High school baseball rankings: Stoneman Douglas wins sixth straight Florida state title, makes big jump in this week's MaxPreps Top 25

Head coach Todd Fitz-Gerald has led Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.) on a journey each of the past six seasons. While the path of each journey has had its own twists and turns, each has led to the same location – Florida's Class 7A state championship.

Last weekend, Fitz-Gerald and Stoneman Douglas won a pair of thrillers to claim the school's sixth straight state title, beating Hagerty (Oviedo) with a come-from-behind, 9-8 walk-off win in the semifinals and holding off No. 2 Venice 2-1 in the championship game. The Eagles relied on the arm of ace pitcher Gio Rojas – the 2025 MaxPreps National Player of the Year – in the final as he threw six and two-thirds scoreless innings and gave up just one hit to get the win.

The title is the seventh overall for Stoneman Douglas, which also won a Class 9A championship in 2016. Fitz-Gerald has eight state championships, winning one in 2008 with American Heritage (Plantation).

The championship victory moves the Eagles from No. 19 to No. 8 in this week's MaxPreps Top 25 high school baseball rankings. Venice drops to No. 11. In California's Southern Section playoffs, Division 1 No. 1 seed Norco lost its second-round game with Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) but the Cougars are still in contention for a championship. Up next is Ayala (Chino Hills) tonight with a chance to play Notre Dame again in the quarterfinals Friday. 

Likewise, Corona, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) and Huntington Beach all have a chance to extend their seasons after winning their playoff opener and then losing in the second round.

St. John Bosco (Bellflower), Orange Lutheran (Orange) and Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) joined Notre Dame with a bye to the quarterfinals after winning their first two playoff games. Since Norco still has an opportunity to advance, it did not entirely drop out of the rankings.

Finally, Catholic (Baton Rouge) won its third straight Select Division I championship in Louisiana with a sweep of Brother Martin (New Orleans). The series marked the second straight year that the Bears defeated the Crusaders for the state title. The 2024 national champions moved from No. 15 to No. 10 in this week's rankings while Brother Martin dropped out.

New teams to the rankings this week include St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park, Fla.), Aledo (Texas) and Etowah (Woodstock, Ga.).

Game of the Week

Stoneman Douglas 9, Hagerty 8. This Florida semifinal was a classic. Stoneman Douglas rallied from two runs down in the fifth inning to tie the game 8-8. The Eagles then got the victory in the bottom of the seventh in walk-off fashion with a basehit by Jackson Taylor that plated the winning run.

Game to Watch

Bishop Moore (Orlando, Fla.) vs. American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.), today. Bishop Moore is having its best year since winning a state championship in 2007. The Hornets are taking on the defending Class 4A champions with the winner moving on to the state championship.

After a earning MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors as a junior, Rojas flew a little more under the radar this year. But he was back in the catbird seat Saturday as he threw six and two-thirds innings of shutout baseball against No. 2 Venice in the Class 7A state final. He struck out 12, walked just two and gave up one hit in leading Stoneman Douglas to its sixth straight state championship. He finished the season 11-1 with 124 strikeouts in 72.2 innings pitched with a 0.58 ERA. He finished his career with a 28-1 record.

Hitter of the Week

Buck Anderson of Pleasant Grove (Texarkana, Texas) had home runs in both of his team's playoff wins over Sanger. He went 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI in a 12-2 win and topped that effort with a 2-for-3 performance with a home run and four RBI in a 12-0 win.

Streaks

Two more wins gives Tomball 36 victories in a row and an undefeated streak of 39 in a row.
 
MaxPreps Top 25 baseball rankings

1. Tomball (Texas)
Record: 38-0-1 | Last week: 1
Scores: Def. Rowlett 4-0, 10-1
Next: Saturday vs. Tyler Legacy 

2. Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Record: 34-2 | Last week: 3
Scores: Def. Fredericksburg 11-0, 11-1
Next: Saturday vs. Davenport

3. Trinity (Louisville, Ky.)
Record: 34-3 | Last week: 4
Scores: Def. Lexington Catholic 5-1, Christian Academy-Louisville 11-2, def. Kentucky Country Day 15-0 
Next: Playoffs (TBD)

Record: 30-1 | Last week: 5
Scores: Def. Brother Rice 10-7
Next: Tuesday vs. Huntley

Record: 24-5 | Last week: 6
Scores: Def. Cypress 2-1, Sierra Canyon 4-3 
Next: Thursday vs. TBD 

6. Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)
Record: 25-5 | Last week: 7
Scores: Def. Santiago 3-1, def. Corona 9-6 
Next: Thursday vs. TBD 

7. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.)
Record: 23-5 | Last week: 8
Scores: Def. La Mirada 3-0, def. Huntington Beach 6-5
Next: Thursday vs. TBD

8. Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.)
Record: 28-6 | Last week: 19
Scores: Def. Hagerty 9-8, def. Venice 2-1
Season complete. Class 7A state champion.

Record: 30-4 | Last week: 9
Scores: Def. Miami Springs 6-2, def. North Broward 6-5
Season complete. Class 3A state champion.

10. Catholic (Baton Rouge, La.)
Record: 37-5 | Last week: 15
Scores: Def. Brother Martin 6-2, 3-2
Season complete. Select Division I state champion.

11. Venice (Fla.)
Record: 32-2 | Last week: 2
Scores: Def. Vero Beach 4-2, lost to Stoneman Douglas 2-1
Season complete.

12. Magnolia Heights (Senatobia, Miss.)
Record: 36-4-1 | Last week: 16
Scores: Def. Madison-Ridgeland Academy 4-1, 9-1 
Season complete. MAIS Class 4A Division 1 champion.

13. Bishop Moore (Orlando, Fla.)