Which Albuquerque-area teams will challenge for a softball title this season?

The prep softball season is underway, and the metro area renews its quest to locate that elusive second week magic.

In no sport in which brackets are used for the playoffs has the metro area had less success than softball. It’s been four years since anyone reached a state championship game: Cleveland, the 2021 state champion.

Centennial beat Alamogordo in last year’s Class 5A state final.

Some familiar faces, led by Cibola and La Cueva — the only two local 5A teams to make it to the second week of the playoffs a year ago — hope to make some noise in May.

The Cougars, last year’s District 1-5A champ, are off to an impressive 3-0 start, with wins over Albuquerque High, Sandia and La Cueva. Coach LaRae Melvin believes she’s got an excellent 1-2 punch in the circle, with juniors Gaby Moncada and Maci Melvin.

Presley Peek-Ruschetti, a freshman catcher, and junior right fielder Vanessa Romero are among the girls who will have to fill some of the holes created in the lineup by graduation.

“I keep telling them (the team), they’re young, and having to fill some big shoes,” coach Melvin said. “They show up ready to work at practice and it’s paying off.”

La Cueva and coach Ron Romero were a 2 seed at the state tournament last year, and the Bears feature one of the top pitching duos in junior Lainey Alcaraz and senior Lily Montoya. Montoya is the clear No. 1 and has signed with New Mexico State.

La Cueva graduated seven seniors off a team that lost in the semis to Alamogordo.

Senior shortstop Genesis Jaramillo is a four-year standout for the Bears, and the offense will benefit from the likes of senior DH MaceRae Santistevan. Junior Brooklyn Eardley, a catcher, transferred from Sandia.

“We’re pretty young,” Romero said. “I think pitching is our strength, and we have a good defense around them.”

Sandia, the only team from 2-5A other than La Cueva to make the playoffs last season, returns leading hitter and pitcher, junior Liliana Villanueva, who also is an outstanding third baseman. Sandia will have an influx of young talent this spring, coach Michelle Carter said.

Eldorado, with a handful of top bats returning, should have an offense that scores plenty of runs.

Cibola in District 1-5A faces a tougher group of schools than it did last year, as Farmington and Piedra Vista have joined the league. Rio Rancho, Cleveland and Volcano Vista all qualified for the 5A postseason last season but were ousted as double-digit seeds in the first round.

The Rams, who open this weekend at a tournament in Arizona, are trying to rebound from a couple of subpar seasons by this program’s lofty standards, and coach Paul Kohman said he isn’t quite sure how Rio Rancho will slot in a tough district.

“There is no weak one,” he said. “We may be the weakest one.”

Volcano Vista coach Desi Garcia’s team is young, a group with just a single senior and facing, Garcia said, “growing pains.” Top returners include junior pitcher/third baseman Audrianna Jim and junior shortstop Emily Langley, both of whom already have clubbed multiple home runs. Eighth-grader Genevieve Tapia could be a “special” catcher, Garcia said.

Cleveland barely snuck into the playoff field last year, but coach Angel Castillo believes with improved pitching (junior Julia Montoya and senior Taylor Yazzie) the Storm ought to be more competitive. Offense last season, Castillo said, was not the issue so much as the high volume of runs Cleveland surrendered. Senior first baseman Amanda McKinley, who has led the team in home runs the last two seasons, also returns.

“Bringing Farmington and Piedra Vista back in, anybody can win this district, honestly,” Castillo said.

Albuquerque High and Los Lunas were the 5A state qualifiers out of District 5-5A last season, and those two appear poised to continue their success, although a much improved Atrisco Heritage could also join the party.

The Jaguars finally get senior Melanie Macias — who had to sit out last year after transferring from La Cueva — eligible. She’ll pitch and play some infield for Atrisco, which already has won its first three games.

Macias, who has signed with the University of New Mexico, is off to a fast start, with three home runs and seven RBIs.

AHS won the district last year; and the Bulldogs return some key pieces, starting with junior pitcher Raquel Waldrop, plus junior catcher Annika Stanley, junior third baseman Yaslene Jimenez and sophomore shortstop Luna Diaz.

“I have a good group of girls,” coach Joe Chavez said. The Bulldogs have just one senior.

Los Lunas also features a handful of experienced and efficient players who were important during their run to the playoffs last year. Junior Natalie Madrid hit nearly .600 last year with a team-leading 45 RBIs. Sophomore Haidyn Garley drove in 27 runs for an offense that should be prodigous.

“This is the most parity I’ve seen, top to bottom, in 5A,” Cleveland coach Castillo said. “There’s not a team that’s gonna just roll through the season.”

Class 4A

The top teams from last season were defending state champion Gallup, plus Artesia, Silver, Aztec and Lovington. St. Pius, Bernalillo and Belen all reached Week 2 of the playoffs; Belen and coach Oscar Medrano are feeling exceptionally good about their chances.

Belen’s experienced group, led by returning top pitcher Lorissa Scott, has pitching, defense and offensive versatility, Medrano said.

“If things work out for us the way I anticipate or expect, we’re gonna make a good run at it this year,” he said. All-state sophomore Shyla Rocha is moving from first base to third base.

St. Pius coach Melanie Roni Marquez’s team, which has young pitching, is off to a bit of a slow start as the Sartans, with no seniors, look to compete with Belen in District 5-4A. Sophomore catcher Jordan Chavez and sophomore third baseman Aubri Hooee (“a big bat for us,” Marquez said) are in line for solid seasons.

Bernalillo is a team to watch out of District 6-4A, as the Spartans return the majority of their lineup. Sophomore pitcher Calandria Montoya steps into the No. 1 role in the circle, and her effectiveness will be crucial for Bernalillo. Junior third baseman Kylee Herrera swings a heavy bat, and senior Neiva Montoya in center anchors the outfield.

It has been seven years since a metro-area 4A program reached the state championship game, and that was 2018 with Bernalillo.

Valley, a 9 seed that was beaten in last year’s 4A first round by Belen, returns both its top pitchers, senior Alexus Zubia-Olivas and junior Makayla Ringo, who combined to win 17 of the team’s 18 games last season, but the Vikings are new most everywhere else.

Also from this district, Albuquerque Academy qualified for state, and the Chargers have one of 4A’s top players in senior Melissa Purcella (signed with Rider University) who drove in 38 runs and won eight games in the circle as a junior.

West Las Vegas, led by Malie Satete who, as an eighth-grader, broke the state’s single-season home run record last spring, is the defending 3A state champion. Loving defends in 1A-2A.