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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

For the first time this season, the Vincent Yellow Jackets are atop the Class 2A baseball rankings, joining Helena softball in Class 6A as the two county teams who came in at No. 1 in the final baseball and softball media rankings when they were released on Thursday, April 18.

The Alabama Sports Writers Association also named Thompson baseball and softball and Spain Park, Helena and Shelby County baseball in the top 10 of their respective classifications ahead of the postseason.

Vincent finished the regular season 24-4 with a pair of wins over Bowdon and Ranburne on Saturday, April 13. The Jackets also went undefeated in area play to clinch the area championship.

Vincent will look to return to the Class 2A state championship game after reaching it in 2023 when it faces Lindsey Lane at home on Friday, April 19 in a semifinals rematch in the first round.

Helena remains at No. 1 in the Class 6A softball rankings for the second straight week. The Huskies sit at 31-4 including a perfect 4-0 area record against Pelham and Briarwood.

Helena will finish the regular season with games against Chelsea, Thompson and Mountain Brook ahead of the area tournament.

The Thompson Warriors previously joined the Huskies at No. 1 of their respective classifications, but they dropped to No. 2 in Class 7A behind Hewitt-Trussville in the final rankings.

Thompson’s seven-game win streak was snapped by No. 3 Hoover on Tuesday, April 16 to split the season series. However, the Warriors bounced back with a win over Tuscaloosa County in their final area game the next day after the rankings had been finalized.

Thompson’s baseball team rose in the rankings to join the softball Warriors at No. 2 in Class 7A. Thompson earned a big win in area play over Hoover on Tuesday, April 16 to remain in contention for both a playoff spot and an area championship.

The Warriors will finish the regular season with game two and potentially three against Hoover on Thursday, April 18 and a rescheduled tiebreaker game against Tuscaloosa County on the road on Saturday, April 20.

Joining Thompson in the top 10 of the Class 7A baseball rankings is Spain Park at No. 8. The Jags currently sit at 23-11 ahead of their final area game on Thursday, April 18 against Chelsea and are 3-2 in the area.

Spain Park took game one of the series 2-0 on Tuesday, April 16 on the final day before the rankings were compiled.

Helena baseball finishes the regular season at No. 8 in Class 6A after earning a 20-12 record. The Huskies took the area championship with a 4-0 record against Calera and Chilton County.

Helena will embark on its postseason journey on Friday, April 19 when it hosts Baldwin County for games one and two of its first-round series.

Shelby County is in the top five of the final Class 5A baseball rankings with a 22-9 record on the season. The Wildcats finished the regular season with a four-game win streak against Shades Valley, Jemison, Bibb County and Altamont.

Now, Shelby County will take on Rehobeth in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs at home on Friday, April 19 at 4:30 and 7 p.m.

Chelsea and Oak Mountain baseball both dropped out of the Class 7A rankings after previously featuring in the top 10.

To see the full rankings, read more below:

 

ASWA SOFTBALL RANKINGS

CLASS 7A

1. Hewitt-Trussville (22-4)
2. Thompson (34-5)
3. Hoover (29-5-1)
4. Central-Phenix City (35-3-1)
5. Daphne (30-1)
6. Vestavia Hills (16-7-2)
7. Huntsville (25-17)
8. Bob Jones (21-11)
9. Austin (30-12-1)
10. Tuscaloosa County (23-9-1)

Others nominated: Auburn (20-8-1), Dothan (22-9-1), Enterprise (22-10), Fairhope (16-13), Spain Park (19-13), Sparkman (15-14-1).

CLASS 6A

1. Helena (30-4)
2. Wetumpka (35-4)
3. Saraland (34-8)
4. Hartselle (28-12-1)
5. Athens (16-6)
6. Spanish Fort (25-13-1)
7. Hazel Green (24-9-1)
8. Muscle Shoals (25-5)
9. Gardendale (24-9-1)
10. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (23-9-1)

Others nominated: Brookwood (17-16-1), Calera (20-18), Cullman (18-13), Mortimer Jordan (15-14), Oxford (15-13), Pell City (21-14), Pike Road (22-12).

CLASS 5A

1. Springville (25-10)
2. Alexandria (23-9-1)
3. Jasper (18-5-1)
4. Gulf Shores (25-6-1)
5. Southside-Gadsden (22-9-1)
6. Moody (18-14)
7. Scottsboro (17-15-2)
8. Sardis (18-10-1)
9. Holtville (20-6)
10. Faith Academy (15-9)

Others nominated: Ardmore (17-13), Boaz (18-8-1), Brewbaker Tech (16-12), Brewer (19-13), Demopolis (14-11-1), Lawrence County (20-20-1), Leeds (13-6-1), Rehobeth (20-9), Russellville (18-16-1).

CLASS 4A

1. Orange Beach (27-0)
2. Houston Academy (28-2)
3. Curry (25-6-1)
4. Satsuma (29-7-1)
5. West Limestone (30-6-3)
6. Brooks (21-6-1)
7. Hamilton (29-8-1)
8. Northside (29-16-1)
9. Madison County (26-7)
10. Handley (17-5)

Others nominated: American Christian (19-5), Cherokee County (24-4), Etowah (19-15), Munford (17-6-1), North Jackson (25-7), Prattville Christian (18-4), Priceville (26-13), Slocomb (24-5), T.R. Miller (25-10), White Plains (21-10).

CLASS 3A

1. St. James (24-1)
2. Plainview (24-7)
3. Opp (27-5)
4. Madison Academy (19-3)
5. Winfield (28-3)
6. Piedmont (15-6)
7. Lauderdale County (18-11)
8. Mars Hill Bible (13-11)
9. Thomasville (25-5)
10. Hokes Bluff (16-10-1)

Others nominated: Beulah (9-10), Carbon Hill (21-17), Cottage Hill (23-9), Danville (14-11), Ohatchee (21-7-2), Randolph County (14-6-2), Straughn (10-6-1).

CLASS 2A

1. Wicksburg (28-11)
2. West End (17-8-1)
3. Zion Chapel (27-3)
4. Winston County (22-7)
5. Pleasant Valley (13-13)
6. Hatton (13-20)
7. Sulligent (25-10-1)
8. Sumiton Christian (12-18)
9. G.W. Long (17-9-1)
10. Ider (14-7-1)

Others nominated: Ariton (20-14), Horseshoe Bend (17-3), J.U. Blacksher (14-13), North Sand Mountain (10-11), Pisgah (15-14-2).

CLASS 1A

1. Skyline (21-7)
2. Brantley (16-12)
3. Leroy (18-13)
4. Waterloo (21-5-1)
5. Spring Garden (17-8)
6. Hackleburg (18-9-2)
7. Kinston (21-7)
8. Maplesville (12-8)
9. Athens Bible (10-9)
10. Verbena (16-8)

Others nominated: Lynn (19-11), Meek (17-11), Ragland (9-11), Red Level (10-7).

AISA

1. Edgewood (28-7)
2. Macon East (28-13-1)
3. Lee-Scott (24-11)
4. Clarke Prep (24-5-1)
5. Bessemer Academy (29-9)
6. Hooper Academy (22-5)
7. Abbeville Christian (16-6)
8. South Choctaw (19-7)
9. Glenwood (20-21)
10. Lowndes Academy (15-11)

Others nominated: Fort Dale (15-13),  Patrician Academy (20-8-2).

 

ASWA BASEBALL RANKINGS

CLASS 7A

1. Bob Jones (32-6)
2. Thompson (25-9)
3. Auburn (21-9)
4. Central-Phenix City (31-3)
5. Hewitt-Trussville (25-7)
6. Baker (24-5)
7. Hoover (22-14)
8. Spain Park (23-11)
9. James Clemens (27-8)
10. Grissom (21-13)

Other teams nominated: Chelsea (19-14), Enterprise (21-10), Fairhope (22-11), Mary G. Montgomery (20-10), Oak Mountain (21-11), Sparkman (26-9), Tuscaloosa County (17-15), Vestavia Hills (14-16).

 

CLASS 6A

1. Hartselle (24-7)
2. Oxford (25-9)
3. Mountain Brook (25-5)
4. Faith Academy (21-5)
5. Saraland (24-7)
6. Helena (20-12)
7. Spanish Fort (22-10)
8. Gardendale (23-8)
9. Pike Road (21-9)
10. Homewood (20-10)

Other teams nominated: Athens (21-11), Baldwin County (23-9), Briarwood (14-10), Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (22-10), Northridge (17-8).

 

CLASS 5A

1. Alexandria (22-8)
2. Sardis (16-11)
3. St. Paul’s (20-10)
4. Russellville (23-9)
5. Shelby County (22-9)
6. Gulf Shores (25-10)
7. Springville (23-9)
8. Boaz (19-8)
9. Mobile Christian (16-10)
10. Holtville (18-12)

Other teams nominated: Ardmore (19-14), Demopolis (12-9), Elmore County (19-9), Fairview (21-11-1), Headland (14-11), John Carroll (19-12), Leeds (17-15), Madison Academy (20-13), Marbury (21-8), Rehobeth (16-13), Southside-Gadsden (18-15), Sylacauga (16-6-1), Valley (20-4), West Point (13-13).

 

CLASS 4A

1. Bibb County (26-3)
2. Bayside Academy (19-6)
3. Corner (23-6)
4. Etowah (18-12)
5. Westminster Christian (20-7)
6. Orange Beach (30-8)
7. North Jackson (24-7)
8. Deshler (24-7)
9. Trinity (21-10)
10. American Christian (18-15)

Other teams nominated: Andalusia (13-10), Ashville (17-12-1), Brooks (12-11), Cherokee County (17-11), Haleyville (15-9), Hamilton (19-11), Hanceville (14-8), Jacksonville (17-13), Madison County (24-8), Munford (19-7), Oak Grove (18-11), Priceville (20-10), Satsuma (19-8).

 

CLASS 3A

1. Piedmont (20-11)
2. Thomasville (22-4)
3. Lauderdale County (19-4)
4. Providence Christian (17-8)
5. Gordo (19-8)
6. Decatur Heritage (21-8)
7. Prattville Christian (20-10)
8. Westbrook Christian (16-10)
9. Saint James (17-11)
10. Vinemont (17-6)

Other teams nominated: Houston Academy (11-11), New Brockton (18-11), Oakman (16-7), Opp (17-7).

 

CLASS 2A

1. Vincent (24-4)
2. G.W. Long (16-9)
3. Pike Liberal Arts (23-5)
4. Ariton (20-7-1)
5. Collinsville (23-5)
6. Wicksburg (18-4)
7. Lindsay Lane (20-8)
8. Mars Hill (18-8)
9. Tuscaloosa Academy (20-10)
10. North Sand Mountain (19-9)

Other teams nominated: Bayshore Christian (12-12), Donoho (11-12), Fyffe (20-11), Pleasant Valley (13-10), Red Bay (15-6), Reeltown (18-9), Whitesburg Christian (16-7), Winston County (12-10).

 

CLASS 1A

1. Appalachian (20-2)
2. Sumiton Christian (18-4)
3. Florala (18-1)
4. Brantley (14-5)
5. Millry (24-4)
6. Leroy (19-11)
7. Cedar Bluff (16-11)
8. Hackleburg (20-7)
9. Sweet Water (14-12)
10. Lynn (14-6)

Other teams nominated: Athens Bible (11-12), Billingsley (13-8), Coosa Christian (12-19), Covenant Christian (8-12), Gaylesville (13-13), Maplesville (11-8), Red Level (7-11), South Lamar (17-9), Spring Garden (8-14), Victory Christian (16-4).

 

AISA

1. Glenwood (26-7)
2. Lowndes Academy (25-6)
3. Lee-Scott (30-6)
4. Patrician (19-6)
5. Clarke Prep (18-7)
6. Macon-East (26-10)
7. Edgewood Academy (21-11)
8. Bessemer Academy (23-12)
9. Autauga Academy (16-9)
10. Morgan Academy (15-10)

Other teams nominated: Chambers Academy (16-13), Escambia Academy (12-9), Wilcox Academy (14-10).