Best high school baseball team in each state

Video: High schooler throws 97-mph at White Sox game
Ryan Vice of Lincoln-Way Central brought the gas in front of an impressed audience.

From Bangor (Maine) to Maui (Hawaii), South Anchorage (Alaska) to American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), MaxPreps picks the top high school baseball team in every state for the 2017 season.

Alabama — Auburn
The Tigers finished second in Class 7A to Hoover last year with a 28-12 record, but they return three All-State players in utility player Brooks Fuller, second baseman Tanner Jones and outfielder Garrett Morris. Auburn has won at least 28 games each of the past three seasons and won back-to-back Class 6A state titles in 2010.

Alaska — South (Anchorage)
The Wolverines have reached the state finals every year since 2013, winning titles in 2013 and 2016. South will have to replace two-time state Player of the Year Jonny Homza, who was drafted in the fifth round of the MLB draft last year.

Arizona — Mountain Ridge (Glendale)
The Mountain Lions went 21-12-1 last year and went 1-2 in the postseason, but there is reason to be optimistic. Coach Lance Billingsley returns 14 wins from last year's pitching staff, including eight from Matthew Liberatore, who is considered one of the top pitching prospects in the nation.

Arkansas — Har-Ber (Springdale)
The Wildcats went 22-10 last year and reached the Class 7A state championship game, where they lost to Cabot. Four starters return on offense, including All-State junior Blake Adams, who went 8-3 on the mound with a 1.39 ERA last year.

California — El Toro (Lake Forest)
The Chargers have been one of the top programs in Orange County for a long time under coach Mike Gonzales and they had one of their best seasons ever with a Southern Section Division 1 championship last year. El Toro returns a pair of all-league players in Stone Shiffman (OF) and Erik Tolman (IF).



Colorado — Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch)
The Eagle captured the Class 4A state championship last year and return 4A state Player of the Year Luke Ziegler (3B/RHP). Other All-State players back for Valor Christian (22-5) include catcher Noah Kuzma, and infielder Josh Danyliw.

Connecticut — Amity Regional (Woodbridge)
The Spartans were the favorite to win the Class LL playoffs last year before falling to Staples (Westport) 5-1 in the championship game. Amity Regional still has to be considered the favorite in 2018 as it returns the state's top prospect in catcher Patrick Winkel.

Delaware — Cape Henlopen (Lewes)
The eighth seed in last year's state tournament, Cape Henlopen lost 2-1 to eventual runner-up Conrad Science in the quarterfinals. The Vikings return three All-State players, including outfielder Austin Elliott, who is considered by some ranking services as the top player in the state.

Florida — American Heritage (Plantation)
The current No. 1 team in the nation by MaxPreps, the Patriots figure to be one of the top teams in the nation all season long thanks to a lineup that includes a pair of potential All-Americans in Cory Acton and Triston Casas. They will get a good test at the National High School Invitational later this month.

Georgia — Blessed Trinity (Roswell)
Only a 4A school, Blessed Trinity (36-6) has nevertheless been one of the top programs in Georgia for many years, averaging 34 wins a season over the past three years and winning back-to-back state titles in 2014 and 2015.

Hawaii — Maui (Kahului)
The Sabers won their first Division 1 state championship last year, topping Waiakea (Hilo) in the finals. Maui returns one of the state's top pitchers in Mikito Barkman.



Idaho — Rocky Mountain (Meridian)
The Grizzlies won the Class 5A state championship last year and finished the season 22-5. Ethan Christianson, the state Player of the Year, returns after posting a 7-0 record with a 0.72 ERA as a junior.

Illinois — Chicago Mt. Carmel
The Caravan last won a state title in 2013, but they could be the favorites again in Illinois. Chicago Mt. Carmel has won at least 26 games every year since 2010 including 27-10 last year. They are led by the nation's top prospect in outfielder Alek Thomas.
Indiana — Kokomo
Although the Wildcats lost to Zionsville in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs, they return a stacked lineup that includes six starters back in the field and 17 pitching wins on the mound from a 21-4 team.

Iowa — Davenport West
Four all-district players return for Davenport West, which went 22-15 on the season. Leading the way is pitcher Clayton Nettleton (6-2) and shortstop Trevor Burkhart (.464).

Kansas — Olathe East
The Hawkins lost in the first round of the Class 6A state playoffs last year, but three All-State players to lead a run at a state championship. They include catcher Cade Wilson, outfielder Joey Olson and pitcher Spencer Nelson.

Kentucky — Pleasure Ridge Park (Louisville)
The Panthers won the state championship last year in Kentucky, which has a single-class tournament. That team, which won 40 games, was primarily underclassmen with 36 of the pitching wins returning, including Garrett Schmeltz (14-1).

Louisiana — Sam Houston (Lake Charles)
The Broncos had one of their best seasons ever last year, finishing 32-8 and advancing to the Class 5A state semifinals. Sam Houston plays in the state's toughest district, which includes Barbe and Sulphur, but it is already off to a 12-0 start on the season.



Maine — Bangor
The Rams have won four straight Class A state championships, posting a 70-10 record during that span.

Maryland — Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro)
Riverdale Baptist finished No. 3 in the 2017 MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings while finishing 30-1 on the season. Three of the team's top hitters return, including Jose Rivera who batted .541 with 13 doubles and a team-best 68 RBIs.

Massachusetts — Boston College High (Boston)
The Eagles have one of the nation's top pitchers in Mike Vasil, who is seen as a potential first-round selection in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. Boston College High reached the quarterfinals of last year's Division 1A playoffs, losing to eventual state champion St. John's.

Michigan — Saline
Saline finished at No. 10 in last year's final Xcellent 25 after winning the Class 1 state championship. Saline has been the premiere program in the state over the past three seasons, posting a record of 107-13 under coach Scott Theisen.

Minnesota — Lakeville North
The third-place finishers in Class AAA last season, the Panthers (23-7) return two of the state's top prospects in pitcher Nathaniel Peterson and catcher Nick Juaire.

Mississippi — Gulfport
The Admirals lost in the state finals to Tupelo last year, but five starters return from a team that went 33-6. The top two pitchers from last year's squad also return in Blake Johnson (9-1) and Patrick Nelms (7-3).



Missouri — Vianney (Kirkwood)
The Griffins reached the Class 5 semifinals and they return the best battery in the state in All-Metro pitcher Luke Mann and All-Metro catcher Andrew Keck.

Nebraska — Millard South (Omaha)
The Patriots fell to Omaha Westside in the Class A championship game last year while going 28-6 on the season. Kyle Perry, a Super State honorary captain as a junior, returns at pitcher while Drew Gilin, another All-Super State pick, returns in the infield.

Nevada — Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
The Gaels once won seven straight state championships, but they haven't won a title since 2015. That could change this year as Bishop Gorman returns the state's top player in catcher Austin Wells.

New Hampshire — Exeter
The Blue Hawks are one of the few teams in the nation to begin the season with a winning streak as they went 21-0 last year and won the Division 1 state championship.

New Jersey — Delbarton (Morristown)
The Green Wave knocked off St. Augustine Prep to win the New Jersey Non-Public A championship — its first in over a decade. Delbarton could make it two in a row thanks to the return of one of the state's top juniors in outfielder Anthony Volpe.

New Mexico — La Cueva (Albuquerque)
The Bears (28-1) finished the season ranked No. 8 in the Xcellent 25 national rankings and they return a pair of All-State players from that squad, including Austin Schlagel and Jack Pineda in the infield.



New York — Poly Prep Country Day (Brooklyn)
The Blue Devils have won six New York State Association of Independent Schools titles in the past seven years, including a win over Horace Mann last year. Pitcher Oliver McCarthy is the top returning player, earning all-city honors last season.

North Carolina — New Hanover (Wilmington)
The Wildcats finished second in the Class 4A state tournament last year to T.C. Roberson. New Hanover will play at the 3A level in 2018 and has to be considered the favorite. The top 11 offensive performers from last year return along with three of the team's top pitchers.

North Dakota — Fargo North (Fargo, N.D.)
The Spartans didn't get the chance to play in the state tournament last year, despite a 23-9 record, but return two of the state's top players in All-State picks Cameron Blazek (P) and Chandler Ibach (C ).

Ohio — Jackson (Massillon)
The Polar Bears have been the top program in Ohio for the past few years, winning the Division I state championship last year. Jackson has a 61-3 record over the past two seasons.

Oklahoma — Owasso
Oklahoma had the nation's No. 1 team last year in Shawnee, but it's hard to pick against the perennial favorite in Owasso. The Rams (31-4) were upset in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs to eventual champion Mustang, however seven starters return from that club including MaxPreps Freshman All-American Nate Wohlgemuth.

Oregon — Clackamas
The Cavaliers won the Class 6A state championship last year and its 30-3 record is the best finish in over a decade. Longtime coach John Arntson returns one of the state's best in utility Greg Mehlhaff, who earned first team All-State honors.



Pennsylvania — Malvern Prep
The Friars' 25-win season last year (25-6) was the fewest wins for the program since 2011. However, Malvern Prep returns a pair of All-State players, including outfielder Chris Newell, one of the top juniors in the state. The pitching staff is also solid with All-State pick Billy Corcoran returning.

Rhode Island — La Salle Academy (Providence)
La Salle Academy won its first state title in baseball since 1984 with a 6-5 walk-off win over South Kingstown. While state Player of the Year Ryan Ramos has graduated, All-State infielder Justin Gervais returns for a run at back-to-back titles.

South Carolina — Northwestern (Rock Hill)
While All-State pitcher John Gilreath has decided to graduate early to pitch at South Carolina, Northwestern still has a strong group of pitchers returning from last year's Class 5A state championship team. They include Cameron Reeves (6-2), and Rob Hughes (9-1).

South Dakota — Roosevelt (Sioux Falls)
The Rough Riders posted one of the best records in the country last year at 33-0 while winning the Class A state championship. Roosevelt returns a pair of All-State players from that squad in pitcher Gus Radel and outfielder Nick Hoekstra.

Tennessee — Farragut (Knoxville)
The Admirals are always one of the teams to beat in Tennessee with eight state championships and four runner-up finishes this century. Eight players are committed to play college ball and the Admirals are expected to have a deep pitching staff this year, according to Tennessee Baseball Report.

Texas — Reagan (San Antonio)
The Rattlers (31-9) have been one of the top teams in San Antonio and have posted over 30 wins six times since 2007. Last year, Reagan reached the Class 6A state finals before falling to Deer Park. The Rattlers return one of the state's top pitchers in Cal Carver (13-3) along with four other all-district selections.
Utah — Bingham (South Jordan)
A strong returning pitching staff is reason to think Bingham will be the team to beat in Utah. A total of 13 wins return from last year, including six each from Peyton Jones and Derek Soffe. Bingham has averaged 23 wins over the past eight seasons with a pair of state championships.



Vermont — Burr & Burton (Manchester)
The Bulldogs (18-2) captured the Division I state championship in 2017. While all-around athlete Griffin Stalcup has graduated, the pitching staff is still strong with All-State pick Jay McCoy back on the mound.

Virginia — Miller (Charlottesville)
Miller (27-5) won the VISAA Division II championship last year and they return one of the state's top players in catcher Adam Hackenberg. He batted .446 with six home runs as a junior. Also back is Ethan Murray, who batted .464 with five home runs and a team-high 42 RBIs.

Washington — Mercer Island
The Islanders (21-3) finished third in the class 3A state tournament last year and eight of the team's top 10 offensive players return from that squad, including Alex Shanks (26 RBIs, 4 HR). Mercer Island also returns all 21 pitching wins from last year.

West Virginia — Bridgeport
The Indians (31-7) won their fourth straight Class AA state championship last year with an easy 14-3 win over Weir in the championship game. Gone is state Player of the Year Drew Hefner, but All-State pitcher Brayden Lesher returns.

Wisconsin — Eau Claire North
A Division I state semifinalist, Eau Claire North lost to eventual champion Kimberly. All-State outfielder Jaelin Williams returns along with all-district utility player Ryan Venne. One player Eau Claire North will miss is Tanner Halverson, the district Division 1 Player of the Year.