Who's winning RIIL softball titles this spring? Here's a look at all the contenders

There’s a lot of educated guesswork that goes into the preseason analysis of any sport and a look at the 2024 RIIL softball lineup presents the same sort of challenge.

Many of last season’s champions and contenders were powered by seniors in the circle and without their services, it seems the 2024 season is about who will step up in their place.

The divisions remain the same — minus East Greenwich moving to Division I after winning the D-II title — but the outlook for 2024 should be decidedly different.

Minus one — and it’s not hard to see which team it is.

Division I

It’s probably safe for La Salle to start planning a return trip to RIC for the RIIL State Championship game. Why?

The best offense in the state will remain that way in 2024. Phoenyx Silva is the best hitter in Rhode Island, All-Stater Giuliana Ialongo gives the Rams another All-State bat atop the order and the rest of the spots are filled with All-State-caliber players. You could build a lineup of the state’s best non-La Salle hitters and it still might not be as good as the actual Rams.

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Pitching was the question last year and Hailey Vigneau answered it. Her confidence grew as the season went on and once the playoffs hit, she was at her best going up against the state’s biggest names. The sophomore’s ceiling this season is infinite, which isn’t good news for the opposition.

The No. 1 challenger to the throne is Coventry, which has long established itself as the state’s best program. Last year the Oakers didn’t get to RIC, but having Chris Daigneault back coaching in the dugout will certainly help increase their chances.

Of course, having Sage Soares return will as well. She’s one of the nation’s top pitching prospects and, after focusing on travel ball last spring, will return with a vengeance. Soares was one of the state’s best pitchers her freshman season and is the undisputed No. 1 in her junior year.

But there are plenty of other teams that could come up big this spring.

East Greenwich is the most interesting. After dominating D-II last year, the Avengers have elite talent at all the right spots, but a lot of their success will be based on how they handle the mental grind of playing in D-I.

Cumberland and Cranston West are two of the best-coached teams in the state and always find ways to grind when playoffs hit. Both have lineups anchored by All-Staters — Lacie Grenier for the Clippers, Siena Nardelli for the Falcons — and defense will be key for both teams’ success.

Bay View beat Pilgrim to get to the championship game but lost in the finals last spring. This year, both are dealing with the same problem — figuring out how to replace All-State pitching.

Moses Brown and North Kingstown are your darkhorses, for different reasons.

With senior Anna Costello — an All-Stater her freshman and sophomore year — back in the circle after injuries kept her out last spring, one run might be enough to get the Quakers past any team in the state.

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The Skippers were impressive despite being young last year and while they took their lumps, that year of experience should prove wonders. If NK gets off to a hot start, it could end up being the surprise of 2024.

There are plenty of reasons to be positive about Chariho, Smithfield, Prout and St. Raphael, four programs that have won plenty of big games over the years. There are players who stand out on each of these teams, so if they can develop quickly and find a groove, there’s no reason why they can’t be a position for a deep playoff run.

Division II

It seems like the D-II title race will be decided by good pitching vs. good hitting because, unlike last year with EG, nobody really has everything in order to run through the division.

Johnston has the ace of D-II with sophomore Haley Boudreau. The Panthers aren’t particularly deep, but they’ve got experience up the middle defensively, and with Boudreau in the circle, that’s going to win them a lot of games.

Westerly is also an interesting case with senior ace Sophia Valentini. The young Bulldogs gained necessary experience last spring and, with a gutty offense and good pitching, they’re on the short list of contenders.

Ponaganset doesn’t have an ace, per se, but it has pitching depth nobody can match. With three bona fide starters, the Chieftains can keep their arms rested for the inevitable grind of the postseason – and having the best offensive lineup in D-II will certainly prove beneficial.

West Warwick is another team that’s going to hammer the ball this spring. The Wizards took a graduation hit, but a talented freshman class will keep them competitive and having one of he best bats in D-II with Adrianna Carsetti certainly helps.

Scituate is your darkhorse. As one of the state’s smallest schools, the Spartans should never have been in D-I, but playing in D-II gives them a chance. Kate Nickerson’s talent should shine bright this spring and having Maura Pendergast back behind the plate will be a difference-maker.

Space prevents this list from hitting all 16 teams, but many of last year’s contenders will be trying to find their way back into the mix as the season gets going. Narragansett, North Providence, South Kingstown, Toll Gate and Woonsocket all have the potential to play for a title, but after losing some serious talent to graduation, it might take a while for them to get rolling.

Division III

While Mount St. Charles is the defending champ, it’s hardly the same team that took the field at RIC last spring. The Mounties have the bats, but their success will depend on who steps up in the circle.

Tiverton isn’t far off from where it was last year and that may make the Tigers the favorite this spring. They’ve got returners at all the right spots and that makes anyone dangerous.

Pawtucket might have the most dangerous player in the division with Janayah Gordon. She pitched the team to a title two years ago and there’s no reason why the Raiders couldn’t win another this spring.

With Lauren Bradshaw back, Davies should be right back in the mix. If the Patriots can solidify their defense and find another bat, they should contend.

The gap between these four and the rest of D-III was rather large last spring. Expect improvement from Cranston East, Exeter-West Greenwich, Central and Rogers, but the first few weeks of the spring will show just how close they are to contending.

Division IV

The RIIL deserves praise for having a developmental division, which is truly more about giving girls a chance to play softball and not really about titles. While that sounds strange, if winning titles is the goal for any of these teams, they should do the right thing and move up to D-III.

There were five teams in D-IV and all five — champion Central Falls, runner-up Juanita Sanchez, Mount Pleasant, Hope and the Providence co-op of Times2 and Paul Cuffee — are back. This spring they’ll be joined by Classical — which went 0-16 in D-III last spring — and Block Island, which has fewer girls in its school than some of these schools have roaming the hallways at any given moment.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Who are the best teams in Rhode Island high school softball in 2024