Final SBLive Arkansas 2023 Super 7 high school softball rankings

The last rankings of the 2023 season

By Kyle Sutherland 

The 2023 softball season concluded Saturday during the 'Weekend of Champions' at the University of Central Arkansas, where six state champions were crowned.

Two won the first championship in their program's history, one took home the first in two decades, another the first since 2012, while two squads won their third and sixth consecutive. 

6A

1. Bryant (23-7)

2. Bentonville (29-2)

3. Cabot (23-3)

4. Rogers (27-5)

5. Har-Ber (15-6)

6. Bentonville West (16-14)

7. Rogers Heritage (16-16)

Bryant: For the first time since 2012, the Lady Hornets finished at the top during a season in which they conquered two nationally ranked squads - Benton in March and two-time defending 6A champion Bentonville in the semifinals. They found themselves down two runs to Cabot heading into the seventh, but reeled off five at the bottom of the frame to win the hardware, headlined by Macy Hoskins’ three-run dinger.

Bentonville: They may have fallen in the semifinals, but what the Lady Tigers proved this year makes it hard to deny they are one of the state’s top two teams. Other than Bryant, their only loss was to Louisiana 4A state champion North Desoto and another one of their top wins includes Alabama powerhouse Orange Beach.

Cabot: A second consecutive tough ending in the state finals should not overshadow all the Lady Panthers accomplished. They started the season with an 18-game win streak and all three of their losses were to state finalists - Bryant in the 6A finals, as well as non-conference matchups against 5A champion Benton and 5A runner-up Greene County Tech.

Rogers: The Lady Mounties enjoyed a highly successful first season under head coach Hannah Neal despite a heartbreaking run one loss to Cabot in the state semifinals for the second consecutive year. Other than Cabot, they fell only to Bentonville twice, Har-Ber, and 4A champion Gravette.

Har-Ber: It is no debate that the Lady Wildcats were Class 6A’s most improved team this season finishing third in the West and competed with some of the best as they earned a win over Rogers, hung with Bentonville falling by only a run, and briefly led Bryant late in the state quarterfinals.

Bentonville West: Hats off to Anthony Cantrell and his crew for the job they did with a very young and inexperienced group. Their wins include 6A champion Bryant, 5A semifinalist Van Buren, 4A champion Gravette, and 4A runner-up Pea Ridge. They bring essentially everyone back, so look out for the Lady Wolverines in 2024.

Rogers Heritage: You do not have to look much further than the .500 record to realize there were plenty of ups, as well as plenty of downs, for the Lady War Eagles in 2023. Despite ending the season getting shut out by Bentonville for the third time this year, they took some confidence into the offseason with their triumphant comeback victory over Conway in the first round as they rallied from seven runs down to win 8-7.

5A

1. Benton (29-4)

2. Greene County Tech (25-7)

3. Van Buren (26-4)

4. Greenwood (22-9)

5. Sheridan (20-10)

6. Harrison (23-7)

7. Beebe (26-4)

Benton: There is very little that the Lady Panthers have not accomplished, but they checked another task off the list Saturday winning their third consecutive state title, the first three-peat in school history. Stanford signee Alyssa Houston had a dominant finish to her illustrious prep career and we got a glimpse of the future as sophomore Lydia Bethards and freshman Cam Culclager shined at the plate in the finals combining for seven of Benton’s 13 hits.

Greene County Tech: Playing in their second consecutive state finals, the Lady Eagles did something that had not been done in six games - record a hit off of Alyssa Houston, three to be exact. However, they were not able to match the overall firepower of the Lady Panthers which no team was able to match during the state tournament.

Van Buren: The strides this Lady Pointers team has continued to make under Andy Williams has been fun to watch. They finished in the semifinals for the second year in a row falling short by a run to Greene County Tech, but claimed the West conference title for the second straight year and won 13 of their final 15 contests.

Greenwood: After a 6-6 start, first year head coach Donald Hart and the Lady Bulldogs really got things to click as they reeled off 16 victories in their final 19 contests finishing in the semifinals where they dropped a hard-fought, one-run game to Benton. Pitching was Greenwood's strength throughout the year and they will return both Tori Howard and Haley McAdams.

Sheridan: Between youth and a host of injuries there were many frustrating moments for the Lady ‘Jackets, but they did band together and finish in the quarterfinals falling 4-2 to runner-up GCT. With many starters/key contributors returning, including Mary Lem who was out with a knee injury all season, expect them to be right back in the mix sooner than later.

Harrison: Coaching changes are never easy, especially when they happen midseason. However, previous assistant Kyle Wood took over in early April and did an admirable job as the Lady Goblins won ten of their final 13 games finishing in the quarterfinals.

Beebe: A surprising and heartbreaking defeat in the first round of the state tournament does not take away from what the Lady Badgers did collectively under first year coach and program alum Sara Flenor. They finished the regular season on a 19-game win streak after returning to the field from spring break.

4A

1. Gravette (23-2)

2. Pea Ridge (20-11)

3. Bauxite (26-6)

4. Farmington (21-4)

5. Malvern (20-6)

6. Ashdown (19-6)

7. Nashville (20-12-1)

Gravette: The Lady Lions looked like the top team in Class 4A throughout the season and they proved to be as they completed their dream season claiming the first state title in school history behind a one-hitter performance from Sydney Kildow and Brooke Handle. Head coach Samantha Luther mentioned her staff made it a point to schedule the best of the best in regular season play and they did that against the likes of Bentonville, Bentonville West, Rogers, along with playing weekly in the rugged 4A-1, the top conference in 4A this year.

Pea Ridge: One of the more improved teams in 4A for 2023, the Lady Blackhawks made it to the state finals for the second time in the past three years but were not able to overcome a red hot Gravette squad whom they saw multiple times. With many starters back including ace Emory Bowlin, catcher Callie Cooper, and freshman star infielder Zaylee Warden, don’t be surprised if they reel off another deep run in 2024.

Bauxite: Like every other 4A team who squared up against Gravette, the Lady Miners were not able to match the firepower after they escaped a thrilling one-run contest against Farmington in the quarterfinals. Bauxite was one of the more consistent teams in the class reeling off win streaks of 12 and nine games, respectively.

Farmington: The Lady Cardinals round out the third of four 4A-1 squads to finish in the Top 4 following a great run in which three of their four defeats came at the hands of conference foes Gravette and Pea Ridge - the 4A state finalists - before dropping a heartbreaker in the quarterfinals to Bauxite.

Malvern: The Lady Leopards hit a slump around the midseason point losing four of nine games, but got their second wind winning eight of their final 10 contests. They survived a slugfest with Jonesboro Westside in the first round, but could not get any offense together in the following round against Pea Ridge as they were blanked by the Lady Blackhawks.

Ashdown: Despite moving up in classification after winning the 2022 3A state championship, the Lady Panthers were expected to be right there competing with the best. They lived up to those expectations starting with a dominant 12-0 win over Wynne in the quarterfinals that ended early, but could not overcome Pea Ridge in the semifinals.

Nashville: It was documented many times from preseason and throughout the year that Nashville would experience growing pains after graduating a large senior class. However, during the times it appeared the Scrapperettes were down they kept on pushing. That was never more evident than when they went toe-to-toe with eventual champion Gravette in the quarterfinals before falling at the very end on a walk-off home run.

3A

1. Booneville (19-13)

2. Atkins (24-8)

3. Hackett (22-5)

4. Mayflower (27-4)

5. Lamar (15-13)

6. Baptist Prep (16-11)

7. Tuckerman (21-8)

Booneville: If any team in all of Arkansas prep sports during the 2022-23 school year overcame the odds more than Booneville softball this year, I’d like to know who it was. The Lady Bearcats were ranked in the preseason polls and showed flashes on multiple occasions, but just were not able to get over the hump until they finally got things rolling in the state tournament. A freak accident prior to the championship game gave them a scare, but they finished the job to win their first state title since 2004 after coming into the postseason a game over .500.

Atkins: The triumph of a 4-3 extra innings win over Lamar in the semifinals to clinch their second consecutive state championship berth was followed by the heartbreak of falling by the exact same score in the finals. However, a one run loss to a red hot Booneville squad does not take away from the resiliency the Lady Red Devils displayed against arguably the toughest schedule in Class 3A.

Hackett: Best believe the Lady Hornets will be more motivated than ever after a second straight shutout state tournament exit following a semifinal run. They had twice defeated Booneville earlier in the season, but their 3A-4 foe was not going to be denied by any team once the state tournament started.

Mayflower: You missed out if you didn’t follow the Lady Eagles this year. After dropping the season opener to a 4A Top 3 Bauxite squad, they reeled off one of the state’s longest win streaks (17) before falling in the quarterfinals falling to Hackett. Two of their wins include both state finalists, Atkins and Booneville.

Lamar: Behind only state champion Booneville, the Lady Warriors were the biggest surprise in Class 3A going all the way to the semifinals where they fell to Atkins in extra innings. They picked up some impressive wins during the district and regional tournaments defeating Atkins, Baptist Prep, and Mayflower.

Baptist Prep: As every team coached by Tim Yelvington does, the Lady Eagles made sure to play the best of the best outside of competing in the brutal 3A-5 as they played against 11 teams from Classes 4-6A. It was a frustrating end to the season dropping three of their final four contests, but a thrilling comeback win over Tuckerman in the first round of state keeps them in the Super 7.

Tuckerman: The Lady Bulldogs’ were left stunned in a season-ending defeat as they surrendered seven runs to Baptist Prep in the first round of state that ended their hopes of winning a third consecutive state championship. However, that does not take away from the fact they won 15 of their final 18 games after a 6-5 start.

2A

1. Riverside (25-4)

2. Mansfield (28-4)

3. East Poinsett County (30-7)

4. Quitman (22-13)

5. Woodlawn (20-9)

6. Magnet Cove (18-8)

7. Mount Vernon-Enola (19-6)

Riverside: In all but one game this year, the Lady Rebels proved time and time again that they had the tools to win their first state championship in school history and they did that behind excellent pitching as well as timely, clutch hitting. They were blanked 10-0 by East Poinsett County on April 7 then reeled off 14 consecutive wins, two of them over EPC, before edging Mansfield 1-0 in the finals ending the Lady Tigers’ 24-game win streak.

Mansfield: The Lady Tigers made it back to their second state finals in the past three years. It was a tough pill to swallow with their outstanding season coming to a bitter end as they could not get any run support despite a standout performance from ace Alyson Edwards. Mansfield put the state on notice winning 24 straight contests going into the finals after a 4-3 start.

East Poinsett County: Going into the postseason, there was zero doubt that EPC was in the conversation with Riverside and Mansfield as the best team in Class 2A as the Lady Warriors held on the top spot all season. However, Mansfield got EPC out of its game and scored the most runs on them that a 2A team has since Quitman put up eight in the first round of the 2021 state tournament.

Quitman: All year it was a matter of 'when', not 'if', the Lady Bulldogs would get things clicking following a 2022 semifinal run. They started 1-4 and hit another tough stretch from March 18-April 10 dropping five of six, then won 12 of their final 15 as they finished in the semis again falling to state champion Riverside.

Woodlawn: The Lady Bears had a first round bye due to the Des Arc forfeiture, but were eliminated in their opening state tournament game for the second straight year as Quitman left no doubts winning 9-1. With everyone back excluding first basemen Kaitlyn Webb, expect them to have an extra big chip on their shoulder.

Magnet Cove: The season had its share of learning curves as evidenced by the Lady Panthers’ two separate three game skids. The latter followed with a five game win streak before falling to EPC 6-2 in the quarterfinals, while they also started the year 6-0.

Mount Vernon-Enola: If you just started following Arkansas prep softball this year then you would have not had a clue the Lady Warhawks bumped up in classification mainly due to the fact they hardly skipped a beat. They did drop two of their final three contests, but notched 19 wins overall in the inaugural season in 2A.

1A

1. Taylor (24-4-1)

2. Bradley (26-8)

3. Midland (22-7)

4. Wonderview (19-4)

5. Calico Rock (18-6)

6. Viola (17-6)

7. Concord (19-12)

Taylor: It is not where you start, but how you finish, and the Lady Tigers reclaimed the top spot after becoming the second team in state history to win six consecutive state titles as they enforced the sportsmanship rule on rival Bradley 12-2. With just one senior graduating, Taylor will be the favorite to win it all again in 2023 and make history as the first team in Arkansas to win seven consecutive. 

Bradley: It is no secret that the state finals contest with Taylor got away from them, but Bradley made school history going to the championship game for the first time. The Lady Bears were also the first 1A team to defeat Taylor since 2017, and they did it twice. 

Midland: The Lady Mustangs had a stellar inaugural season in Class 1A making it all the way to the semifinals falling to Taylor, whom they were tied with at one until the bottom of the fifth. The Top 3 you see now including Midland will look identical at the start of the 2024 season with the Lady Mustangs losing just one starter.

Wonderview: It is a tough feeling to get eliminated in the semifinals three times in as many seasons, but it is even tougher to accomplish the feat of getting there as this heralded class for Wonderview did. The Lady Daredevils pitched 13 shutouts on the year. 

Calico Rock: The Lady Pirates claim the fifth spot after finishing as runner-up in the 1A-2 district tournament, champion of the 1A-2 Regional, and made a run to the state quarterfinals. Two of their six losses were by a combined three runs.

Viola: There were a lot of highs for the Lady Longhorns this year: A nine game win streak in arguably the state's deepest 1A class, runner-up in the 1A-2 Regional, and then hung with state champion Taylor in the quarterfinals. 

Concord: The Lady Pirates had their impressive moments, but were tough to figure out at times. They started 9-0 against 1A competition, dropped four of five games before winning seven of nine, then lost their final three. Good news is, everyone returns and most have played a lot of innings since their freshman season.