I just seen this thread and since the Bandits were mentioned a few times, I thought I would share my thoughts.
Marist has and always does have a roster full of talent. So Does Lake Central, which finally won the Indiana State Championship. Marist has had more success than any program at the 4A in Illinois but I would bet on the field against Marist or Lake Central winning State Championships each year, even if they have more talent than any other individual team.
Not much different than Oklahoma or Texas Tech in college softball, both teams on paper were slight favorites over Texas but the results played out differently.
Softball, like any team sport, is a game with too many factors to ever predict the outcome with any certainty. Coaches at programs such as Marist and Lake Central, have the luxury of massive influx of talent each year but with that talent comes expectations and egos that are more challenging to manage than the game itself.

Good luck tomorrow to all the 2028's!