Top 20 New Jersey high school softball rankings (6/7/2025)

Donovan Catholic knocked off last week’s No. 3 team St. John Vianney, 8-4, in advancing to the Non-Public A Final where the Griffins will now face new No. 2-ranked Mount St. Dominic. Immaculate Heart lost its stranglehold on the No. 1 spot in the rankings by seeing its 16-game winning streak come to an end in 3-2 fashion to now second-ranked Mount St. Dominic on Thursday in the North, Non-Public A final in Washington.

This week’s top two teams will clash when newly-installed No.1 Donovan Catholic clashes with new No. 2 Mount St. Dominic.

Here’s how this week’s Top-20 poll shapes up following a busy week of state sectional play, as we see it.

Top 20 New Jersey high school softball rankings (6/7/2025)

1. Donovan Catholic (26-1)

After losing to St. John Vianney in last year’s Non-Public A South final, the Griffins turned the tables this time. Top-seeded Donovan Catholic, the new No. 1 team in this week’s state rankings. defeated St. John Vianney, halting the Lancers bid for a third straight title. Jaelynn Nunez smashed her ninth home run, Christina Ginex drove in two runs, and Sophia Senger pitched four scoreless relief innings to secure the victory. This win not only propelled Donovan Catholic to the top of this week’s rankings but advanced the Griffins into the Non-Public A final against No. Mount St. Dominic on June 11.

2.       Mount St. Dominic (25-4)

The Lions climbed from No. 4 to No. 2 after a 3-2 road win over former No. 1 Immaculate Heart in the North, Non-Public A final. This victory marks their fourth consecutive sectional title and their fifth win in six postseason matchups against Immaculate Heart. With a team batting average of .363 and five players with 30-plus hits, the Lions are set for a showdown with top-ranked Donovan Catholic in the Non-Public A final on June 11 in a matchup of the state’s two best teams. MSG will be making its first state final appearance since 2022.

3.       Immaculate Heart (24-1)

The Blue Eagles dropped from No. 1 to No. 3 after a 3-2 loss to Mount St. Dominic in the North, Non-Public A final, ending their 16-game win streak. Despite opportunities, including a fourth-inning rally and a leadoff double by state home run leader Gabby Shadek in the fifth, sophomore Mount pitcher Ava Kelshaw’s strikeouts and defense sealed the game. Immaculate Heart, with a record 12 state titles and 24 state final appearances, hasn’t reached a state final since 2021.

4.       Kingsway (24-2)

The Dragons have erased memories of a late-season two-game skid, scoring 33 runs across three playoff wins. Hannah Weismer, a Virginia commit, has homered in three consecutive games, while Reese Whitzell has eight hits, six runs, and six RBI in the postseason. Kingsway’s 10-4 win over Southern advances them to the South Jersey, Group IV final against Rancocas Valley where they earned an 8-2 win on Friday. In claiming their second sectional title in three years and their sixth since 2019, the Dragons will host No. 15 Hunterdon Central on Tuesday in the state semifinals.

5.       St. John Vianney (18-2)

The Lancers gained momentum with 58 runs in their prior five postseason games, including a 17-0 rout of Notre Dame. However, their run ended with an 8-4 loss to top-ranked Donovan Catholic in the South, Non-Public A final, halting their pursuit of a third consecutive title.

6.       Cedar Grove (23-5)

The Panthers are cruising toward a potential third straight Group 1 state title, scoring 44 runs in four  postseason games, with a 7-1 semifinal win over Verona as their closest contest. Cedar Grove earned the right to play in the Group 1 semifinals at home on Monday against Indian Hills, which won the North 1 title with a 2-0 victory over Waldwick. The winner advances to the group final next Friday at Ivy Hill Park in Newark.The Panthers boast Division I talents like pitcher Cayce Kavakich (FIU), shortstop Gia Fernandez (St. John’s), and catcher Ava Oeckel (Manhattan)

7.       Steinert (21-4)

The Spartans have dispelled any doubts after late-season losses, outscoring playoff opponents 29-0 across four games. Senior lefthanderKatie Simonka has been a stalwart in the circle, while Bianca Walsh and Mia Pope have been offensive standouts. After a 6-0 win over Colts Neck on Friday, Steinert is two wins away from becoming New Jersey’s first public school to claim three consecutive state titles. Steinert broke open a scoreless duel with all its runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and went on to a 6-0 victory over third-seeded Colts Neck for its fourth consecutive NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 3 softball championship on Friday. Simonka pitched a two-hitter and struck out 13 batters for Steinert, but she was locked in a tight duel with Angela Sasso for five-and-a-half innings before the Spartans erupted in its half of the sixth.

8.       Red Bank Catholic (19-5)

The Caseys enjoyed a stellar season, defeating St. John Vianney twice and capturing their first Shore Conference title since 2010. However, their postseason ended abruptly with a 2-0 shutout loss to seventh-seeded and unranked Notre Dame in the sectional quarterfinals. A rain-delayed cutoff shifted their seeding to No. 2, altering their playoff path.

9.       Morris Knolls (25-4)

The Golden Eagles, now in North 1, Group 4 after winning the last two North 1, Group 3 titles, have scored 56 runs in four playoff games. Morris Knolls ran past the Colonials 11-1 in five innings on Friday in a final round game. Anna Chominsky smacked a second inning two-run home run to give the Golden Eagles an early 2-1 advantage. In the bottom of the third, the Golden Eagles tacked on three more runs to extend their lead to 5-1. Morris Knolls continued their offensive bombardment in the 4th as the first six batters of the inning reached base and came around to score to give the home side a commanding 11-1 lead.

10.    Watchung Hills (22-6)

The defending Group 4 champions have won seven straight games, allowing just one run in the postseason. All-State pitcher Riley Bobrowski, bound for Villanova has been dominant in the circle, including a pair of two postseason no-hitters. Coming off a convincing 10-0 win over Bridgewater-Raritan, the Warriors, led by All-State talent Mia Simon and freshman Leila Romero, knocked off No. 12 Columbia and their standout pitcher Claire Shupe, 6-1 on Friday in the North Jersey, Section 2 Group 4 state final. The Warriors will host North 1 Group 4 champion and ninth-ranked Morris Knolls in Tuesday’s Group 4 semifinal.

11.    Delsea (25-1)

The Crusaders regained their early-season form after a late 7-5 loss to Pennsville, dominating its first three playoff opponents, crushing Triton 9-1 and Hammonton 12-2, with Maggie McLean contributing seven hits, five runs, and four RBI in the the two games. Senior Laney Vecchio recorded her 99th career hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to chase home the tying run, then delivered a walk-off, two-out bloop RBI single in the ninth for her milestone 100th hit as the top-seeded Crusaders rallied past second-seeded Clearview, 4-3 on Friday to capture the South Jersey Group 3 championship.

12.    Gloucester (19-5)

The defending Group 2 state champions reached another sectional final, overcoming a tight 4-3 quarterfinal win over Sterling before dominating Medford Tech 10-0. Vayda Pino’s hot bat continued as Gloucester edged Cinnaminson 5-4 in the South Jersey, Group 2 Final on Friday.

13.    Columbia (20-7)

The Cougars, with their second 20-win season in three years, reached their third consecutive sectional final behind ace pitcher and Boston University-bound Claire Shupe. But they ran into a buzz-saw in No. 10 Watchung Hills on Friday in dropping their North Jersey, Section 2 Group 4 state final on Friday by a 6-1 count.

14.    Hunterdon Central (22-3)

The Red Devils advanced to their fifth consecutive sectional final with a dramatic 5-3 extra-inning win over Marlboro, sealed by Sara Czarnecki’s walk-off two-run homer. With ace pitcher Emily Van Cleef (260 strikeouts, 0.55 ERA), they aim for their first sectional title since 2015.HC will meet Hightstown in the Central Jersey Group IV Final on Friday.

15.    Ramsey (22-3)

The defending North 1, Group 2 champions continued their dominance, scoring 41 runs in their first three playoff games, including a 10-2 semifinal win over Pascack Valley. But the Rams were defeated by Jefferson 7-0 in the North Jersey Section 1, Group 2 Final on Friday as Jefferson ace Kama Skrek threw a complete game shutout for the third straight round

16.    St. Joseph (Hamm.) (19-7)

The Wildcats remain undefeated in South Jersey playoff games since 2018, advancing to the sectional final with wins over Bishop Eustace, Doane and Holy Cross Prep. St. Joseph’s will meet DePaul in the South Jersey, Group B Final on June 11. Elaina Portalatin has not allowed a run in 10 postseason innings.

17.    Immaculata (15-11)

The Somerset County champions overcame a 2-8 start to finish 13-3, with notable wins over Middletown North, West Morris, and Watchung Hills. Freshman Maddie Falvey posted a 2.32 ERA with 146 strikeouts, while Heather Ryden hit .482 with 40 hits and 25 stolen bases. The Spartans’ season is now complete.

18.    Johnson (26-3)

The Crusaders, defending Central, Group 2 champions, re-enter the rankings after five straight wins, having outscored playoff opponents 21-0. With a .375 team batting average and a 1.22 ERA, pitcher Cassie Conforti leads Johnson into the Central Jersey Group 2  final on Friday where the Crusaders rallied with a four-run bottom of the sixth inning to take a 5-4 victory against Delran in the Central Jersey, Group 2 final in Clark in a a rematch from last season’s sectional final, where Johnson walked it off against Delran, 4-3, for its first title since 2016.

19.    Randolph (20-9)

The Rams, last year’s North 2, Group 3 champions, reached the North 1, Group 3 final as the No. 5 seed. Outscoring opponents 26-2, including an 8-1 win over Sparta, they rely on two-time All-State shortstop Autumn Liebhauser and pitcher Breanna Colburn. showed that as they went on the road to Old Tappan and downed the Golden Knights, 12-1, for Randolph’s second section title in a row after winning North 2, Group 3 last year.

20.    St. Thomas Aquinas (19-6)

The Trojans’ season ended with a 5-2 loss to Donovan Catholic in the South, Non-Public A semifinal. Despite the loss, they won their 11th GMC Tournament title and defeated Immaculata, Watchung Hills, and others. Liz Negron excelled, hitting .400 with 32 hits and posting a 2.00 ERA with 187 strikeouts.

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