High school baseball: Jesuit, IMG Academy, Buford among Florida, Georgia squads dominating MaxPreps Top 25

The first national high school baseball rankings of the season find Florida and Georgia dominating the MaxPreps Top 25 as the Sunshine State logs seven teams, including three of the top four while the Peach State is next with five.

With a pair of season-opening wins Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.) holds on to the top spot while IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) started 3-0. The two teams are expected to meet April 20.

The Top 25 rankings only include teams that expect to begin play in the next month. As a result, several teams not expected to begin play until April have been dropped despite holding a spot in the preseason Top 25 rankings.

Dropped out: No. 3 JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.); No. 6 Baylor (Chattanooga, Tenn.); No. 10 Thousand Oaks (Calif.); No. 11 Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.); No. 14 Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.); No. 18 American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.); Ronald Reagan (Pfafftown, N.C.).

Game of the Week: Buford 3, Parkview 0. In a game between Georgia's best, Buford pulled out the win over Parkview behind the pitching of MaxPreps Underclass All-American Dylan Lesko, who had nine strikeouts.

Player of the Week: Jackson Ferris, IMG Academy. Ferris tossed a five-inning no-hitter with 12 strikeouts against Palmetto.

Recruit Watch: Brady House, Winder-Barrow. Considered one of the top 10 players in the nation, House opened his senior year with five RBI in his first three games to boost Winder-Barrow into the rankings.

Game to Watch: IMG Academy vs. Southlake Carroll. The Florida-based school is scheduled to head to Texas this week to take on the Dragons, who have won two Class 6A state championships over the past three years.

Streaks: Webster (Wisc.), led by former MLB pitcher Jarrod Washburn, did not get to play a single game last year, but it has the nation's longest active win streak at 37 games dating back to the 2018 season. Webster is not scheduled to begin play until April 18.
MaxPreps Top 25 Baseball Rankings

1.  Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.)
Stats: Bradke Lohry was 3-for-4 with a double and a triple against Largo while Jake Kulikowski had a home run. Wade Woodaz homered against Osceola while BJ Graham was 3-for-4 with a double.
Next: Friday vs. Tampa Catholic.

Results: Def. Lakewood Ranch, 2-1; Palmetto, 10-0; and Lakeland, 7-0.
Stats: Jackson Ferris pitched a five-inning no-hitter with 12 strikeouts against Palmetto and Brady Neal had a home run. Drew Gray had 10 strikeouts against Lakeland.
Next: Thursday at Southlake Carroll (Texas), Friday at Flower Mound

Next: Season opens on March 12

4. Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
Results: Def. Flanagan (Pembroke Pines), 15-5; def. Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood), 4-0.
Stats: Rene Lastres hit a home run against Flanagan while Irving Carter and Andrew Painter combined for a 1-hitter as each struck out six against Chaminade-Madonna.
Next: Saturday vs. Hialeah Educational Academy.

5. Buford (Ga.)
Results: Def. Parkview, 3-0; def. Lambert, 7-2; def. Mill Creek, 2-0.
Stats: Dylan Lesko got the win against Parkview, striking out nine. Treyton Rank struck out eight in the win over Mill Creek.
Next: Friday vs. Shiloh.

6. St. Mary Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)
Next: State begins play March 24

7. Barbe (Lake Charles, La.)
Next: Saturday vs. West Monroe

8. Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.)
Results: Def. Fivay, 6-1; def. Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate, 10-0; def. River Ridge, 5-4.
Stats: Jack Cebert struck out 11 in the win over Fivay.
Next: Tues. vs. Tarpon Springs; Sat. vs. Lakeland Christian.

9. Lake Travis (Austin, Texas)
Next: Feb. 25 vs. Southlake Carroll and Flower Mound

10. Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.)
Results: Def. Starkville Academy, 1-0; def. Hartfield Academy; def. Heritage Academy, 3-0.
Stats: Will Gibbs struck out 7 against Starkville Academy while Mason Nichols struck out 8 against Hartfield Academy and 8 more against Heritage.
Next: Tues. vs. Starkville Academy; Thurs. vs. Canton Academy.

11. Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.)
Results: Def. Belen Jesuit, 7-1; def. American Heritage (Plantation), 1-0; def. St. Thomas Aquinas, 3-2
Stats: Jake Clemente homered against Belen Jesuit. Christian Rodriguez struck out 11 against American Heritage. Santiago Ordonez walked with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to beat St. Thomas Aquinas.
Next: Tues. vs. Coral Reef; Thurs. vs. Taravella.

12. Spruce Creek (Port Orange, Fla.)
Results: Def. Deltona 11-1, def. Seabreeze, 7-0.
Stats: Jarrett Maresco struck out 7 against Deltona while Preston Wetherell struck out six against Seabreeze.
Next: Tues. vs. Olympia; Wed. vs. Viera.

13. Carrollton (Ga.)
Results: Def. Woodland, 3-2; def. Locust Grove, 3-1; def. North Paulding, 8-4; def. Blessed Trinity, 1-0.
Stats: Bear Madliak had three RBI against North Paulding while Colton Cosper struck out six against Blessed Trinity.
Next: Wed. vs. St. Pius X Catholic; Sat. vs. Ola.

14. North Paulding (Dallas, Ga.)
Results: Def. Rome 5-1, def. Blessed Trinity, 8-2; def. Locust Grove, 11-2; lost to Carrollton, 8-4.
Stats: Mitchell Heer struck out 14 against Blessed Trinity.
Next: Friday vs. Cedartown, Saturday vs. Pope.

15. Venice (Fla.)
Results: Def. Palmetto, 1-0; def. Fort Myers, 13-4, 9-4.
Stats: Cole Schumaker had three hits in the 13-4 win over Fort Myers.
Next: Thurs. Vs. Braden River; Friday vs. Sarasota.

16. Vestavia Hills (Ala.)
Results: Def. Briarwood Christian, 8-2, 8-1; Def. Madison Academy, 7-3, 9-3
Stats: Grayson Dobbins had three RBI in the 8-2 win over Briarwood Christian while Christopher Johnston and Pierce Hanna each had three RBI against Madison Academy.
Next: Thurs. Vs. Oak Mountain, Sat. vs. Austin (Decatur), Sat. vs. Huntsville.

17. Houston County (Warner Robins, Ga.)
Results: Def. Walton, 17-3; def. North Cobb Christian, 5-2; def. East Paulding, 6-2.
Stats: Gage Harrelson had three hits and three RBI against Walton. Brodie Chestnutt struck out 10 against North Cobb Christian.
Next: Friday vs. Hartselle, Locust Grove

18. Winder-Barrow (Winder, Ga.)
Results: Def. Archer, 7-3; def. Evans, 6-4; def. Lakeside, 10-0.
Stats: All-America candidate Brady House had two RBI against Archer and three against Lakeside.
Next: Wed. vs. Peachtree Ridge

19. De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
Next: March 8 vs. Livermore.

20. Prosper (Texas)
Next: Thurs. at Rangers National Showcase

21. Reagan (San Antonio)
Next: Tues. vs. Lee; Thurs. Round Rock Invitational.

22. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
Next: Schedule TBA

23. Heritage Hall (Oklahoma City)
Next: Season opener March 2 vs. Carl Albert

24. Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Next: March 16-18 Grand Slam Tournament

25. (25) Charlotte Christian (Charlotte, N.C.), 0-0
Next: March 4 vs. Combine Academy