GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Between the numerous doubleheaders and Michigan’s unpredictable spring weather, it can be hard for high school softball teams to bring their A game to the diamond every day, and even the best tend to get tripped up somewhere along the way. Hudsonville achieved the rare feat of becoming an undefeated state champion last season, and Grand Rapids Catholic Central is hoping to compile a similar string of success in 2025. The Cougars are the last remaining undefeated team in the Grand Rapids area, and while they remain unranked by the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association, their early season success has not gone unnoticed. But Catholic Central isn’t the only local team playing some of its best ball right now, and with that in mind, we’re taking a look at six Grand Rapids-area softball squads on the rise heading into May. GR Catholic Central (12-0) Catholic Central has been mashing the ball since opening day, and the Cougars don’t show any sign of slowing down. Monday’s 13-3 and 20-2 wins over Forest Hills Central were the latest offensive explosions for Catholic Central, and senior shortstop Gen Cook finished a single away from the cycle in Game 2. The Alma College commit is batting .589 this season with four doubles, one triple and five home runs, and junior teammate Addy Howard (.575 average, 9 doubles, 2 HRs) isn’t far behind. As a team, the Cougars are batting well over .400, so while the team’s ERA is around 4.00, the pitching has been good enough to get by. Upcoming nonconference games against South Christian, Holland Christian, Calvin Christian and Hopkins should provide a challenge, but at this point in the season, the Cougars have to be considered the best team in the OK White by a large margin. Byron Center (12-1) The Bulldogs bolted up to No. 5 in the latest Division 1 rankings thanks to a strong stretch that saw them win three against Mona Shores, split a doubleheader with then-No. 1 Hudsonville and claim a pair of doubleheader sweeps against Cedar Springs and Muskegon. The pitching was particularly impressive, as Byron Center tossed seven shutouts in nine games, including a 2-0 thriller against Hudsonville, in which Ellory Dykstra struck out seven and allowed two hits and one walk. The Lake Michigan College commit also threw a three-inning no-hitter in a 17-0 win over Muskegon, in which she struck out all nine batters she faced and just missed out on a perfect game by hitting a Big Red batter. In her last four starts, Dykstra has fanned 37, while allowing eight hits and two walks in 23 innings. Offensively, the Bulldogs have been dialed in, averaging 10.1 runs per game in their last nine, led by junior shortstop Olivia Dolan, who has 18 hits, including four doubles, seven triples and a home run during that span. Byron Center is playing some quality ball heading into May, but the next three weeks will be grueling, as the Bulldogs play nine games against state-ranked teams, ending with a three-game series against OK Green foe Jenison on May 21. Hudsonville (12-2) Yes, Hudsonville’s 48-game winning streak ended with last week’s 10-1 loss to Zeeland West, and the Eagles endured another defeat at the hands of Byron Center, but there’s no reason to doubt the team’s long-term potential. Last week’s doubleheader sweep of state-ranked Grand Haven, along with a 4-1 victory over Byron Center showed the Eagles are still a Division 1 title contender, and this week’s doubleheader sweep over Rockford and single-game win over East Kentwood proved they’re still the team to beat in the OK Red. But unlike last year, when seniors Ava Snip and Elly Koopman formed one the state’s best pitching duos in recent memory, Hudsonville is relying on some new faces in the circle, and the offense might have to carry the load for a little while. With veteran hitters like Autumn Dennis, Tessa Heffelbower and Ava Gardner occupying the top three spots in the batting order, Hudsonville has the ability to jump on opponents in a hurry, and the emergence of freshman Kamryn Stankus (.474 average, 4 doubles, 19 RBIs) at the No. 5 slot makes it an even more potent lineup. Lowell (13-1) The Red Arrows have won nine in a row dating back to last week, including a doubleheader sweep over fellow River Cities Alliance contender Coopersville and a 5-4 single-game win over perennial Division 2 power Vicksburg, in which Hannah Faylor hit a two-out walk-off single in the eighth inning. Senior pitcher Megan Lillie also contributed mightily to the signature win by striking out seven in eight innings, while giving up three earned runs on six hits. Senior slugger Katie Hofman smacked her 10th home run of the season against the Bulldogs, while leadoff hitter Amaya Jackson and No. 2 batter Allison Raison each tallied two hits for an offense that has been among one of the area’s best. The five runs against Vicksburg were a season-low for Lowell, which is averaging 11.8 per game. In addition to her double-digit home runs, Hofman is batting .638 on the year with seven doubles and a whopping 38 RBIs, while Jackson (.508), Bella Calhoun (.423), Claire Mitchell (.410) and Lillie (.404) are all over the .400 mark. In the pitcher’s circle, Lillie is 9-1 with a 3.25 ERA, 1.214 WHIP and 65 strikeouts in 56 innings, while Calhoun is 4-0 with a 1.82 ERA, 0.926 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 27 innings. Lowell’s only loss in their last 10 games is a 10-8 defeat to defending state champ Hudsonville, and being able to hang with a team like that bodes well for the Red Arrows going forward. Unity Christian (15-2) The fourth-ranked team in Division 2, Unity Christian is 9-2 in its last 11 games, including a doubleheader sweep over Vicksburg, single-game wins over state-ranked Livonia Stevenson and Wayland and a doubleheader split with Zeeland West. The Crusaders’ only other loss during that span came against state-ranked Grand Haven. Unity Christian’s pitching has been outstanding against tough competition over the past two weeks, with star senior Makenzie Cammenga logging 62 strikeouts in 43 innings with a 1.30 ERA and 0.837 WHIP, including an 11-strikeout five-hitter in a 6-3 win over Vicksburg. Defensively, the Crusaders have helped their pitchers by registering a .948 fielding percentage over the past two weeks, and the hitters have provided solid run support, with Unity Christian averaging 9.1 runs per game in their last 11, though they have been shutout by Grand Haven and Zeeland West during that span. Being able to scratch across some runs against elite pitchers like Grand Haven’s Lorelei Chciuk and Zeeland West’s Madison Wyckoff will be key because the Crusaders are bound to see that caliber of arm deep in the playoffs. Wayland (13-3) The Division 2 No. 10 Wildcats have gone 8-1 since losing to Upper Peninsula power Escanaba on April 19, with their other loss coming to Unity Christian by a 4-1 margin. Wayland has picked up some impressive victories during that stretch, including doubleheader sweeps over OK Gold rival South Christian and Kalamazoo Christian and single-game wins over state-ranked Livonia Stevenson and Grand Haven. The recent success can be attributed to solid play in all three phases of the game, with the Wildcats boasting a team ERA under 2.00 over the last two weeks, while the team batting average is right around .400. Defensively, Wayland has committed just 15 errors in its last nine games and has a .916 fielding percentage. Individually, junior Grand Valley State commit Madi Ludema has shined in the circle (31 strikeouts, 9 earned runs in 31 innings) and at the plate (.645 average, 8 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs), while Shelby VanHouten (.643, 3 doubles), Liberty Laker (.548, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 2 HRs) and Kaylee Lown (.483) are all batting over .400 in the last two weeks. The schedule in early May is manageable, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Wayland continue its winning ways heading into the Wildcats’ May 16 doubleheader against Byron Center.