Nebraska High School Softball Top 10 State Rankings

The Nebraska high school softball season is heating up as the calendar inches closer to district play, and the latest Top 10 rankings bring plenty of movement.

Millard North holds onto the No. 1 spot despite another setback against rival Millard West, while Lincoln Southwest stays steady at No. 2 behind dominant pitching.

The Wildcats make the biggest jump this week, surging from No. 7 to No. 3 after a string of statement wins, including victories over both Millard North and Lincoln Southwest.

With district play on the horizon, every game is starting to feel like a postseason test.

1. Millard North (23-4)

Previous Rank: 1

Millard North lost to Millard West for the third time this season before rebounding to blast Papillion-La Vista 16-4.

When the Mustang bats are hot and there isn’t a better offensive team in the state. Will someone besides the Wildcats be able to quiet their bats?

State home run leader Abby Beard has 15 home runs on the season, but none against Millard West in three games. The junior utility player is still uncommitted.

2. Lincoln Southwest (20-2)

Previous rank: 2

Lincoln Southwest lost 4-2 to Millard West in the Papillion-La Vista Invite. The Silver Hawks continue to get strong pitching from sophomore Maisey McCarty, who leads the state with a 0.66 earned run average.

3. Millard West (17-7)

Previous Rank: 7

A big jump up the rankings for Millard West with wins over Millard North and Lincoln Southwest. The Wildcats also got wins over Papillion-La Vista South and Gretna East.

Addison Burdorf continues to lead the way in the circle with 14 wins and 163 strikeouts on the season.

4. Gretna (19-6)

Previous Rank: 3

Gretna moves down one spot to make room for Millard West above them. The Dragons lost to Bellevue East in the Omaha Westside Invitational on Friday, but responded by beating Lincoln East on Saturday. Gretna is one of the top fielding teams with a 0.971 team fielding percentage.

5. Papillon-La Vista (19-8)

Previous Rank: 4

Papillion-La Vista has dropped two in a row, losing to Lincoln Southwest and Millard North. The Monarch's schedule gets easier this week before a season finale at Millard West. The Monarchs are one of the more aggressive teams on the base paths with 135 stolen bases on the year. They are led by freshman Avery Skradski, who is second in the state with 28.

6. Bellevue East (17-8)

Previous Rank: 10

Bellevue East has won seven of its last eight games and brought home the championship in the Westside Invitational. Senior pitcher Alisha McMurtry leads the state with 212 strikeouts in 118 innings.

Next Tuesday night, the Chieftains play at Millard North, a battle of one of the best pitchers versus the best offensive team.

7. Omaha Westview (15-6)

Previous Rank: 5

Westview got off to a tough start in the Westside Invitational, dropping a game in extra innings to Lincoln East and then losing 9-6 to Marian. The Wolverines answered with three straight wins. Their next two games against Millard South and Millard West could go a long way to locking up a district host.

8. Omaha Westside (14-5)

Previous Rank: 6

Westside made it to the finals of their own tournament before losing to Bellevue East. The Warriors responded with a 1-0 win over Elkhorn South on Monday. A game with Millard North awaits next week as Westside tries to position itself to host a district.

9. Elkhorn South (17-8)

Previous Rank: 8

It was an up-and-down week for the Storm as they put up wins against Bellevue West and Marian, but lost to Bellevue East and Westside.

Right now, Elkhorn South is just outside of hosting a district. Upcoming games against Lincoln East, Lincoln Southwest, and Papillion-La Vista South offer a chance to earn more points.

10. Northwest (16-2)

Previous Rank: 9

Northwest has won 14 games in a row. The Vikings weren’t really challenged this week, outscoring their opponents 25-4 in 3 games. Freshman Abby Dinkelman is leading the potent Vikings offense with a .610 average and 1.051 slugging percentage.

Next Teams Up:

Lincoln East (14-9)

Lincoln East finished the week 3-2. The Spartans did get a nice win over Omaha Westview. Senior Naveah Coleman continues to be an offensive threat with a .640 batting average and 26 stolen bases.

Beatrice (20-4)

Beatrice has won 13 games in a row, which includes wins over Omaha Skutt and Ralston this week. Senior Sadie Hereth is third in the state in home runs with 12.