It's far too early to make any serious determination about a softball season barely underway, but the early returns show that the preseason presumption that Rosemount was the big-school behemoth was spot on.
The Irish have won their first seven games, scoring at least 10 runs in each. Senior first baseman Paige Zender started slugging from the get-go, hitting home runs in the first two games, and already has a metro-leading five homers. Of Rosemount's eight players with double figures in at-bats, seven are hitting .500 or better. They've been so dominant that pitcher Jessa Snippes, who started all seven games, has not yet had to throw a full seven innings.
Softball Metro Top 10
1. Rosemount (7-0): Can anyone stop the Rosemount machine? The Irish are averaging 12.4 runs per game.
2. Stillwater (6-0): The Ponies already have notable victories over Suburban East rivals White Bear Lake, Cretin-Derham Hall and Forest Lake.
3. Eden Prairie (4-1): Eagles will be tested with five games in six days this week: three vs. Lake Conference foes and the finale hosting top 2A team Le Sueur-Henderson.
4. Park of Cottage Grove (5-1): Wolfpack get a rematch with Forest Lake, whom they beat 2-1 Wednesday.
5. Maple Grove (4-1): Star pitcher Madison Wilhm hasn't pitched in a week and will be ready for rival Centennial on Tuesday.
6. Forest Lake (3-2): Rangers' back-to-back one-run losses to Stillwater and Park of Cottage Grove were simply a hiccup.
7. Hopkins (2-2): Royals led Rosemount 2-1 last week until they gave up 11 to the the Irish in the fifth.
8. New Prague (3A, 4-1): Strong start for the pitching-deep Trojans.
9. Centennial (3-1): Cougars and pitcher Riley O'Connell have given up runs in bunches, 17 in four games.
10. (tie) White Bear Lake (3-2): The Bears offense has yet to catch up with the talents of pitcher Chloe Barber.
Others worthy of consideration: Bloomington Jefferson (3-1), North St. Paul (3-0), Chaska (2-1), Le Sueur-Henderson (2A, 3-1), Belle Plaine (2A, 3-1), Randolph (1A, 3-0), West Lutheran (1A, 3-0).
