MaxPreps Top 50 national high school baseball rankings

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The Florida Class 8A state playoffs could become a showdown between the top two teams in the country, if this week's Xcellent 50 National Baseball Rankings play out for the remainder of the season.

Olympia continues to hold on to the top spot, but Park Vista is now at No. 2 after National High School Invitational champion San Clemente lost its first game back from winning the NHSI. The Tritons dropped to No. 7 with the loss.

Those two teams are in for a challenge form Sulphur, however, which has yet to lose and has a 24-game win streak to start the season.

The Boras Baseball Classic - Southern California Tournament could have a big effect on next week's rankings, as five teams from Xcellent 50 - JSerra Catholic, San Clemente, Aliso Niguel, Huntington Beach and Alemany - are participating in the event.

A total of 11 new teams enter the rankings this week, topped by a pair of Ohio teams, Archbishop Moeller and Walsh Jesuit, which enter at Nos. 23 and 24, respectively.


1. (last week 1) Olympia (Orlando, Fla.), 19-0
The Titans won a pair of key district games last week, twice defeating Apopka by identical 2-0 scores. Olympia sent its top two pitchers against Apopka with Juan Hillman getting the first shutout on three hits with nine strikeouts and no walks. Michael Byrne followed with a shutout on one hit with eight strikeouts and two walks.

2. (3) Park Vista (Lake Worth, Fla.), 19-1
The Cobras ran their win streak to 19 in a row, including a key 2-1 win over Boca Raton last Saturday. Park Vista also defeated Leonard 10-0 and Spanish River 2-1. Austin Smith got the win over Boca Raton, striking out eight and allowing one run on three hits. He also pitched three innings against Spanish River and struck out five in three shutout innings. Joey Genord added a home run and Ben Greenstein added a home run against Leonard.

3. (4) Sulphur (La.), 24-0
The Tornadoes won three one-run games last week to stay undefeated. In a 5-4 win over New Iberia, Andrew Sheridan and Nick Briggs each hit home runs with Sheridan adding a triple. In a 6-5 win over Carencro, Kale Breaux and Andrew Mire each had a pair of hits. Breaux also went seven innings and struck out 10, but did not get a decision in a 4-3 win over Sam Houston.

4. (5) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 11-0
The Gaels won their only game of the week, defeating Rancho 7-0 on Saturday. Cadyn Grenier had a big game, going 3-for-4 with a double and a triple and three runs scored. Jack Little went seven innings and gave up four hits while striking out five with no walks.

5. (6) St. Rita (Chicago), 11-0
St. Rita continued to win big last week, defeating Kenwood 15-1, Reavis 14-6, Oak Park River Forest 9-6 and Crown Point 9-7. Tyler Halas had a triple and a grand slam against Kenwood while driving in six runs. Grant Mullin homered against Reavis while Halas hit a double and triple against Oak Park River Forest. Halas and Esteban Martinez both homered against Crown Point.

6. (7) Pearland (Texas), 19-1-1
The Oilers won twice in district play, beating Manvel 5-4 and Dobie 10-0. Eddie Redou went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs against Manvel while Seth Mikeska was 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBIs against Dobie.

7. (2) San Clemente (Calif.), 14-1
After winning the National High School Invitational last week, San Clemente returned home and lost to Mission Viejo 3-0. The Tritons bounced back, however, to beat Laguna Hills 8-2 and San Juan Hills (San Juan Capistrano) 4-2 in 13 innings. Lucas Herbert went 3-for-3 with a double in the win over Laguna Hills while Dylan Riddle struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings pitched in a no-decision against San Juan Hills.

8. (9) College Park (Pleasant Hill, Calif.), 7-2
The Falcons played just once last week, defeating Berean Christian (Walnut Creek, Calif.) 6-1. Joe DeMers got the win, going seven innings and giving up one run on five hits with 14 strikeouts and one walk. Willie MacIver added a home run. College Park takes on St. Mary's (Stockton) in the Elite Eight Tournament at Saint Francis (Mountain View) this week.

9. (11) JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), 9-1
The Lions were inactive last week and will open the Boras Baseball Classic – Southern California Tournament against Granite Hills (El Cajon), the defending San Diego Section Open Division champion.

10. (15) Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.), 15-2
The Panthers won three games last week, beating Grayson (Loganville) 6-1, Dacula 8-2 and Shiloh (Snellville) 10-4. Brandon Hill had a double and triple against Grayson and homered against Dacula. Trevor Brown hit one out against Shiloh while Austin Biggar went 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs.

11. (8) Bryant (Ark.), 15-1
Bryant saw its 42-game win streak come to an end with a 3-2 loss to Little Rock Catholic, but rebounded to defeated Sheridan 6-3 in a nonconference matchup. Drew Tipton had a pair of triples in the win and went 3-for-4. Bryant has a crucial match looming with Conway this week.

12. (16) Fayetteville (Ark.), 13-1
The Purple Bulldogs took a pair from Northside (Fort Smith) last week, winning 7-1 and 10-0. Andy Pagnozzi struck out 10 and gave up one run on three hits in the 7-1 victory. Pagnozzi also hit a home run in the 10-0 victory while Cody Davenport and Drew Tyler each had a double and a triple.

13. (18) Dallas Jesuit (Texas), 17-1-2
The Rangers won a pair of district games, beating Irving twice by scores of 12-4 and 11-0. Darius Hill was 3-for-4 with a triple and a home run and two RBIs in the 12-4 victory. For the season, Hill is batting .426 with three home runs.

14. (20) Coppell (Texas), 12-2
The Cowboys were inactive last week and will head back into action against Richland this week before a pair of crucial games against once-beaten Trinity (Euless).

15. (21) Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 17-2
The Huskies won a pair last week, blanking Basha (Chandler) 6-0 and edging Gilbert 11-9. Nick Brueser was 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBIs against Basha while Zane Strand went the distance for the shutout, striking out six. Breuser added a pair of doubles against Gilbert.

16. (23) Oak Ridge (Conroe, Texas), 14-1
The War Eagles won another big District 6A-16 showdown with a dominating 18-5 win over The Woodlands. Oak Ridge also defeated Northland Christian 11-3. Luken Baker homered against The Woodlands while Matt Mihalov hit a home run and a triple, and Riley McKnight had two triples against Northland Christian.

17. (24) Canyon del Oro (Tucson, Ariz.), 17-1
The Dorados scored a pair of shutouts last week, defeating Buena (Sierra Vista) 13-0 and Casa Grande 6-0.

18. (10) Mosley (Lynn Haven, Fla.), 17-3
The Dolphins dropped a 5-3 decision to Arnold (Panama City) in tournament play last week, but also defeated Lafayette (Lexington, Ky.) 10-2, East Jessamine (Nicholasville, Ky.) 10-5 and Gulf Breeze (Fla.) 11-3. Dillon Brown got the win against Gulf Breeze, striking out seven. Clay Causey went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. Micheal Cullen went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs against Lafayette while Peyton Millirons had a home run and three RBIs against East Jessamine.

19. (12) Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.), 15-3
The Admirals went 5-1 at the DeMarini/Diamond Academy Classic. Farragut won the first three games of the event, beating William Blount 12-3, Heritage 1-0 and Noblesville (Ind.) 2-0 before falling to Mt. Juliet 5-0. The Admirals rebounded to defeat Morristown West 15-5 and Davy Crockett 9-1.

20. (13) Boca Raton (Fla.), 16-2
The Bobcats have only lost twice, both times to Park Vista by one run, including a 2-1 defeat last Saturday. Boca Raton knocked off Spanish River 3-2 and Santaluces 4-1 in district play last week.

21. (14) Summerville (S.C.), 13-2
Summerville beat the No. 1 team in the coaches association state 3A rankings, Belton Honea Path, 3-1 last week, but fell to Socastee 15-9. The Green Wave also topped Lexington 12-2 and White Knoll 5-2. T.J. Hopkins hit a home run against Belton Honea Path while Brock Tobin went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs against Lexington.

22. (NR) Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati), 3-0
The Crusaders opened the season with three straight wins, beating Ryle (Union, Ky.) 5-1, Glen Este (Cincinnati) 11-2, and St. Xavier (Cincinnati) 4-2.

23. (NR) Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), 2-0
The Warriors opened the season with a 16-1 win over Holy Name behind Ryan Feltner's 11-strikeout performance. Ty Shoaff topped that effort by tossing the 10th no-hitter in school history in a 12-0 win over Perry (Massilon).

24. (26) Aliso Niguel (Aliso Viejo, Calif.), 11-5
The Wolverines concluded the Anaheim Lions Tournament with a 17-0 win over Greeley West (Colo.), a 12-2 win over Bishop Manogue (Reno, Nev.) and a 4-3 win over Valencia (Placentia).

25. (27) Huntington Beach (Calif.), 7-6
The Oilers posted two shutouts last week, beating Fountain Valley 4-0 and Marina (Huntington Beach) 9-0. Hagen Danner hit a home run against Fountain Valley and then went six innings and gave up just one hit with six strikeouts against Marina.

Second 25

26. (28) Puyallup (Wash.), 8-2
The Vikings made a strong return from the National High School Invitational with three wins last week. Puyallup defeated Bethel (Spanaway) 9-3, Rogers (Puyallup) 10-1 and Curtis (University Place) 2-0.

27. (29) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 15-3
The Raiders won their only game of the week, defeating Nova (Davie) 9-6 last week. Alex Dickinson had a home run and two doubles in the win.

28. (31) Charles Henderson (Troy, Ala.), 28-2
Charles Henderson won five times last week, beating Northview twice, 3-0 and 14-3, Houston Academy 13-4, Muscle Shoals 5-4 and Paxton (Fla.) 9-4. Chase Smartt is batting .523 with 37 RBIs and 16 doubles.

29. (32) College Park (The Woodlands, Texas), 15-2
The Cavaliers rebounded from the loss to Oak Ridge with a 10-0 win over Summer Creek and a 9-4 win over Kingwood (Humble).

30. (34) Dana Hills (Dana Point, Calif.), 16-2
The Dolphins fared well at the Anaheim Lions Tournament, beating Roosevelt (Eastvale) 14-2, Santa Barbara 7-1, and Berkeley 6-3. Dana Hills also had a 2-2 tie turned into a forfeit win.

31. (35) Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.), 14-2
The Chargers lost their second game of the season, falling to Los Alamitos 4-1 in league play. Edison defeated Newport Harbor 4-3 in 11 innings earlier in the week. An earlier reported loss to Marina (Huntington Beach) was actually a win.

32. (36) Alexander (Laredo, Texas), 14-1
The Bulldogs won their only game of the week, defeating the Del Rio Rams 9-1.

33. (22) Carroll (Corpus Christi, Texas), 11-1-1
The Tigers suffered their first loss of the season, falling to Ray (Corpus Christi) 3-2 in district play.

34. (37) Flower Mound (Texas), 16-3
The Jaguars played only one game last week, defeating Plano West 5-0 in district play.

35. (46) Oxford (Miss.), 17-0
Oxford won three times, beating Saltillo 10-0 and 13-1, then Tupelo 8-1.

36. (41) Whitewater (Fayetteville, Ga.), 12-3
Whitewater won a pair of regional games, beating Carrollton twice, 5-0 and 13-4.

37. (NR) O'Connor (Helotes, Texas), 12-0-1
The Panthers have won 12 straight to open the season.

38. (NR) Providence Catholic (New Lenox, Ill.), 7-0
Providence Catholic defeated Joliet Catholic Academy to win the WJOL Tournament.

39. (41) Joliet Catholic Academy (Ill.), 5-1
The Hilltoppers defeated Marmion Academy 8-1, Lockport 12-3 and Plainfield Central 16-0 before falling to Providence 17-12 in eight innings in the championship game of the WJOL Tournament.

40. (49) Winter Haven (Fla.), 17-3
The Blue Devils topped Kathleen (Lakeland) 7-4, Haines City 3-2 and Lakeland 6-2.

41. (19) Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.), 17-3
The Bears went 3-1 at the Fresno Easter Baseball Tournament, beating Madera 7-6, Bella Vista (Fair Oaks) 16-4 and Sanger 9-2 while losing to Franklin (Elk Grove) 3-2.

42. (30) College Station (Texas), 14-5-1
The Cougars went 1-1 last week, falling to A&M Consolidated 5-4 in district play and beating Livingston 4-1.

43. (33) La Costa Canyon (Carlsbad, Calif.), 12-2
The Mavericks went 4-1 last week, beating El Camino Real 6-3, Montgomery 11-1, Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 11-3, and Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 11-5 before falling to Chaparral (Temecula, Calif.) 11-5.

44. (NR) Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.), 10-3
The Lancers recently won the Boras Baseball Classic – Northern California Tournament.

45. (NR) South Caldwell (Hudson, N.C.), 11-0
South Caldwell is the top undefeated team in Class 4A in North Carolina.

46. (NR) Starr's Mill (Fayetteville, Ga.), 17-1
The Panthers have the best record in Georgia Class 5A with 13 wins in a row.

47. (NR) San Dimas (Calif.), 14-0
The Saints are ranked No. 3 by the Los Angeles Times.

48. (NR) Rockledge (Fla.), 20-2
Rockledge is ranked No. 1 in the Class 5A state rankings by The Prep Zone.

49. (NR) Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.), 11-2
The Warriors are ranked No. 4 by the Los Angeles Times.

50. (NR) Tate (Cantonment, Fla.), 18-2
Tate is ranked No. 2 in Class 7A by The Prep Zone.

Dropped out: No. 17 Christian Brothers (Memphis, Tenn.), No. 25 Centennial (Bakersfield, Calif.), No. 38 Bellarmine College Prep (San Jose, Calif.), No. 39 Valley Christian (San Jose, Calif.), No. 40 Carroll (Southlake, Texas), No. 43 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.), No. 44 Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), No. 45 Haines City (Fla.), No. 47 Greenbrier (Evans, Ga.), No. 48 Kennesaw Mountain (Kennesaw, Ga.), No. 50 Corona del Sol (Tempe, Ariz.).