Starting off the season with a sparkling 17-1 record and 2-0 in District 22-4A play, the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Lady Bear softball team is starting to garner state-wide recognition.

Steadily moving up the Class 4A Texas Girls Coaches Association poll the last three weeks, the Lady Bears are now ranked No. 1 in the latest Class 4A state poll.

LC-M reached the Class 4A Region III semifinals last season and returned most of its lineup intact along with some new solid faces as well.

The Lady Bears continue 22-4A play Friday at West Orange-Stark and will take on defending 22-4A champion Bridge City twice next week.

Other Southeast Texas teams ranked include in Class 3A Buna at No. 4, Kirbyville at No. 18 and Anahuac at No. 21. In Class 2A West Sabine is ranked No. 6 and Evadale No. 24.

Here is the Class 4A Top 25

1. LC-M (17-1)
2. Beeville A.C. Jones (23-1)
3. Carthage (19-4)
4. Lamesa (10-0)
5. Monahans (20-4)
6. La Vernia (16-2)
7. Wimberley (17-3)
8. Lufkin Hudson (12-1)
9. Crawford (10-3)
10. Brownwood (12-2)
11. Vernon (11-1)
12. Liberty Hill (14-4)
13. Rains (16-2)
14. Krum (13-40
15. Brownfield (12-2)
16. Somerset (15-3)
17. Decatur (9-2)
18. Crandall (12-2)
19. Burkburnett (11-4)
20. Lorena (10-3)
21. Caldwell (13-3)
22. Bellville (15-4)
23. Geronimo Navarro (11-3)
24. Fredericksburg (11-2)
25. (t.) Graham (11-6), Bushland (19-4), Salado (13-3), Rockport-Fulton (9-2), Alvarado (10-5).