SBLive Arkansas Super 7 preseason high school softball rankings
The wait is finally over.
Get your lawn chair, sun screen and bring your appetite for that alluring concession food because it is time for another Arkansas prep softball season.
Bryant is the No, 1-ranked team in Class 6A. (Photo by Jimmy Jones)
At the top in Class 6A, Bryant conquered nationally ranked and two-time defending state champion Bentonville in the semifinals, then took down Central conference foe, Cabot, to claim the program's first state title since 2012.
Meanwhile, Bryant's fellow Saline County rival, Benton, did not go undefeated again, but they did three-peat for the first time in school history as they took down Greene County Tech for the second straight year in the finals.
The Gravette Lady Lions boasted one of the most powerful hitting lineups regardless of classification and that, plus gritty pitching, propelled them to their first state title in school history.
In the smaller classes, Booneville took about the wildest route you could imagine through a loaded 3A class, but they stood alone at the end for the first time in almost two decades.
Riverside and Mansfield put on one of the more entertaining pitcher's duels during the 2A finals with Klaire Womack and the Lady Rebels outlasting Alyson Edwards and Mansfield 1-0 to bring home the program's first title.
Last, and certainly not least, the Taylor Lady Tigers won their sixth consecutive state championship over rival Bradley and have an opportunity to make even more history in 2024.
Be sure to follow along all season to view conference standings, weekly notebooks, plus in-depth recaps on the Arkansas Prep X-Tra podcast and MUCH more.
6A
1. Bryant
2. Bentonville
3. Rogers
4. Har-Ber
5. Cabot
6. Bentonville West
7. Conway
Bryant: A season removed from shocking the state and winning the program's first state title since 2012, an experienced group returns with full intentions of showing that last season's results were no fluke.
Bentonville: For the first time in since 2021, the Lady Tigers are not defending state champions to start the season, but another young crop of impressive talent, plus the return of seniors Ryann Sanders (University of Louisville signee) and Amber Turner (Tulsa University signee) could get Bentonville back on top.
Rogers: The motivation provided from back-to-back semifinal exits by a single run, plus arguably the deepest pitching rotation in Arkansas, puts the Lady Mounties right back in the mix as they hope to advance a step further.
Har-Ber: Junior Power 5 prospect Anniston Reith in the circle, plus three-time state champion head coach Randy Osnes coming out of retirement, are great starting points for a squad aiming to compete with Bentonville and Rogers for the West.
Cabot: The loss of Akayla Barnard is arguably the biggest blow to any team in Class 6A in terms of a single player, but head coach coach Chris Cope feels his trio of juniors, led but Addison Cooper, can help the Lady Panthers return to the state finals for the third straight year.
Bentonville West: Despite dropping three of their final four contests, a young Lady Wolverines squad showed signs of improvement during the back end of the season, winning seven of eight from mid-through late April.
Conway: Sylvia King gutted through a tough schedule while everything relied on her arm as a freshman, which should pay dividens for the Lady Wampus Cats who must replace four staters.
5A
1. Benton
2. Greene County Tech
3. Greenwood
4. Sheridan
5. Van Buren
6. Beebe
7. Sylvan Hills
Benton: Having already set the bar in 5A, the Lady Panthers have the unfortunate task of replacing generational talent Alyssa Houston, but the next young wave has taken the baton with expectations to run all the way to a fourth consecutive state title.
Greene County Tech: This Lady Eagles squad might have the most powerful batting lineup in 5A, headlined by senior Ava Carter (University of Arkansas signee), which should take some pressure off of the young arms waiting in the wings in place of graduated ace Karley Burrow.
Greenwood: The stellar senior duo of Tori Howard and Haley McAdams (Ouachita Baptist University signee) in the circle lead a hungry group of Lady Bulldogs who have possibly their most opportune chance to win a state title since last doing so in 2015.
Sheridan: The deepest and most experienced squad that Scott Hoffman has had thus far, Sheridan has full intention of pushing Benton for both the South crown, and then the state championship.
Van Buren: Nearly an innumerable amount of experience must be replaced in the circle, but if that all comes together the Lady Pointers have a strong chance of building on back-to-back state semifinal runs.
Beebe: Among the additions for the Lady Badgers in 2024 is college prospect Lexi Dulany, a junior, in the circle as the Lady Badgers have high aspirations, and plenty of motivation, following consecutive first round state tournament exits.
Sylvan Hills: Some may not expect, but four key additions for the Lady Bears could make them an automatic contender, pairing with star senior middle infielder, and 2023 SBLive Arkansas All-State first-teamer, Makenzie Guy (Arkansas State University signee).
4A
1. Gravette
2. Pea Ridge
3. Farmington
4. Bauxite
5. Malvern
6. Nashville
7. Monticello
Gravette: Coming off the program's first state championship, the Lady Lions are still loaded with a roster that includes state finals MVP Brooke Handle (Eastern Oklahoma State College signee) and sophomore Laney Chilton, the reigning SBLive Arkansas Underclassman of the Year.
Pea Ridge: Junior Emory Bowlin (University of Central Arkansas commit) proved her status as one of the state's best arms and it all starts with her as the Lady Blackhawks aim to earn their third trip to the state finals in four years.
Farmington: Due to two fellow conference foes playing in the state finals, the Lady Cardinals' success went somewhat unnoticed, but this is another Region 1 squad who has a strong chance at making a run after winning 21 games.
Bauxite: The Lady Miners will once again put one of the most-feared batting lineups on the field, but their defense could be the story if all the stars align.
Malvern: The Lady Leopards will again be a tough out at the plate, but head coach Darryl Baker has raved about his pitching staff, led by sophomore Kendall "Noodle" Watson.
Nashville: Head coach Boomer Brown knew that growing pains would be a given in 2023 after graduating a deep 2022 class, and the patience expects to pay off with nearly everyone back, including senior Emalea Bailey (Southern Arkansas University signee), behind the dish.
Monticello: A young Lady Billies squad won 22 of their first 23 games before dropping their final three, but they will be very battle-tested this year as Alaina Lyle (Ouachita Baptist University commit) & Co. aim to compete with 4A's best.
3A
1. Booneville
2. Mayflower
3. Atkins
4. Baptist Prep
5. Hackett
6. Lamar
7. Lincoln
Booneville: One of the state's most decorated on the diamond, senior Lexi Franklin, a Pittsburg (Kan.) State signee, led the Lady Bearcats to an improbable state title run last year and will go for it again alongside six additional returning starters.
Mayflower: Powerful bats and great depth in the circle are two of the top ingredients for success, and this Lady Eagles squad possesses both, as well as experience, with all but one returning for a team that shot all the way up to the No. 1 spot at one point in 2023.
Atkins: Fresh off of two runner-up finishes in an ultra-deep classification, some of these Lady Red Devils understand better than the majority of their opponents what it takes to make it to the final game and senior ace Libby May (Henderson State University) hopes to lead them to a reverse result to finish out her prep career.
Baptist Prep: In what was considered a down year by their standards, the Lady Eagles fell to eventual state champion Booneville in the state quarterfinals, but Tim Yelvington returns six starters and replaced his three seniors with heralded freshmen.
Hackett: The Lady Hornets will have to replace six starters which, of course, could go either way in the beginning, but they do bring back the star-studded Freeman sister duo of junior ace Makenzie (Tulsa University commit) and sophomore Michaelyn.
Lamar: A controversial finish in a one-run, extra innings semifinal loss against Atkins was a heartbreaking finish, and an extra dose of motivation for '24, for a squad who defied the odds throughout last year.
Lincoln: Led by one of the nation's best talents in junior Brinkley Moreton (Mississippi State University commit), the Lady Wolves look vastly different in the infield following three major departures as they look to overcome last year's quick state tournament exit.
2A
1. Riverside
2. Mansfield
3. Magnet Cove
4. Quitman
5. East Poinsett County
6. Woodlawn
7. Lavaca
Riverside: Fresh off of their first state title in school history while notching 25 victories, the Lady Rebels return exceptional junior pitcher Klaire Womack and seven other starters who have full intentions of running it back.
Mansfield: The sting of coming up one run shy of a state championship is plenty of fuel for senior Alyson Edwards (University of Nebraska – Omaha signee) and the Lady Tigers who won 24 of their final 25 games as they aim for a third finals appearance in four years.
Magnet Cove: They have been a respectable team for a while, but now boast one of the more proven duos for Class 2A arms in seniors Bella Harville (Three Rivers [Mo.] College signee) and Ouachita transfer Maddie Fulmer (Hendserson State University signee), who reclassified from the 2025 class to '24.
Quitman: One of the unheralded squads in Class 2A since last winning a state title in 2018, this could possibly be the breakthrough year for the Lady Bulldogs after completing back-to-back runs to the state semifinals.
East Poinsett County: Freshman Kylee Henderson is the next young arm up for the Lady Warriors, following in the footsteps of Meagan Allen and Keegan McCorkle, as East Poinsett County has yet another group primed to make a deep run after falling in the semifinals.
Woodlawn: Powered by one of the nation's top arms in junior Lillie-Faye McWhorter (University of Arkansas commit), the Lady Bears have won more than 40 regular season games over the past two seasons, but still have a lot to show following back-to-back early state tournament exits.
Lavaca: Injuries played a major part in derailing a promising season for the Lady Arrows, who finished 18-6 after starting 9-0, but this could be a team to watch climb the ranks if they can remain healthy.
1A
1. Taylor
2. Midland
3. Bradley
4. Shirley
5. Viola
6. Concord
7. Wonderview
Taylor: Two-time defending 1A state tournament MVP Ayla Buford headlines eight returning starters for the Lady Tigers, who hope to make history by becoming the first team ever – regardless of classification – to win seven consecutive state titles.
Midland: Months removed from a semifinal run, ace Danica Brown (Arkansas State University – Newport signee) and a batting lineup that features four returners who hit over .500 are aiming for Conway in late May this time around.
Bradley: Near .600 batter Jackie Kelner has departed and ace senior arm Ainslee Moore (Arkansas Tech signee) will miss at least the first two weeks of the season with a knee injury, but if this Lady Bears squad is patient it could result in another run to the finals.
Shirley: The 1A-2 will once again be a gauntlet and the Lady Blue Devils may quietly be the most equipped to come out on top of it, led by senior ace Hunter Hutto (North Arkansas College signee), following a state tournament run.
Viola: Sophomore Cheyenne Newberry will fill the gaping void at shortstop left by AJ McCandlis, while senior ace Haylee Crotts (Arkansas State University – Mountain Home signee) can take this squad as far as she wants after winning 17 games in 2023.
Concord: Head coach Keith Cornett feels he has "two aces" in junior Laiken Cornett and senior Brianna McPike (Williams Baptist University signee), while he also returns every other starter as the Lady Pirates know they have something to prove after dropping five of their final nine games to end 2023.
Wonderview: The Lady Daredevils must adjust to life after Lydia Polk (650+ career strikeouts), as well as the majority of their infield, but there is still experience on the roster led by seniors Lexi Gangluff (Arkansas State University signee) and Anna Ford.
-- Kyle Sutherland | kyle@scorebooklive.com | @k_sutherlandAR
