When the call came in to compile the first-ever Extra Elite national rankings for those schools and states in the nation that play their high school seasons in the fall, we didn’t know that we’d end up having a Bahl putting them together
See what we did there?
It’s not the first time and won’t be the last that Jordyn Bahl, the All-American pitcher from Papillion-La Vista High in Papillion, Neb., will have someone use her name in that manner. That will be true especially if she continues to develop as a dominating pitcher and player at her future home — the University of Oklahoma.
With Bahl leading the way, Papillion-La Vista has been placed in the No. 1 position for the first Extra Elite 25. The team has not even had a one-run win so far this season in compiling a 27-0 record and only one team — Marian Catholic of Omaha — has even gotten to within two runs.
Bahl, who recently decommitted from Nebraska and switched to the perennial college powerhouse Sooners, has put herself potentially in the same position as a girl from last fall — Kelley Lynch of East Coweta (Sharpsburg, Ga.) — to gather a lot of major softball national honors even when considered with the girls from all of the states that play high school softball in the spring.
This week, she is shown on her updated MaxPreps page with a 19-0 record in the circle with a 0.07 ERA plus 219 strikeouts and 16 walks. Bahl also is batting .574 with 15 homers and 46 RBI.
Speaking of Lynch, her former teammates at East Coweta, haven’t exactly dropped off the table with her graduation. In fact, this year’s team is still unbeaten and would be just as legitimate in the No. 1 spot as Papillion-La Vista. Leading members of the squad include first baseman Ansley Gunter (Georgia Tech) and infielder Lilly Agan (Washington).
The Nebraska and Oklahoma state championships will be wrapped up by October 18 so look for the second of these fall national rankings the following week (Oct. 23). We’ll then do the final rankings for the fall schools and states on Nov. 6 which will be several days after the Missouri state championships conclude. The state finals in Georgia and Colorado will be on Saturday, Oct. 26.
It also made sense not to completely forget about Iowa for national ranking consideration. That state still has a summer season so for the Extra Elite 25 we’re putting the top couple of state champions from last summer in Iowa also into the mix.
We’d also like to tell fans of these top teams in the fall that once the final spring Extra Elite Eighty rankings are wrapped up by next June to check back because we’ll also be compiling an extra edition of the Extra Elite Eighty national rankings that will include both spring and fall teams in one list.
— By Mark Tennis for Extra Inning Softball
*****
(Through reported results of Tuesday, Oct. 1)
*Indicates season complete.
- Papillion-La Vista (Papillion, Neb.) 27-0
- East Coweta (Sharpsburg, Ga.) 25-0
- North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.) 23-1
- Rock Canyon (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) 16-1
- Loveland (Loveland, Colo.) 17-1
*** Scroll down to see the rest of the Extra Elite Fall Rankings including the teams on the bubble!