St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) is four games away from completing one of the most impressive seasons in high school baseball history and taking its place among the greatest high school teams of all time.
With a 40-0 record, the Eaglets need four wins to claim a Michigan Division 1 state championship and quite possibly emerge with the greatest undefeated record in national history. While St. Mary's Prep has not played against the type of competition found in Southern California, South Florida or Texas, it has dominated every top team in Michigan and some from Ohio.
Additionally, the Eaglets have shown consistency and dominance over the past two seasons. With an 83-1 record in the past two seasons combined, St. Mary's Prep has outscored opponents 866-116. The Eaglets have the longest active win streak in the nation with 62 straight.
St. Mary's Prep also has talent. According to Perfect Game, St. Mary's Prep has eight of the top 40 players in the state including the top three and five of the top nine. Those top three players — Brock Porter, Ike Irish and Nolan Schubart — rank among the top 64 players in the nation. The Eaglets also have five of the top 24 juniors in the state (including No. 1 Blake Grimmer), three of the top 19 sophomores (including No. 2 Aidan Donovan) and the No. 4 freshman in the state.
So where will St. Mary's Prep rank among the nation's greatest teams of all-time? First they have to win the state championship. When and if that happens, the Eaglets can take their place somewhere among the MaxPreps Top 25 greatest high school teams of all-time.
Following is a look at MaxPreps list of greatest teams. The only qualification to get on the list is that the team had to finish the season undefeated against high school competition and they had to be considered a national champion (either by national ranking services of their time or MaxPreps list of retroactive national champions).
Ike Irish, St. Mary's Prep
Photo: Mariusz Nowak
1. Fresno (Calif.), 1958
Record: 25-1
Top Players: Dick Ellsworth (P), Jim Maloney (P), Pat Corrales (C)
Resume: The Warriors' only loss was to the Fresno State freshman team, but they defeated freshman teams from Stanford and Cal. Fresno posted 15 shutouts on the season behind the pitching of future MLB pitchers Ellsworth (15-0) and Maloney. Corrales also went on to play in the major leagues. Rated by Cal-Hi Sports as the best team in California history.
2. Westminster Christian (Miami), 1996
Record: 36-0-1
Top Players: K.O. Weigandt (P), Mark Walker (OF), Jason Moore (SS), Manny Crespo (OF)
Resume:
The Warriors had previously earned a national championship in 1992 and
were the top program in Florida for most of the 1990s. Coach Rich
Hoffman is the all-time winningest coach in Florida and his 1996 team
edged out 22-0 Cherry Creek (Colo.), 36-3 Monterey (Lubbock, Texas) and
31-3 Kennedy (Granada Hills, Calif.) for the No. 1 spot in the country.
All three media publications at the time — Collegiate Baseball
Newspaper, Baseball America and USA Today — rated Westminster Christian
No. 1.
3. Capitol Hill (Oklahoma City), 1953
Record: 27-0
Top Players: Bob Burr (1B), Buzzy Cleveland (3B), Jim Davis (SS), Smokey Davidson (2B), Don Demeter (CF)
Resume: The Redskins went 57-1 over two seasons including the undefeated season of 1953. The team had five of the conference's top seven hitters and a Brooklyn Dodger scout told the Daily Oklahoman in May of that year that Capitol Hill was the best prep team he had ever seen.
4. Chatsworth (Calif.), 2004
Record: 35-0
Top Players: Jason Dominguez (P), Willie Cabrera (IF), Mike Moustakas (IF), Matt Dominguez (IF)
Resume: Although future MLB players Moustakas and Matt Dominguez were just freshmen, they joined Jason Dominguez and Cabrera to go undefeated and eventually win 54 games over three seasons. The Chancellors were also national champions in 2003 at 33-1.
5. Tucson High Magnet School (Tucson, Ariz.), 1972
Record: 25-0
Top Players: Ron Hassey (SS), Frank Castro (P), Al Lopez (IF)
Resume: The Badgers won 26 state championships prior to 1972 when they won No. 27. The 1972 team was likely the best in school history with a team that batted .433 including .486 by future MLB catcher Ron Hassey.
6. Jesuit (New Orleans), 1936
Record: 11-0
Top Players: Connie Ryan, Charles Gilbert, Fast D'Antonio, Bill Hodges
Resume: Considered the greatest Jesuit team after winning the school's fourth state championship in six seasons. Eight players earned all-city honors and three went on to play in the major leagues. The Blue Jays outscored opponents 17-0 in the semifinal and state championship games.
7. Mission (San Francisco), 1945
Record: 10-0
Top Players: Bill Healy (P), Gus Triandos (C)
Resume: Mission went 19-0 over the 1944 and 1945 seasons thanks to the play of several future MLB players, including all-star catcher Triandos. Baseball in the Bay Area was among the best in the nation during the first half of the 20th century and Misson was one of the dominant programs in the city.
8. Catholic Central (Novi, Mich.), 1941
Record: 13-0
Top Players: Pete Grzywyny (P), Harry Kujawa (C), Frank Kolodziejski (IF), Stan Wilkins (IF), Tommy Groth (OF)
Resume: The Shamrocks simply dominated Michigan baseball in the late 1930s and early 1940s. The school won six straight league titles and 47 of 48 games. They also outscored opponents 253-36 on the year and put five players on the all-city team.
9. Waxahachie (Texas), 1926
Record: 21-0
Top Players: Paul Richards (IF/P)
Resume: The Indians won 65 games in the 1920s to go with three state championships. Standout pitcher Richards won games pitching right-handed and left-handed during the year and the team allowed one run or less in 15 games with nine shutouts.
10. St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.), 1948
Record: 19-0
Top Players: Harry Durkin (SS), Gene Smith (P), Leroy O'Neill (C), Bob Deacon (1B), Don McNally (2B), John Thomas (OF), Vic Kowalec (OF), Jack Feehan (P)
Resume: The Gray Bees won 64 games in a row over the latter part of the 1940s, which was the second longest streak in high school baseball history. A total of eight players made the all-state team, including Durkin who went to Notre Dame on a full scholarship.
11. South San Antonio (Texas), 1967
Record: 39-0
Top Players: John Langerhans (P), Raul Zamora, Dennis Magro, Mark Salazar
Resume: Coach Cliff Gustafson left South San Antonio after 1967 and went on to a Hall of Fame career at the University of Texas. While at South San Antonio, Gustafson led the Bobcats to seven state championships in 10 seasons. The 1967 team was part of a 45-game win streak and seven players went on to play Division 1 baseball.
12. Germantown (Tenn.), 1995
Record: 38-0
Top Players: Jay Hood, Chris Lotterhos, Matt Hale, Tom Hildebrand
Resume: The Red Devils won the national championship thanks to a win over No. 1 ranked Fountain Valley (Calif.) in the Upper Deck Tournament in California. As a result, USA Today, Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball Newspaper all crowned Germantown as the nation's best. Four players earned all-state honors with Hood and Lotterhos earning All-America recognition.
13. Shawnee (Okla.), 2017
Record: 40-0
Top Players: Tanner Sparks (P), Eli Davis (OF), Kade Self (C)
Resume: Among teams that have won a national championship, Shawnee is tied for the best all-time record at 40-0. Shawnee racked up 495 runs while giving up 117. Shawnee racked up 52 wins and two state championships over the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Four out of five media outlets, including MaxPreps, picked Shawnee as the national champion.
14. Archbishop Molloy (Queens, N.Y.), 1970
Record: 36-0
Top Players: Carl Czurda (P), Rich Kisielewski (P), Gary Kenney (C), Ed Kurpiel (1B)
Resume: Molloy dominated New York City baseball during the 1960s, winning eight straight Queens crowns and five city championships. Coach Jack Curran is one of the winningest baseball coaches of all-time with 1,708 wins. The 1970 team was part of a streak of 47 straight wins.
15. Commerce (Manhattan, N.Y.), 1920
Record: 10-0
Top Players: Lou Gehrig (1B)
Resume: Gehrig was called "Babe Ruth" Gehrig by the New York newspapers due to his power hitting abilities. A writer for the Chicago Tribune watched Gehrig take batting practice prior to Commerce's game with Lane Tech in Chicago and noted that Gehrig could likely hit one out of Cubs Park during the game. That's exactly what happened as Gehrig hit a grand slam with two outs in the ninth to extend Commerce's lead to 12-6 over Lane Tech in the very first Chicago-New York intercity game.
16. Argyle (Texas), 2018
Record: 37-0
Top Players: Bryson Hudgens (P), Brendan Dixon (IF), Hayden Clearman (OF)
Resume: The true greatness of the 2018 Argyle team became more apparent in 2019 when the Eagles repeated as national champions (albeit with a loss). The 2018 team had eight players make they all-area team by the Denton Chronicle and had three make the MaxPreps Medium Schools All-American team in Hudgens, Dixon and Clearman.
17. Sumrall (Miss.), 2009
Record: 36-0
Top Players: Jared Miller, Jackson Powey, Luke Lowery
Resume: Ranked No. 1 only by MaxPreps in 2009, Sumrall repeated as national champions in 2010 and was pegged by three different media outlets that season. The Bobcats went 71-1 over two seasons and outscored opponents 429-100 in 2009.
18. Lanier (Montgomery, Ala.), 1954
Record: 20-0
Top Players: Bobby Ledford, Phillip Hunt
Resume: The Poets won five straight state championships capped by the undefeated season of 1954. Lanier won the state championship on a no-hitter by Ledford and then shut out Pepperell (Ga.) twice to win a bi-state playoff series.
19. Madison Central (Richmond, Ky.), 1982
Record: 40-0
Top Players: Ricky Congleton (P), Tim Black, Gene Cruse, Greg Stephens
Resume: No Kentucky team has ever posted a better record than Madison Central, and the Indians are tied with Shawnee (Okla.) for best record among national championships teams.
20. Manual (Peoria, Ill.), 1950
Record: 25-0
Top Players: Bob Schmitt (P)
Resume: Manual was an Illinois powerhous in the 1940s and 1950s and became the first Land of Lincoln state champion to finish undefeated. Under coach Ed Stonebock, Manual won 81 percent of its games during his coaching career. Schmitt was one of the top pitchers in the state, going 13-0 in 1950 and 33-3 in his career.
21. Muskegon (Mich.), 1942
Record: 15-0
Top Players: Paul Bard (P)
Resume: Big Red had one of the top baseball programs in Michigan from the 1940s to the 1960s with the 1942 team part of a 55-game win streak. Bard had a 0.11 ERA and was also an all-state football and basketball player.
22. Start (Toledo, Ohio), 1994
Record: 30-0
Top Players: Matt King (P), Dan Wardrop (1B), Steve Luda (3B)
Resume: The Spartans went 57-3 over two seasons and finished at No. 4 in the national rankings in 1993. King, Wardrop and Luda all earned all-state honors as Start became the first Toledo City League team to win a state championship in 67 years.
23. San Diego (Calif.), 1923
Record: 15-4
Top Players: Stubby Nemechek, Ed Cabelleo, Cone Galindo, Dutch Buerkle
Resume:
Considered the best of the many outstanding San Diego teams in the
1920s and 1930s. The Cavers were undefeated against high school
competition, losing only to military teams and the USC freshman team.
The SCIF championship was the fifth for the Cavers, who also won a
national championship game two years earlier in 1921.
24. Academy of Richmond County (Augusta, Ga.), 1957
Record: 17-0
Top Players: Jack Fisher (P), Herb Alewine (P), Luther Shead (P)
Resume: The Musketeers had an incredible pitching staff with no pitcher having an ERA higher than 0.35. The team posted 11 shutouts and three straight no-hitters. Nine players went on to play in college and the squad posted a win streak of 30 games in a row over three seasons. Over seven years, the school went 147-13.
25. Hondo (Texas), 1939
Record: 19-0
Top Players: Clint Hartung (P)
Resume: The Owls won the Texas state championship behind the pitching of 16-year-old, 6-foot-5 phenom Hartung. An eventual MLB pitcher for the New York Giants, Hartung pitched both the semifinals and championship game.
