Three of the last six softball state champions have come from the 4th Region with the Greenwood Lady Gators taking the title in 2007 and 2008, while the Allen County-Scottsville Lady Patriots won the trophy in 2011. The Lady Gators finished fourth in the 2012 event paving the way for more 4th Region recognition across the Bluegrass. Three area teams find themselves either ranked or receiving votes in the latest KSCA state poll and we are going to go inside the rankings and see how they stack up.
KSCA State Rankings (As of April 11, 2013)
1. Greenwood Lady Gators
The Lady Gators find themselves atop the state of Kentucky after a high finish at the state tournament last season. In addition to their recent success, Coach Penny Reece also returned every player from the 2012 roster boosting her squad’s reputation. At the time of publication Greenwood had yet to give up a run to any team they had played, strengthening their case as the #1 team in the state. The Lady Gators have held that spot since the preseason and appear loaded to continue their dominance. The team’s April schedule will be a sure test with many ranked teams appearing on the slate. After returning from their annual spring Alabama trip, the Lady Gators host #25 Apollo and #26 Allen County-Scottsville before inviting #5 Ballard to the Greenwood Border Battle on April 19. Greenwood then travels to #14 Bowling Green on April 25 and ends the month with big games against #14 Bullitt East (April 27) and upstart Franklin-Simpson (April 29). If the Lady Gators are able to finagle their way through this month still ranked #1 in the state, they will have defeated some of the toughest competition in the Bluegrass. If the team somehow makes it through the brute of this schedule unscathed, they would become the heavy favorites to take home the 2013 state softball crown once again.
14. Bowling Green Lady Purples
After defeating the Lady Gators in each of the last two 14th District title games, the Bowling Green Lady Purples are starting to earn some respect across the state and earned a #10 ranking in the preseason state softball poll. After early-season wins over #25 Apollo and #11 Boyle County, the Lady Purples in March moved up to #7 and then fell to #14 in April in the latest KSCA poll. Coach Lisa Correa and her team have played a tough schedule thus far with losses against #2 Owensboro Catholic and #5 Ballard. Bowling Green’s only other loss came against Warren East, who is turning out to be an early-season surprise in the 14th District and 4th Region. Much like Greenwood, the Lady Purples have a tough slate ahead of them in April. Home games against Franklin-Simpson and Warren East start the month before the team heads to the Greenwood Border Battle. At the local event, BG will face #4 North Laurel and #17 Male, two stiff competitors that will show the Lady Purples where they stand midway through the regular season. The month closes with games against #1 Greenwood and #26 Allen County-Scottsville. Coach Correa and her girls will find out a lot about their team’s chances for a region title during the month of April.
35. Allen County-Scottsville Lady Patriots (Other Receiving Votes)
The Lady Patriots, who held onto the #1 ranking in the KSCA poll for much of last season, found themselves on the outside of the Top 25 when the preseason rankings came out and are still there today at #26. Allen County-Scottsville is a much different team this season, including a new skipper in the dugout, Mark Carter. Carter has led the Lady Patriots to three one-run victories in the first seven games and a big win over Franklin-Simpson in Franklin. The team’s only two losses came against Warren East (who also defeated #7 Bowling Green) and #14 Bullitt East. Carter and his team will be able to continue maturing in April against a number of ranked opponents and five district foes. Back-to-back road games against #1 Greenwood (April 11) and #10 Oldham County (April 13) will be a sturdy test before the Lady Patriots host #7 Bowling Green on April 29. District games against Monroe County, Barren County (twice), and Glasgow (twice) will tell us where exactly Allen County-Scottsville fits into the 4th Region picture.
Top 30. Warren East Lady Raiders
After starting the season winning 5 out of their first 7 games, the Lady Raiders stock rose in the state rankings to number 25. Since March 29th, the Lady Raiders have gone 5-6 dropping them out of the top 25 , but remain in the top 30 programs. The Lady Raiders will face district rivals #14 Bowling Green on April 18th and #1 ranked Greenwood Gators on May 2nd.
