FHSAA Softball: District tournaments set after latest rankings released; Pace still No. 1
The latest FHSAA softball rankings have been released, and these rankings determine seedings for district tournaments.
Released on Tuesday, the Pace softball team is still No. 1 in the entire state with a rating of 24.946 – just 0.102 ahead of second-place Bartow, the defending Class 6A state champion.
The top five teams in the state, including Pace, are in Class 6A. Six of the top 10 overall are in that class, as well.
Here's a breakdown of the rankings by class, as well as district tournament brackets.
Class 6A
Pace (24.946) – first in District 1-6A, first in Region 1-6A, first in Class 6A, first overall
Milton (13.872) – second in District 1-6A, fifth in Region 1-6A, 14th in Class 6A, 54th overall
Tate (13.336) – third in District 1-6A, sixth in Region 1-6A, 15th in Class 6A, 60th overall
Navarre (10.998) – fourth in District 1-6A, eighth in Region 1-6A, 22nd in Class 6A, 100th overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the four Region 1 automatic bids would be: Pace (District 1), Hagerty (District 4), Oakleaf (District 3) and Niceville (District 2). The four at-large bids would go to Milton (District 1), Tate (District 1), Lake Howell (District 4) and Navarre (District 1).
The four Region 1 quarterfinal matchups would be:
No. 1 Pace vs. No. 8 Navarre
No. 2 Hagerty vs. No. 7 Lake Howell
No. 3 Oakleaf vs. No. 6 Tate
No. 4 Niceville vs. No. 5 Milton
With the district tournament now set, here are the District 1 tournament seeds. The tournament is slated to begin next Tuesday, April 30 in the semifinals. The championship will be May 2.
No. 1 Pace vs. No. 4 Navarre
No. 2 Milton vs. No. 3 Tate
Class 5A
Gulf Breeze (15.870) – first in District 1-5A, second in Region 1-5A, second in Class 5A, 36th overall
Escambia (-1.000) – fourth in District 1-5A, 16th in Region 1-5A, 49th in Class 5A, 317th overall
Pine Forest (-2.420) – fifth in District 1-5A, 17th in Region 1-5A, 51st in Class 5A, 343rd overall
Booker T. Washington (-11.139) – sixth in District 1-5A, 22nd in Region 1-5A, 64th in Class 5A, 461st overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the four Region 1 automatic bids would be: Middleburg (District 2), Gulf Breeze (District 1), Matanzas (District 4) and Fleming Island (District 3). The four at-large bids would go to: Fort Walton Beach (District 1), Gainesville (District 2), Columbia (District 2) and Deltona District (4).
The four Region 1 quarterfinal matchups would be:
No. 1 Middleburg vs. No. 8 Deltona
No. 2 Gulf Breeze vs. No. 7 Columbia
No. 3 Fort Walton Beach vs. No. 6 Fleming Island
No. 4 Gainesville vs. No. 5 Matanzas
With the district tournament now set, here are the District 1 tournament quarterfinal matchups. The tournament is slated to begin on Monday, April 29, with the quarterfinals. The semifinals will be April 30 followed by the championship on May 2. Gulf Breeze and Fort Walton Beach both earned first-round byes.
No. 4 Escambia vs. No. 5 Pine Forest
No. 3 Choctaw vs. No. 6 Booker T. Washington
Gulf Breeze will host the winner of the Escambia-Pine Forest game, and Fort Walton Beach will host the winner of the Choctaw-Booker T. contest.
Class 4A
West Florida (12.331) – third in District 1-4A, fourth in Region 1-4A, 10th in Class 4A, 75th overall
Pensacola (-17.229) – seventh in District 1-4A, 19th in Region 1-4A, 78th in Class 4A, 515th overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the four Region 1 automatic bids would be: Wakulla (District 1), Baker County (District 2), Bishop Kenny (District 3) and Menendez (District 4). The four at-large bids would go to: Arnold (District 1), West Florida (District 1), Paxon School for Advanced Studies (District 2) and South Walton (District 1).
The four Region 1 quarterfinal matchups would be:
No. 1 Wakulla vs. No. 8 Menendez
No. 2 Arnold vs. No. 7 Bishop Kenny
No. 3 Baker County vs. No. 6 South Walton
No. 4 West Florida vs. No. 5 Paxon School for Advanced Studies
With the district tournament now set, here are the District 1 tournament quarterfinal matchups. Only No. 1 Wakulla earned a first-round bye. The tournament will begin on Monday, April 29, in the quarterfinals. The semifinals will be held April 30 followed by the championship on May 2.
No. 2 Arnold vs. No. 7 Pensacola
No. 3 West Florida vs. No. 6 Godby
No. 4 South Walton vs. No. 5 Rickards
Wakulla will face the winner of the South Walton-Rickards game in the semifinals.
Class 3A
Pensacola Catholic (0.571) – third in District 1-3A, 14th in Region 1-3A, 45th in Class 3A, 288th overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the four Region 1 automatic bids would be: Episcopal School of Jacksonville (District 4), North Bay Haven Academy (District 1), Marianna (District 2) and Keystone Heights (District 3). The four at-large bids would be earned by: Baldwin (District 4), West Nassau (District 4), Suwannee (District 2) and Taylor County (District 2).
This is what the four Region 1 quarterfinal matchups would look like:
No. 1 Episcopal School of Jacksonville vs. No. 8 Taylor County
No. 2 Baldwin vs. No. 7 Keystone Heights
No. 3 North Bay Haven Academy vs. No. 6 Suwannee
No. 4 West Nassau vs. No. 5 Marianna
With the district tournament now set, here are the District 1 tournament seeds. There is just one quarterfinal matchup, with North Bay Haven, Walton and Pensacola Catholic all earning first-round byes. The quarterfinal matchup, between No. 4 Bay and No. 5 Rutherford, will be on April 29. The semifinals are slated for April 30 and the championship is May 2. Here are the semifinal matchups:
No. 1 North Bay Haven Academy vs. winner of No. 4 Bay/No. 5 Rutherford
No. 2 Walton vs. No. 3 Pensacola Catholic
Class 2A
L.E.A.D. Academy (-7.394) – fourth in District 1-2A, 13th in Region 1-2A, 59th in Class 2A, 411th overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the four Region 1 automatic bids would be: University Christian (District 3), St. John Paul II (District 1), Trinity Christian Academy (District 2) and Countryside Christian (District 4). The four at-large bids would go to: Providence School (District 3), St. Johns Country Day (District 2), North Florida Christian (District 1) and Harvest Academy (District 3).
This is what the four Region 1 quarterfinal matchups would look like:
No. 1 University Christian and No. 8 Countryside Christian
No. 2 Providence School vs. No. 7 Harvest Community
No. 3 St. John Paul II vs. No. 6 North Florida Christian
No. 4 Trinity Christian Academy vs. No. 5 St. Johns Country Day
With the district tournament now set, here are the District 1 tournament seeds. There is just one quarterfinal matchup, with St. John Paul II, North Florida Christian and Maclay all earning first-round byes. The only quarterfinal matchup, scheduled for April 29, will be between No. 4 L.E.A.D. Academy and No. 5 FAMU DRS. The semifinals are slated for April 30 and the championship is May 2.
Here are the semifinal matchups:
No. 1 St. John Paul II vs. the winner of No. 4 L.E.A.D. Academy/No. 5 FAMU DRS
No. 2 North Florida Christian vs. No. 3 Maclay
Class 1A
Northview (14.873) – first in District 1-1A, first in Region 1-1A, third in Class 1A, 43rd overall
Jay (11.525) – second in District 1-1A, second in Region 1-1A, sixth in Class 1A, 93rd overall
Central (0.164) – fifth in District 1-1A, eighth in Region 1-1A, 29th in Class 1A, 297th overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the two Region 1 automatic bids would be: Northview (District 1) and Freeport (District 2). The two at-large bids would be earned by Jay (District 1) and Holmes County (District 2).
This is what the Region 1 semifinal slate would look like:
No. 1 Northview vs. No. 4 Holmes County
No. 2 Jay vs. No. 3 Freeport
With the district tournament now set, here are the District 1 tournament seeds. No. 1 Northview and No. 2 Jay earned first-round byes in the tournament, which is slated for April 29. The semifinals are April 30 followed by the championship on May 2. Here are the two quarterfinal matchups:
No. 3 Baker vs. No. 6 Laurel Hill
No. 4 Paxton vs. No. 5 Central
Northview would host the winner of the Paxton-Central game, and Jay would get the winner of the Baker-Laurel Hill contest.
Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at BGrieco@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: FHSAA softball rankings released; district tournament brackets now set