Final 2014 MaxPreps Southern California Top 25 high school baseball rankings

High school baseball has wrapped up for the season, and a champion has been crowned in the MaxPreps Southern California Top 25 High School Baseball Rankings.

We know that some people don't consider the Fresno area to have anything to do with Southern California, but with the California Interscholastic still placing Central Section teams in Southern California regional playoffs in all sports that feature them, we go along with that. And that means the Clovis is the best high school baseball team in Southern California.

The Cougars finished their season ranked second in the state and fifth in the nation in the MaxPreps Computer Rankings and fourth in the Xcellent 50. They won the Tri-Rivers Athletic Conference title and rode it all the way to a Central Section Division I title. On the national stage, they reached the final game in the National High School Invitational. All told, Clovis went 33-5 and outscored the opposition 209-77.

You will also notice that Southern and San Diego section titles were awarded. See below how those teams were rewarded.

Click here to view the California brackets and click here to visit the California computer rankings. Click here to see the California stats leaderboard.


1. (1) Clovis, 33-5
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 2 State, 5 National, 4 Xcellent 50

The Cougars won the Central Section Division I title.

2. (2) Temecula Valley (Temecula), 24-8
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 3 State, 6 National, 42 Xcellent 50

The Golden Bears may not have won the Southwestern League title, but they got the ultimate laugh when they beat Aliso Niguel 5-3 for the Southern Section Division II title. Things started out great as they scored four times in the first inning thanks to a pair of errors, and though the Wolverines got the tying run to the plate in the seventh, they shut the door. Click here to see the game story and click here and here to see photo galleries from the game at Dodger Stadium.

3. (5) Granite Hills (El Cajon), 26-7
Classification: San Diego Section Open
Ranks: 1 State, 4 National, 33 Xcellent 50

The Eagles emerged from a very deep San Diego Section Open Division field and won 3-0 over La Costa Canyon to take the title. This team has always been one of the best in the region, but the run through the playoffs really pushed Granite Hills so high. Granite Hills knocked off Rancho Buena Vista, Cathedral Catholic twice and LCC for the title and the No. 1 spot in the state in the computer rankings.

4. (3) Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), 20-10-1
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 4 State, 15 National, 37 Xcellent 50

The Eagles rode the arm of Griffin Canning to a 3-1 triumph over Foothill (Santa Ana) in the Southern Section Division I title game at Dodger Stadium. Canning struck out 11 and yielded just two hits in the title-game triumph. He was undoubtedly the ace of this squad and though there were some losses early on, this team picked it up and played its best when it mattered the most. Click here to see the game story and click here and here.

5. (4) Buchanan (Clovis), 25-8
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 16 State, 63 National

Central Section Division I runner-up.

6. (6) Foothill (Santa Ana), 22-11
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 17 State, 71 National

The Knights got a good pitching performance from Hudson Hughes but fell 3-1 to Santa Margarita in the Southern Section Division I title game at Dodger Stadium after yielding three runs in the top of the sixth. The 11 losses don't look great, but reaching the final is a bigger statement.

7. (7) Norco, 26-3
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 15 State, 62 National

Southern Section Division I quarterfinalist.

8. (8) Aliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo), 23-10
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 11 State, 49 National

Another case of catching fire when it counts. The Wolverines dug themselves a 4-0 hole in the first inning then fought hard but still fell to Temecula Valley, 5-3. Still, not a bad way to finish things off.

9. (9) Great Oak (Temecula), 23-7
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 6 State, 20 National

Southern Section Division II quarterfinalist.

10. (10) La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad), 21-12
Classification: San Diego Section Open
Ranks: 23 State, 98 National

The Mavericks lost 3-0 to Granite Hills in the SDS Open Division final - and it ended a stellar playoff run. This team has lost a lot of games, including to Rancho Bernardo and Cathedral Catholic early on, then bested both those ranked teams in the playoffs to get all the way to 10th here.

11. (11) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), 30-5
Classification: San Diego Section Open
Ranks: 18 State, 74 National

San Diego Section Open Division semifinalist.

12. (12) JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano), 22-8
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 7 State, 36 National

Southern Section Division I semifinalist.

13. (13) Chino Hills, 23-6
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 21 State, 81 National

Southern Section Division II quarterfinalist.

14. (14) Dana Hills (Dana Point), 26-8
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 28 State, 120 National

Southern Section Division II quarterfinalist.

15. (15) Trabuco Hills (Mission Viejo), 24-11
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 30 State, 127 National

Southern Section Division I semifinalist.

16. (18) Huntington Beach, 22-5
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 8 State, 38 National

Southern Section Division I second round participant.

17. (16) Orange Lutheran, 18-12
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 25 State, 108 National

Southern Section Division I quarterfinalist.

18. (17) Fountain Valley, 19-9
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 32 State, 129 National

Southern Section Division I second round participant.

19. (19) Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), 22-7-1
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 39 State, 187 National

Southern Section Division I second round participant.

20. (20) Loyola (Los Angeles), 23-6-1
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 36 State, 152 National

Southern Section Division I second round participant.

21. (22) Clovis North (Fresno), 22-9
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 29 State, 122 National

Central Section Division I semifinalist.

22. (23) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta), 20-8
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 12 State, 52 National

Southern Section Division II second round participant.

23. (24) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), 25-7
Classification: San Diego Section Open
Ranks: 10 State, 48 National

San Diego Section Open Division semifinalist.

24. (NR) Grossmont (El Cajon), 19-14
Classification: San Diego Section Division I
Ranks: 19 State, 78 National

The Foothillers commanded attention after their run through the SDS playoffs. They eliminated El Capitan, Poway, Steele Canyon and Ramona before toppling Valhalla in the title game. Those 14 losses are hard to swallow, but once again we love rewarding good postseason play.

25. (21) Chatsworth Charter, 28-6-1
Classification: Los Angeles City Section I
Ranks: 59 State, 284 National

The Chancellors had their shot at the City Section Division I title but lost 6-3 to Birmingham (Lake Balboa) at Dodger Stadium. Birmingham was also the team that knocked this team much lower in the rankings earlier in the year.

Dropped out: No. 25 Valhalla