New statewide softball rankings ahead of conference tournament week

HighSchoolOT has released its final Statewide Top 25 and area code softball rankings of the 2023 regular season. Conference tournaments start this week and state playoffs will begin the week after. There are not many changes to the Top 25. Bandys, Swansboro, East Columbus, and East Wilkes were the only schools to drop out of the statewide rankings.

Union Academy, Marvin Ridge, Lumberton, and Pamlico County joined the Statewide Top 25.

D.H. Conley, McMichael, West Stanly, Enka, Cape Fear, and South Johnston lead their respective area codes.

To compare this week's rankings to last week's rankings, click here.

The HSOT Statewide Top 25 poll ranks the 25 best teams in North Carolina regardless of eligible association or classification. Additionally, HighSchoolOT produces Area Code Power Rankings that list the best 15 teams in each of the state's six area codes. For the purposes of consistency, HighSchoolOT divides the area codes by county line. Whichever area code covers the majority of the land in a county is the one that the schools in that county will fall under.

Schools that play in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association, North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association, or North Carolina Christian School Association are eligible to be ranked.

HSOT Statewide Top 25

1. McMichael 22-0
2. West Stanly 21-1
3. Hickory Ridge 19-1
4. West Wilkes 16-0
5. Southwestern Randolph 17-1
6. Enka 18-0
7. South Johnston 17-1
8. D.H. Conley 14-2
9. South Stokes 18-1
10. South Caldwell 14-3
11. Alexander Central 16-4
12. Oak Grove 18-3
13. Cape Fear 17-2
14. East Forsyth 17-3
15. South Stanly 19-3
16. East Lincoln 15-1
17. Richlands 16-3
18. Southern Alamance 17-3
19. West Johnston 15-3
20. Union Academy 18-3
21. Marvin Ridge 18-2
22. South Brunswick 15-3
23. Maiden 17-2
24. Lumberton 20-3
25. Pamlico County 17-3

Area Code Power Rankings

252 area code

1. D.H. Conley 14-2
2. Pamlico County 17-3
3. Northside-Beaufort County 15-3
4. South Central 13-4
5. Perquimans 17-4
6. Washington 14-5
7. Bear Grass Charter 14-2
8. Southern Nash 15-3
9. Nash Central 16-4
10. Halifax Academy 12-3
11. Pungo Christian 12-2
12. Roanoke Rapids 13-3
13. Camden County 15-4
14. Holmes 12-7
15. SouthWest Edgecombe 14-3

Softball: Hessenthaler's homer pushes No. 20 Southern Alamance past Apex

336 area code

1. McMichael 22-0
2. West Wilkes 16-0
3. Southwestern Randolph 17-1
4. South Stokes 18-1
5. Oak Grove 18-3
6. East Forsyth 17-3
7. Southern Alamance 17-3
8. North Davidson 13-4
9. Forbush 16-7
10. Northwest Guilford 16-3
11. West Forsyth 19-2
12. Western Alamance 14-3
13. East Wilkes 18-4
14. Eastern Randolph 14-4
15. Rockingham County 16-5

Softball: Southern Alamance vs. Apex (Apr. 26, 2023)

704 area code

1. West Stanly 21-1
2. Hickory Ridge 19-1
3. South Stanly 19-3
4. East Lincoln 15-1
5. Union Academy 18-3
6. Marvin Ridge 18-2
7. Crest 16-3
8. West Rowan 16-3-1
9. Mooresville 17-6
10. Myers Park 19-2
11. Central Cabarrus 15-4
12. Jesse Carson 14-7
13. Butler 13-4
14. South Mecklenburg 15-5
15. Burns 16-6

828 area code

1. Enka 18-0
2. South Caldwell 14-3
3. Alexander Central 16-4
4. Maiden 17-2
5. Franklin 16-3
6. R-S Central 15-3
7. Fred T. Foard 12-4
8. West Caldwell 18-6
9. Bandys 18-3
10. East Rutherford 13-6
11. West Henderson 13-4
12. Mountain Heritage 10-3
13. A.C. Reynolds 11-5
14. Draughn 18-3
15. McDowell 11-7

No. 25 Cape Fear softball shuts out South View, closes in on co-conference title

910 area code

1. Cape Fear 17-2
2. Richlands 16-3
3. South Brunswick 15-3
4. Lumberton 20-3
5. East Columbus 19-2
6. Swansboro 16-2
7. South View 18-3
8. Scotland 14-3
9. Laney 14-4
10. Topsail 10-5
11. North Duplin 14-2
12. Harnett Central 16-4
13. Midway 13-4
14. East Duplin 14-4
15. Western Harnett 15-6

Red-hot Western Harnett softball downs E.E. Smith in strikeout showcase

East Columbus softball avenges loss to South Columbus with hard-hitting homers

919 area code

1. South Johnston 17-1
2. West Johnston 15-3
3. Cleveland 14-4
4. Chatham Central 15-1
5. Wake Forest 14-2
6. Wakefield 15-4
7. Fuquay-Varina 13-5
8. Bunn 11-5
9. Jordan-Matthews 14-4
10. Apex 12-6
11. Eastern Wayne 13-3
12. Princeton 13-6
13. Garner 13-5
14. Orange 11-5
15. Panther Creek 13-5

Softball: Wakefield's bats heat up at Panther Creek to close out regular season