MaxPreps Top 50 national high school baseball rankings
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See what two Connecticut teams did to pass the time during a rain delay
District championship games proved to be a pitfall for the top two teams in the country, as both No. 1 Olympia (Orlando, Fla.) and No. 2 Park Vista (Lake Worth, Fla.) fell in the championship games of their respective tournaments. The two losses mean there's a new team at the top of the MaxPreps Xcellent 50 National Baseball Rankings.
St. Rita (Chicago) takes advantage of Olympia's and Park Vista's misfortune, as it rattled off its 22nd win in a row. Olympia dropped to No. 3 overall while Park Vista fell to No. 5.
Olympia and Park Vista did not drop any further because both had defeated their respective opponents twice earlier in the season and they are both still alive in the Class 8A state playoffs, which begin this week.
MaxPreps Xcellent 50 National Baseball Rankings
Photo by John Rowland
Esteban Martinez and St. Rita now have the nation's top spot all to themselves.
1. (last week 3) St. Rita (Chicago), 22-0
The Mustangs move into the No. 1 spot after posting a pair of shutout wins last week. Esteban Martinez went 3-for-3 with a home run to lift St. Rita over St. Ignatius 10-0. Tyler Halas got the victory in a 4-0 win over Fenwick while Daniel Gleaves went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. The Mustangs have a pair of key matchups later this week against Providence Catholic and St. Laurence.
2. (5) Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.), 24-2
Parkview was busy last week, beating Archer (Lawrenceville) 5-3, Dacula 13-0, Grayson (Loganville) 16-11, Columbus 14-4 and Shiloh (Snellville) 3-0. Austin Biggar had a pair of home runs against Dacula while Brandon Hill had a pair against Columbus and Grayson.
3. (1) Olympia (Orlando, Fla.), 25-1
If there's one team the Titans have had trouble with the past two seasons, it's Apopka. Last year Olympia lost to the Blue Darters in the second round of the Class 8A state playoffs. Last week, Olympia fell to Apopka 8-4 in the district finals. The loss is the first of the year for Olympia. The Titans defeated Ocoee 7-1 in the district semifinals behind Juan Hillman's 10 strikeouts.
4. (7) Dallas Jesuit (Texas), 23-1-2
The Rangers edged closer to an undefeated district season with a pair of convincing wins over MacArthur (Irving) last week. In a 7-0 victory, Nic Ready had a home run and Darius Hill had a double. Ready, Hill and Kyle Muller all hit home runs in a 13-1 win.
5. (2) Park Vista (Lake Worth, Fla.), 25-2
The Cobras saw their 25-game win streak come to an end with a 12-4 loss to Boca Raton in the district championship game Friday. Park Vista reached the finals with an 11-0 win over Spanish River. Austin Smith pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts and also went 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs.
6. (8) Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 25-2
The Huskies had a pair of close wins, beating Corona del Sol (Tempe) 4-2 and Desert Ridge (Mesa) 4-3. Cameron Cruz and Chris Sherman each homered against Corona del Sol while Nick Brueser doubled against Desert Ridge.
7. (9) Oak Ridge (Conroe, Texas), 20-1
Oak Ridge cleared two big hurdles in district play with a 4-1 win over College Park (The Woodlands) and a 7-3 win over The Woodlands. Luken Baker got the win over College Park, striking out eight and allowing four hits. Durbin Feltman struck out 10 and Riley McKnight had two doubles against the Highlanders.
8. (10) Alexander (Laredo, Texas), 20-1
The Bulldogs won three times last week, beating Johnson (Laredo) 12-1, Del Rio 16-0 and United South (Laredo) 5-3. Damien Rodriguez had a double and a home run against Johnson
9. (4) JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), 17-3
The Lions took two out of three games from Orange Lutheran, falling 8-3 on April 20 before winning 4-0 on Wednesday and 3-1 on Friday. Collin Quinn got the shutout win, striking out five and allowing three hits. Royce Lewis went 2-for-3 with a triple. Sam Cohen and Lewis each had a double in the 3-1 victory.
10. (6) Sulphur (La.), 30-2
The Tornadoes ended the regular season with their second loss of season, falling to Sam Houston (Lake Charles) 2-1, but managed a 9-0 win over Lafayette. Kyle Griffin got the shutout, striking out five in the process.
11. (11) Flower Mound (Texas), 23-3
Flower Mound continued to roll in district play with three wins last week, including a 7-1 win over rival Marcus (Flower Mound). Parker Scott had 12 strikeouts in the victory while Casey Jacobsen went 3-for-4. Jacobsen went 2-for-3 with a double and four RBIs in a 7-2 win over Hebron. The Jaguars also defeated Allen 9-4.
12. (13) College Park (Pleasant Hill, Calif.), 11-3
Joe DeMers continued to put together strong outings on the mound and at the plate for College Park. He threw his third no-hitter of the season in an 11-0 victory over Northgate (Walnut Creek). He struck out five and walked only one. At the plate, DeMers went 4-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. DeMers also went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two doubles in a 16-3 win over Northgate. Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Noah Burnham each had a home run.
13. (14) Mosley (Lynn Haven, Fla.), 24-3
The Dolphins captured the district championship with a 4-1 win over Bay (Panama City). Micheal Cullen got the win while Clay Causey hit a home run. Causey also had a double and a home run in a 15-3 win over Choctawatchee in the district semifinals.
14. (15) Boca Raton (Fla.), 22-2
In its third try, Boca Raton got the win over Park Vista, this time for the district tournament championship. In the 12-4 victory, Jagger McCoy got the victory. T.j. Tamaccio added a grand slam to seal the win. Boca Raton also defeated Leonard 5-0 in the semifinals.
15. (16) Summerville (S.C.), 21-2
Summerville captured four wins last week, sweeping Bluffton 9-2, 8-0 and 6-1 and beating Socastee 5-1. Charlie Fessler struck out nine in the 9-2 victory while Sawyer Bridges fanned seven in the 8-0 win. Alex Hursey then struck out 11 in the final Bluffton victory.
16. (17) Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati), 15-1
The Crusaders continued to roll with three more wins last week. Grant Macciocchi struck out eight in a 7-2 win over Badin while Nick Bennett struck out 11 in a two-hit, 4-0 shutout win over St. Xavier (Cincinnati). They won five times last week, including an 11-7 win over St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.). The Crusaders also defeated Troy 11-3.
17. (18) Charles Henderson (Troy, Ala.), 35-2
Charles Henderson moves on to the third round of the Class 5A state playoffs with a 6-5, 19-14 series sweep of Rehobeth. Chase Smartt had a home run and went 3-for-4 in the first game while Chase Hartley was 5-for-5 in the second game.
18. (20) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 22-2
The Gaels won four times last week, beating Shadow Ridge 10-0, Palo Verde 8-1, Durango 10-0 and Liberty (Henderson) 13-10. Brandon Wulff and Blake Sanchez each homered against Shadow Ridge while Matt Hudgins hit one out against Durango. Hudgins and Beau Capanna both homered against Liberty.
19. (21) O'Connor (Helotes, Texas), 17-0-1
The Panthers continued their undefeated run with a 12-6 win over Clark (San Antonio) and a 5-1 win over Jay (San Antonio). David Worrell, Kolby Lunsford and Joshua Reyes all hit home runs against Clark while Lunsford went 2-for-2 with two doubles and two RBIs and a complete game pitching victory against Jay.
20. (23) Canyon del Oro (Tucson, Ariz.), 25-2
Canyon del Oro rebounded from a rare loss last week to defeat Maricopa 11-0, Ironwood Ridge (Tucson) 11-9, Flowing Wells 11-1 and Poston Butte (San Tan Valley) 8-5.
21. (26) Oxford (Miss.), 27-0
Oxford concluded the regular season undefeated with three straight wins last week. The Chargers topped Water Valley 8-0, Saltillo 13-3 and West Point 16-0. Dalton Markle threw a no-hitter with seven strikeouts against Water Valley.
22. (27) Puyallup (Wash.), 13-3
The Vikings won three times last week, beating Emerald Ridge (South Hill) 3-2, Rogers (Puyallup) 3-2 and Graham-Kapowsin (Graham) 14-4.
23. (28) Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), 18-3
The Wolverines took two league games from Crespi (Encino), 10-0 and 4-2, and then defeated Serra (Gardena) 11-1 in the Harvard-Westlake Tournament.
24. (29) Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), 9-1
Walsh Jesuit won its only reported game last week, defeating Notre Dame Cathedral Latin 13-5.
25. (31) Winter Haven (Fla.), 23-3
Winter Haven won the District 6A-8 championship with a 9-1 win over Lake Wales. It also defeated Lake Region 1-0 in the semifinals.
The next 25
26. (32) Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.), 23-3
The Bears shut out Clovis West twice last week, winning 2-0 and 4-0. DJ Martinez upped his record to 9-0 with a win in the 4-0 victory.
27. (12) Pearland (Texas), 23-3-1
The Oilers fell to Alvin 3-0 in a game from two weeks ago that previously went unreported. Pearland bounced back to beat Sam Rayburn 3-0 and Memorial (Pasadena) 14-3 last week.
28. (24) Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.), 28-5
Farragut won three games last week, but concluded with a 3-1 loss to Hardin Valley Academy on Friday. The Admirals defeated West 6-2, William Blount 12-2 and Gibbs 5-1.
29. (34) South Caldwell (Hudson, N.C.), 17-0
South Caldwell won its only reported game, beating Freedom (Morganton) 11-0.
30. (36) San Dimas (Calif.), 22-0
The Saints remained undefeated on the season with a sweep of Nogales (La Puente), 5-2 and 6-0.
31. (37) Rockledge (Fla.), 25-2
Rockledge won the District 5A-14 championship with a 5-2 win over Merritt Island. It also defeated Satellite (Satellite Beach) 3-1.
32. (39) Reagan (San Antonio), 23-2
Reagan won its ninth-straight district game by beating Churchill (San Antonio) 7-1 last week and also defeated Fort Bend Clements 4-3 in a non-district matchup.
33. (40) Buford (Ga.), 24-2
Buford posted three convincing wins, beating White County (Cleveland) 5-0 and Stephens County (Toccoa) 11-3 and 12-2.
34. (NR) Rockwall-Heath (Rockwall, Texas), 20-3
Rockwall-Heath is ranked No. 1 in the Class 5A state rankings by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association.
35. (30) Whitewater (Fayetteville, Ga.), 21-4
Whitewater took two out of three games from Troup County last week to claim the region title. Whitewater won 2-0 and 4-3 while losing 13-4. The Wildcats also made up two games with Woodward Academy, winning 7-5 and 10-4.
36. (43) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 20-4
The Raiders won the District 7A-15 championship with a 4-1 win over Nova (Davie) and also defeated Hollywood Hills (Hollywood) 12-0 in the semifinals.
37. (44) Northwest Rankin (Brandon, Miss.), 24-2
Northwest Rankin won three times last week, beating Terry 13-3, Germantown (Madison) 3-2 in 10 innings and Cathedral (Natchez) 5-0.
38. (48) Topsail (Hampstead, N.C.), 20-1
Topsail posted a pair of 10-0 wins over Ashley (Wilmington) and South Brunswick (Southport).
39. (NR) Providence (Charlotte, N.C.), 19-1
Providence avenged its only loss of the season by beating Ardrey Kell (Charlotte) 15-3.
40. (NR) Indianapolis Cathedral (Indiana), 12-0
Cathedral will likely move to the top of the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association rankings this week.
41. (NR) Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.), 12-1
In a battle between the top two teams in New Jersey, the Ironmen defeated Gloucester Catholic 5-3 in extra innings.
42. (NR) Dana Hills (Dana Point, Calif.), 21-4
The Dolphins took a pair of games from San Clemente, 2-1 and 5-4.
43. (19) Staley (Kansas City, Mo.), 17-2
Staley went 2-2 at the Northland Tournament, defeating Excelsior Springs 13-3 and Smithville 13-3, but fell to Liberty 1-0 and Park Hill South 10-9.
44. (33) College Station (Texas), 19-6-1
College Station suffered its second district loss of the season to A&M Consolidated, falling 2-1, and also defeated Bryan 12-2 and Huntsville 10-0.
45. (35) Starr's Mill (Fayetteville, Ga.), 21-2
The Panthers took two of three from Union Grove (McDonough), winning 8-1 and 5-4 and losing 9-2.
46. (25) Agoura (Calif.), 18-3
The Chargers split their two Marmonte League games with Calabasas last week, winning 2-1 on Wednesday and falling 2-1 on Friday.
47. (46) Edwardsville (Ill.), 19-1
Edwardsville defeated Centralia 10-0, Belleville East 6-5, Jerseyville 4-2 and Collinsville 4-0, but lost to DeSmet 5-1 last week.
48. (NR) Catholic (Baton Rouge, La.), 31-4
Catholic enters the Louisiana Class 5A state playoffs as the second-ranked team behind Sulphur.
49. (41) Fayetteville (Ark.), 20-3
The Purple Bulldogs topped Har-Ber (Springdale) 8-3 and 3-2 and also defeated Dyer County (Tenn.) 8-2, but lost to Houston (Germantown) 4-1.
50. (22) San Clemente (Calif.), 17-6
The Tritons had a rough week, losing both their games to Dana Hills, 2-1 and 5-4.
Dropped out: No. 38 Pleasant Grove (Utah), No. 42. Coppell (Texas), No. 45 Aquinas (Overland Park, Kan.), No. 47 Shorewood (Shoreline, Wash.), No. 49 Oakton (Vienna, Va.), No. 50 Floyd Central (Floyds Knobs, Ind.).
