National High School Invitational set to shake up MaxPreps Top 25 high school baseball rankings

For the first month of the season, the Corona (Calif.) pitching staff kept the Panthers at No. 1 in the MaxPreps Top 25 high school baseball rankings. But heading into this week's National High School Invitational in Cary, N.C., the offense is hitting its stride.

Through the first 11 games of the season, Corona hit 11 home runs and scored 70 runs. The pitching staff allowed four runs during that span.

In three games this week, however, Corona belted 13 home runs while batting .450 as a team. The Panthers also registered three more shutouts, giving them 12 on the season.


New to the MaxPreps Top 25 this week are St. John's (Washington, D.C.), which has only lost to No. 2 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.). Joining the Cadets are undefeated Conway (Ark.), Aquinas (San Bernardino, Calif.) and South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.), which handed IMG Academy its only loss.

Game of the week: Harlem (Ga.) def. West Laurens (Dexter, Ga.), 1-0. The Bulldogs scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Layton Sowinski doubled, moved to third on a single and scored on a two-out, two-strike passed ball to end the game.

Game to watch: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) vs. Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.). While there are a number of good first-round games at the National High School Invitational, the best game of the week might be the Ascenders and the Titans. IMG Academy has jumped to No. 2 in the rankings with 10 straight wins. Blessed Trinity has been even hotter, winning its last 19 games and moving up to No. 15.

Pitcher and Hitter of the week: Joey Lawson, Bishop Verot (Fort Myers, Fla.). Hard to beat the week Lawson had on the mound and at the plate. He had a seven-inning no-hitter with 16 strikeouts against Barron Collier (Naples, Fla.) and also hit four home runs during the week with two in one game. The no-hitter was his second of the year as he ran his strikeout total to 85. He also has six home runs.

Streaks: Owyhee (Meridian, Idaho) won three times last week to increase its win streak to 31 games.

MaxPreps Top 25 baseball rankings

1. Corona (Calif.)
Record: 14-0 | Last week: No. 1
Scores: King (Riverside), 22-0, 21-0
Pitcher of the week: Mason Sims went four innings in the 22-0 win, striking out seven and allowing two hits.
Hitter of the week: Seth Hernandez had a home run and six RBI in the 22-0 win.
Next: Wednesday vs. Casteel (Queen Creek, Ariz.)

2. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Record: 19-1 | Last week: No. 3
Scores: Def. Jesuit (Tampa), 7-2; def. Doral Academy, 11-1
Pitcher of the week: Parker Jennings struck out five and gave up one run on three hits in five innings against Doral.
Hitter of the week: Nick Barron had two doubles against Jesuit and a home run against Doral.
Next: Wednesday vs. Blessed Trinity

3. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Record: 4-0 | Last week: No. 4
Scores: Def. Ryle, 10-0; def. St. Xavier (Cincinnati), 15-3; def. La Salle (Cincinnati), 10-5
Pitcher of the week: Luke Pappano tossed a five-inning no-hitter against Ryle with four strikeouts.
Hitter of the week: Cooper Ridley went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI against St. Xavier.
Next: Wednesday vs. Elder (Cincinnati)

4. Puyallup (Wash.)
Record: 10-0 | Last week: No. 8
Scores: Def. Emerald Ridge, 4-0, 7-5; def. Bonney Lake, 9-1
Pitcher of the week: Mason Pike continues to shine for the Vikings, striking out 12 while giving up no runs on four hits in a 4-0 win.
Hitter of the week: Riley Sanoy finished a single short of the cycle in a 9-1 win with three RBI.
Next: Tuesday vs. Sumner

5. La Mirada (Calif.)
Record: 14-2 | Last week: No. 5
Scores: Def. Downey, 4-3, 11-1; def. Warren, 8-3; def. Downey, 17-6
Pitcher of the week: Connor Jones pitched the final inning in three of the four wins and did not allow a run.
Hitter of the week: Win Gurney had two home runs, including a grand slam, and seven RBI in the 17-6 win.
Next: Wednesday vs. Venice (Fla.)

6. Huntington Beach (Calif.)
Record: 12-1 | Last week: No. 6
Scores: Def. Corona del Mar, 4-2, 4-3, 2-0
Pitcher of the week: Jake Frohn went two innings and struck out five in the 4-3 win.
Hitter of the week: Trent Grindlinger had a home run in the 4-3 as well as the 2-0 win.
Next: Wednesday vs. Poly Prep Country Day

7. Harlem (Ga.)
Record: 23-0 | Last week: No. 11
Scores: Def. West Laurens, 6-3, 1-0
Pitcher of the week: Will Holder struck out 11 in the 6-3 win.
Hitter of the week: Layton Sowinski had a double in the 1-0 win and a home run in the 6-3 victory.
Next: Tuesday vs. Effingham County

8. Gloucester Catholic (Gloucester City, N.J.)
Record: 4-0 | Last week: No. 12
Scores: Def. Kingsway, 4-0; def. Hun, 11-3; def. Pennsville Memorial, 7-3
Pitcher of the week: Jackson Smallets struck out seven in the 4-0 win.
Hitter of the week: Noah Danza had a double and a home run against Hun.
Next: Saturday vs. Toms River East

9. Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.)
Record: 20-2 | Last week: No. 13
Scores: Def. St. Thomas Aquinas, 5-2; def. Fort Lauderdale, 11-0; def. Monsignor Pace, 9-0
Pitcher of the week: Daniel Tartaglia struck out 10 in five innings as part of a combined no-hitter against Fort Lauderdale.
Hitter of the week: Lorenzo Laurel went 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBI in the 11-0 win.
Next: Tuesday vs. Neumann

10. Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Record: 21-0 | Last week: No. 14
Scores: Def. King, 18-0; def. Zapata, 10-0
Pitcher of the week: Collier Carroll threw a five-inning no-hitter against Zapata, striking out eight. The shutout was the seventh in eight games for Calallen.
Hitter of the week: Dallin DeBellas had a double and a home run and five RBI against King.
Next: Tuesday vs. Robstown

11. Owasso (Okla.)
Record: 21-1 | Last week: No. 17
Scores: Def. Bixby, 3-2; def. Jenks, 12-3
Hitter of the week: Cooper Auschwitz had a triple against Bixby and a double against Jenks.
Next: Tuesday vs. Jenks

12. Collierville (Tenn.)
Record: 21-1 | Last week: No. 18
Scores: Def. Bartlett, 7-2; def. Lausanne Collegiate, 1-0
Pitcher of the week: Ridge Harvey struck out eight against Bartlett.
Hitter of the week: J.D. Whitworth went 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBI against Bartlett.
Next: Wednesday vs. Holly Springs

13. Etowah (Woodstock, Ga.)
Record: 22-2 | Last week: No. 2
Scores: Def. Stony Brook, 18-9; def. Newton, 9-0; lost to Houston County, 5-1
Pitcher of the week: Jack Turner tossed a seven-inning shutout against Newton, giving up three hits with four strikeouts.
Hitter of the week: Colin Anderson went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI against Stony Brook.
Next: Tuesday vs. Cherokee

14. Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.)
Record: 25-2 | Last week: No. 7
Scores: Lost to Vestavia Hills, 7-2; def. Vestavia Hills, 7-5, 4-3
Pitcher of the week: Jacob Francis struck out five in 2.3 innings in the 7-5 win.
Hitter of the week: Colby Durden hit a home run in the 4-3 win.
Next: Wednesday vs. Oak Mountain

15. Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Ga.)
Record: 22-2 | Last week: No. 21
Scores: Def. Westminster, 8-0, 10-0, 7-2
Pitcher of the week: Joseph Contreras struck out nine in a five-inning, 10-0 no-hitter.
Hitter of the week: Terrance Bowen had a double and a home run in both the 10-0 and 7-2 wins.
Next: Tuesday vs. Jesuit

16. Bishop Verot (Fort Myers, Fla.)
Record: 21-1 | Last week: No. 22
Scores: Def. North Port, 10-2; def. Gulf Coast, 8-2; def. Barron Collier, 4-0
Hitter and Pitcher of the week: Joey Lawson threw a seven-inning no-hitter with 16 strikeouts against Baron Collier. Lawson also had a total of four home runs during the week including two against North Port.
Next: Tuesday vs. Port Charlotte

17. Buchholz (Gainesville, Fla.)
Record: 22-1 | Last week: No. 10
Scores: Def. Valdosta, 11-4; def. Colquitt County, 7-3; lost to Lincoln (Tallahassee), 10-4; def. Forrest, 9-0
Pitcher of the week: Cohen Lafler got the win over Valdosta, striking out five. He also beat Forrest, striking out six.
Hitter of the week: Kai So had a home run and a double against Valdosta and also homered against Forest
Next: Tuesday vs. Providence

18. Pleasant Grove (Texarkana, Texas)
Record: 20-1 | Last week: No. 25
Scores: Def. Paris, 11-0
Pitcher of the week: Spencer Browning struck out seven in four innings against Paris.
Hitter of the week: Hunter Rose had a double and a triple in the win.
Next: Thursday vs. Liberty-Eylau

19. St. John's (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 15-1 | Last week: NR
Scores: Def. Paul VI, 4-0; def. St. Mary's Ryken, 10-1; def. Archbishop Carroll, 21-1; def. Bishop O'Connell, 10-0
Pitcher of the week: Ren Devereaux gave up two hits over six innings and struck out seven against Paul VI.
Hitter of the week: Nate Hawton-Henley had a home run and four doubles during the week.
Next: Wednesday vs. Bishop Ireton

20. Aquinas (San Bernardino, Calif.)
Record: 13-1 | Last week: NR
Scores: Def. Liberty, 9-8; def. Bishop Gorman, 6-5; def. Cypress, 2-1; def. Linfield Christian, 1-0
Pitcher of the week: Chris Alzaga threw 6.1 scoreless innings and struck out six against Linfield Christian.
Next: Wednesday vs. Arrowhead Christian

21. Ashley (Wilmington, N.C.)
Record: 14-1 | Last week: No. 15
Scores: Lost to North Brunswick, 5-0; def. Topsail, 4-0
Pitcher of the week: Jackson Lee struck out eight against Topsail.
Hitter of the week: Tanner Berry went 3-for-4 in the 4-0 win.
Next: Tuesday vs. West Brunswick

22. Crespi (Encino, Calif.)
Record: 14-1 | Last week: No. 23
Scores: Def. Sierra Canyon, 12-2, 3-1, lost to Sierra Canyon, 7-2
Pitcher of the week: Jackson Eisenhauer struck out nine in the 12-2 win.
Hitter of the week: Josh Stonehouse had two home runs and six RBI in the 12-2 win.
Next: Tuesday vs. Bishop Alemany

23. South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.)
Record: 19-3 | Last week: NR
Scores: Def. Holmes County, 8-1; def. Chiles, 11-4; def. Pensacola Catholic, 4-0; def. Gulf Breeze, 6-1
Pitcher of the week: Coleman Borthwick and Denton Lord combined for a no-hitter against Pensacola Catholic with Borthwick fanning five and Lord striking out six.
Hitter of the week: Coleman Borthwick had a home run and two doubles during the week.
Next: Tuesday vs. Niceville

24. Conway (Ark.)
Record: 13-0 | Last week: NR
Scores: Def. Cabot, 8-5
Pitcher of the week: Silas Cicero got the save against Cabot, striking out three.
Hitter of the week: Max Holland had a double and a home run in the win.
Next: Tuesday vs. Jonesboro

25. Lutheran South Academy (Houston, Texas)
Record: 27-2-1 | Last week: No. 24
Scores: Def. Logos Prep, 11-1, 18-0; lost to Kinkaid, 3-2
Pitcher of the week: Wyatt had a five-inning no-hitter in the 11-1 win.
Hitter of the week: Omar Serna had a home run in the 11-1 win.