Let’s take a look at Portage County-area’s top five high school softball seeds, starting with how they got there:
No. 1 Aurora Greenmen (Division III)
Seeing the Greenmen here isn’t exactly a surprise. They just won their fifth consecutive Suburban American title. They were a one seed last year as well, winning their first district title in over a decade. They’ve been a top-three seed three straight seasons.
Still, they did graduate one of the great hitters and pitchers in Portage County history, McKennah Metzger, an irreplaceable force, and they kept right on rolling.
How?
Well, it helps to have five players — Rayna Unverferth, Sophie Petrash, Lailah Bohanan, Sophie Retton and Sophie Schecterman — with 100-plus career hits atop the lineup. And that experience shines in the circle (led by Retton) and the field as well.
No. 1 Mogadore Wildcats (Division VI)
Like the Greenmen, the Wildcats aren’t new to this world of top seeds. They’ve been a top-three seed every season since 2015, including a one seed in 2019, 2023 and now 2025. They’ve won two straight district titles. But earning this one seed is an especially substantial accomplishment after graduating pitcher Katie Gardner and catcher Olivia Kidd, an all-state battery that coach Jeff Fankhauser typically let handle everything when it came to pitching.
How has Mogadore done it?
Senior Addie Christy has been magnificent in the circle and at the plate, with classmate Lily Hotchkiss also hitting well over .400 at shortstop. The Wildcats have also built a deadly outfield led by junior Rylee Clark, also right around the .400 mark, and freshman Autumn Betts, hitting .420 as of May 6.
No. 4 Field Falcons (Division IV)
If the Greenmen and Wildcats had huge voids to fill, in the circle and at the plate, the Falcons returned one of the most deadly and intact rosters in the area, so their journey to a four seed is no surprise. Field’s impressive Class of 2025 emerged early, with several then-freshmen — pitcher Maddie Burge, third baseman Kailyn Gressman, shortstop Tia Ulrich and first baseman Olivia Dyer — playing key roles in the team’s league and district titles that season. Those are just four of Field’s nine seniors, all of whom hit at least .344 last season. So, yes, the Falcons have one of the deeper lineups around as they enter the tournament and, unlike last year, they won’t have to face Aurora in the tournament as the two are now in different divisions.
No. 8 Streetsboro Rockets (Division IV)
The Rockets have been one of the area’s great turnaround stories although it should be noted they also took huge steps forward in 2024, when they quadrupled their win total from the year prior. This year has been another big leap. Last season, Streetsboro still finished under .500, overall (13-16) and in the league (5-9). This year, the Rockets are on a very different pace at 15-5 (9-3), with their 15 wins a program record.
Arguably their biggest steps have been pitching as the team ERA is down from 6.43 in 2024 to 4.45 in 2025, led by sophomore Amy Rein (10-2, 3.21). And the Rockets continue to hit the ball hard, with five hitters above .350 — Olivia Knepper (.541), Khloe Cutright (.462), Hailey Miller (.453), Ella Simpson (.393) and Olivia DeToro (.368). Needless to say, this is Streetsboro’s first top-10 seed in a long time — and way up from 29 in 2023.
No. 9 Southeast Pirates (Division V)
The Pirates have steadily climbed over the past few years, helped by spectacular senior catcher Ava Stephens and Miami commit Morgan Muncy at third base. Still, a top-10 seed is a big step for Southeast — it is its first since 2019, and that top-10 seed several years ago wasn’t nearly the same accomplishment since it came before the super-district era.
The Pirates have long been able to hit. Their growth, including their highest win total in recent memory, has largely come from their improvements on the defensive end and a deeper pitching staff highlighted by Liv Bragg, Lilly Hayes, Sydney Powell and Miranda Timko. Indeed, Southeast is deeper all over the diamond, fueled by a number of talented freshmen and sophomores.