Pensacola Catholic completed an undefeated season with a 7-5 win over Monsignor Pace (Miami) last week and thus secured the No. 1 spot in the MaxPreps Xcellent 50 National Baseball Rankings.
It would be hard for any team to knock the Crusaders out of the top spot. Owasso, which also finished undefeated at 36-0, is ranked No. 2 and has completed its season. Venice, which has three losses, comes in at No. 3 and has completed its season. The Woodlands is still competing in the Texas 5A state playoffs, but even if it were to win a state title, it has a loss to Venice, which is ranked just ahead of the Highlanders at No. 3.
Then there is the situation with Mater Dei. The Monarchs won possibly the toughest invitational tournament in the country, the National High School Invitational, and the toughest invitational tournament in California, the Boras Classic, but then lost in the first round of the Southern Section Division I tournament, which is arguably one of the top two toughest playoff tournaments in the country (the Texas 5A playoffs being the other). The decision now is to keep Mater Dei at No. 5, based on its previous body of work since it has wins over three other teams in the Top 10, The Woodlands, Harvard-Westlake and Lexington. However, if The Woodlands and Harvard-Westlake both stumble in the playoffs, Mater Dei could fall as well.
Plenty of newcomers show up in this week's rankings as state champions and have been crowned, plus teams from the northern part of the United States have started making their marks after a slow start to the season due to weather. The highest debuting team this week is Tottenville (Staten Island, N.Y.), which comes in at No. 27 after earning the No. 1 seed for the PSAL tournament.
MaxPreps Xcellent 50 National Baseball Rankings
Pensacola Catholic celebrated a Florida state title, and it's likely going to be a national title.
Courtesy photo
The Crusaders went extra innings to defeat Monsignor Pace (Miami) 7-5 in the Class 4A state championship game.
James McGhee had the key hit with a two-run double in the top of the eighth.
Cooper Jones pitched the bottom of the inning for the win. The Pensacola News Journal has labeled Pensacola Catholic as possibly the greatest prep sports team in Pensacola-area history.
2. (2) Owasso (Okla.), 36-0
Oklahoma Class 6A champion. Season over.
3. (3) Venice (Fla.), 29-3
Florida Class 7A champion. Season over.
Ryan Burnett, The Woodlands
Photo by Jamie Harms
The Highlanders rolled into the regional final against Rockwall with an 8-1, 8-0 sweep of Plano West.
Ryan Burnett went seven innings and struck out eight while giving up two hits in the 8-1 victory.
Carter Hope went six innings and struck out nine in the second-game for the win.
5. (6) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 24-3
Season over.
6. (7) Lexington (S.C.), 28-5
South Carolina Class 4A state champion. Season over.
7. (8) Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), 26-4
The
Wolverines routed El Dorado (Placentia) 12-1 in the second round of the
Southern Section Division 1 playoffs and then shut out Santa Margarita
5-0 in the third round. They will play Los Alamitos in the semifinals.
Jack Flaherty gave up just three hits in throwing the shutout.
8. (9) Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.), 31-4
Arizona Division I state champions. Season over.
9. (10) Carroll (Southlake, Texas), 34-4-1
The
Dragons swept Marcus (Flower Mound) 5-2 and 4-2 to advance to the
regional final against Martin (Arlington).
Drew Brown and
Chris Altimont
each had a double in the 4-2 victory while
Joe Heineman got the win.
10. (12) Magnolia Heights (Senatobia, Miss.), 34-0
MAIS Class AAA II state champion. Season over.
11. (14) Lincoln-Way North (Frankfort, Ill.), 36-2-2
The Phoenix
advanced to the semifinals of the New Lenox sectional by defeating
Shepard (Palos Heights) 11-1 and Lincoln-Way Central (New Lenox) 1-0.
They will face Lincoln-Way East on Wednesday.
12. (15) Mason (Ohio), 26-0
The
Comets won a district championship with a 3-1 win over Milford.
Timothy Zeuch tossed a three-hitter and struck out 11 in the win.
13. (16) Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati), 25-2-1
The
Crusaders won three times last week, defeating CHCA 11-3, St. Xavier
(Cincinnati) 17-0 and Lebanon 10-1.
Maxwell Foley had a triple and three RBIs
against Lebanon while
Patrick McAlpine had a single, a double and four RBIs
against St. Xavier.
14. (17) Tomball (Texas), 32-4
Tomball topped
Montgomery 16-4 and 4-2 to advance to the Class 4A regional finals.
Ishmael Edwards hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to
give Tomball the 4-2 victory. The Cougars face Foster (Richmond) in the
regional finals.
15. (18) Lake Brantley (Altamonte Springs, Fla.), 26-5
Florida Class 8A state champion. Season over.
16. (19) Granada (Livermore, Calif.), 24-1
Granada knocked
off Deer Valley 7-1 in the second round of the North Coast Section
Division I playoffs. It will play Amador Valley this week.
17. (20) Coronado (Henderson, Nev.), 36-4
Nevada Class 4A state champions. Season over.
18. (25) Madison (Vienna, Va.), 22-1
The War Hawks won the Liberty
District championship with an 11-2 victory over Langley. They then blasted
Edison 13-1 in the first round of the region tournament. Michael Nielsen
went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs in the win over Langley.
Jake Hall went 3-for-4 with four RBIs in the Edison win.
19. (27) St. Francis (Mountain View, Calif.), 29-4
The Lancers won
the Central Coast Section Division I championship by beating Palo Alto
8-3 in the semifinal and Serra 10-0 in the championship game. John Gavin
finished his season 11-1 by gaining the victory against Serra. He
allowed just one hit and struck out eight.
20. (47) Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 22-5-1
The
Mavericks captured their fourth-straight state championship by beating
Mosley 5-2 in the Class 6A state championship game. They also defeated
Edgewater 7-0 in the semifinals.
21. (28) Flora (Columbia, S.C.), 25-5
South Carolina Class 3A state champion. Season over.
22. (29) St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.), 25-1
It completed
the regular season with a 7-2 win over Marist (Bayonne) and a 12-8 win
over St. Mary (Rutherford) and will face Pope John in the second round of
the Non-Public A North playoffs.
23. (31) Howell (St. Charles, Mo.), 31-5
Howell defeated Fort Zumwalt West
2-1 and St. Louis University 4-2 in the first two rounds of the Missouri
Division 5 state tournament and will face Staley (Kansas City) in the
semifinals.
Gosuke Katoh, Rancho Bernardo
Photo by Steven Silva
The Broncos opened the
playoffs with a 2-0 win over Rancho Buena Vista and then topped Vista
2-1 in the San Diego Section Open Division playoffs.
25. (35) Milton (Ga.), 31-9-1
Milton captured the 6A state championship with an 0-1, 5-3, 2-1 series win over Roswell, and also defeated defending state champion
Parkview 0-4, 10-1, 10-0 to advance to the championship game.
The Next 2526. (43) Fort Bend Dulles (Sugar Land, Texas), 26-6
Fort Bend Dulles downed Cypress Ranch (Houston) 6-5 and 6-1 to advance to the regional finals against Jersey Village.
27. (NR) Tottenville (Staten Island, N.Y.), 27-0-1
No. 1 seed for PSAL tournament.
28. (46) Floyd Central (Floyds Knobs, Ind.), 28-2
Floyd Central began postseason
play with a 2-1 win over New Albany and played North Lawrence (Bedford) in
the Class 4A Sectional 15 semifinals Monday.
29. (NR) Indianapolis Cathedral, 24-0
Ranked No. 2 by Indiana Coaches Association poll.
30. (NR) Monroe Campus (Bronx, N.Y.), 41-1
No. 2 seed for PSAL tournament.
31. (NR) Bay City Western (Auburn, Mich.), 34-2
Ranked No. 1 in Michigan Coaches Association poll.
Josh Brown, ThunderRidge
Photo by Ray Chen
Mosley defeated King 2-0 in the
Class 6A semifinals on a no-hitter by
Austin Bizzle but lost to Archbishop
McCarthy 5-2 in the championship game.
33. (NR) Fuquay-Varina (N.C.), 28-3
Defeated Richmond 2-3, 8-1, 12-0 to advance to North Carolina 4A state championship series.
34. (NR) ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), 21-5
Colorado 5A state champion. Season over.
Ethan King, Cherry Creek
Photo by Tim Visser
Tennessee Division II AA state champion. Season over.
36. (21) Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.), 21-4
Lost to ThunderRidge 5-1 in the Class 5A semifinals. Season over.
37. (49) Martin (Arlington, Texas), 34-7-1
Advanced to the Class 5A regional finals against Carroll (Southlake) by beating Bell 4-3 and 9-0.
38. (24) Richmond (Rockingham, N.C.), 28-3
Lost to Fuquay-Varina 3-2, 1-8, 0-12 in the Class 4A regional series. Season over.
39. (NR) Atlantic Shores Christian (Chesapeake, Va.), 33-2
VISAA Division II state champion.
40. (NR) Southaven (Miss.), 25-8
Mississippi Class 6A state champion.
41. (NR) Pope (Marietta, Ga.), 28-10
Georgia Class 5A state champion.
42. (37) Harrison Central (Gulfport, Miss.), 28-5
Lost to Southaven 8-2 and 4-3 in the Class 6A state championship game. Season over.
43. (32) Great Bridge (Chesapeake, Va.), 19-2
Lost to Western Branch in the Southeastern District semifinals. will play in the Eastern Region tournament this week.
44. (NR) Ponte Vedra (Fla.), 21-11
Florida Class 5A state champion.
45. (NR) Estero (Fla.), 22-10
Lost to Ponte Vedra in Class 5A state playoffs.
46. (NR) Durant (Plant City, Fla.), 25-6
Lost to Lake Brantley in Class 8A playoffs. Season over.
47. (5) Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.), 27-3
Lost to Ponte Vedra 2-1 in the Class 5A semifinals. Season over.
48. (45) American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), 25-3
Season over.
49. (NR) Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.), 26-2
No. 1 seed for New Jersey Non-Public A North playoffs.
50. (NR) Fayetteville (Ark.), 27-2
Arkansas Class 7A state champion. Season over.
Dropped Out: No. 11 Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas); No. 13 United (Laredo, Texas); No. 22 Starr's Mill (Fayetteville, Ga.); No. 23 Frenship (Wolfforth, Texas); No. 26 Tullahomas (Tenn.); No. 33 Pearland (Texas); No. 34 Fountain Valley (Calif.); No. 36 Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.); No. 38. Whitewater (Fayetteville, Ga.); No. 39 Gainesville (Ga.); No. 40 Loganville (Ga.); No. 41 Cypress Ranch (Houston); No. 42 Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas); No. 44 East Coweta (Sharpsburg, Ga.); No. 48 King (Tampa, Fla.); No. 50 Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas).
