Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

The inaugural edition of the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s baseball and softball media rankings were stacked with some of Shelby County’s top teams when they were released on Thursday, March 20.

That includes the Thompson Warriors, who sit atop the Class 7A softball rankings at No. 1. They are one of five schools who are ranked in the top 10 of both the baseball and softball rankings, joining the Chelsea Hornets, Spain Park Jaguars, Helena Huskies and Vincent Yellow Jackets. The Pelham Panthers also made their return to the 6A baseball top 10.

Thompson softball is No. 1 in the state after amassing a 22-2 record to start the season, including most recently a win over 5A No. 1 Springville. The Warriors are also one of just two teams ranked in the top 25 nationally by MaxPreps alongside Class 4A No. 1 Orange Beach.

Thompson will finish out its pre-spring break slate on Thursday, March 20 against Hartselle.

The Chelsea Hornets lead three local teams in the Class 6A softball rankings at No. 4. Chelsea is 13-8-1 mainly thanks to a strong start that saw it go 10-3 in its first 13 games. The Hornets are also 1-1 in area play with a win over Pelham and a tight loss to Spain Park.

Helena checked in at No. 7 as the Huskies have earned a 14-7-2 record in their quest to return to the state tournament once again. Six of their seven losses are to Class 7A teams, and most notably, Helena is 2-0 in area play with dominant wins over Chelsea and Spain Park on its resume.

Chelsea and Helena will square off on Thursday, March 20 in a top-10 area battle to finish off the pre-spring break slate.

Spain Park secured the No. 9 rank in Class 6A thanks to its 14-10 record in 2025. After reaching the Class 7A state tournament last year, the Jags started off 9-3 but hit multiple speed bumps in recent weeks and are currently on a four-game losing streak against tough opponents in Thompson, Austin, Helena and Springville.

Spain Park will look to improve on its 2-1 area mark after spring break but will be in tournament action on March 21 and 22 in the Auburn Round Robin.

The Vincent Yellow Jackets are holding down the fort at No. 9 in the Class 2A rankings. Vincent is currently on a three-game losing streak but has largely dominated teams in or around its classification, including Winterboro, Central-Coosa County and B.B. Comer.

The Jackets will be in area action on Thursday, March 20 against Southeastern before facing rival Childersburg on Friday, March 21.

As for the baseball side, Thompson is the No. 9-ranked team in Class 7A thanks to a 14-9 mark. That includes multiple games against tough competition, and the Warriors boast wins over Hoover, Oxford, Spanish Fort and Oak Mountain.

Thompson will face the Bucs in their next game on Saturday, March 22 before seven-straight games against out-of-state opponents leading directly into the start of area play on Tuesday, April 1 against Prattville.

Chelsea leads a pack of four county teams in the top 10 of Class 6A. The Hornets have blazed their way to a 12-8 record against tough competition with six of their eight losses coming to 7A or out-of-state teams.

One of those losses was to Spain Park in a 4-3 game in the area opener and Chelsea will look to avenge the defeat and split the series in both teams’ next game on Thursday, March 20.

The Jags sit just behind them at No. 4 thanks to their 11-7 mark. Spain Park defeated John Carroll 14-11 in its last outing and boasts wins over Chelsea, Hazel Green, Hartselle and out-of-state teams Madison-Ridgeland Academy and Raburn Gap-Nacoochee.

Helena is No. 7 in Class 6A with an 11-8 record on the season. The Huskies split a doubleheader with Thompson in their final outing ahead of area play and have beaten Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Oak Grove and Gardendale along with Mississippi’s Brandon.

Perhaps most importantly though, they beat No. 8 Pelham in their area opener 4-0 on Wednesday, March 19. While that game didn’t factor into this week’s rankings, the Huskies will look to sweep the series against their perennial rival on Thursday, March 20 at home.

As for the Panthers, their No. 8 record comes as a result of their 12-5 record. After starting the Guy Howard era 5-0, Pelham has largely taken care of business through the rest of its slate and boasts wins over Mountain Brook and Orange Beach.

However, the top ranked baseball team in Shelby County is once again down in Class 2A. Vincent is No. 2 in the classification after another phenomenal start to the season.

After sweeping Louisiana’s Archbishop Hannan to start the year, the Jackets have gone 14-4 on the year as a whole and boast wins over Fyffe, St. Clair County, Bayshore Christian, Straughn and Chilton County.

Vincent swept its opening area series with Westminster School at Oak Mountain on March 18 and 19, and the Jackets will next face Bowdon on Friday, March 21.

To see the full rankings for each classification, read more below:

This week’s Alabama Sports Writers Association high school baseball and softball rankings, the first of the season:

SOFTBALL

CLASS 7A

1. Thompson (22-2)
2. Central-Phenix City (15-2)
3. Daphne (12-2)
4. Tuscaloosa Co. (21-3)
5. Hewitt-Trussville (12-9)
6. Enterprise (12-3)
7. Huntsville (14-8-1)
8. Austin (15-8-1)
9. Auburn (10-2)
10. Sparkman (16-6-1)

Others nominated: Dothan (11-10), Fairhope (12-5), Hoover (9-6), Oak Mountain (11-9), Opelika (11-11), Vestavia Hills (9-10-1).

 

CLASS 6A

1. Spanish Fort (15-3)
2. Athens (15-7)
3. Baldwin Co. (10-4)
4. Chelsea (13-8-1)
5. Gulf Shores (16-9)
6. Saraland (15-6)
7. Helena (14-7-2)
8. Pell City (13-7)
9. Spain Park (14-10)
10. Chilton Co. (19-3-1)

Others nominated: Brookwood (15-10), Buckhorn (10-8), Gardendale (15-10), Hartselle (7-7-1), Hazel Green (13-8), McAdory (11-4-1), Muscle Shoals (8-9), Oxford (6-7), Rehobeth (10-6), Southside-Gadsden (9-8), Wetumpka (23-4).

 

CLASS 5A

1. Springville (17-2)
2. Lawrence Co. (18-6)
3. Moody (16-6)
4. Houston Academy (10-2)
5. Boaz (12-3)
6. Scottsboro (10-6)
7. Northside (10-6-1)
8. Holtville (11-6-1)
9. St. Clair Co. (14-9-1)
10. Ardmore (11-6-1)

Others nominated: Andalusia (13-4), Brewer (9-5-1), Briarwood (4-6-1), Central-Clay Co. (12-6), East Limestone (12-4), Greenville (14-6), Headland (13-7), Montevallo (5-3), Sardis (10-5), Shelby Co. (6-3).

 

CLASS 4A

1. Orange Beach (4-1)
2. Curry (20-1)
3. West Limestone (21-2)
4. Alexandria (13-2-2)
5. Cherokee Co. (12-2)
6. Plainview (5-0)
7. White Plains (11-7)
8. Madison Co. (11-7)
9. Prattville Christian (16-4)
10. Satsuma (11-7-1)

Others nominated: American Christian (9-11), Ashville (13-6-1), Brooks (9-6), Central-Florence (9-3), Cordova (11-6), Dale Co. (12-6), Deshler (11-6), Etowah (11-9), Geneva (14-6), Good Hope (10-5-1), Handley (11-12), Hatton (7-10-1), Hokes Bluff (11-9), Munford (15-1), Opp (10-7), W.S. Neal (9-7).

 

CLASS 3A

1. St. James (23-4)
2. Wicksburg (15-5)
3. Madison Academy (11-2)
4. Winfield (12-4)
5. Mars Hill Bible (8-3)
6. Ohatchee (17-6)
7. Thomasville (13-3)
8. Rogers (8-3)
9. Cottage Hill (6-3)
10. Randolph Co. (6-6)

Others nominated: Colbert Heights (11-0), Slocomb (10-7), T.R. Miller (6-7-1).

 

CLASS 2A

1. Pleasant Valley (18-2)
2. G.W. Long (15-2)
3. Sumiton Christian (13-6)
4. Pisgah (7-5)
5. West End (8-2)
6. J.U. Blacksher (11-6)
7. Tuscaloosa Academy (6-0)
8. Lindsay Lane (14-4-1)
9. Vincent (12-7)
10. Tharptown (7-3)

Others nominated: Belgreen (11-9), Southeastern-Blount (9-5).

 

CLASS 1A

1. Waterloo (13-4)
2. Hackleburg (11-2)
3. Ider (11-3)
4. Brantley (8-4)
5. Skyline (7-8)
6. Maplesville (9-9)
7. Kinston (16-3)
8. Woodland (13-3)
9. Spring Garden (6-4)
10. Leroy (7-6)

Others nominated: Athens Bible (6-5), Florala (8-4), Lynn (6-4-1), Red Level (9-9).

 

AISA

1. Bessemer Academy (17-7)
2. Crenshaw Christian (15-6-1)
3. Clarke Prep (13-2-1)
4. Chambers Academy (11-3)
5. Edgewood (9-8)

Others nominated: Abbeville Christian (4-6), Coosa Valley (6-12) Cornerstone-Columbiana (7-4), Fort Dale (9-9), Jackson Academy (5-8), Snook Christian (5-11).

 

 

BASEBALL

CLASS 7A

1. Hewitt-Trussville (16-0)
2. Bob Jones (16-6)
3. Central-Phenix City (15-5)
4. Vestavia Hills (12-3)
5. Enterprise (16-0)
6. Fairhope (11-6)
7. Hoover (9-9)
8. Tuscaloosa Co. (16-7)
9. Thompson (14-9)
10. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (13-4)

Others nominated: Auburn (10-7), Baker (8-7), Dothan (12-5), Grissom (12-6), James Clemens (12-5), Oak Mountain (10-8), Sparkman (11-9).

 

CLASS 6A

1. Hartselle (10-5)
2. Mountain Brook (13-4)
3. Chelsea (12-8)
4. Spain Park (9-7)
5. Homewood (15-3)
6. McGill-Toolen (12-3)
7. Helena (10-8)
8. Pelham (12-4)
9. Oxford (11-7)
10. Southside-Gadsden (15-2)

Others nominated: Athens (10-4), Calera (8-12), Cullman (7-7), Gardendale (7-7), Gulf Shores (9-8), Hazel Green (17-8), Hueytown (12-9), Muscle Shoals (11-5), Northridge (11-5), Rehobeth (9-7), Saraland (10-7), Spanish Fort (9-10), Stanhope Elmore (11-8), Wetumpka (15-5).

 

CLASS 5A

1. Springville (12-2)
2. American Christian (18-8)
3. Northside (15-2)
4. Faith Academy (10-3)
5. Madison Academy (14-5)
6. St. Paul’s (10-5)
7. Headland (13-6)
8. Boaz (13-5)
9. Marbury (14-3)
10. Russellville (13-4)

Others nominated: Briarwood (8-10), Corner (7-5), Elmore Co. (11-6), Guntersville (11-9), Jacksonville (10-9), John Carroll (6-9), Lawrence Co. (11-5), Leeds (11-4), Mobile Christian (5-12), Montevallo (6-6), Sardis (6-7), Shelby Co. (9-8), UMS-Wright (7-7).

 

CLASS 4A

1. Westbrook Christian (15-1)
2. Bibb Co. (13-3)
3. Oak Grove (14-1)
4. Deshler (12-4)
5. Alexandria (12-5)
6. Opp (11-3)
7. Haleyville (9-6)
8. Orange Beach (9-6)
9. Trinity (9-6)
10. Central-Florence (13-5)

Others nominated: Bayside Academy (10-8), Cherokee Co. (9-10), Cleburne Co. (10-4), Dale Co. (10-6), Etowah (10-9), Hatton (13-7), Madison Co. (9-4), New Hope (7-8), Satsuma (10-5), Straughn (8-5), W.S. Neal (8-4).

 

CLASS 3A

1. Prattville Christian (17-0)
2. Glenwood (12-3)
3. Gordo (11-8)
4. Winfield (15-5)
5. St. James (10-5)
6. Thomasville (9-5)
7. Vinemont (15-5)
8. Collinsville (11-4)
9. Montgomery Academy (9-1)
10. Fyffe (11-3)

Others nominated: Flomaton (7-6), Lauderdale Co. (7-8), Phil Campbell (12-6), Piedmont (4-5), Providence Christian (5-9), Slocomb (7-5), Thorsby (15-5), T.R. Miller (9-5), Wicksburg (7-6), Whitesburg Christian (8-8).

 

CLASS 2A

1. Ariton (13-4)
2. Vincent (13-3)
3. Decatur Heritage (10-2)
4. G.W. Long (11-5)
5. North Sand Mountain (12-2)
6. Sumiton Christian (8-6)
7. Mars Hill Bible (7-6)
8. Cedar Bluff (10-7*)
9. Red Bay (9-5)
10. Lindsay Lane (9-8)

Others nominated: Bayshore Christian (5-10), Cottonwood (11-4), Gaston (7-8), Pike Liberal (9-10), Pleasant Valley (10-4), St. Luke’s (8-5), Westminster-Oak Mountain (8-6).

*–Record includes four forfeits.

 

CLASS 1A

1. Hackleburg (12-2)
2. Lynn (13-3)
3. Leroy (13-1)
4. Appalachian (13-2)
5. Athens Bible (11-3)
6. Millry (15-3)
7. Florala (9-4)
8. Brantley (4-2)
9. Sweet Water (10-8)
10. Coosa Christian (10-7)

Others nominated: Billingsley (10-3), Fayetteville (11-5), Kinston (5-3), Red Level (8-2), Spring Garden (8-5).

 

AISA

1. Lakeside (26-2)
2. Edgewood (14-5)
3. Fort Dale Academy (11-5)
4. Chambers Academy (17-4)
5. Macon-East (14-8)

Others nominated: Abbeville Christian (8-8), Bessemer Academy (13-6), Clarke Prep (14-4), Coosa Valley (9-11), Escambia Academy (6-6), Hope Christian (11-3), Snook Christian (7-6).