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Final Nashville area softball rankings: Meet the 2022 Midstate state champions

Joseph Spears
Nashville Tennessean

Here’s a look at the top 10 Nashville-area large and small class high school softball teams, as ranked by The Tennessean following Spring Fling.

The small class poll includes teams in Classes 1A-2A and Division II-A, and the large class poll includes teams in Classes 3A-4A and Division II-AA.

Large Class

1. Clarksville (36-12): The Lady Wildcats made their first state championship appearance but weren't able to overcome tournament favorite Farragut, 4-0. Last week: No. 4.

2. Springfield (30-6): After a 4-1 win over Coffee County to open the state tournament, the Lady Jackets' run was derailed by an 11-2 loss to Springfield and a 4-0 loss to Daniel Boone. Last week: No. 1.

3. Wilson Central (37-12): The Lady Wildcats opened up the state tournament with a narrow win over Summit but weren't able to beat Clarksville or Daniel Boone. Last week: No. 3.

4. Stewarts Creek (30-12-1): The Lady Red Hawks rebounded from a 3-0 loss to Farragut with a 3-0 win over Coffee County before suffering a season-ending loss to Wilson Central. Last week: No. 2.

5. Lincoln County (29-12-1): It was an up-and-down week for the Lady Falcons, who beat Brighton (4-3) and Dyer County (8-7) but were shutout by Lexington (11-0) and lost to Gibbs (2-1). Last week: No. 5.

6. Coffee County (24-16): The Lady Red Raiders struggled to get their bats going in the state tournament, losing to Springfield 4-1 and Stewarts Creek 3-0. Last week: No. 6.

7. Summit (20-14): The Lady Spartans were on the wrong side of narrow losses in the state tournament, losing to Wilson Central 7-5 and Soddy Daisy 9-6. Last week: No. 7.

8. Smyrna (28-9): The Lady Bulldogs lost to Coffee County 7-2 in their Class 4A sectional matchup. Last week: No. 8.

9. Beech (25-13): The Lady Buccaneers lost to Summit 10-9 in their Class 4A sectional matchup. Last week: No. 9.

10. White County (26-9): The Warriorettes lost to Soddy Daisy 2-1 in their Class 3A sectional matchup. Last week: No. 10.

Small Class

1. Columbia Academy (39-6): Myleah Hardy had a dominant state tournament run for the Lady Bulldogs, batting .600 with six home runs and 15 RBIs as Columbia Academy won its third consecutive state championship. Last week: No. 1.

2. Eagleville (20-8): The Lady Eagles played close games throughout, beating Jo Byrns 2-1, Dresden 1-0 and Huntland 4-3 and 5-3 to win their first state championshipLast week: No. 5.

3. Forrest (30-12): Alcoa ended the Lady Rockets' season, beating them 10-6 to send them to the losers' bracket and 6-1 in the if-necessary game for the Class 2A championshipLast week: No. 3.

4. Huntland (25-7): Figuring out Eagleville in the state tournament was a tough task for the Lady Hornets, who finished as the Class 1A runners-up. Last week: No. 4.

5. Jo Byrns (22-11'): The Lady Devils had a memorable first tournament run, beating Harriman, Oliver Springs and Gordonsville before ending their season with a 2-1 extra-innings loss to Huntland. Last week: No. 6.

6. Loretto (19-17): After a narrow loss to Adamsville, the Lady Mustangs made their way through the losers' bracket, beating Meigs County, Community and Summertown before losing to Forrest 4-3. Last week: Not ranked.

7. Community (25-13): The Viqueens started off the tournament with two-run win over Summertown but couldn't replicate that success against Alcoa and Loretto. Last week: No. 10.

8. Summertown (38-11): Narrow losses to Community and Loretto overshadowed a pair of dominant wins over Adamsville and Riverside. Last week: No. 2.

9. Gordonsville (27-8-1): Dresden and Peabody didn't provide much a challenge for the Tigerettes, but they struggled to get their bats going in losses to Huntland and Jo Byrns. Last week: No. 7.

10. DCA (23-12): A pair of two-run wins over Lakeway Christian got the Lady Wildcats to the Division II-A championship game, but they were shut out twice by Columbia Academy. Last week: No. 9.

Reach Joe Spears at jspears2@gannett.com or 731-343-4923. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @joe_spears7.