Staff Reports

The first round of the high school baseball state playoffs begins Friday, and two area teams in Class 3A are expected to make a run at a state championship, as the final Alabama Sports Writers Association baseball and softball rankings of the season were released early Thursday morning.

The Piedmont Bulldogs moved up one spot since the last poll to No. 2. Meanwhile, the Collinsville Panthers (22-5) fell from the top spot to No. 5.

Piedmont hosts Vinemont at 5 and 7:30 p.m., while Collinsville entertains Colbert Heights at 4:30 and 7 p.m. in a best-of-three game series on Friday.

Others area baseball teams nominated for the final poll are Class 4A Cherokee County (14-13) and Class 1A Spring Garden (16-11).

The Warriors travel to fifth-ranked Westbrook Christian on Friday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Spring Garden hosts Victory Christian at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

One other area baseball team qualified for the state playoffs: Class 2A Sand Rock (7-21). The Wildcats travel to Florence to face fifth-ranked Mars Hill Bible at 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

In the final softball rankings, Sand Rock (20-15) fell one spot to No. 7. Cherokee County (20-13) and Collinsville (17-16) continued to receive nominations.

This week’s final ASWA high school baseball and softball rankings are listed below, beginning with baseball.

BASEBALL
CLASS 7A
1. Vestavia Hills (26-9)
2. Hewitt-Trussville (24-7)
3. Enterprise (28-5)
4. Tuscaloosa Co. (23-11)
5. Auburn (23-10)
6. Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (24-12)
7. Bob Jones (24-14)
8. Fairhope (23-9)
9. Thompson (21-17)
10. Hoover (24-15)
Others nominated: Central-Phenix City (21-15), Grissom (19-15), Huntsville (21-14), James Clemens (20-15), Oak Mountain (21-15), Prattville (24-10), Sparkman (20-17).

CLASS 6A
1. Homewood (28-6)
2. Spain Park (27-7)
3. Cullman (24-9)
4. Northridge (28-6)
5. Hartselle (19-11)
6. Mountain Brook (24-4-1)
7. Oxford (24-11)
8. Pike Road (25-7)
9. Saraland (24-7)
10. Gulf Shores (21-11)
Others nominated: Benjamin Russell (23-7), Chelsea (15-17), Fort Payne (22-8), Hazel Green (27-9), Hueytown (22-14), McGill-Toolen (20-10), Mortimer Jordan (27-7), Rehobeth (20-9-1), Stanhope Elmore (20-12), Wetumpka (17-10-1).

CLASS 5A
1. Faith Academy (21-7)
2. St. Paul’s (19-5)
3. American Christian (28-10)
4. Briarwood Christian (22-9)
5. UMS-Wright (22-7)
6. Shelby Co. (23-8)
7. Demopolis (24-5)
8. Madison Academy (21-11)
9. Headland (20-8)
10. Russellville (19-14)
Others nominated: Andalusia (18-7), Boaz (19-8), Central-Clay Co. (12-10), Charles Henderson (20-8), Corner (15-11), East Limestone (21-8) Hayden (22-7), Leeds (22-13), Moody (21-7), Northside (19-7), Sardis (16-8), Springville (21-21-1), Valley (14-9-1).

CLASS 4A
1. Deshler (32-6)
2. Madison Co. (26-4)
3. Alexandria (23-10)
4. Cordova (20-6)
5. Westbrook Christian (18-9)
6. Opp (21-6)
7. Houston Academy (17-10)
8. Orange Beach (19-15)
9. Trinity (18-10)
10. Bibb Co. (18-10)
Others nominated: Bayside Academy (17-14), Brooks (23-10), Central-Florence (21-12), Cherokee Co. (14-13), Hamilton (19-10), New Brockton (20-7), Oak Grove (19-12), Oneonta (14-11), Plainview (16-12), Pleasant Grove (18-13), Randolph (18-7), St. John Paul II (15-12), St. Michael (17-13), Tallassee (16-11).

CLASS 3A
1. Glenwood (24-7)
2. Piedmont (25-7)
3. Gordo (24-8)
4. Excel (24-7)
5. Collinsville (22-5)
6. Phil Campbell (21-11)
7. Cottage Hill (18-9)
8. Lee-Scott (20-11)
9. Geraldine (20-8)
10. Elkmont (22-10)
Others nominated: Altamont (12-11), Flomaton (15-11), Lauderdale Co. (19-15), Montgomery Academy (13-14), Oakman (20-13), Saint James (14-14), Thorsby (21-8), Wicksburg (15-8).

CLASS 2A
1. Lindsay Lane (28-6)
2. G.W. Long (23-7)
3. Ariton (24-7)
4. North Sand Mountain (19-7)
5. Mars Hill Bible (22-8)
6. Red Bay (19-5)
7. Pike Liberal Arts (18-12)
8. Vincent (18-12)
9. Pleasant Valley (17-8)
10. Ranburne (22-11-1)
Others nominated: Bayshore Christian (14-7), Cold Springs (17-7), Horseshoe Bend (14-8), Reeltown (15-10), Tuscaloosa Academy (14-12), Westminster-Oak Mountain (18-12).

CLASS 1A
1. Appalachian (21-3)
2. Brantley (15-1)
3. Hubbertville (17-5)
4. Leroy (22-9)
5. Addison (20-6)
6. Lynn (15-5)
7. Hackleburg (21-10)
8. Skyline (14-6)
9. Maplesville (16-11)
10. South Lamar (17-7)
Others nominated: Athens Bible (16-10), Florala (15-7), Kinston (15-9), Spring Garden (16-11).

AISA
1. Southern Academy (31-5)
2. Lakeside (42-10)
3. Clarke Prep (23-10)
4. Macon-East (24-15)
5. Chambers Academy (20-8)
Others nominated: Edgewood (15-9), Fort Dale (15-7), Hope-Oxford (16-9), South Choctaw Academy (19-10).

SOFTBALL
CLASS 7A
1. Thompson (35-1-2)
2. Hewitt-Trussville (35-7-1)
3. Vestavia Hills (31-5)
4. Daphne (29-11)
5. Enterprise (32-7-1)
6. Fairhope (19-7-1)
7. Auburn (25-8)
8. Oak Mountain (16-12)
9. Austin (27-15)
10. Huntsville (26-16)
Others nominated: Baker (26-15-2), Central-Phenix City (21-15), Dothan (26-13), Hoover (26-12-1), Opelika (19-15), Prattville (23-13), Sparkman (18-12).

CLASS 6A
1. Hartselle (29-5-1)
2. Saraland (34-5-1)
3. Wetumpka (35-5)
4. Spanish Fort (32-11-1)
5. Hazel Green (32-13-1)
6. Cullman (35-7-1)
7. Helena (20-11)
8. Homewood (22-5)
9. Athens (23-14-2)
10. Chelsea (22-15-2)
Others nominated: Baldwin Co. (18-15), Chilton Co. (14-14-1), Gardendale (24-14), Gulf Shores (19-14), McAdory (23-9-2), Mortimer Jordan (16-21-1), Oxford (16-12), Pell City (21-13-2), Pike Road (21-11), Rehobeth (20-15), Spain Park (22-14).

CLASS 5A
1. Houston Academy (26-6)
2. Boaz (31-5)
3. Northside (33-8-1)
4. Lawrence Co. (32-7-1)
5. Springville (22-6-1)
6. Moody (21-12)
7. Corner (24-12)
8. Faith Academy (19-12)
9. Hayden (23-12)
10. Ardmore (23-19-1)
Others nominated: Andalusia (20-10-2), Beauregard (23-15), Brewbaker Tech (13-7), East Limestone (19-13), Lincoln (20-15-1), Scottsboro (22-14-1), Shelby Co. (20-6), St. Clair Co. (16-14-1).

CLASS 4A
1. Orange Beach (31-1)
2. West Limestone (27-2)
3. Deshler (35-12)
4. Plainview (31-8)
5. Alexandria (29-10)
6. Madison Co. (29-9)
7. American Christian (25-11)
8. Curry (23-12-1)
9. Central-Florence (36-5)
10. Prattville Christian (19-6)
Others nominated: Ashville (23-13-2), Cherokee Co. (20-13), Etowah (20-10), Munford (27-10), North Jackson (19-14-1), Satsuma (21-13-2), Straughn (22-8-1), Tallassee (14-10), West Morgan (22-17), White Plains (22-17).

CLASS 3A
1. Saint James (25-4-1)
2. Colbert Co. (37-7)
3. Glenwood (20-10)
4. Wicksburg (27-13)
5. Ohatchee (27-9)
6. Colbert Heights (26-9)
7. Madison Academy (15-7)
8. Winfield (28-12)
9. Slocomb (17-10-1)
10. Cottage Hill (16-13)
Others nominated: Childersburg (21-17), Collinsville (17-16), Dadeville (14-8), Lee-Scott (14-10), Randolph Co. (18-7), Thomasville (22-10).

CLASS 2A
1. J.U. Blacksher (23-6)
2. Lamar Co. (30-9-2)
3. West End (24-6)
4. Pike Liberal Arts (18-6-2)
5. Pisgah (22-13)
6. Southeastern (19-12)
7. Sand Rock (20-15)
8. Horseshoe Bend (18-10)
9. Sumiton Christian (19-16-1)
10. North Sand Mountain (18-14-1)
Others nominated: G.W. Long (19-15-1), Pleasant Valley (18-20), Washington Co. (14-10).

CLASS 1A
1. Hackleburg (33-9-1)
2. Kinston (22-11)
3. Maplesville (24-13-1)
4. Meek (19-6)
5. Leroy (20-6-1)
6. Ider (20-11)
7. Florala (16-8-1)
8. Woodland (13-9-1)
9. Lynn (15-11)
10. Brantley (12-11-2)
Others nominated: Athens Bible (14-12), Holy Spirit (12-12-2), Jacksonville Christian (14-2), Red Level (13-8), Shoals Christian (20-12-1).

AISA
1. Bessemer Academy (31-2)
2. Chambers Academy (28-6)
3. Crenshaw Christian (26-2)
4. Clarke Prep (25-10)
5. Hooper (13-12)
Others nominated: None.