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Top 10 Connecticut high school softball rankings (4/6/2025)

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Top 10 Connecticut high school softball rankings (4/6/2025)


Break out the bats and gloves as high school softball season is upon us across the country, especially in the Constitution State. One of the tops when it comes to high level softball, Connecticut features several teams that are among the New England region’s best around. 

Starting off at the top spot is the Masuk Panthers, as they are in the conversation as one of the New England’s top squads. The Panthers didn’t play but we don’t drop them whatsoever because of that.

Besides them, who else is among the elites when it comes to high school softball in Connecticut? Take a look at our Power 10 rankings as we give you our list ahead of the first full week of regular season games.

The Panthers are coming off an undefeated season at 28-0 and being back senior Julia Bacoulis (Florida Gulf Coast commit), who batted .450 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs in 2024. On the mound, Bacoulis went 19-0 with a 0.80 earned run average and 259 strikeouts. 

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There’s a lot to like about the Knights this season and one of them is the return of star pitcher Camryn Fisher. The ace pitcher was one of the state’s best on the mound, going 20-1 with a incredible 0.20 earned run average and 324 strikeouts. The Knights opened the season with a 16-0 rout of Rockville.

Coming in at the third spot in our rankings are the Rams, after they fell just short of winning it all in Class LL. With their only losses last season coming up against Masuk and Ludlowe, Cheshire began the season with a narrow 4-2 victory over Ludlowe.

Starting off the season with a bang was the Hawks, as they cruised to a 17-4 win over Naugatuck. You have to really like the roster that Woodland Regional will be bringing back this spring, with senior ace pitcher Ella VanAlstyne returning to the mound. Last year as a junior, Van Alstyne (UMass Lowell commit) went 13-1 with 140 strikeouts for the Hawks.

The Coventry Patriots finished the 2024 regular season with an impressive record of 23-2, but lose Elizabeth Mitchell to graduation from a year ago. Coventry still returns a bevy of solid hitters to the lineup and remain one of the state’s top clubs.

Not far from the middle of the pack is the Cadets, who themselves a contender in Class L in a 2-0 victory over a very good North Haven squad. Katie Dzialo comes back for her junior campaign as she went 16-3 with 187 strikeouts in 2024.

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Dropping the season opener 4-2 against Cheshire we feel like isn’t a reason to really drop the Falcons too far down. Ludlowe’s top player from a year ago returns is infielder Gina Solow (Albertus Magnus College commit), who batted .420 with 20 RBIs and 11 doubles in 2024.

One of the state’s top power hitters is back in the lineup for the Nighthawks in Alexandra Anquillare. Last season as a junior the first baseman/outfielder belted five homers and drove in 38 runs. North Haven fell 2-0 against St. Joseph and is another team we won’t penalized too heavy for its first game.

Guilford was the Cinderella story from a year ago in the Class L tournament as the No. 13 seed and nearly upended Masuk in the semifinals. The Grizzlies graduated a bit, but return an experienced team that could very well make another deep run.

The Tigers were a mixed bag at times during the middle of the 2024 season, but when it came down to it, Mercy was one of the state’s best teams. Mercy opened the spring campaign up with a 7-4 victory over Ridgefield.

Follow High School On SI throughout the 2025 high school softball season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

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Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school softball news.

To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi



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Watch New Canaan vs. Cheshire in Connecticut Class L football championship: Live stream

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Watch New Canaan vs. Cheshire in Connecticut Class L football championship: Live stream


New Canaan faces Cheshire in the 2025 Connecticut high school Class L football state championship on Saturday afternoon.

The game begins at 4 p.m. EST on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Veterans Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut.

The game will stream live on the NFHS Network.

High school football championships on NFHS Network

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What: Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Class L football championship

Who: New Canaan vs. Cheshire

When: Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025

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Where: Veterans Stadium in New Britain, Connecticut

Time: 4 p.m. EST

Stream: NFHS Network

Tickets: $11,50

Record, MaxPrep state rankings: New Canaan 12-0, No. 1; Cheshire 9-3, No. 11

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Here’s more information about the game from the Hartford Courant, via the Tribune News Service:

New Canaan is going for its 16th state title and fourth straight under veteran coach Lou Marinelli and New Canaan outscored its playoff opponents, 85-13. Cheshire’s last finals appearance was 2009, when coach Don Drust was an assistant for the Rams’ team, which beat Staples in overtime to win a Class LL title. Cheshire rallied from a 19-point deficit against Fairfield Ludlowe to win the Class L quarterfinal game and beat Ridgefield 21-0 in the semifinals. QB Aiden Gregorich’s pass to Liam Suomala proved to be the game-winning touchdown with 10 seconds left in the quarterfinal.

What is the NFHS Network?

The NFHS Network covers more than 30 sports across the country. NFHS Network costs $13.99 per month or $79.99 per year.



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Could mini-liquor bottles be banned in Connecticut?

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Could mini-liquor bottles be banned in Connecticut?


Have you still seen a lot of mini-liquor bottles, littering the streets in Connecticut?

Members of one environmental group said they still see them, and believe a ban is the best way to solve a multi-tiered problem.

State data shows in the past 12 months, ending September 30, there were more than 93 million mini-liquor bottles sold in our state.

The group supporting local bans says it’s not just the litter, but also the fact mini-liquor bottles are easy to conceal and consume on the job, in the car, or at school.

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The group “Connecticut Towns Nixing the Nip” met this week, working on strategies to get a legislative hearing on the issue in the upcoming 2026 session.

Right now, stores collect a 5-cent surcharge for every mini-liquor bottle sold, resulting in about $5 million annually for town and city environmental cleanup efforts.

Town funding from nip sales

Average revenue per year 2021 to 2025.

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“Having talked to a number of towns, well a few towns, they like the money, said Tom Metzner, a member of the group. “It’s fairly broad in how it can be used. It’s environmental. It doesn’t have to be used for cleaning up nips. And so the towns have become somewhat silent on the issue of banning nips.”

The group cited Chelsea, Massachusetts, where minis are banned, both litter and alcohol related EMS calls decreased.

The Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Connecticut, which devised the “nickel per nip” program, said banning the mini-liquor bottles would be unprecedented.

Instead, it said the environmental group should be challenging municipalities to prove they actually use the money for cleanup.

Legislative leaders suggested several years ago the way to really do this is to have a redemption program for mini liquor bottles, and now, that could be possible.

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At least one state with the Clynk bottle collection program has redeemed mini-liquor bottles for cash.

The company just announced a major expansion in our state, but it told us it is not aware of a redemption program for mini-liquor bottles here any time soon.



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National trust in the federal government is low. CT residents agree

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National trust in the federal government is low. CT residents agree


National trust in the federal government is at some of its lowest levels in nearly seven decades, and many Connecticut residents fall in line with that belief, a survey found.

New data from the Pew Research Center found only 17% of Americans believe that what the government does is right either “just about always” or “most of the time,” hitting one of the lowest points Pew has seen since first asking this question in 1958. And according to a DataHaven survey, Connecticut residents trust the federal government less than state or local institutions.

While these are some of the lowest polling numbers seen in American history, national trust in the federal government has been on the decline for decades. Public trust initially dropped in the 1960s and ’70s during the Vietnam War from a near 80% but began rising again in the 1980s into the early ’90s. Trust peaked again after 9/11 before falling.

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The DataHaven survey found that of all Connecticut residents surveyed, only 9% trust the federal government “a great deal” to look out for the best interests of them and their family. About 28% trust the federal government “a fair amount.”

Federal government trust among Connecticut residents was at its highest in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the federal stimulus programs and child tax credit were active.

The DataHaven survey also asked about trust in local and state government. Connecticut residents generally trust these institutions more than they trust the federal government, the survey found.

Trust in the local governments was higher than trust in both state and federal, with 67% of residents surveyed trusting their local government “a great deal” or “a fair amount.”

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And when it came to state government, 61% of residents trust the state “a great deal” or “a fair amount.”



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