Preseason Fearless Friday Super 7 Softball Rankings

By Kyle Sutherland

Grab your sunhats and sunflower seeds, it is time for another softball season! 

It will be another week or two before each squad has their teams completely filled out once basketball and other winter sports conclude, but below are seven teams from each classification to follow as we start a fresh slate. 

The next round of Fearless Friday Super 7 rankings will release on March 17 and will continue for the remainder of the season, minus state tournament week. 

Also, make sure you subscribe to the Arkansas Preps Weekly podcast on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify for even more in-depth coverage on each classification every week. 

6A

1. Bentonville

2. Springdale Har-Ber 

3. Rogers 

4. Cabot

5. Bentonville West 

6. Bryant

7. Conway

Fresh off its fourth state title in three years, Bentonville graduated ace Ryann Sanders but brings back everyone else and then some, including multiple college signees. Springdale Har-Ber and Rogers are fellow West conference foes of the Tigers who likely have the best chance of challenging Bentonville for not only a West conference title, but a state championship. 

Har-Ber went to the program’s first state final in year one under legend Randy Osnes, while the Lady Mounties aim to get over the hump after finishing the past three seasons in the semifinal round in which each game was decided by a single run. Also out of the same conference, Bentonville West will be in the mix and is looking to find consistency throughout the season as the back half of last spring was shaky following an 11-5 start. 

2022 and 2023 state finalist Cabot brings back many familiar faces while Bryant, led by new head coach and previous assistant Eric Ryan, looks to challenge the Lady Panthers, while  Conway also expects to be in the mix.

5A

1. Sheridan 

2. Greene County Tech 

3. Maumelle 

4. Beebe

5. Greenwood 

6. Benton

7. Vilonia 

After winning the program’s sixth state title, this year’s Lady ‘Jacket squad returns with a surplus of talent, though they were dealt a major blow with senior third baseman Mary Lem, a Mississippi College signee, out for the year. Greene County Tech and Maumelle each saw their season end in the state semifinals and return most of their production, especially in the circle which is crucial with 5A conference doubleheaders, while defending state runner-up Beebe also has a lot returning on the roster including well-proven senior pitchers Lexi Dulany (Nicholls State signee) and Jordyn Lefford. 

Out of all of the teams listed in the Super 7, Greenwood graduated the most production in the circle but the Lady Bulldogs do have about two-thirds of their starters back to complement junior arm Alyssa Lovell, who showed some really good stuff last spring. 

An extremely young 2024 Benton team is now a year older coming off of a first round state tournament exit that succeeded a three-peat state championship run. Lady Panthers 5A-Central conference – which expects to be the deepest league in the class – foe Vilonia has as much experience returning as anyone in 5A and more depth in the circle. 

4A

1. Pea Ridge 

2. Gentry 

3. Bauxite  

4. Nashville

5. Star City

6. Brookland

7. Monticello 

Before last season even started, the 4A-1 conference was tabbed as the hands down deepest league and that was proven as three of the four state semifinalists hailed from there with Farmington eventually winning it all. Fast forward a year, it may not be quite to the level it was with Farmington going to 5A, but Pea Ridge enters the year as the team to beat led by Central Arkansas signee Emory Bowlin. The Lady Blackhawks are aiming to get over the hump after falling short in three of the past four state finals, while Gentry, last year’s Cinderella story, is no longer a secret and back for what they have deemed “#unfinishedbusiness.”

Bauxite is always going to have one of the premier batting lineups in the class and that does not change this year, but they also bring back multiple four-year starters, including Emma King (Central Methodist [Okla.] signee) and MJ Bermingham (ASU – Newport signee) while the Lady Miners’ familiar foe Nashville also has a host of experience back, but are working things out by committee in the circle. 

While Gentry was the overall season’s surprise, Star City got hot in the state tournament and pitched consecutive shutouts before coming up a run short to Pea Ridge in the semifinal round. Brookland has a mix of veterans and heralded freshmen in the second year under Matt Dillon and should be the team to beat out of the 4A Eastern Region, while Monticello hopes to overcome some key injuries, as well as translate the regular season success of the past two springs to postseason play and they’ll go as far as Ouachita Baptist signee Alaina Lyle takes them. 

3A

1. Lincoln 

2. DeWitt 

3. Mayflower 

4. Lamar

5. Harding Academy

6. Atkins  

7. Booneville

Class 3A is always the deepest in terms of how many teams are legit state title contenders year in and year out. While there is still truth to that, on paper coming into the season there are many questions to be answered. 

Mississippi State signee Brinkley Moreton is the top player in the class and looking to take a state ring with her to Starkville after the Wolves came up short to Hackett in last May’s final. The team they beat to get there, DeWitt, returns everyone including Southern Miss signee AC Cox and impressive sophomore Harley Grammer. 

Two other strong contenders will be very experienced squads Mayflower and Lamar, the latter now playing in the 3A-4 conference after most recently competing in the gauntlet that is Region 5 alongside Mayflower. Harding Academy will also have many recognizable faces, starting with Tennessee – Martin junior commit Ace Ellis, as the Lady Wildcats are coming off of a state quarterfinal run. 

Atkins and Booneville squared off in the 2023 3A state championship, and while both have put out consistent production each year the biggest question is how they will adapt to each losing their aces, whom they relied on for four seasons. 

2A

1. Hackett 

2. Riverside 

3. Quitman 

4. Des Arc

5. East Poinsett County

6. Central Arkansas Christian 

7. Woodlawn

Defending 3A champion Hackett moving down in class – plus returning multiple starters led by the Freeman sisters, senior Kenzie (Tulsa signee) and junior Mikey (Tulsa volleyball commit) – certainly makes them the favorite.

While it may be a question as to how many teams in the class can keep pace with the Lady Hornets, a talented and very experienced Riverside squad is the first that comes to mind. Just about every starter for the Lady Rebels, including Arkansas Tech signee Klaire Womack, has played a lot of innings since their freshman year and also have two state final trips on their resume that included winning it all in 2023.

Quitman lost a key piece in All-State ace Chloe Liles, but the Lady Bulldogs should still be a top contender and no matter what happens during the regular season this squad has proven before that it can do damage come postseason tournament time. Injuries forced Des Arc to switch up their lineup some last spring, and it ended up paying dividends for the Lady Eagles as they now have very experienced senior leaders at key positions around junior ace Kaylee McDonald, who is a Southern Miss commit.

East Poinsett County may have taken a step back from the previous two seasons’ success dealing with both youth and injuries, but Brandon Powell’s pitchers have a history of taking big steps from their freshman to sophomore seasons and Kylee Henderson is aiming to be the next in line. Central Arkansas Christian made one of the most impressive runs of the postseason for all classifications, much of that due to the play of Kayla Myers, and Woodlawn claims the final spot in the Super 7 as Arkansas signee Lillie-Faye McWhorter hopes to get the Lady Bears even further after a semifinal run last May. 

1A

1. Taylor 

2. West Side Greers Ferry

3. Scranton 

4. Bradley  

5. Midland

6. Hampton

7. Marked Tree 

Seven-time defending state champion graduated a lot of production, but that doesn’t mean the cupboard is bare – especially with three-time state tournament MVP Ayla Buford, a Southern Arkansas signee, back in the circle. 

Everything starts in 1A with Taylor until someone else proves otherwise, but the deepest squad on paper could be West Side (Greers Ferry) who added multiple pieces to an already talented returning team. The Lady Eagles fell to Taylor in the 2022 state final and checking in right behind them at No. 3 is Scranton, the team Taylor defeated in last spring’s state championship. With about everyone back the Lady Rockets are primed for another deep run after winning 14 of their final 15 contests in 2024. 

Past Taylor, West Side and Scranton there is quite a bit to figure out. Bradley should still be strong, but will have to adjust to life without Ainslee Moore. On the same note as Scranton, Midland made an impressive second half surge as the Lady Mustangs were 6-9 at the beginning of April before finishing 17-12. Both Hampton and Marked Tree impressed at times last season. The Lady Bulldogs finished in the state quarterfinal round, falling by a run to Scranton, while the Lady Indians do have some ground to make up after dropping five of their final seven contests.