Orange Beach Makos Become First Ever National Softball Champions From Alabama
News Staff • June 18, 2024
Orange Beach HS Softball becomes State's First Ever National Champions
Alabama has its first high school softball national champion! Orange Beach is No. 1 in the final MaxPreps Top 25 rankings of the 2024 season after going 46-1, capturing its fourth consecutive Class 4A state title and posting a 3-0 record against top 10 teams.
The Makos featured a loaded lineup that combined for 51 home runs and 179 extra-base hits. There were also powerful arms in the circle, led by South Carolina commit Kaylee Favors.
Orange Beach's case for the No. 1 spot was bolstered by two wins over No. 5 Pace (Fla.) and a 4-2 victory over No. 9 Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville), Alabama's Class 7A state champion.
MaxPreps, a division of CBS Sports, monitors the girls high school teams from across the U.S. and provides statistics and rankings. Half way through the season MaxPreps took notice of the Mako's win streak and started moving them up the national rankings. The teams in California started to lose and more collegiate scouts began attending the games in Orange Beach. Upon the end of the long national season, MaxPreps and sports writers from around the country declared the Orange Beach High School Makos the National Champions!
Undefeated Northwest Rankin (Brandon), back-to-back state champions in Mississippi, finished No. 2 after a dominant campaign. The Cougars scored over nine runs per game while MaxPreps State Player of the Year Jolie Hays allowed just 14 earned runs in 113 innings of work.
Pacifica (Garden Grove) went on a tear to close out the spring with 12-straight wins including a 3-0 victory over Orange Lutheran (Orange) in California's Southern Section Division 1 championship game. UCLA commit Kaniya Bragg led Pacifica at the plate while Long Beach State commit Brynne Nally excelled on the rubber.
Aforementioned Pace fought through one of the toughest playoff brackets in the entire country to claim Florida's Class 6A state championship. The Patriots' only two losses were by a combined four runs to No. 1 Orange Beach. Shelby McKenzie (Florida State commit) and MaxPreps State Player of the Year Jayden Heavener (LSU) were two of the top players in the country.
SEE PICTURE GALLERY BELOW:
Final MaxPreps Top 25
Record: 46-1 | Last week: 1
Class 4A state champion.
2. Northwest Rankin (Brandon, Miss.)
Record: 34-0 | Last week: 2
Class 7A state champion.
3. Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.)
Record: 27-2 | Last week: 3
Southern Section Division 1 champion.
4. Pace (Fla.)
Record: 28-2 | Last week: 4
Class 6A state champion.
5. Summerville (S.C.)
Record: 30-0 | Last week: 5
Class 5A state champion.
6. Austintown-Fitch (Youngstown, Ohio)
Record: 23-1 | Last week: 6
Division 1 state champion.
7. Weslaco (Texas)
Record: 37-6 | Last week: 7
Class 6A state champion.
8. Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.)
Record: 37-6 | Last week: 8
Class 7A state champion.
9. Xavier College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Record: 28-4-1 | Last week: 9
Class 6A state champion.
10. Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport, La.)
Record: 35-2 | Last week: 10
Division III Select state champion.
11. Ridgeline (Millville, Utah)
Record: 30-1 | Last week: 11
Class 4A state champion.
12. Melissa (Texas)
Record: 38-2-1 | Last week: 12
Class 5A state champion.
13. Carterville (Ill.)
Record: 37-1 | Last week: 13
Class 2A state champion.
14. Woodgrove (Purcellville, Va.)
Record: 26-0 | Last week: 14
Class 4A state champion.
15. Silverdale Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Record: 50-3 | Last week: 15
Division II-A state champion.
16. Jackson (Mill Creek, Wash.)
Record: 25-2 | Last week: 16
Division 4A state champion.
17. Hudsonville (Mich.)
Record: 42-0 | Last week: 17
Division 1 state champion.
18. Coahoma (Texas)
Record: 32-0 | Last week: 18
Class 3A state champion.
19. St. Anthony's (Melville, N.Y.)
Record: 25-0 | Last week: 19
CHSAA champion.
20. Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.)
Record: 19-11 | Last week: 20
Northern California Division 1 champion.
21. Garner (N.C.)
Record: 28-1 | Last week: 21
Class 4A state champion.
22. St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.)
Record: 26-1 | Last week: 22
Non-Public A champion.
23. Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Record: 34-2 | Last week: 23
Class 4A state champion.
24. Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.)
Record: 25-0 | Last week: 24
Class 4A state champion.
25. Sterlington (La.)
Record: 33-1 | Last week: 25
Division III Non-Select champion.
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