The real deal

Rosemount pitcher Jessa Snippes, an all-around athlete who had seven goals and 15 points as a forward on the Irish girls hockey team, is the latest wunderkind softballer to draw attention. Snippes has a fastball that has been clocked at 66 miles per hour, a plus riseball and effective off-speed pitches. She's also a force at the plate, having hit .518 with five homers and 20 RBI in 2022. Snippes will head to the Gophers when she's done with high school.

Rosemount back on top

Rosemount is pursuing its second Class 4A championship in a three-year span. The Irish boast the metro's deepest lineup, with five of their seven seniors committed to play college softball and a squad of juniors also choosing from among college programs. Senior first baseman Paige Zender, whose grand slam won the 2021 state championship game, is a physical force of nature at the plate. She's headed to Iowa State, as is senior shortstop Isabelle Nosan. Outfielder Macy Fry is headed to North Dakota State, and third baseman Ella Henderson will play at Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Juniors Grace Nosan, Cece Hanson and Ari Princl are also set to play at the next level. And, of course, there's Snippes toeing the rubber.

Forest Lake is back for more

In any other season, the defending champion Rangers would be considered the Class 4A favorites. They return their two-headed pitching Goliath of junior Hannah Tong and freshman Avery Muellner. Bolstered by the elite catching and leadership skills of senior Bethany Weiss and an abundance of team speed, Forest Lake will jostle with Rosemount for the top spot in the Class 4A rankings all season.

A preponderance of pitching

It's at the heart of softball: Strength in the circle equals success on the diamond. You can find quality pitching every year, but the metro area has a special wealth of good hurlers this season. Snippes, Tong and Muellner are the tip of the iceberg. Then there's Andover's Kaelyn Polzin, Centennial's Riley O'Connell, Hopkins' Signe Dohse, Lakeville South's Maddie Nutter, Maple Grove's Madison Wihlm, Shakopee's Sylvia Shromoff and White Bear Lake's Chloe Barber. That's just Class 4A. Look further and you'll find stalwarts in Simley's Taylor Gallahue, Le Sueur-Henderson's Chloe Brandt, Randolph's Carter Raymond, DeLaSalle's Eva Heinecke, Watertown-Mayer's Abby Otterness and Mounds Park Academy's Siri Springer.

Why so many pitchers of note? Instruction has improved drastically over the past decade, fueled by a proliferation of training centers, programs and pitching coaches. And the growth of year-round softball — "Dome Ball" played in bubbles and other large facilities — keeps pitchers sharp through the winter.

New looks

Just two years after barging to the Class 1A state championship, Randolph appears poised to return to that prominence. The 2021 team relied heavily on seniors, but the Rockets lean heavily now on talented freshmen, sophomores and juniors, led by their battery of sophomore pitcher Raymond and freshman Allie Gillette.

At St. Anthony, longtime coach Lamar Brendemuehl has moved on, replaced by former assistant Melissa Brandenburg. The Huskies are established as a yearly contender, having made nine Class 2A state tournament trips since 2009, including two in a row. There's a well-developed pipeline of talent, and this year's group boasts one of the state's top power bats in junior corner infielder Anaya Boseman.

A dozen non-pitchers worth watching (listed alphabetically)

Heidi Barber, White Bear Lake, C, senior

Anaya Boseman, St. Anthony, 1B, junior

Brooklyn Jones, Anoka, C, senior

Kendall Kotzmacher, Hill-Murray, C, sophomore

Jacqueline Larsen, Bloomington Jefferson, OF, senior

Alexis Monty, Stillwater, SS/2B, senior

Isabelle Nosan, Rosemount, INF, senior

Maddy Orth, Lakeville North, C, senior

Kurstyn Patnode, Becker, OF/P, senior

Susie Tollefson, Chanhassen, INF, sophomore

Bethany Weiss, Forest Lake, C, senior

Paige Zender, Rosemount, 1B, senior

Metro Top 10

1. Rosemount: The Irish are the definition of stacked.

2. Forest Lake: In any other season, the defending 4A champs would be the solid No. 1.

3. Stillwater: The Ponies jumped out of the gate this season, winning their first four and scoring 28 runs in the process.

4. White Bear Lake: Paced by the Barber Battery — senior Chloe, the pitcher, and junior catcher Heidi.

5. Hopkins: Pitcher Signe Dohse is committed to Big Ten leader Northwestern.

6. Shakopee: Coach Joe Fittante calls the Sabers the "most athletic team I've coached."

7. Maple Grove: Look for a breakout season from P Madison Wihlm, committed to North Dakota State.

8. Chaska: Last year's youngsters are coming of age.

9. Lakeville South: St. Cloud State-bound P Maddie Nutter is in her third year as the ace.

10. Farmington: A slow start shouldn't deter a quality team.

Daily schedules