Highlands is the three-time defending 9th Region champ and if the preseason is any indicator, the coaches have picked them to do it again.
The Bluebirds were ranked atop the Kentucky Prep Softball poll voted on by coaches in the 9th Region.
With Highlands at the top, 9th Region runner-up Notre Dame is right behind them in second. Cooper is ranked third, Dixie Heights fourth and Conner fifth. Rounding out the top 10 in order is Holy Cross, Ryle, Lloyd Memorial, Boone County and Dayton.
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The top 10 players picked were a three-way tie for first with the Highlands pair of Kaitlyn Dixon and Payton Brown tied with Notre Dame’s Abby Turnpaugh.
Conner’s Averie Lightner was fourth and Dixie Heights’ Sydney Schumacher rounds out the top five. From there in order is Holy Cross’ Evie Thomas, Notre Dame’s Ava Auberger, Boone County’s Dani Wright and Cooper’s Grace Cline and Lloyd Memorial’s Itzel Hernandez tied for ninth.
Other players receiving votes from multiples coaches were Conner’s Breanna Meredith and Ryle’s Laci DeLauder.
In the 10th Region, Campbell County was picked third behind Harrison County and Montgomery County. Scott was ranked eighth and Bishop Brossart 10th. Campbell County’s Hope Hamilton (4th) and Bishop Brossart’s Rachel Shewmaker (t-8th) were picked as top 10 players. Scott’s Emerson Morman and Campbell County’s Josie Feebeck were in the others players receiving votes from multiple coaches category.
In the 8th Region, Simon Kenton was picked fifth, Lady Pioneers Larkin Mitchell 10th in the top 10 players.
The Kentucky Prep Softball Facebook page has all the rankings and top 10 players for each region on their page.
The KHSAA softball regular season begins on March 17.