These first rankings that you are about to look over have gone by different names over the years in a partnership with yours truly and softball website publisher Brentt Eads.

When Brentt began doing his first website working through Student Sports Inc. of California in the 2000s, it was the FAB 50. It continued to be the FAB 50 when we were both working for ESPN. It was 50 teams still when Brentt was with FloSports and it was the Extra Elite 80 just last season.

Since all of the national rankings we have ever produced with Brentt have gone by at least 50 teams, we have to do that again in his newest website endeavor. This time, we’ll just be a little different and add 20 teams on the bubble to get to 70 instead of 30 to get to 80.

It’s all the same approach and similar criteria that have been a hallmark of all national and state rankings we have done not just for Brentt but in other sports and in California for more than 45 years.

That criteria includes:

• strength of schedule (not just for so far in a season but what is coming up),
• head-to-head or comparative results,
• strength of a state’s or region of a state’s competition,
• having a dominant pitcher or two,
• win-loss record,
• having D1 commits,
• and more.

All rankings should be viewed as if someone is snapping a photo at a particular point in time. Then once the photo is snapped, other results can begin to happen that would change that photo.

For these weekly rankings, due to other work flow situations, the photo has to be snapped so to speak after any scores from Tuesday night but before anything is played on Wednesday.

It can make a big difference including Tuesday scores compared to other national rankings that may be out there, such as Basha of Glendale, Ariz., recording a win this week on Tuesday over Xavier Prep of Phoenix, Ariz.

One of the top teams in the nation, Orange Beach of Alabama, is playing Hewitt-Trussville of Alabama on Thursday of this week and that score could not be waited for.

The first No. 1 team in these rankings, Melbourne of Melbourne, Fla., had a Tuesday game this week and notched a 7-0 win over Lake Brantley of Altamonte Springs, which hasn’t been as strong as last season in Florida, but it also wouldn’t have been that shocking if the Bulldogs had lost.

Melbourne was the championship team recently at the most prestigious Florida tourney of each season, the Kissimmee Klassic, and was led by Florida State-bound pitcher Jazzy Francik, who also is a National Player of the Year candidate.

The unbeaten Bulldogs also have handed Bartow its only loss. The other reason to start with Melbourne on top is that the Florida Class 6A state playoffs looks loaded, not just with Bartow but also with Pace, unbeaten Bloomington of Valrico and Doral Academy. 

Orange Beach may only be Class 4A in Alabama (6A is the highest) but has to get credit for playing top teams from other states and top teams from Alabama’s 6A rankings. In addition to Hewitt-Trussville this week, the Makos also have topped Pace (Florida) and McCracken County (Kentucky). Pace’s only loss has been in that one game and some computer rankings in Florida have that team higher than Melbourne.

As with all years of doing national softball rankings, that strange phenomenon of some state playoffs in warm weather states getting done early while the season is just still beginning in other states is already in full swing.

The Louisiana state playoffs are well underway this week, for example, while some teams in a state like Michigan have yet to play even five games yet. 

As these rankings evolve in future weeks, expect teams to jump up from the cold weather states as they play more and more games, replacing teams that lose and are eliminated from playoffs in the warm weather states. 

(Through reported results of Tuesday, April 16)

1. Melbourne (Melbourne, Fla.) 23-0
2. Orange Beach (Orange Beach, Ala.) 27-0
3. St. Francis (Mountain View, Calif.) 16-0
4. Katy (Katy, Texas) 30-1-1
5. Pace (Pace, Fla.) 18-1
6. Cedar Ridge (Round Rock, Texas) 24-1
7. Bartow (Bartow, Fla.) 21-1
8. Norco (Norco, Calif.) 19-3
9. Watkins Memorial (Patalaskala, Ohio) 11-0
10. Forney (Forney, Texas) 28-1-2

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