High school baseball rankings: No. 1 Parkview off to strong start, three new teams enter MaxPreps Top 25

If the season opener is any indication of how the rest of the high school baseball season will go, the national championship is in the bag for Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.). The Panthers notched a 13-1 win over Lassiter in its first game to remain at the top of the first release of the regular season MaxPreps Top 25. The Peach State powerhouse managed 11 hits on offense, all of them by the top six batters in the lineup who went 11 for 21 with a double by Colin Houck and home runs by Ali Banks and Ethan Finch.

Meanwhile the pitching staff limited a Lassiter team that returned seven starters from a state semifinal team to just one run on one hit with 13 strikeouts, including 10 by Garrett Lambert.

Parkview began the season as the top team in the Preseason MaxPreps Top 25 and was one of just nine teams to see action during the first week of the season. Eleven other preseason Top 25 teams begin play this week with teams from the Midwest and Northeast beginning next month.

Tournament highlights: The Prep Baseball Report Preseason Tournament featured 16 of the top teams in California, including three teams from the MaxPreps Top 25. Orange Lutheran (Orange) reached the championship game, scheduled for today, with three straight wins while Gahr (Cerritos) was the surprise finalist in the bottom half of the bracket that saw Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) and Huntington Beach suffer defeats.

Dropped out: No. 6. Harvard-Westlake, No. 8 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), No. 10. Huntington Beach

Game of the Week: Auburn (Ala.) 12, Providence Christian (Dothan, Ala.) 11. After giving up three runs in the top of the seventh inning to create an 11-11 tie, Auburn scored a single run in the bottom of the seventh to pull out the win in their season opener.

Player of the Week: Rives Reynolds, Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.). Went 5-for-5 with a triple and two home runs to open the season.

Game to watch: Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.) vs. Miami Christian (Miami, Fla.). Class 6A state champion Doral Academy and Class 2A state champion Miami Christian meet up in the season opener for both teams.

Streaks: St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) has the longest streak at 66 games in a row. However, Silo (Okla.), which has 59 in a row, begins play on March 2 and could take over the lead by the time St. Mary's Prep opens play on March 27. MaxPreps Top 25 baseball rankings

1. (Preseason No. 1) Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.)
Record: 1-0
Scores: Def. Lassiter 13-1
Hitter of the week: In going 3-for-5,  Ali Banks scored the first run of the season for the Panthers on a home run and he finished with two runs and two RBI. Ethan Finch also added a home run for Parkview.
Pitcher of the week: Garrett Lambert picked up the win by throwing the first five innings with no earned runs, no walks and 10 strikeouts.
Next: Friday vs. St. John Neumann

2. (2) JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Record: 0-0
Next: Friday vs. Chaparral

3. (3) Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.)
Record: 0-0
Next: Today vs. Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate

4. (4) St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)
Record: 0-0
Next: March 27 vs. Howell

5. (5) Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)
Record: 0-0
Next: Wednesday vs. Hoover (Ala.)

6. (7) West Monroe (La.)
Record: 0-0
Next: Tuesday vs. Benton

7. (9) Barbe (Lake Charles, La.)
Record: 1-0
Scores: Def. South Beuregard 4-0
Hitter of the week: Sophomore catcher Presley Courville batted leadoff and went 1-for-2 with a triple, and RBI, and two runs scored.
Pitcher of the week: Grant Trahan pitched two innings and did not give up a run or a hit while striking out four in the win.
Next: Thursday vs. Benton

8. (11) Villa Park (Calif.)
Record: 2-0
Scores: Def. Aliso Niguel 9-0; Def. Millikan (Long Beach) 8-2.
Hitter of the week: All-American Gavin Grahovac is off to a strong start, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and two doubles against Aliso Niguel and 2-for-4 with two RBI against Millikan.
Pitcher of the week: Brandon Luu combined with Andrew Grove to throw a no-hitter in the season opener. Luu went five innings and struck out two batters with two walks.
Next: Tuesday vs. Downey

9. (12) Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.)
Record: 0-0
Next: Tuesday vs. River Ridge (New Port Richey)

10. (13) Sinton (Texas)
Record: 0-0
Next: Thursday-Saturday at Sinton Invitational

11. (14) Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.)
Record: 0-0
Next: Tuesday at Coral Springs Charter

12. (15) Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.)
Record: 0-0
Next: Tuesday vs. Miami Christian

13. (16) Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Record: 0-0
Next: March 25 vs. Strongsville

14. (17) Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
Record: 0-0
Next: Thursday vs. Highland Park (Dallas)

15. (18) Edwardsville (Ill.)
Record: 0-0
Next: Feb. 27 vs. Sacred Heart-Griffin

16. (19) Hartselle (Ala.)
Record: 0-0
Next: Thursday vs. Orange Beach

17. (20) Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)
Record: 3-0
Scores: Def. Redondo Union 4-1; Def. Aquinas (San Bernardino) 6-1; Def. Corona 7-2.
Hitter of the week: Derek Curiel went 2-for-5 with an RBI in wins over Redondo Union and Aquinas.
Pitcher of the week: In three innings against Aquinas, Nicolas Peterson did not allow a run on one hit with four strikeouts and no walks.
Next: Tuesday vs. Gahr (Cerritos)

18. (21) Auburn (Ala.)
Record: 2-0
Scores: Def. Providence Christian 12-11; Columbus (Ga.) 10-6
Hitter of the week: Henry Allen went 3-for-6 with two home runs and four RBI in the two wins, including a 2-for-3 effort with a homer against Providence Christian.
Pitcher of the week: Brenden Bryant pitched two-thirds of an inning and struck out two batters to pick up the win over Columbus.
Next: Friday vs. Rehobeth

19. (22) De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
Record: 0-0
Next: Saturday vs. Folsom

20. (23) Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
Record: 0-0
Next: Season begins in April

21. (24) Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.)
Record: 2-0
Scores: Def. Riverfield Academy (Rayville, La.) 18-4, 14-0
Hitter of the week: Rives Reynolds has yet to make an out as he went 5-for-5 over the two games against Riverfield with six runs, four RBI, one triple and two home runs.
Pitcher of the week: Freshman Kevin Roberts threw three no-hit innings in the 14-0 win, striking out seven and allowing just one walk.
Next: Thursday vs. Bayou Academy (Cleveland)

22. (25) Basic (Henderson, Nev.)
Record: 0-0
Next: March 3 vs. Durango (Las Vegas)

23. (NR) Catholic-B.R. (Baton Rouge, La.)
Record: 1-0
Scores: Def. St. Paul's (Covington) 4-1
Hitter of the week: Daniel Harden went 2-for-2 with a run scored and a double.
Pitcher of the week: Harris Waghalter got the win, going four innings and striking out five.
Next: Thursday vs. Thibodaux

24. (NR) Houston County (Warner Robins, Ga.)
Record: 3-0
Scores: Def. Lowndes 14-2; Def. Marist 10-5, 10-8
Hitter of the week: All-American candidate Drew Burress is off to a strong start, going 5-for-9 with three doubles, a triple and four RBI in three games.
Pitcher of the week: In two games, Ryker Chavis threw five innings, did not allow a hit or a run and struck out nine batters.
Next: Today vs. Warner Robins

25. (NR) Madison-Ridgeland Academy (Madison, Miss.)
Record: 2-0
Scores: Def. DeSoto Central 9-5, 6-3
Hitter of the week: Nicholas Arnold had a double and a triple with a run scored in the 9-5 win.
Pitcher of the week: Brennan Jones got the win in the first game, going three innings and striking out four.
Next: Thursday vs. Kirk Academy (Grenada)