MaxPreps Southern California Top 25 high school baseball rankings

We have a new team atop the MaxPreps Southern California Top 25 Baseball Rankings, as that deep and brutal Fresno-area competition knocked Clovis from the top.

Rancho Bernardo is now in the driver's seat, thanks to seven wins in a row and 15 of 16. What works in Clovis' favor is that Rancho Bernardo has a lot of games left - and that means chances to slip up. Central Section teams have the playoffs coming very quickly, so Clovis could win a section title and jump right back up.

The Central Section wraps up the regular season this week, the Southern and Los Angeles City sections end at the end of next week and San Diego ends the week after.

Be sure to check out Joe Davidson's MaxPreps story on the best 15 high school baseball teams in state history by clicking here.

Click here to visit the California computer rankings and click here to see the California stats leaderboard.

Wednesday matchups are not factored into this week's rankings.


1. (2) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), 20-3
Classification: San Diego Section Open
Ranks: 5 State, 21 National, 12 Xcellent 50

A series sweep over Mt. Carmel gets the Broncos the top spot in the rankings, and Cal-Hi Sports did the same. This team has been atop the U-T San Diego rankings for a while now. They won 5-3, 6-5 and 10-2 over Mt. Carmel last week. They played Westview Wednesday and will face them Friday, then Poway (formerly ranked) on Monday.

2. (1) Clovis, 29-5
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 7 State, 24 National, 16 Xcellent 50

After gutting out a 1-0 win over Buchanan last week, Clovis' luck caught up with it in a 9-4 loss to the Bears. There's hardly reason to panic, though, as they already have clinched at least a share of the TRAC title with Buchanan. They won 4-3 over Clovis West after the loss and if they win Friday in the season finale against Clovis West, they will own the league title.

3. (5) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), 19-3
Classification: San Diego Section Open
Ranks: 9 State, 38 National

The Dons, second in the U-T San Diego poll, beat Patrick Henry 5-3 in their only contest. They face Scripps Ranch Friday and Monday.

4. (4) Buchanan (Clovis), 22-6
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 14 State, 59 National, 39 Xcellent 50

The glory of beating Clovis 9-4 was quickly wiped away when the Bears lost 7-3 to Clovis North. TRAC life isn't easy, after all. Had Buchanan won against Clovis North it would have set up a tie atop the standings heading into the final game. Now Buchanan needs a win and Clovis loss to force a tie. They wrap up the regular season Friday against Clovis North.

5. (3) Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), 19-5-1
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 13 State, 50 National

The Wolverines were humbled in a 13-5 loss to league foe Alemany, but did split that series. They rebounded to beat a good Agoura team 8-5 and then dispatched Chaminade 4-1. They continue to face Chaminade (Friday) then get Notre Dame Tuesday.

6. (7) Woodrow Wilson (Long Beach), 23-4
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 21 State, 107 National

The Bruins continue to win. And the LA Times now has them No. 2 in the rankings. And while they did grab a solid 3-1 win over Cypress in a nonleague game, the Moore League is not as deep as many other leagues in the region. They beat Cabrillo (Long Beach) 25-1, for example. Wilson faced Compton Wednesday, then faces Long Beach Poly on Monday.

7. (8) JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano), 17-5
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 8 State, 36 National

It's mellow in Lions land, with only wins over Servite (3-1 and 1-0) to report. They have climbed all the way to third in the LA Times rankings as well. JSerra will battle Santa Margarita in a doubleheader Friday and then faces Mater Dei Tuesday.

8. (9) Fountain Valley, 16-6
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 22 State, 110 National

The Barons beat Newport Harbor by a 4-2 count, and they faced Marina Wednesday. They get Marina Friday and then Edison (Huntington Beach) on Tuesday. They are No. 1 in the LA Times poll, but we feel differently.

9. (10) Huntington Beach, 16-4
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 11 State, 48 National

The Oilers took down Marina by a 9-4 score in their only game last week. They faced Edison (Huntington Beach) Wednesday and will do the same Friday, then they go play Los Alamitos Tuesday.

10. (12) Otay Ranch (Chula Vista), 19-5
Classification: San Diego Section I
Ranks: 63 State, 362 National

It's the curious case of the Mustangs, as they fell to eighth in the U-T San Diego poll despite winning 4-0 over Olympian and 13-5 over Mater Dei Catholic. Granted, they aren't playing the best teams around, but this team is still raking the ball (double-digit scoring in four of its last five) and winning. Cal-Hi Sports has Otay Ranch in the top 20 in the state. They face Mater Dei Catholic Thursday.

11. (13) Norco, 20-2
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 6 State, 22 National, 47 Xcellent 50

Welcome to the Xcellent 50, Norco. This team is on a big-time winning streak (18 in a row) after winning 11-4 and 6-3 over Corona and is in the Cal-Hi Top 20, while the LA Times has the Cougars at 12th. This is tough team to peg down exactly how good it is, and a loss in the next few games might be a blessing in disguise as the playoffs loom. They faced King Wednesday and will do so Friday as well before playing Santiago (Corona) on Monday.

12. (14) Great Oak (Temecula), 18-6
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 2 State, 8 National

OK, so in this week's edition of Southwestern League craziness, Great Oak won a tight 4-3 game over Chaparral (not a title contender) then blasted title contender Temecula Valley by a 10-2 score. Great Oak continues to beat the best, then loses to lesser teams. The Wolfpack are tied for first with Temecula Valley. They face those Golden Bears again on Thursday and have a matchup with Murrieta Mesa Tuesday.

13. (6) Temecula Valley (Temecula), 17-6
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 4 State, 18 National

It was a rough week for the Golden Bears, going 1-2. But the losses were to very good teams, so it was by no means a tragedy. They started last week with a 6-0 win over Murrieta Mesa before losing the Boras Classic final to Elk Grove (6-1) and then a league game to Great Oak (10-2). They still are tied for first in their league and battle Great Oak Thursday and Murrieta Valley Tuesday.

14. (15) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta), 17-6
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 3 State, 10 National

The Broncos took down Murrieta Valley (6-5) and Murrieta Mesa (10-1) to keep their league title hopes alive (one game behind Great Oak and Temecula Valley). They will face  Murrieta Mesa Thursday and Chaparral on Tuesday.

15. (16) Dana Hills (Dana Point), 22-5
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 15 State, 65 National

The Dolphins took down San Juan Hills twice, winning 7-6 and 10-1, then also beat Trabuco Hills 3-1 to make it seven wins in a row. They faced San Clemente Wednesday and will do so again Friday.

16. (17) Clovis North (Fresno), 20-8
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 28 State, 145 National

Just like Buchanan, this squad blew a chance at a major leap thanks to a loss. Losing 4-1 to Central (Fresno) isn't a good thing, but the 4-1 win over Central and - more importantly - the 7-3 triumph over Buchanan were good things. This squad is still third in the league but could tie for the title with some help. A win in Friday's season finale with Buchanan would secure at least a spot in second place all alone, maybe a shared league title with Clovis.

17. (11) Hart (Newhall), 17-4-1
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 29 State, 146 National

The Indians lost 4-3 to West Ranch, which has tumbled a bit in the overall scene as the season has gone on. They rebounded and won 3-2 to salvage a split. They faced Golden Valley Wednesday and get another rematch with them Friday and then a game with Saugus Tuesday.

18. (24) Alemany (Mission Hills), 18-5-2
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 35 State, 195 National

It was a stellar week for the Warriors, beating Harvard-Westlake 13-5 and following that up with a 5-2 triumph over Loyola. They will look to keep the momentum going Friday against Loyola and Tuesday versus Crespi.

19. (18) Chatsworth Charter, 23-4-1
Classification: Los Angeles City Section I
Ranks: 18 State, 84 National

The Chancellors have won eight in a row and the LA Times has them ranked seventh. They beat Granada Hills 15-7 and 10-0, then whacked Santa Barbara 11-1. The playoffs will be this team's chance to make a move higher - league play isn't tough enough compared to the others here. They faced Taft Wednesday and will do so again Friday.

20. (19) Glendora, 18-5
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 25 State, 129 National

The Tartans have won six in a row and entered Cal-Hi Sports' top 20 in the state. They bested Etiwanda 5-4 and then beat Los Osos 3-1 as well. They face Los Osos again Thursday and then Alta Loma on Tuesday.

21. (21) Granite Hills (El Cajon), 17-6
Classification: San Diego Section Open
Ranks: 16 State, 70 National

It's tough to move this team up because teams above keep winning. Granite Hills is a big-time contender. The Eagles knocked off Helix by 2-0 and 6-0 scores, then knocked Valhalla out of the rankings with a 7-5 victory. They face Valhalla Thursday and then Steele Canyon on Tuesday.

22. (20) Loyola (Los Angeles), 19-5-1
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 30 State, 147 National

The Cubs have lost three of seven after a hit start this season. They took down Notre Dame 7-1 and Serra 4-3, but lost to Alemany in a 5-2 contest. The rematch with Alemany is Friday and then all they have left is a doubleheader with Gahr over the weekend, then it's on to the playoffs.

23. (NR) South Hills (West Covina), 18-3-1
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 24 State, 122 National

The Huskies are back in the rankings as they and Chino Hills battle for the Sierra League title. They are 16th in the LA Times poll and faced Damien Wednesday. They will play Damien again Friday and then battle Ayala Tuesday.

24. (NR) Chino Hills, 17-5
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 20 State, 97 National

These Huskies are also in the Sierra League and are 18th in the LA Times poll. They entered play Thursday a game behind South Hills and have a 1-2 record against South Hills. They faced Claremont Wednesday and will do so Friday before a Tuesday date with Damien, another league title contender.

25. (25) Frontier (Bakersfield), 23-6
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 80 State, 481 National

The Titans are hanging on, thanks to wins over Stockdale (11-1) and Independence (6-1). Their game Friday against Independence finishes off the regular season.