Iowa high school softball rankings: Williamsburg starts 2021 as No. 1 in Class 3A

Last year, they were one run short.

Now, the Williamsburg Raiders are simply The One.

Led by sophomore pitcher Peyton Driscoll, Williamsburg is the top-ranked Class 3A softball team in the preseason state rankings released Monday afternoon by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.

Driscoll is one of seven returning starters for the Raiders (25-5 in 2020). They reached the 3A state finals by upsetting Davenport Assumption in the semifinals, then dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker to Albia in the championship game.

Fort Dodge (Class 5A), Winterset (4A), Louisa-Muscatine (2A) and Newell-Fonda (1A) are the other No. 1 teams.

Winterset is the lone defending champion to start 2021 on top. The Huskies outlasted Carlisle in an 11-inning 4A final last year.

Fort Dodge was the 5A runner-up, Louisa-Muscatine was third in 2A, Newell-Fonda was a 1A quarterfinalist.

Seven Metro/Iowa City teams are ranked, including defending 5A champion Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

Iowa City High is fifth in 5A, Kennedy seventh, Iowa City Liberty eighth, Cedar Rapids Prairie 15th.

Cedar Rapids Xavier is eighth in 4A, Marion 15th. Iowa City Regina is 12th in 2A.

West Delaware opens at No. 2 in 4A. The Hawks were 21-5 last season.

It figures to be another big summer in southeast Linn County: Mount Vernon (21-6) is No. 3 in 3A; Lisbon (21-5) is third in 1A.

Mount Vernon has advanced to state five of the last six years; Lisbon has reached the small-school state semifinals three straight years.

The first games of the season are Monday night.

Class 5A

1. Fort Dodge (28-4 in 2020)

2. Muscatine (19-4)

3. Waukee (23-5)

4. Indianola (14-6)

5. Iowa City High (18-5)

6. West Des Moines Valley (23-5)

7. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (26-1)

8. Iowa City Liberty (17-9)

9. Pleasant Valley (17-7)

10. Johnston (15-8)

11. Ankeny Centennial (23-9)

12. Bettendorf (19-7)

13. Ankeny (19-11)

14. Southeast Polk (11-13)

15. Cedar Rapids Prairie (12-8)

Class 4A

1. Winterset (17-7)

2. West Delaware (21-5)

3. Fairfield (24-2)

4. North Scott (17-11)

5. Norwalk (17-7)

6. Dallas Center-Grimes (21-10)

7. Carlisle (20-4)

8. Cedar Rapids Xavier (16-10)

9. Charles City (13-4)

10. Adel ADM (12-5)

11. Benton Community (15-9)

12. Creston (13-6)

13. Harlan (15-5)

14. Burlington (17-7)

15. Marion (15-9)

Class 3A

1. Williamsburg (25-5)

2. Davenport Assumption (21-6)

3. Mount Vernon (21-6)

4. West Burlington-Notre Dame (14-4)

5. Atlantic (17-2)

6. North Polk (14-4)

7. West Liberty (14-2)

8. Eddyville EBF (14-9)

9. Spirit Lake (13-4)

10. Anamosa (13-2)

11. West Lyon (12-3)

12. Clarke (11-6)

13. Humboldt (20-3)

14. Nevada (11-9)

15. Roland-Story (10-11)

Class 2A

1. Louisa-Muscatine (20-6)

2. Northeast (20-4)

3. Central Springs (17-4)

4. Wilton (14-4)

5. Earlham (19-5)

6. Mount Ayr (10-5)

7. Ridge View (11-9)

8. North Linn (25-1)

9. Underwood (14-5)

10. Van Meter (14-9)

11. Durant (10-5)

12. Iowa City Regina (9-14)

13. Colfax-Mingo (12-6)

14. East Marshall (15-3)

15. Treynor (9-5)

Class 1A

1. Newell-Fonda (18-3)

2. Lynnville-Sully (20-3)

3. Lisbon (21-5)

4. Collins-Maxwell (21-2)

5. Sigourney (15-5)

6. Wayne (17-5)

7. Mason City Newman (19-4)

8. Akron-Westfield (17-3)

9. Martensdale-St. Marys (15-6)

10. Clarksville (19-1)

11. Twin Cedars (20-6)

12. Exira-EHK (15-1)

13. Turkey Valley (17-2)

14. Southeast Warren (15-7)

15. Lenox (11-9)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com