High school baseball rankings: No. 4 St. Mary's Prep could break national win streak record this week – but it won't be easy

St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) produced one of the more dominant seasons in high school baseball history last year, going from wire-to-wire at the top of the MaxPreps Top 25. One year later, the Eaglets are primed to make major headlines with the nation's longest all-time win streak within their grasp.

Under head coach Matt Petry, the Eaglets have won 84 straight games since a 2-1 loss to Saline on April 30, 2021. They won 22 straight games to finish the season and win a Michigan Division 2 state championship. The next season, St. Mary's Prep went 44-0, the best record ever for a national champion, and upped the win streak to 66 in a row.

With 18 wins to start the 2023 season, the Eaglets are within five wins of tying Portsmouth (N.H.), which won 89 in a row from 2009-12. It won't be easy as they play highly-rated Northville on Tuesday, a doubleheader with perennial small-school power University Liggett (Grosse Pointe Woods) on Wednesday, the completion of a suspended tie game with Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills) on Saturday morning and a doubleheader with the Warriors later in the day.

If St. Mary's Prep wins all of those games, the record 90th win will come in the second game of the doubleheader.

Monitoring the streak will be the highlight of the week with some calm coming over movement in the MaxPreps Top 25. Thirteen of the top 14 teams won last week with the only loss coming from Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.), which fell 10-7 in its rematch with IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). The two teams played one of the most exciting games of the season in their first matchup two weeks ago but IMG broke out to an early lead this time and held on for the win.

Four teams joined the rankings this week, including two that return to the MaxPreps Top 25. Concordia Lutheran (Tomball, Texas) and Pace (Fla.) both made previous appearances in the rankings while Blue Springs South (Blue Springs, Mo.) and Johnson (San Antonio, Texas) are making their debut.

Game of the Week: Westlake (Austin, Texas) def. Johnson (Buda, Texas) 4-3 in 12. Singles by Aiden Bennett and Braeden Babb and an error on Nathan Duvall's flyball provided the winning run in the bottom of the 12th inning for the Chaparrals.

Player of the Week: Brady Ruiz-Weiss of St. John's (Washington, D.C.) went 8-for-8 on the week with two doubles, a home run and nine RBI, including seven in one game.

Game to watch: St. Mary's Prep vs. Northville. The Eaglets face the No. 2 team in the state, according to the MaxPreps computer rankings, and could face a tough challenge trying to keep its 84-game win streak alive.

Streaks: St. Mary's Prep climbed within five wins of tying Portsmouth for the longest baseball win streak of 89 in a row. After facing Northville, the Eaglets play University Liggett for two games, will resume a suspended tie game against Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills) on May 6 and then will play a doubleheader against Brother Rice later in the day that could result in a new national record.

Team of the Week: Selected based on stats submitted to MaxPreps.

P — Alvaro Samboy-Diaz, Booker T. Washington (Norfolk, Va.): Tossed a five-inning no-hitter with 10 strikeouts.
C — Ben Messer, Holy Spirit Prep (Atlanta, Ga.): Was 6-for-6 with six runs, five RBI, three doubles and a triple.
1B — Sergio Milli, Christian Academy of Greater St. Louis (St. Louis, Mo.): Was 5-for-5 with five runs, six RBI and three doubles.
2B — Jones Stephenson, Rocky Mountain Lutheran (Denver, Colo.): Was 5-for-5 with eight runs scored, seven RBI, two doubles, a triple and a home run.
3B — Landon Mills, Swink (Colo.): Batted 6-for-6 with 13 RBI, two doubles and two home runs.
SS — Travail Barnes, Thomasville (N.C.): Was 5-for-5 with five runs, two RBI, a double, two triples and a home run.
OF — Brady Hull, Eden Christian Academy (Pittsburgh, Pa.): Was 6-for-6 with four runs, 10 RBI, and two doubles.
OF — Tyler Maddix, Bishop Canevin (Pittsburgh, Pa.): Was 6-for-6 with 10 RBI, three doubles and a triple.
OF — Keanu Laweka, Zuni (N.M.): Was 11-for-11 with 10 runs, five RBI, a double and two home runs. MaxPreps Top 25 baseball rankings

1. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Record: 24-0 | Last week: 1
Scores: Def. Jesuit (Tampa), 10-7; def. Mitchell (New Port Richey), 8-1
Hitter of the week: Josh Hanson went 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI against Mitchell.
Pitcher of the week: Noah Franco went five and one-third innings against Jesuit and gave up one earned run on five hits with eight strikeouts for the win.
Next: Season complete

2. Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.)
Record: 22-0 | Last week: 2
Scores: Def. Hialeah Education Academy, 9-0; def. American Heritage (Delray Beach), 9-0
Hitter of the week: Rylan Lujo went 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI.
Pitcher of the week: Luke Cherry had five strikeouts in two innings of relief against American Heritage.
Next: TBD

3. Barbe (Lake Charles, La.)
Record: 36-1 | Last week: 3
Scores: Def. Thibodaux, 3-0, 5-0
Hitter of the week: Donovan LaSalle went 3-for-3 with two home runs and two RBI in the 3-0 win.
Pitcher of the week: J.C. Vanek went six innings and allowed no runs on three hits with six strikeouts in a 5-0 win.
Next: Friday vs. Neville

4. St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)
Record: 18-0 | Last week: 4
Scores: Def. Catholic Central (Novi), 3-0, 8-3; def. University of Detroit Jesuit, 8-3, 6-2
Hitter of the week: Parker Brzustewicz went 2-for-3 with a home runs and four RBI in an 8-3 win over Catholic Central.
Pitcher of the week: Aidan Donovan threw six and two-thirds shutout innings on four hits with eight strikeouts in a 3-0 win.
Next: Tuesday vs. Northville

5. Sinton (Texas)
Record: 28-1 | Last week: 5
Scores: Def. United (Laredo), 1-0
Hitter of the week: Jaquae Stewart went 2-for-3 with the only RBI in the 1-0 win.
Pitcher of the week: Braeden Brown went all eight innings against United, giving up no runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts.
Next: Thursday vs. Somerset

6. Catholic-B.R. (Baton Rouge, La.)
Record: 34-2 | Last week: 6
Scores: Def. Lafayette, 5-3, 6-1
Hitter of the week: Trip Dobson went 1-for-3 with a home run and four RBI in a 5-3 win.
Pitcher of the week: William Schmidt struck out 11 in six innings in the 6-1 win.
Next: Thursday vs. Sulphur

7. Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks, Calif.)
Record: 26-2 | Last week: 7
Scores: Def. St. Francis (La Canada), 2-0, 2-0, 5-0
Hitter of the week: Dean West went 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI in the 5-0 win.
Pitcher of the week: Levi Sterling struck out nine in four shutout innings of a 5-0 win.
Next: TBD

8. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Record: 25-2 | Last week: 8
Scores: Def. Palo Verde (Las Vegas), 6-5; def. Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas), 4-2; def. Liberty (Henderson), 4-1
Hitter/Pitcher of the week: Aiden Pollock went 1-for-3 with three runs, an RBI and a home run against Palo Verde. He also struck out nine batters in four innings with one earned run. 
Next: Tuesday vs. Centennial (Las Vegas)

9. Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa, Calif.)
Record: 21-0 | Last week: 9
Scores: Def. Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park), 8-0, 3-1
Hitter of the week: Anane Wilson went 1-for-3 with a triple and three RBI in the 8-0 win.
Pitcher of the week: Mason Lerma struck out 14 with no walks and no runs on one hit in an 8-0 win.
Next: Wednesday vs. Windsor

10. Cypress Woods (Cypress, Texas)
Record: 28-3 | Last week: 10
Scores: Def. Cypress Park, 6-0, 6-0
Hitter of the week: Tristan Russell had three RBI in one win and went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in the other.
Pitcher of the week: Reagan Gayle struck out five in two innings pitched in the first win of the week.
Next: TBD

11. Sulphur (La.)
Record: 31-4 | Last week: 11
Scores: Def. Destrehan, 5-0, 8-1
Hitter of the week: Dillion Bird went 3-for-5 with three doubles and two RBI in the 8-1.
Pitcher of the week: Jake Brown had 10 strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings of shutout work.
Next: Thursday vs. Central-B.R. (Baton Rouge)

12. Huntington Beach (Calif.)
Record: 20-8 | Last week: 13
Scores: Def. Los Alamitos, 11-1, 11-3.
Hitter of the week: Aidan Espinoza went 2-for-5 with two runs, a home run and an RBI in an 11-1 win.
Pitcher of the week: Carson Lane struck out five in four and two-thirds innings in an 11-1 win.
Next: TBD

13. Westlake (Austin, Texas)
Record: 30-3 | Last week: 14
Scores: Def. Johnson (Buda), 4-3, 9-7
Hitter of the week: Cooper Berry went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in a 9-7 win.
Pitcher of the week: Nathan Duvall went seven and two-thirds innings and gave up no runs on three hits with seven strikeouts in a  4-3 win.
Next: TBD

14. Sam Houston (Lake Charles, La.)
Record: 30-4 | Last week: 17
Scores: Def. Benton, 2-1, 9-1
Hitter of the week: Sam Ardoin was 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in the 9-1 win.
Pitcher of the week: Dylan Thompson went three innings and allowed one run on no hits with five strikeouts in a 9-1 win.
Next: Thursday vs. Live Oak

15. Cartersville (Ga.)
Record: 30-2 | Last week: 18
Scores: Def. Jefferson, 11-0, 2-0; def. Cambridge, 5-1, 4-1
Hitter of the week: Harrison Childers went 2-for-4 with a double and a grand slam with four RBI in the 11-0 win.
Pitcher of the week: Caden Carroll went five innings and gave up no runs on two hits with seven strikeouts in an 11-0 win.
Next: TBD

16. St. John's (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 24-0-1 | Last week: 20
Scores: Def. The Heights (Potomac), 13-1; def. Bishop McNamara (Forestville), 13-2; Def. Bishop Ireton, 14-1
Hitter of the week: Brady Ruiz-Weiss went 4-for-4 with a double, a home run and seven RBI against The Heights.
Pitcher of the week: Clayton Armah struck out nine in five and one-third innings, giving up one run on three hits for the win over The Heights.
Next: Tuesday vs. Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.)

17. Lake Braddock (Burke, Va.)
Record: 18-0 | Last week: 21
Scores: Def. Alexandria City, 13-6; def. Woodson, 10-2
Hitter of the week: Evan Schick went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI against Woodson.
Pitcher of the week: Jake Drumm struck out eight in seven innings and gave up two runs on four hits.
Next: Wednesday vs. Robinson

18. Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.)
Record: 21-4 | Last week: 12
Scores: Lost to IMG Academy, 10-7; def. Charlotte (Punta Gorda), 15-0
Hitter of the week: Wes Mendes went 2-for-2 with a home run and four RBI against Charlotte.
Pitcher of the week: Brooks Chamberlin struck out four  in three no-hit innings against Charlotte.
Next: TBD

19. West Monroe (La.)
Record: 31-4 | Last week: 16
Scores: Lost to Fontainebleau, 9-7; def. Fontainebleau, 13-5, 9-1
Hitter of the week: Hayden Federico went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in the 9-1 win.
Pitcher of the week: Brennan Eager struck out nine and gave up one run on four hits in seven innings in the 9-1 win.
Next: Friday vs. St. Amant

20. Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.)
Record: 28-5 | Last week: 25
Scores: Def. Richmond Hill, 11-1, 13-1
Hitter of the week: Colin Houck went 3-for-3 with three runs, a triple, a home run and four RBI in the 11- win.
Pitcher of the week: Thorpe Musci struck out 11 and gave up one run on three hits in the 11-1 win.
Next: TBD

21. Concordia Lutheran (Tomball, Texas)
Record: 31-2 | Last week: NR
Scores: Def. St. Pius X (Houston), 2-1, 10-8, 8-1
Hitter of the week: Alex Petrovic had a home run and two RBI in the 10-8 win.
Pitcher of the week: Eoghan Collins gave up one run and struck out five in the 2-1 win.
Next: TBD

22. Pace (Fla.)
Record: 22-2 | Last week: NR
Scores: Def. Pensacola Catholic, 8-1; def. Gulf Breeze, 7-6
Hitter of the week: Jackson McKenzie had two doubles against Pensacola Catholic and a double and a home run against Gulf Breeze.
Pitcher of the week: Nathan Caston went six innings and struck out 12 in the win over Pensacola Catholic.
Next: TBD

23. Johnson (San Antonio, Texas)
Record: 25-3-2 | Last week: NR
Scores: Def. Lee, 12-1; def. Madison, 8-1
Next: TBD

24. Providence Catholic (New Lenox, Ill.)
Record: 19-3 | Last week: NR
Scores: Def. Loyola Academy (Wilmette), 16-2; def. St. Laurence (Burbank), 6-5, 1-0; def. Leo (Chicago), 10-0; lost to Brother Rice (Chicago), 7-3
Hitter of the week: Gavin Gomez went 4-for-4 with a double, a home run and four RBI against Loyola.
Pitcher of the week: AJ Vinci went five innings and gave up two runs on three hits with five strikeouts against Loyola.
Next: Today vs. Brother Rice

25. Blue Springs South (Blue Springs, Mo.)
Record: 21-3 | Last week: NR
Scores: Def. Lee's Summit, 14-4; def. Olathe Northwest, 10-3; def. Olathe West, 3-0
Hitter of the week: Cole Chace went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI against Lee's Summit.
Pitcher of the week: Liam Bryan went seven innings and gave up no runs on one hit with eight strikeouts in a 3-0 win.
Next: Today vs. Liberty

Dropped out: No. 15 La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.); No. 19 Friendswood (Texas); No. 22 Reagan (San Antonio, Texas); No. 23 Rio Rancho (N.M.)