The O’Fallon Panthers are ranked seventh in the state in the Class 4A preseason softball poll by the Illinois Coaches Association.

The Panthers lost their battery — picher Kelsie Stoszkus and slugging catcher Lauren Smith — to graduation. They bring bring back shorstop Macy Oswald and the bulk of a squad that went 27-1 and won the Southwestern Conference championship last season.

There were three metro-east teams in the Class 2A poll with Alton Marquette ranked No. 2, Nashville ranked No. 10 and Columbia ranked No. 17.

All three squads return their pitchers. Alton Marquette has junior Alexis Silkwood, Nashville has junior Shaye Harre and Columbia has junior Kaitlin Grohman and sophomore Savannah Wittenbrink.

Belleville East and Collinsville were listed aming the others receiving consideration in Class 4A. Civic Memorial received consideration in Class 3A 

Neither Edwardsville in Class 4A nor Lebanon in Class 1A were ranked, but both squads could break into the polls in short order once the season starts next month.

— Steve Korte