Final MaxPreps Southern California Top 25 high school baseball rankings

It's all over.

Sure, there's the Major Leagues and there's plenty of travel ball and American Legion. But high school baseball has come to a close in California.

With that close comes the final tally of which teams did the best this season. Rankings are certainly are an imperfect science, but we've followed the teams from the Central, Southern, Los Angeles City and San Diego Sections all season long, and we have a final Top 25 that factors in nonleague, league and playoff performances.

Congratulations to all the champs!



Check out the MaxPreps Computer Rankings for California and also be sure to visit the MaxPreps California baseball playoff brackets.

MaxPreps Southern California Baseball Rankings

1. (1 last week) Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), 28-4
Freeman Ranking: 1 state, 1 national
Division: Southern Section 1

The Wolverines completed the journey and captured the CIFSS Division 1 title Friday night at Dodger Stadium in a thrilling contest, winning 1-0 over Marina. Jack Flaherty was nothing short of spectacular on the mound for the Wolverines, going the distance and allowing six hits and one walk to go with eight strikeouts. Flaherty also knocked in the only run of the game. He wasn't the only hero, though, as defensive substitute Jackson Grayson threw out a runner at the plate in the seventh inning. The D-1 title is enough for the top spot despite a loss to Mater Dei during the regular season, mainly because Mater Dei exited the playoffs so early to Huntington Beach.

2. (2) Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 24-3
Freeman Ranking: 2 state, 3 national
Division: Southern Section 1

Season over. Lost to Huntington Beach in CIFSS opening round.

3. (3) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village), 29-3-1
Freeman Ranking: 13 state, 34 national
Division: Southern Section 4



Wow. What a season for ace Phillip Bickford. He capped off an amazing campaign with a ridiculous 18 strikeouts in a 4-0 triumph over El Rancho. And the details make it even more amazing. He struck out the final 11 and the seventh inning required the minimum nine pitches and he yielded just an infield single. The team had a remarkable season, especially for a D-4 squad, in the rankings. Is the finish enough to get to No. 2? Well, not quite. Mater Dei beat Oaks Christian, and furthermore, the Monarchs played a tougher schedule.

4. (9) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), 30-5
Freeman Ranking: 5 state, 14 national
Division: San Diego Section Open

The Broncos won the vaunted San Diego Section Open Division title, and that warrants a leap. Rancho Bernardo won 4-2 over Granite Hills in the title matchup, leading 3-0 after the second inning. Alex Jackson went 2-for-3 with a homer and a pair of RBIs while Drew Davis was 2-for-3 with another RBI. Casey Henderson threw six innings for the win.

5. (6) Cypress, 25-8
Freeman Ranking: 8 state, 20 national
Division: Southern Section 2

The Centurions defense and pitching took the attention at Dodger Stadium in a 5-0 shutout over Temecula Valley. The Division 3 champions got a gem from Kevin Lillicrop, who went the distance and allowed just three hits. Three runs in the sixth inning provided ample insurance at Dodger Stadium. Stephen Lohr smacked an RBI triple as well.

6. (4) Serra (Gardena), 27-5
Freeman Ranking: 17 state, 43 national
Division: Southern Section 3



Dominant pitching, a home run at Dodger Stadium and a steal of home. Yep, the Cavaliers are dynamic. They are also the CIFSS D-3 champions after they throttled Mira Costa at Dodger Stadium, 8-1. Dominic Smith went 6 1/3 innings on he mound, blowing away the Mustangs under the hot sun. Marcus Wilson hit a homer as well. It avenged a loss to the Mustangs earlier this season. Yes, the Cavaliers won the title and fell, but that's because Cypress and Rancho Bernardo played much better schedules.

7. (7) Marina (Huntington Beach), 22-9
Freeman Ranking: 9 state, 21 national
Division: Southern Section 1

The Vikings played a very good game against Harvard-Westlake in the Division 1 title game. True, they squandered a scoring opportunity early, but they kept battling and trailed 1-0 in the seventh inning before getting runners on. Tyler Mildenberg rounded third on a single by Grant Mayeaux and if the throw from left field was off line in any form, he would have scored. But the throw from Jackson Grayson was perfect and the Vikings ended up losing 1-0. Austin Olivas was good on the mound, going five innings, striking out three to go with six hits allowed.

8. (8) Clovis North (Fresno), 27-6
Freeman Ranking: 8 state, 25 national
Division: Central Section I

Season over. Central Section Division I champions.

9. (5) Temecula Valley (Temecula), 23-6
Freeman Ranking: 19 state, 47 national
Division: Southern Section 2



The Golden Bears weren't able to get much going against Cypress, but did fight to stay within striking distance until the bottom of the sixth at Dodger Stadium. Brandon Koch yielded two runs in five innings on the mound for the Division 2 runners-up.

10. (10) Fountain Valley, 24-5
Freeman Ranking: 4 state, 13 national
Division: Southern Section 1

Season over. Lost to Santa Margarita in the second round.

11. (11) Loyola (Los Angeles), 22-11
Freeman Ranking: 28 state, 126 national
Division: Southern Section 1

Season over. Lost to Marina in the semifinals.

12. (12) Los Alamitos, 19-11
Freeman Ranking: 20 state, 49 national
Division: Southern Section 1



Season over. Lost to Harvard-Westlake in the semifinals.

13. (13) El Toro (Lake Forest), 23-7
Freeman Ranking: 15 state, 37 national
Division: Southern Section 1

Season over. Lost to Los Alamitos in the quarterfinals.

14. (17) Granite Hills (El Cajon), 25-10
Freeman Ranking: 22 state, 59 national
Division: San Diego Section Open

The Eagles made it to the SDS Open Division final before falling 4-2 to Rancho Bernardo. It was an up and down season, but Granite Hills ended right about where it belongs in the rankings. A head-to-head win over Chaminade, the team that eliminated Orange Lutheran, gives it the bump up.

15. (21) Grossmont (El Cajon), 26-8
Freeman Ranking: 7 state, 19 national
Division: San Diego Section I



The Foothillers won the SDS title with a solid run through the playoffs capped off with a 5-2 triumph over Mira Mesa in the final. Five runs in the fourth inning proved to be plenty, as Tyler Gardetto knocked in three of the runs and Brandon Weed teamed with Zach Sestak on the mound.

16. (14) Orange Lutheran, 19-8
Freeman Ranking: 21 state, 54 national
Division: Southern Section 1

Season over. Lost to Chaminade in the opening round.

17. (16) Agoura, 22-10
Freeman Ranking: 47 state, 203 national
Division: Southern Section 1

Season over. Lost to Marina in the quarterfinals.

18. (15) Redlands East Valley, 23-5-1
Freeman Ranking: 105 state, 656 national
Division: Southern Section 2



Season over. Lost to Vista Murrieta in the second round.

19. (18) Quartz Hill, 22-7
Freeman Ranking: 147 state, 995 national
Division: Southern Section 3

Season over. Lost to Mira Costa in the second round.

20. (19) Canyon (Anaheim), 22-6
Freeman Ranking: 24 state, 99 national
Division: Southern Section 1

Season over. Lost to Thousand Oaks in the opening round.

21. (20) Lakewood, 23-9
Freeman Ranking: 53 state, 269 national
Division: Southern Section 1



Season over. Lost to Loyola in the second round.

22. (23) Bonita (La Verne), 25-4-1
Freeman Ranking: 51 state, 240 national
Division: Southern Section 3

Season over. Lost to Cathedral 3-1 in the opening round

23. (24) Buchanan (Clovis), 25-5-1
Freeman Ranking: 27 state, 125 national
Division: Central Section I

Season over. Lost to Stockdale in the semifinals.

24. (25) San Clemente, 23-10
Freeman Ranking: 42 state, 194 national
Division: Southern Section 2



Season over. Lost to South Hills in the second round.

25. (22) Carlsbad, 25-8
Freeman Ranking: 25 state, 109 national
Division: San Diego Section I

The Lancers' season ended in the SDS semifinals in a 2-0 setback against Mira Mesa. They also lost 5-4 to Mira Mesa in eight innings, so Mira Mesa certainly earned the advancement to the final. Carlsbad had to win once but Mira Mesa needed to win twice and got the job done. Matt Wezniak rapped a pair of hits in the second loss.