against Haddon Heights secured the Colonial Conference Liberty Division title.

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