It’s been a long time coming, but Jay Harms is now the coach of the #1 softball team in Class 4A.
The Oskaloosa Indians headline the loaded Class 4A rankings at the top for the first time ever after coming from behind to beat Washington and knocking off two-time defending state champion Dallas Center-Grimes on the road last week.
Oskaloosa is 14-0 this year, but Coach Harms wants his team to stay locked in on what the real prize is at the end of the season: making it back to the state tournament.The Indians are followed closely by future Little Hawkeye opponent Indianola at number two. Carlisle, the team that eliminated Osky from the state tournament last year, is sitting in third. Former #1 Fort Dodge is currently fourth with six losses, all coming to good large school opponents. ADM rounds out the top five. Fairfield checks in at #14 in this week’s rankings.
Norwalk is #7 for the second straight week, one spot ahead of Dallas Center-Grimes, keeping three Little Hawkeye teams in the top eight. Those teams are not alone, however, as Pella Christian has skyrocketed up the Class 2A rankings, now all the way up to #2. PC’s only loss this year so far has come in Oskaloosa to the top-ranked Indians.
Fort Dodge-St. Edmond is still #1. Highland is right behind Pella Christian at #3. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont continues their methodical climb towards the top, now sitting at #4. Emmetsburg rounds out the top five in Class 2A.
In Class 1A, Lynnville-Sully dropped one spot to #7. The Hawks have just two losses this year, but several Class 1A schools have only one loss or are still unbeaten. AGWSR is #1, followed by Akron-Westfield, Marquette Catholic, Woodbury Central, and New London in the top five.
In Class 3A, Mid-Prairie is #8, down one spot from last week. PCM has fallen out of the rankings. Benton Community is #1, sitting at 19-1 already this year. Solon is #2, Greene County is third, Center Point-Urbana is fourth, and East Marshall is fifth in an unchanged top five.
There are no area teams in Class 5A. Johnston is #1 with an unbeaten record. West Des Moines Valley is #2, Iowa City West is third, Waukee is fourth, and Pleasant Valley is fifth.
The new rankings are due to come out this coming Friday evening.
