MaxPreps Southern California Top 25 high school baseball rankings

Coming out of the Spring Break tournament blast undefeated is nearly impossible, as we found out over the past few weeks. So don't be surprised to see teams not moving far down despite losses.

Barely any teams stayed pat for this week's rankings, and that has to do with the introduction of the MaxPreps Computer Rankings. While not considered the ultimate authority, the computer rankings did give a chance to reassess the order of teams, and alterations were made. 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. (1) Clovis, 25-4
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 7 State, 37 National, 9 Xcellent 50

The Cougars haven't played since the last set of rankings, and that's no reason to take them out of the top spot. It should be noted that Cal-Hi Sports and the MaxPreps Computer Rankings each have Clovis lower than Rancho Bernardo, but we don't, and neither does the Xcellent 50. Two games with Central (Fresno) await this week and then there will be one game against Buchanan factored into the next rankings as well.

2. (5) Huntington Beach, 17-2
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 8 State, 40 National, 34 Xcellent 50

A Hard Nine National Classic title will turn some heads, and the Oilers have definitely done that. Huntington Beach has now won 15 games in a row and has catapulted to the top of the Los Angeles Times' rankings and those from Cal-Hi Sports. Two games with Fountain Valley are on the slate this week.

3. (12) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), 16-3
Classification: San Diego Section Open
Ranks: 6 State, 28 National, 21 Xcellent 50

And we reward another team with a big tourney win, as the Broncos won it all in the San Diego Lions Tournament's Classic Division. They beat Otay Ranch 3-2 in the semifinals then took the title later in the day by winning 6-0 over Granite Hills. Three games with Canyon Crest Academy (San Diego) are on the schedule for the coming week.

4. (11) Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), 15-4-1
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 18 State, 85 National, 40 Xcellent 50

After tying Loyola last week, the Wolverines knocked the snot out of the Cubs with a 9-1 triumph. They followed up with a 4-3 triumph over Saugus and then beat Capistrano Valley Christian 5-0. They're No. 2 in the LA Times rankings and face Bishop Amat, Alemany and perhaps some other tournament teams this coming week.

5. (3) Loyola (Los Angeles), 15-2-1
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 13 State, 71 National, 41 Xcellent 50

The Cubs lost that 9-1 contest to Harvard-Westlake in league play but bounced back to win 5-4 against La Mirada in a game played at USC. This coming week they have Bishop Amat and Notre Dame to tussle with.

6. (2) Buchanan (Clovis), 18-4
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 20 State, 89 National, 44 Xcellent 50

The Bears undoubtedly won't be vacationing in Elk Grove any time soon. They lost 3-1 to Elk Grove High and 10-3 to Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) in the Boras Classic North last week. Why didn't they fall lower? Both of those teams are highly regarded squads in Northern California. The next three games will be brutal: Two with Clovis West and one against Clovis.

7. (9) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), 16-3
Classification: San Diego Section Open
Ranks: 11 State, 54 National

The Dons lost in a 10-1 blowout to Clovis North at the San Diego Lions Tournament, finishing off a tough way to end with two losses in a row. They bounced back with a 4-1 triumph at Scripps Ranch. St. Augustine and Mira Mesa are on the slate for the coming week for Cathedral Catholic, ranked No. 2 by U-T San Diego.

8. (10) Hart (Newhall), 15-2-1
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 26 State, 134 National

The Indians played once, beating Canyon (Canyon Country) to move to 6-2 in the Foothill League. All they have this coming week is a game hosting Valencia. Hart is ranked fifth by the LA Times and Cal-Hi Sports has Hart eighth in the entire state.

9. (8) Vista Murrieta (Murrieta), 14-5
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 1 State, 6 National

According to the MaxPreps Computer Rankings, this is the best baseball team in California. These rankings, and those of other media outlets, just don't agree.The LA Times has the Broncos at seventh and Cal-Hi Sports has them at 12th in the state. They won 2-0 over Temecula Valley then fell 8-3 to Great Oak. The Southwestern League is such an amazing race to follow, it's hard to tell who is the best of the group.

10. (7) Temecula Valley (Temecula), 13-3
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 4 State, 19 National

The Golden Bears repeated their 2-0 loss to Vista Murrieta in a mirror image but then got back on the winning side against last-place Chaparral in a 14-3 victory. Ranked 10th by the LA Times, Temecula Valley has one more with Chaparral and then a game with Murrieta Mesa.

11. (4) JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano), 13-5
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 9 State, 46 National

What do we do with this team? The Lions have a high computer ranking and the LA Times has them third, plus they are the last team to beat Huntington Beach. But they're not ranked in the state's top 20 by Cal-Hi Sports and they have lost their last two, each by 3-2 scores, to Cypress and Orange Lutheran (on a walk-off walk). They're battling St. John Bosco twice and then Servite once in the coming week.

12. (19) Woodrow Wilson (Long Beach), 18-4
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 32 State, 172 National

The Bruins are on Spring Break and won 5-1 over Jordan (Long Beach) in their only action last week. They don't play again until Saturday, with Glenn and Trabuco Hills schedule. They also face Lakewood. Wilson is in the state's top 20 by Cal-Hi and has moved to sixth in the LA Times rankings.

13. (14) Otay Ranch (Chula Vista), 16-5
Classification: San Diego Section I
Ranks: 38 State, 188 National

The Mustangs lost 3-2 to Rancho Bernardo in the San Diego Lions semifinal, nothing to cry about there. They bounced back to win 10-2 over Southwest (El Centro) and 13-8 over Imperial. Nothing is on the schedule this week for the team that moved into the Cal-Hi top 20 and is fourth in the U-T San Diego poll.

14. (17) Great Oak (Temecula), 15-5
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 3 State, 17 National

The Wolfpack have a very high computer ranking but they're 12th in the LA Times rankings and not in the Cal-HI state top 20. They lost the second of two to Murrieta Valley (5-4) but rebounded to earn a big 8-3 victory over Vista Murrieta. One more with Vista Murrieta and one with Chaparral await.

15. (6) Clovis West (Fresno), 17-6-1
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 60 State, 324 National

The Golden Eagles started out well in the Boras Classic (see last week's rankings) but then things went bad, with a 3-0 loss to St. Francis (Mountain View) and a 7-4 setback to Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills). They have two with Buchanan and then one with Clovis East in the next week.

16. (13) Frontier (Bakersfield), 19-5
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 79 State, 436 National

Maybe the Titans are ranked a little higher than they should be, but you can't knock them down too far when they won their only game of the week, a 9-4 victory over Bakersfield. They have one more with Bakersfield and then one with Stockdale (Bakersfield) in the coming week.

17. (18) Dana Hills (Dana Point), 17-5
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 19 State, 86 National

The Dolphins suffered a 10-3 loss to Aliso Niguel after beating that team earlier last week, but bounced back with a 9-2 victory over Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) and an 8-3 win over Laguna Hills. They have Laguna Hills and Covina on the schedule this coming week.

18. (16) Clovis North (Fresno), 16-7
Classification: Central Section I
Ranks: 21 State, 97 National

The Broncos have fallen quite a bit - a four-game losing streak will do that to a team. But don't forget just how good this squad is, as their most recent game was a 10-1 win over Cathedral Catholic. Before that they lost 2-0 to Otay Ranch. Of those four losses in a row, all four were to ranked teams. Clovis North faces Clovis East twice and Central (Fresno) once in the coming week, a chance to get some wins.

19. (24) Valhalla (El Cajon), 12-5-1
Classification: San Diego Section I
Ranks: 27 State, 148 National

We know this team whacked Clovis North 10-1, yet we are ranking it lower. The overall resume still favors Clovis North, with a tougher schedule and the result against common opponent Cathedral Catholic. Valhalla tied Montgomery 1-1 in the San Diego Lions consolation game and then won 7-3 over Helix (La Mesa) in league play. Two games with Grossmont and one more with Helix await.

20. (15) Carlsbad, 14-5
Classification: San Diego Section Open
Ranks: 29 State, 154 National

The Lancers won twice, taking a 10-0 blowout over Mayfair (Lakewood) and a tight 2-1 league win over Fallbrook. They have one more with Fallbrook and then the first of three with Rancho Buena Vista in the coming week.

21. (23) Chatsworth Charter, 17-4-1
Classification: Los Angeles City Section I
Ranks: 33 State, 179 National

The Chancellors won twice against a pair of Nevada squads, beating Basic (Henderson) 5-3 and Sierra Vista (Las Vegas) 10-2. They have a league game with Cleveland before their tournament this coming week. The LA Times has Chatsworth ranked eighth.

22. (20) Glendora, 14-5
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 37 State, 185 National

The Tartans went 2-1 over the past week. A tight 10-9 loss to Upland in league play was made a little bit easier by a 7-4 triumph over Etiwanda and a 1-0 victory over Rancho Cucamonga. A rematch with Rancho Cucamonga and a game at Etiwanda await in the coming week.

23. (21) Granite Hills (El Cajon), 11-6
Classification: San Diego Section Open
Ranks: 17 State, 83 National

The Eagles did beat Madison 5-1 in the San Diego Lions semifinals, but lost the final 6-0 to Rancho Bernardo and then suffered a 4-3 setback to Grossmont in league play. They have a pair with Steele Canyon and one with Grossmont in the coming week.

24. (25) Chino Hills, 14-4
Classification: Southern Section II
Ranks: 16 State, 82 National

The Huskies lost their only game, a 1-0 setback to South Hills, which was ranked earlier this season. Still, a solid computer ranking and a No. 13 ranking from the LA Times bodes well. Chino Hills is scheduled to play Charter Oak three times in the coming week.

25. (NR) Alemany (Mission Hills), 14-4-1
Classification: Southern Section I
Ranks: 55 State, 287 National

The Warriors replace Banning, thanks to a No. 11 spot in the LA Times rankings. They are 0-1-1 against Chatsworth and have a 5-1 record in the tough Mission League. How long will they stay? Well, with their next four against Harvard-Westlake and Loyola, they will have to play some great baseball.