Video: Diving circus catch to seal state championship
Ryan Ramos of No. 21 La Cueva snags the title winner with an all-out effort.
The Florida and Texas baseball playoffs are well underway and it's those two states that feature the top five teams in the nation.
Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.) remains at the top spot after winning its playoff opener. The Warriors have run their streak to 58 wins in a row and will look to add to that streak against Trinity Catholic (Ocala) this week.
No. 2 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) is not in the playoffs and has completed its season. Nevertheless, it's possible it could rise to No. 1 if Calvary Christian or No. 3 Argyle (Texas) fall.
Argyle is one of three Texas teams filling out the top five. The Eagles have advanced to the third round of the Class 4A playoffs, while No. 4 Cleburne advanced to the third round of the 5A playoffs and Lake Travis has reached the third round of the Class 6A playoffs.
Lake Travis might have one of the toughest trips to a state title as it must get through No. 50 Reagan (San Antonio) this week and possibly No. 18 McAllen in the next round.
Several states have already crowned champions. Among the state champs in this week's rankings include No. 8 John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.), No. 22 La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.) and No. 42 Central (Baton Rouge, La.)
MaxPreps Top 50 National High School Baseball Rankings
Vianney moves up two slots to No. 15 in this week's Top 50 national baseball rankings.
Photo by Chris Johns
The Warriors got a strong outing from
Nolan Hudi to open the Florida Class 4A playoffs with a 4-1 win over The First Academy (Orlando). Hudi picked up his 11th win of the season and finished with 11 strikeouts for the second straight outing. He has 98 strikeouts on the season with a 0.31 ERA. Calvary Christian faces Trinity Catholic (Ocala) in the second round of the playoffs.
2. (2) Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.), 26-0Season over.
3. (3) Argyle (Texas), 30-0Argyle advanced to the third round of the Texas Class 4A state playoffs with a sweep of Aubrey. Argyle won the first game 11-1 on a pair of doubles and a home run by
Preston King.
Sean Bolin threw a three-hit shutout with five strikeouts in a 6-0 win in the second game. The Eagles take on Melissa in the third round.
4. (5) Cleburne (Texas), 32-1-2Cleburne blanked Wilson in two games, 10-0 and 6-0, to advance to the third round of the Class 5A state playoffs.
Willie Rangel threw a one-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in the 10-0 win, while
Landon Cody had a three-hit shutout with five strikeouts in the 6-0 victory. Cleburne meets Crowley in the third round.
5. (6) Lake Travis (Austin, Texas), 31-2The Cavaliers finished off East Central 11-5 in the second game of their second-round Class 6A series as
Jimmy Lewis had a double and three RBIs in the win. Lake Travis also won the first game 2-1. They advance to play Reagan (San Antonio) in the third round.
6. (7) Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.), 32-1The Crusaders faced little competition at a five-game tournament in Puerto Rico, beating TC Academy 5-0, Carolina Academy Reds 11-0, TC Academy Black 10-0, TC Academy Gold 7-0 and Bayamon Academy 5-0.
7. (4) Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.), 34-3The Titans suffered their first loss of the postseason, but they were able to hold on for the series win and advance to the Georgia Region AAAAA semifinals. Blessed Trinity beat Columbus 6-2 in the first game before falling 2-1 for just the third time this season. The Titans captured the rubber game 7-3. The Titans play Jefferson for the right to play in the championship game.
8. (8) John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.), 30-4Will Ripoll gave up two hits and one run while striking out 13 to lead John Curtis Christian to a 2-1 victory over St. Paul's for the Division I state championship.
Jay Curtis also had a home run in the game. The Patriots defeated Holy Cross 8-0 in the semifinals.
Ian Landreneau tossed a shutout, while
Jordin Labruzza had a home run in that win.
9. (9) Flanagan (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), 24-1The Falcons advanced to the second round of the Class 9A state playoffs with a 10-2 win over Taravella.
Edinson Renteria and
Noah Martinez both went 3-for-4 in the win. Flanagan will take on Stoneman Douglas (Parkland).
10. (11) Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), 26-3The Wolverines finish the regular season with three wins over Crespi (Encino) 1-0, 12-3 and 5-0. Harvard-Westlake completes an impressive Mission League season with an 18-0 record.
11. (13) Staley (Kansas City, Mo.), 31-1Staley walloped Ruskin 37-0 in a game that featured 24 hits, eight doubles, two triples and a grand slam.
Mason Majors did the most damage, hitting two doubles and a grand slam and going 4-for-5 with 8 RBIs.
12. (10) St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.), 25-1The Tigers went 5-1 during the week, losing their first game of the season to McCracken County, 7-6 in 10 innings. St. Xavier defeated DeSales (Louisville) 4-3, Scott County (Georgetown) 1-0, Collins (Shelbyville) 6-0, DuPont Manual (Louisville) 5-2, and Union County (Morganfield) 11-1.
13. (14) Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.), 32-5The Hawks took two from North Paulding in the quarterfinals, winning 6-4 and 5-2. Mill Creek advances to play Brookwood (Snellville) in the Region AAAAAAA semifinals.
14. (16) O'Fallon (Ill.), 27-2-1The Panthers are once again the top team in Illinois after Neuqua Valley's three losses last week. O'Fallon edged Granite City 7-6, despite being outhit 12-5. The Panthers also beat Belleville East 12-0 with
Nick Boone hitting a double and a ripple with three RBIs.
15. (17) Vianney (Kirkwood, Mo.), 31-2The Griffins defeated Timberland 9-0 and Triad 8-2 last week.
Luke Mann threw five innings of one-hit ball with 11 strikeouts and also belted a double and a home run in a 9-0 win. Mann added a home run, along with
CJ Cepicky, in the 8-2 victory.
16. (18) Har-Ber (Springdale, Ark.), 30-4The Wildcats defeated Bryant 4-1 in the quarterfinals and Van Buren 6-5 in the semifinals to advance to the Class 7A state finals.
Blake Adams had a home run in the semifinal win and
Blaze Brothers had the walkoff hit.
17. (20) Mountain Vista (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), 21-0The Golden Eagles defeated Mullen (Denver) 17-2 and Legend (Parker) 10-5 in the regional playoffs.
Sam Ireland hit two home runs against Mullen and one against Legend to give him 11 on the season.
Drew Stahl and
Clay Burke also homered against Legend.
18. (15) McAllen (Texas), 29-3-1McAllen needed three games with Pharr San Juan Alamo, winning the first game 10-2 before falling in the second game 12-2. The managed to win the third game 3-1 and advance to play Alexander (Laredo) in the third round.
19. (21) Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.), 26-3-1Won the WCAL tournament, beating Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) 10-3 in the opener, Saint Francis (Mountain View) 7-4 in the semifinals and Serra (San Mateo) 6-1 in the finals. The Warriors meet Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) in the first round of the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs.
20. (23) American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 23-3The Patriots beat Goleman 10-0 in the first round of the Class 6A state playoffs.
Cory Acton had a double and a triple, while
Julio Cortez hit a home run in the win. They face Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale) in second round.
21. (24) La Cueva (Albuquerque, N.M.), 27-3The Bears captured the Class 6A state championship for the second straight season, beating Piedra Vista 14-3 in the championship game. La Cueva defeated Cleveland 4-1 in the quarterfinals and Carlsbad 9-3 in the semifinals.
22. (25) Liberty Christian (Lynchburg, Va.), 16-0The Bulldogs remained unbeaten with a 12-2 win over Glass and a 14-1 win over Brookville.
Wesley Clarke and
Jacob Williams both had a double and a home run in the latter game.
Pell Collins and
Christian Gordon also went yard against Brookville. Clarke had a triple and a home run in the victory over Glass, while
Quade Tomlin added three doubles.
23. (31) Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point, N.C.), 20-1Defeated Cannon 9-0 in the second round of the NCISSA playoffs. Nick Caldwell had a grand slam and Caleb Cozart added a home run to pace the Trojans, who play Charlotte Country Day School in the semifinals.
24. (32) Faith Academy (Mobile, Ala.), 32-3The Rams advanced to the Alabama Class 5A state finals with 12-3, 6-4 wins over St. Paul's Episcopal. They play Russellville for the championship.
25. (22) Huntington Beach (Calif.), 24-4The
Oilers split with Edison (Huntington Beach), losing 5-1 in the first
game and winning the second game 7-3.
Ken Takada had two home runs in
the win, while
Nick Lopez had one.
Next 25
Carl Lawson, Orange Lutheran
File photo by Alyson Boyer Rode
Rough week for Neuqua Valley that included a 3-2 win over Waubonsie Valley (Aurora) and a 12-2 win over Lake Park (Roselle), but also included a 4-3 loss to Wheaton North and losses of 4-3 and 3-0 to Lake Park.
27. (33) Eastlake (Chula Vista, Calif.), 23-3-1The Titans picked up a pair of nonleague wins, beating Point Loma 5-2 and Francis Parker 8-1.
28. (34) Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.), 22-7The Lancers won the Trinity League by a four-game margin after taking three from Santa Margarita, 6-2, 3-1, and 3-1.
29. (35) Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.), 31-5Parkview defeated Etowah 2-1 and 5-1 to advance to the Region AAAAAAA semifinals.
30. (39) Puyallup (Wash.), 21-1The Vikings defeated Kentlake (Kent) 6-1, and Tahoma (Maple Valley) 5-2 in postseason play. They open the state tournament against Kentlake.
31. (41) Greenwood (Ark.), 31-3The Bulldogs face Belton in the Class 6A state final after a 15-0 win over Jonesboro in the semis. They also beat Arkansas 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
32. (43) Western Alamance (Elon, N.C.), 26-1The Warriors won their first two games in the Class 3A state playoffs, beating Cleveland (Clayton) 11-0 and East Wake (Wendell) 14-0.
33. (45) George Jenkins (Lakeland, Fla.), 24-3The Eagles advanced to the second round of the Class 8A state playoffs with a 5-2 win over Wellington. They take on rival Lakeland.
34. (47) George County (Lucedale, Miss.), 26-4The Rebels reached the Class 6A state finals with a 2-1, 4-2 series sweep of Gulfport. George County takes on DeSoto Central (Southaven).
35. (NR) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 23-3The Raiders advanced to the second round of the Class 8A state playoffs with a 12-0 win over Spanish River. They will meet Coral Glades.
36. (37) Joliet Catholic (Joliet, Ill.), 24-4The Hilltoppers split two with Marist (Chicago), winning 9-2 and losing 5-2. They also defeated Hall (Spring Valley) 3-2.
37. (38) Kingwood (Texas), 28-5-2Kingwood lost its opener to Pearland 1-0, but won next two 4-3 and 15-0 to advance to third round of the Class 6A state playoffs.
38. (42) Pope (Marietta, Ga.), 29-6Advanced to the Region AAAAAA semifinals with a three-game series win over Houston County, 5-1, 2-4, 8-2. Pope plays River Ridge in the semifinals.
39. (46) Bishop England (Charleston, S.C.), 30-2The Bishops lost only their second game of the season to Gilbert 3-2 in the Lower State Championship series, but defeated Gilbert 2-1 to advance to the AAA state championships series against Seneca. Bishop England won its first game of the series 2-1.
40. (40) Colleyville Heritage (Colleyville, Texas), 29-6Took Aledo in three games, losing the opener 3-2 before winning the next two 4-1 and 4-2.
41. (48) Spring-Ford (Royersford, Pa.), 18-2Defeated Pottsgrove 10-0 and Boyertown 6-4, but lost to Owen J. Roberts 6-5 last week.
42. (NR) Central (Baton Rouge, La.), 28-12-1For the second straight season, Central overcame the odds to win a Class 5A state title. This time they beat Barbe (Lake Charles) 10-5 in the semifinals and Sulphur 4-0 in the championship game.
43. (50) Zachary (La.), 35-4The Broncos were eliminated from the postseason by eventual state champion Central (Baton Rouge), but they had four wins over the Wildcats during the season.
44. (NR) Vero Beach (Fla.), 25-2The Indians have one of the best records in the state and they advanced to the second round of the Class 9A playoffs with a 1-0 win over Alonso.
45. (NR) La Mirada (Calif.), 25-3-1The Matadores are one of the top-ranked teams in the Southern Section Division I rankings and they finished 12-0 in the Suburban League last week.
46. (NR) Auburn (Ala.), 33-7The Tigers swept Smith Station 2-1, 7-1 to advance to the Class 7A state championship game in Alabama.
47. (NR) Woodstock (Ga.), 32-5Woodstock advanced to the Region AAAAAAA semifinals for the second straight season with a 9-2, 11-1 sweep of Grayson (Loganville). The Wolverines face Parkview.
48. (NR) Basic (Henderson, Nev.), 30-5The two-time defending state champions have once again emerged as the team to beat in Class 4A after beating Rancho (Las Vegas) 12-10 for the Sunrise championship. They advance to the state tournament this week.
49. (NR) Providence (Charlotte, N.C.), 23-3The Panthers are the No. 1 seed out of the West and have advanced to the third round with a 3-2 win over Independence (Charlotte). Providence faces Ardrey Kell.
50. (NR) Reagan (San Antonio), 30-6The Rattlers blanked Clark (San Antonio) 10-0 in a single-game series to advance to a third-round game against Lake Travis (Austin).
Dropped out: No. 19 Coppell (Texas), No. 26 Arcadia (Calif.), No. 27 Niceville (Fla.), No. 28 Gulfport (Miss.), No. 29 Sam Houston (Lake Charles, La.), No. 30 Desert Oasis (Las Vegas), No. 36 Lake Norman (Mooresville, N.C.), No. 44 Westmoore (Oklahoma City), No. 49 Barbe (Lake Charles, La.).
