'Burg SB ranked No. 12 on MaxPreps Top 25 small school SB rankings
· Yahoo Sports
Following a 23-5 season that ultimately resulted in yet another state championship, the Wheelersburg softball program finished the season ranked as MaxPreps' 12th-best small school softball program in America.
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Wheelersburg's ranking not only made the Lady Pirates the top-ranked small school softball program in all of Ohio according to MaxPreps, but also put 'Burg as the top program in the Midwest as a whole. In the Appalachian region, only Abingdon (Va.) ranked higher at No. 6.
Orange Beach (Ala.), who finished the 2026 season 46-1 overall, was ranked No. 1 while Trenton (Fla.), Liberty (Texas), Cartersville (Ill.) and Montesand (Wash.) rounded out the top five spots.
Wheelersburg, who tallied 11 mercy rule victories in 2026, won its fifth state championship in program history and its fourth in the last five seasons by defeating Baltimore Liberty Union, 7-6, in the 2026 OHSAA Division V State Championship Game. The Lady Pirates rallied from a 3-0 deficit after the opening half-inning and a 4-1 deficit heading into the bottom of the fourth en route to claiming the win.
Wheelersburg also won state titles in the sport in 2016, 2022, 2023 and 2025.
This season's team will have three of its five seniors go on to play a college sport, as Ava Estep (Maryland) and Jalynn Drake (Shawnee State) will continue their careers at the collegiate level in softball. Mylee Jo Gleim will play volleyball at Shawnee State as well.
Makenzie Mullens, who is committed to Charleston, returns to the team as does Emmee Eaton. Both will be seniors in 2027. The duo are joined by fellow returning starters in Libby Allen, Layna Howard, Mati Jennings, Lainey Skeenes and Lauren Truitt, while Rylan Butcher also saw significant reps as a pitcher throughout the 2026 season. Aylin Morrow and Makenna Vaught saw time in crucial situations as well.