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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

After weeks of sitting outside the No. 1 spot, the Vincent Yellow Jackets are now atop the Class 2A baseball rankings.

They join the Thompson Warriors softball team as the two Shelby County-area teams atop the latest baseball and softball media rankings when the Alabama Sports Writers Association released them on Thursday, April 10.

In addition, the Thompson Warriors, Chelsea Hornets and Helena Huskies each had both their baseball and softball teams ranked in their respective top 10s.

The Jackets have won seven-straight games, including a pair of games against teams from higher classifications in 5A Leeds and 6A Pelham. Vincent most recently wrapped up the Class 2A, Area 9 title with a dominant sweep of Cornerstone Schools, winning 16-1 and 13-0 in a doubleheader.

The Jackets will close out their regular season against Georgia’s Bowdon and St. Clair County before hosting their first-round playoff series on April 17 and 18.

As for Thompson softball, it currently sits on a nine-game win streak after starting out area play 3-0. The Warriors swept the series with Tuscaloosa County thanks to a 9-2 win at home and a 3-2 victory on the road.

Thompson also won the opening matchup against Prattville 10-4 on Tuesday, April 8 ahead of Thursday’s April 10’s return matchup at Thompson High School, and the Warriors will play in the Hornet Invitational in Chelsea on April 11 and 12.

Thompson also moved up one spot in the MaxPreps national rankings to No. 19 when the poll released on Monday, April 7.

The Warriors are also ranked in the Class 7A baseball rankings as they sit at No. 5 in this week’s poll, up three spots from the previous rankings. Thompson finished out tournament play in Nashville with wins over Chicago-area schools Marian Catholic and St. Rita before beginning area play.

The Warriors continued their red-hot form in area play with a three-game sweep of Prattville, winning 7-0 at home before eking out 3-2 and 7-6 wins on the road. Thompson also defeated Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa on the road 8-3 ahead of the conclusion of the series on Thursday, April 10 at 4 p.m. at Thompson High School.

Chelsea is the top 6A softball team from the area as it moved up to No. 2 in the rankings behind only Spanish Fort. The Hornets finished Gulf Coast Classic III play with a loss to East Lawrence but have won four-straight games since then.

Chelsea won three games in three days against Leeds, Oak Mountain and Mortimer Jordan before securing a 9-2 win over Pelham on Tuesday, April 8 to resume area play.

The 21-9-1 Hornets will play Spain Park, which was nominated but did not receive a spot in the top 10, on Thursday, April 10 at 4:30 p.m. at the Chelsea Sports Complex ahead of hosting the Hornet Invitational on April 11 and 12.

The Chelsea baseball team bumped up one spot to No. 3 as a result of Spain Park crashing out of the top 10 after holding the No. 3 ranking in the previous top 10.

The Hornets finished Gulf Coast Classic III with wins over 7A Baker and then-4A No. 1 Oak Grove before resuming area play. Chelsea swept Helena with a 4-2 win on the road and a 5-3 win at home ahead of a 4-1 victory over the Pelham Panthers on Tuesday, April 8.

The 18-9 Hornets will go for an area title on Thursday, April 10 at 4:30 p.m. against the Pelham Panthers.

The other team they are battling for the area title, the Helena Huskies, which are down one spot to No. 9. Helena improved to 16-13 as a result of three wins at the Buc Classic against Fairview, Oak Lawn and Prattville, but the Huskies lost five-straight games after those wins.

Helena fell to Tuscaloosa County and Tennessee’s Clarksville in the Buc Classic before getting swept by Chelsea in area play and falling 15-7 to Hoover on the road.

The Huskies have since snapped that skid with a walk-off win over Spain Park on Wednesday, April 9, but that result was not considered for this week’s rankings.

Helena’s softball team moved up two spots to No. 5 as a result of its recent success. The Huskies have won five-straight games since spring break, including a 7-2 area victory over Pelham and four wins at the Calera Tournament over Calera, Mortimer Jordan, Elmore County and Marbury.

Now sporting a 19-8-2 record, Helena will face Brookwood in non-area play on Thursday, April 10 at 4:30 p.m. before playing in the Hornet Invitational on April 11 and 12 at the Chelsea Sports Complex.

In addition to those teams, Spain Park’s baseball and softball teams along with Cornerstone’s softball team were nominated for their respective rankings.

The Jags sit at 15-13 in baseball and have lost three-straight games while they are 20-16 in softball after losing four-straight, including three games at the Sidney Cooper Tournament and against 7A No. 5 Hewitt-Trussville.

The Chargers are 13-5 after sweeping a three-game region series with Coosa Valley and falling at home to Bessemer Academy.

To see the full rankings, read more below:

This week’s Alabama Sports Writers Association rankings:

SOFTBALL

CLASS 7A

1. Thompson (26-2)
2. Central-Phenix City (28-3)
3. Daphne (29-5)
4. Tuscaloosa Co. (29-8-1)
5. Hewitt-Trussville (22-11)
6. Enterprise (20-5)
7. Sparkman (28-9-1)
8. Huntsville (21-10-1)
9. Fairhope (22-8)
10. Austin (24-10-1)

Others nominated: Auburn (18-8), Baker (26-11), Dothan (21-13), Hoover (16-11), Oak Mountain (17-13), Opelika (14-14), Vestavia Hills (13-14-1).

 

CLASS 6A

1. Spanish Fort (31-8)
2. Chelsea (21-9-1)
3. Gulf Shores (22-12)
4. Saraland (25-9)
5. Helena (19-8-2)
6. Athens (20-13)
7. Baldwin Co. (17-12)
8. Chilton Co. (26-6-2)
9. Wetumpka (32-4)
10. Hartselle (14-9-1)

Others nominated: Benjamin Russell (12-15-1), Buckhorn (19-9-1), Gardendale (21-12), Hazel Green (20-11), Oxford (12-13), Rehobeth (16-12), Spain Park (20-16).

 

CLASS 5A

1. Springville (32-3-1)
2. Moody (20-6)
3. Lawrence Co. (26-11-1)
4. Houston Academy (16-3)
5. Holtville (14-9-1)
6. Boaz (16-7)
7. Scottsboro (16-13)
8. St. Clair Co. (18-12-1)
9. Andalusia (22-7)
10. Northside (24-11-1)

Others nominated: Ardmore (17-12-1), Central-Clay Co. (18-10), East Limestone (14-7), Elmore Co. (14-10), Headland (14-10).

 

CLASS 4A

1. Orange Beach (27-1)
2. Curry (33-1)
3. West Limestone (31-5)
4. Alexandria (24-4-2)
5. Cherokee Co. (19-4)
6. Madison Co. (18-10)
7. Plainview (18-6-1)
8. Prattville Christian (25-5)
9. Satsuma (20-14-2)
10. Central-Florence (19-6)

Others nominated: American Christian (21-14), Ashville (17-9-1), Brooks (12-13), Central-Florence (19-6), Cordova (15-11), Danville (17-14), Good Hope (15-8-1), Handley (15-12), Munford (19-4), Opp (20-8), Tallassee (9-9), Westminster Christian (11-9), White Plains (16-11).

 

CLASS 3A

1. St. James (33-6)
2. Wicksburg (27-6)
3. Madison Academy (20-4)
4. Winfield (22-4)
5. Mars Hill Bible (19-7)
6. Thomasville (24-7)
7. Ohatchee (19-9)
8. Cottage Hill (11-3)
9. T.R. Miller (13-12-1)
10. Lauderdale Co. (14-10)

Others nominated: Colbert Co. (12-11-1), Colbert Heights (15-6), Collinsville (9-9), Randolph Co. (9-7), Whitesburg Christian (10-5).

 

CLASS 2A

1. Pleasant Valley (24-9)
2. G.W. Long (22-4)
3. Horseshoe Bend (17-2)
4. Sumiton Christian (20-13)
5. Pisgah (14-10)
6. West End (14-6)
7. J.U. Blacksher (15-9)
8. Belgreen (21-11)
9. Lindsay Lane (17-9-1)
10. Southeastern (13-10)

Others nominated: Ariton (17-13-2), Reeltown (6-10), Tuscaloosa Academy (7-3).

 

CLASS 1A

1. Ider (19-6-1)
2. Hackleburg (17-7)
3. Waterloo (17-6-1)
4. Kinston (22-7)
5. Brantley (14-8)
6. Maplesville (14-9)
7. Woodland (18-3)
8. Leroy (14-7)
9. Spring Garden (9-7-2)
10. Florala (11-4)

Others nominated: Athens Bible (11-12), Lynn (11-8-2), Red Level (11-9).

 

AISA

1. Clarke Prep (19-2-1)
2. Bessemer Academy (22-10)
3. Crenshaw Christian (17-8-1)
4. Chambers Academy (17-8)
5. Edgewood (15-10)

Others nominated: Abbeville Christian (7-6), Cornerstone-Columbiana (13-5).

 

 

BASEBALL

CLASS 7A

1. Hewitt-Trussville (26-2)
2. Bob Jones (26-8)
3. Enterprise (23-1)
4. Central-Phenix City (25-7)
5. Thompson (24-11)
6. Fairhope (21-8)
7. Hoover (22-12)
8. Vestavia Hills (20-7)
9. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (20-8)
10. Grissom (19-10)

Others nominated: Auburn (13-14), Baker (12-13), Dothan (18-9), James Clemens (21-9), Oak Mountain (16-13), Opelika (18-9), Tuscaloosa Co. (20-12).

 

CLASS 6A

1. Hartselle (22-6)
2. Mountain Brook (22-7)
3. Chelsea (18-9)
4. Oxford (22-8)
5. Spanish Fort (16-11)
6. Homewood (23-6)
7. Stanhope Elmore (19-12)
8. Cullman (16-11)
9. Helena (16-13)
10. Hazel Green (25-9)

Others nominated: Athens (16-8), Buckhorn (20-11), Fort Payne (13-10), Gardendale (16-8), Gulf Shores (15-11-1), Hueytown (22-11), McGill-Toolen (18-7), Muscle Shoals (15-10), Northridge (19-7), Pelham (14-13), Rehobeth (16-8), Saraland (17-9), Southside-Gadsden (20-10), Spain Park (15-13), Wetumpka (18-11).

 

CLASS 5A

1. Springville (23-4)
2. American Christian (23-11)
3. Madison Academy (25-6)
4. Northside (19-8)
5. St. Paul’s (16-8-1)
6. Boaz (20-7)
7. Faith Academy (18-5)
8. Lawrence Co. (20-7)
9. Russellville (20-8)
10. Headland (19-7)

Others nominated: Briarwood Christian (16-12), Charles Henderson (18-11), Corner (13-9), East Limestone (18-10), Elmore Co. (19-9), Guntersville (17-13), Holtville (14-12), Jacksonville (14-15), John Carroll (14-12), Leeds (19-10), Marbury (21-5), UMS-Wright (13-10).

 

CLASS 4A

1. Oak Grove (23-2)
2. Opp (19-4)
3. Etowah (18-12)
4. Haleyville (20-6)
5. Bibb Co. (19-7)
6. Westbrook Christian (19-6)
7. Deshler (20-9)
8. Alexandria (16-11)
9. Orange Beach (16-9)
10. Trinity (16-7)

Others nominated: Bayside Academy (15-12), Central-Florence (17-11), Cherokee Co. (16-13), Cleburne Co. (10-9), Dale Co. (15-10), Madison Co. (18-4), New Hope (11-12), Satsuma (16-8), Tallassee (16-8), W.S. Neal (13-5).

 

CLASS 3A

1. Prattville Christian (24-2)
2. Glenwood (21-4)
3. Winfield (23-6)
4. St. James (16-6)
5. Thomasville (16-6)
6. Gordo (18-12)
7. Vinemont (21-7)
8. Collinsville (17-7)
9. Thorsby (23-7)
10. Fyffe (14-6)

Others nominated: Elkmont (16-9), Flomaton (13-8), Lauderdale Co. (14-11), Lee-Scott (18-9), Phil Campbell (17-10), Piedmont (13-12), Providence Christian (10-11), Slocomb (11-7), T.R. Miller (13-10), Whitesburg Christian (16-10), Wicksburg (11-8).

 

CLASS 2A

1. Vincent (21-5)
2. G.W. Long (16-8)
3. Ariton (20-6)
4. Decatur Heritage (21-4)
5. Sumiton Christian (18-6)
6. Mars Hill (15-10)
7. Cottonwood (17-4)
8. Red Bay (17-6)
9. St. Luke’s (15-8)
10. North Sand Mountain (19-7)

Others nominated: Bayshore Christian (11-12), Cedar Bluff (14-12)*, Lindsay Lane (16-14), Pike Liberal Arts (13-13), Pleasant Valley (15-10), Reeltown (13-9), Tuscaloosa Academy (9-17).

*–Record includes 4 forfeit losses.

 

CLASS 1A

1. Appalachian (19-2)
2. Hackleburg (21-5)
3. Addison (20-8)
4. Millry (21-7)
5. Leroy (20-4)
6. Lynn (16-8)
7. Billingsley (16-7)
8. Brantley (12-2)
9. Kinston (11-3)
10. Athens Bible (13-6)

Others nominated: Coosa Christian (11-9), Fayetteville (17-8), Florala (12-7), Sweet Water (13-13), Red Level (10-6), Spring Garden (14-6).

 

AISA

1. Lakeside (41-4)
2. Macon-East (23-11)
3. Chambers Academy (21-8)
4. Edgewood (17-10)
5. Hope Christian (18-6)

Others nominated: Abbeville Christian (14-13), Clarke Prep (20-4), Fort Dale Academy (18-7).