Elite Eight - Oakland County Girls Softball Rankings

1.Lakeland

The Eagles are peaking at the right time after pummeling the state’s No. 5 team, Plymouth 12-4 in the KLAA Association tournament. The return of Selena Hicks has been a big boost, and the Lakeland lineup might be the best in the state from top to bottom. Lakeland is primed for a run to cereal city.

2. Clarkston

With an OAA Red title in hand, Clarkston is looking like as good of a bet as any to end up in Battle Creek. The Wolves have been as consistent as it gets both in the field and at the plate and that should carry over into the posteseason.

3. Farmington Hills Mercy

Kayce Nieto has been flat out dominant this year, after throwing three consecutive no-hitters and the Marlins have been able to score some runs as well. It’s all coming together for the Marlins and with the type of pitching that they have, they’re the last team anybody wants to face come playoff time.

4. North Farmington

Speaking of dominant pitching, Katy Severson has been lights out lately. She has thrown a no-hitter and a perfect game in less than a week while combining for another no-hitter as well. The Raiders are also rolling on offense, so this will be a force to be reckoned with in the weeks to come.

5. Troy

After a slow start, the Colts have been one of the hottest teams in the state and they won’t be slowing down any time soon. With the senior presence of Kamryn LaCarter and Laney Hart as well as Kristen Shelter, Troy is a team with a ton of experience and it will come in handy throughout the playoffs.

6. Troy Athens

Haley Zemmer is setting records at an impressive rate, and she’s not a senior, nor a junior, but a sophomore. Zemmer has the pitching and Melissa Palmer has the hitting, and this duo will make the Red Hawks a hard team to eliminate in the tournament.

7. Rochester

The Falcons have been winning quietly, but they will make their fair share of noise come playoff time. Senior Maggie Irvine can get the job done in a number of ways, whether it’s at the plate with some power or in the outfield where she’s become one of the area’s top defensive players.

8. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep

Much like Troy, the Irish have a ton of experience and it will be a big boost over the course of the next couple of weeks. With a senior laden team led by Katy Roose, Courtney Wroubel and Gabby Fazio, the Irish can and will score runs during their tournament run.