Final 2015 MaxPreps Southern California Top 25 high school baseball rankings

Video: Hagen Danner baseball highlights
Hagen Danner played a huge role in leading Huntington Beach to our SoCal title, check him out in action

It's not how you start. It's how you finish.

That's the lesson to be learned from the Huntington Beach High baseball team. The MaxPreps 2015 Southern California Top 25 Baseball Rankings champions were 2-5 and heading out to North Carolina to play in the National High School Invitational, regarded as the toughest tournament in the nation.

They went 3-1 in the NHSI and got hot from then on, going 20-2 the rest of the way and winning the Southern Section Division 1 title.

Last year's winner, Clovis High of the Central Section, didn't finish in the Top 25 this year but crosstown rival Buchanan did, placing second.

Click here to see the MaxPreps California Computer Rankings and click here to see California playoff brackets. Records are current as of Thursday morning.


1. (1 last week) Huntington Beach, 25-8
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 2 state, 7 national, 32 Xcellent 50

The Oilers are the champions after defeating Hart by a 3-1 score in the CIFSS Division 1 title game.

2. (2) Buchanan (Clovis), 29-4
Classification: Central 1
Rankings: 7 state, 22 national, 13 Xcellent 50

The Bears won the Central Section Division I crown.

3. (3) San Dimas, 31-1
Classification: Southern 3
Rankings: 10 state, 32 national

Season over.

4. (10) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), 26-7
Classification: San Diego Open
Rankings: 19 state, 83 national

The Broncos beat La Costa Canyon 3-2 in eight innings and that secured a San Diego Section Open Division title. They lost twice to the Mavericks in the regular season but won when it mattered the most.

5. (4) La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad), 26-7
Classification: San Diego Open
Rankings: 13 state, 54 national

The Mavericks fell 3-2 to Rancho Bernardo in the SDS Open Division title game.

6. (5) Hart (Newhall), 20-10-1
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 42 state, 198 national

The Indians' ride to the top ended in the CIFSS Division 1 title game, where the Cinderella run came to an end in a 3-1 defeat to Huntington Beach.

7. (6) JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano), 27-5-1
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 1 state, 1 national, 37 Xcellent 50

Season over.

8. (7) Norco, 25-6
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 12 state, 42 national

Season over.

9. (8) San Clemente, 25-8
Classification: Southern 2
Rankings: 5 state, 16 national

Season over.

10. (11) Mission Viejo, 26-10
Classification: Southern 2
Rankings: 16 state, 75 national

The Diablos won the CIFSS Division 2 title with a 3-1 triumph over Chino Hills. Two runs in the top of the sixth were the difference. They weren't able to move higher because they lost two of three to No. 9 San Clemente this season.

11. (9) El Camino Real (Woodland Hills), 27-7
Classification: Los Angeles 1
Rankings: 21 state, 91 national

LA City Section Division 1 champions.

12. (12) El Dorado (Placentia), 21-9
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 36 state, 174 national

Season over.

13. (13) Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), 24-6
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 6 state, 21 national

Season over.

14. (14) Agoura, 23-5
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 4 state, 11 national

Season over.

15. (15) Fountain Valley, 20-10
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 30 state, 138 national

Season over.

16. (16) Dana Hills (Dana Point), 24-8
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 8 state, 24 national

Season over.

17. (17) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta), 18-9
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 18 state, 81 national

Season over.

18. (18) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks), 22-7
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 23 state, 97 national

Season over.

19. (24) Redondo Union (Redondo Beach), 29-7
Classification: Southern 3
Rankings: 28 state, 123 national

The Sea Hawks emphatically stopped Walnut's stellar run, mashing their way to a dominant 10-0 victory over Walnut to win the CIFSS Division 3 title.

20. (25) San Ysidro (San Diego), 31-3
Classification: San Diego II
Rankings: 29 state, 131 national

The Cougars completed their SDS Division II title run with a 7-2 victory over La Jolla. In addition to finishing the season on a 22-game winning streak, they had two players selected in the MLB Draft.

21. (19) Alemany (Mission Hills), 18-11
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 39 state, 191 national

Season over.

22. (20) Valencia, 20-10
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 45 state, 213 national

Season over.

23. (21) Saugus, 20-10-1
Classification: Southern 1
Rankings: 83 state, 462 national

Season over.

24. (22) Chino Hills, 21-9
Classification: Southern 2
Rankings: 55 state, 265 national

The Huskies lost 3-1 against Mission Viejo in the CIFSS Division 2 title game.

25. (NR) Poway, 23-13
Classification: San Diego I
Rankings: 99 state, 568 national

The Titans took the SDS Division I title and had to fight back to get it. They lost to Rancho Buena Vista in the second round and had to battle through consolation to reach the title game, where they took down Eastlake by a 10-6 score.