Finales Set in Texas… Cali Playoffs Underway

Too bad that the two Texas Class 5A state championship games being played Friday night in Austin can’t flip the opponents.

In the 5A D2 final beginning at 4 pm, unbeaten national No. 2 Lake Creek is taking on Hallsville. Then in the 5A D1 final that is immediately afterward, national No. 1 Melissa is meeting Barbers Hill.

If it was Melissa vs Lake Creek, it would be a de-facto national championship. Instead, many of those able to see both of the two teams playing back-to-back will have perhaps the most informed opinion regarding which one deserves to be ranked higher for the final rankings if both teams win their state titles.

Melissa may have the toughest task to win its final game. Not only are the Cardinals playing a Barbers Hill team that comes in at 36-3 and is ranked No. 8 in the Super 70, but a team that won in its semifinal game, 4-0, over Smithson Valley of Spring Branch on a no-hitter with 18 strikeouts by Hailey Nutter.

Melissa wasted no time in its state semifinal contest last week vs Aledo. The girls plated eight runs in the first inning and went on to win, 15-4. Finlee Williams blasted a pair of homers and Gabby Kuerhler went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI to lead the way.

Shoutout to @FinleeWilliams @EloisaMaes2027 and @gabbykuehler during Melissa’s win over Aledo on Wednesday night.

Fin - 2 HRs
E - 2 hits 1 run after the 1st inning
Gabby- Grand Slam

Cards are headed to the 5A D1 champ game next week in Austin pic.twitter.com/UQsI18AcyX

— Brian Gosset (@Gosset41) May 22, 2025

Lake Creek had to win twice instead of just once in its semifinal matchup with Rouse of Leander, Texas. The Lions did by scores of 4-3 and 8-4. Chesney Davis didn’t allow any earned runs in that second game and only gave up three hits.

In the Class 6A two championship games being played in Austin on Saturday, both No. 12 Forney and No. 16 Midway advanced last week but both lost games as well and dropped a few places in this week’s rankings.

Forney is playing Kingwood for the 6A D2 title while Midway is playing Clear Springs for the 6A D1 crown. This is the first year that the Texas state softball finals have had two different divisions within each classification.

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Another team wrapping up a final top five ranking last week was Doral Academy of Florida.

The Firebirds, who lost the only time this season to Alabama’s Orange Beach in the final of the Kissimmee Klassic, knocked off defending champion Pace, 1-0, to win the Class 6A state title in the Sunshine State.

🥎🏆🥇Congratulations to the #FHSAA 6A Softball State Champions-The Doral Academy Firebirds! They finish with a 31-1 record! What an incredible season!@DoralSoftball pic.twitter.com/lhQyB62vz0

— FHSAA (@FHSAA) May 24, 2025

Meagan Villazon keyed the win by throwing a one-hitter with seven strikeouts. The only run that Doral Academy needed came home on a bases-loaded walk.

The next highest ranked team in the Super 70 from Florida to also win a state title last week was No. 9 Calvary Christian of Clearwater. The Warriors downed North Bay Haven Academy, 6-4, to win the Class 2A state title.

Emma Bell and Morgan Spinner both hit home runs in the game. Calvary Christian won the same division that Montverde Academy (27-3) was in and split with the only team it lost to during the season (Inspiration Academy).

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There are no state championships in California, but that is going to change in two years. Until then, there are CIF section titles to win and then some teams (but not all, especially in Southern California) will go on to the CIF Northern California and CIF Southern California regional playoffs.

In the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D1 final played last Saturday, previous Super 70 No. 8 Del Oro of Loomis lost to Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills, 4-3. It marked the third straight section title for Oak Ridge, but those teams could play again in two weeks in the NorCal playoffs.

Saturday’s CIF Southern Section D1 championship in Irvine will match Super 70 No. 6 Norco against El Modena of Orange. It will be a rematch of the title game of this year’s Dave Kops TOC in Arizona that El Modena won.

The Vanguards dropped out of the rankings after they lost five times in their league but hit the SUPER 70 last week and this week jumped back up to No. 33. Norco will be opting out of the CIF SoCal playoffs so if it wins on Saturday, it is likely wrapping up the final No. 1 ranking this year in California.

— Mark Tennis of CalHiSports.com for Line Drive Softball

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(Previous rank in parentheses)
(After games of Tuesday, May 27, 2025)
* Indicates season complete.
** Forfeit wins, losses not included

1. (1) Melissa (Melissa, Texas) 37-1
2. (2) Lake Creek (Montgomery, Texas) 36-0
3. (3) Orange Beach (Orange Beach, Ala.) 47-2*
4. (4) Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.) 31-1*
5. (5) Summerville (Summerville, S.C.) 33-0
6. (8) Norco (Norco, Calif.) 28-3
7. (14) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills, Calif.) 24-3**
8. (10) Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas) 36-3
9. (9) Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.) 31-1*
10. (7) Del Oro (Loomis, Calif.) 28-2

Scroll down to see the rest of the Top 50 plus 20 more teams on the bubble…