Six teams enter rankings, including two Georgia state champions and one Florida title winner.
After winning 30 games in a row, Friendswood (Texas) lost its first game
of the season. Although the Mustangs rebounded to win the third game of
the series and advance to the regional finals, the loss was enough to
move Barbe (Lake Charles, La.) into the No. 1 spot in the MaxPreps Top
25 high school baseball rankings.
Barbe finished the season two
weeks ago, defeating West Monroe for the Louisiana Class 5A
state championship. The title is the second in a row for the Buccaneers, who
also won in 2019. The 2020 season ended early due to COVID.
Friendswood
could still win a Texas Class 5A state championship, but it has to win
at least four more games in order to do so. The Mustangs dropped to No. 2
in this week's rankings.
A total of six teams joined the
rankings this week. Keller (Texas) is in after winning its series with
Coppell. JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) entered after
taking two from Orange Lutheran to win the Trinity League.
Perennial
Georgia state champion Parkview (Lilburn) joined the rankings
after winning the Class AAAAAAA title. Parkview had wins over
AAAAAA state champion Houston County and AAAAA state champion Starr's
Mills as well as Tennessee Division II Class AA champion Baylor. Marist
(Atlanta), the Georgia AAAA state champion, joined the rankings as
well since it had two wins over Parkview.
The First Academy (Leesburg) made
the rankings after winning the Florida 3A state title with a win over
Westminster Christian – a team that had a prior win over No. 5 Stoneman
Douglas (Parkland, Fla.).
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) also
entered at No. 25 after winning the Nevada 4A Southern Regional. Nevada
did not hold state championships.
Dropped out: Gregory-Portland (Portland, Texas), Marcus
(Flower Mound, Texas), Marist (Chicago, Ill.), Farragut (Knoxville,
Tenn.), Lassiter (Marietta, Ga.), Puyallup (Wash.)
Game of the Week:
JSerra Catholic 3, Orange Lutheran 1. One week ago, Orange Lutheran was
looking to become the first team to ever finish the a Trinity League
baseball season undefeated. This week, the Lancers are looking up in the
standings at JSerra Catholic, which knocked off Orange Lutheran twice
in a row to claim the Trinity League championship with a 14-1 record.
Orange Lutheran finished 13-2. JSerra Catholic won the decisive game,
3-1, with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly
and a fielder's choice.
Player of the Week: Ryan McKay, St. Mary Prep. McKay had a pair of home runs last week and posted five RBI in a win over Western International.
Recruit watch:
Vito Valincius, Baylor. On his second swing of the season, Valincius
hit a home run. On his second-to-last at-bat of the season, Valincius
also homered to help Baylor defeat Briarcrest Christian 8-1 for the
Tennessee Division II Class AA championship. Valincius finished the
season batting exactly .400 with 8 home runs and 35 RBI.
Game to watch:
Keller vs. Southlake Carroll. Is Southlake Carroll at it again?
With no
state championships held in Texas in 2020, Carroll could be rolling
toward a third straight state championship. The 2019 state title was a
bit improbable, considering the Dragons went 4-8 in their first 12
games, only to win their final 19 in a row for a second straight state
championship. In 2021, Southlake Carroll began the season 1-7, but has
worked its way to a 28-16 record and a spot in the regional finals.
Keller, which enters the MaxPreps Top 25 rankings this week at No. 19,
will be a tough team to beat as the Indians edged the Dragons by a
single game (11-1 to 10-2) in District 4-6A play. The two teams split
their previous two meetings.
Milestones: Danville (Ky.) has hit 78 home
runs this year following Christian Howe's home run in a 6-5 win over
Boyle County over the weekend. Howe has 18 home runs, which leads the
nation, while former MaxPreps All-American Ethan Wood is second on the
team, and in the nation, with 17. The 78 home runs ranks No. 3 all-time
in state history. Danville is 35-3 on the season and will compete in the
Region 12 playoffs this week.
Streaks: Webster (Wis.)
became the 38th team won win 50 consecutive games when it defeated
Clayton/Turtle Lake 19-2 last week. Coached by former MLB pitcher, and
Webster alum Jarrod Washburn, the Tigers face a tough test today when
they take on Grantsburg (8-1) on the road.
Georgia Class AAAAAAA state champion Parkview is one of six new teams in this week's MaxPreps Top 25.
Photo by Cecil Copeland
1. Barbe (Lake Charles, La.)
Record: 39-2 |
Last week: 2
Louisiana Class 5A champions
2. Friendswood (Texas)
Record: 31-1 |
Last week: 1
Results: Def. College Station, 4-1, lost to College Station, 10-6, def. College Station, 10-2
Stats: Isaiah Winkler and
Izaak Pacheco each had 3 hits in leading Friendswood to the 10-2 win.
Next: Regional final vs. Barbers Hill, TBA
3. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Record: 23-2 |
Last week: 3
Season complete
4. St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)
Record: 32-1 |
Last week: 4
Results: Def. Pioneer, 7-3; def. University Liggett, 3-2; def. Grosse Pointe South, 11-0; def. Western International, 12-3
Stats: Ike Irish homered against Pioneer,
Brock Porter struck out 11 against University Liggett,
Ryan McKay,
Alex Mooney and
Jasen Oliver all hit home runs against GPS and McKay had a home run and 5 RBI against Western International.
Next: Postseason TBD
5. Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.)
Record: 28-2 |
Last week: 5
Florida Class 7A state champions
6. Madison Central (Madison, Miss.)
Record: 32-2 |
Last week: 6
Results: Def. Tupelo, 10-9
Stats: Connor Nation went 2-for-4 with a double and 3 RBI.
Next: Wed. vs. Northwest Rankin
7. Thousand Oaks (Calif.)
Record: 24-1 |
Last week: 7
Results: Def. Simi Valley, 8-3
Stats: Dylan Jackson,
Charlie Saum and
Easton Rulli each had 2 hits with a double and 2 RBI.
Next: Postseason TBD
8. Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Record: 27-4 |
Last week: 9
Results: Def. Brentwood Academy, 8-0; def. McCallie, 4-1; def. Briarcrest Christian, 8-1
Stats: Vito Valincius had a pair of doubles and 3 RBI against Brentwood Academy,
Cooper Kinney had a double and a home run against McCallie, and Valincius had a home run and 3 RBI against Briarcrest Christian.
Next: Season complete, Tennessee Division II Class AA champion
9. Roff (Okla.)
Record: 33-0 |
Last week: 10
Oklahoma Class B state champions
10. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)
Record: 33-2 |
Last week: 12
Results: Def. Madison Central (Louisville), 16-5
Stats: Daylen Lile hit a pair of home runs against Madison Central.
Next: Wed. vs. Atherton
11. Smithson Valley (Spring Branch, Texas)
Record: 34-5 |
Last week: 13
Results: Def. Eagle Pass, 4-2, 13-6
Stats:
Kasen Wells went 2-for-3 with a double in the first game and
Tim Arguello went 4-for-5 with a double and 4 RBI in the second game.
Next: Thur/Fri vs. Los Fresnos
12. Liberty (Peoria, Ariz.)
Record: 21-3 |
Last week: 15
Arizona Division I state champion
13. Butler (Vandalia, Ohio)
Record: 28-2 |
Last week: 16
Results: Def, Sidney, 3-2, def. Archbishop Moeller, 5-4
Stats: Carson Clark had a triple among his two hits against Moeller.
Next: Thur. vs. Mason
14. Buford (Ga.)
Record: 32-2 |
Last week: 18
Season complete
15. Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.)
Record: 35-3 |
Last week: 19
MAIS state champion
16. Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.)
Record: 25-2 |
Last week: 21
Results: Def. Clovis North, 4-1, 13-3
Next: Fri. vs. Clovis West.
17. JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Record: 24-6 |
Last week: NR
Results: Def. Orange Lutheran, 2-0, 3-1
Next: Postseason TBD
18. Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)
Record: 26-4 |
Last week: 11
Results: Lost to JSerra Catholic, 2-0, 3-1
Next: Postseason TBD
19. Keller (Texas)
Record: 32-6 |
Last week: NR
Results: Def. Coppell, 5-2; lost to Coppell, 6-5; def. Coppell, 7-1
Stats: Clayton Thomas had a double and a home run with 4 RBI in the 7-1 win.
Next: Thurs/Fri vs. Southlake Carroll
20. Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.)
Record: 26-3 |
Last week: 20
Season complete
21. Auburn (Ala.)
Record: 36-7 |
Last week: 23
Alabama Class 7A state champion
22. First Academy (Leesburg, Fla.)
Record: 31-1 |
Last week: NR
Florida Class 3A champion
23. Marist (Atlanta, Ga.)
Record: 33-9 |
Last week: NR
Results: Def. Benedictine, 5-0, 2-1
Next: Season complete Georgia Class AAAA champion
24. Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.)
Record: 30-10 |
Last week: NR
Results: Def. North Paulding, 4-0, 3-2
Next: Season complete, Georgia Class AAAAAAA champion
25. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Record: 18-1 |
Last week: NR
Results: Def. Palo Verde, 8-2
Season complete, 5A Southern Nevada Regional Champion
