Corona (Calif.) chose to end its season as Southern Section Division 1
champions rather than compete in the Southern California regional this
week, solidifying
Catholic (Baton Rouge, La.) as the No. 1 team in this week's MaxPreps Top 25 high school baseball rankings and likely cementing its status as national champion.
While
the likelihood of any team passing Catholic for the No. 1 spot was
remote since the Bears had already finished their season as the top team
in the rankings, Corona certainly could have made a good argument if it
had defeated the likes of
Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) and
Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) in the Southern California regional championship.
However,
Corona decided not to advance to the regional tournament (participation
is optional) and thus its season ended at 30-3 and a No. 2 ranking.
Harvard-Westlake also chose not to participate in the regional
tournament while Orange Lutheran is participating and received the
tournament's No. 1 seed.
It's possible that a team could supplant Corona at No. 2.
Tomball has won 25 straight games and advanced to the Class 6A regional finals in Texas. The Cougars moved ahead of
Flower Mound, which also advanced to the regional finals but suffered a loss to
Keller during the three-game series.
Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) also moved ahead of Flower Mound into the No. 4 position with a 36-1 record.
No. 8
North Broward Prep (Coconut Creek, Fla.), No. 9
Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.) and No. 24
North Cobb Christian (Kennesaw, Ga.) all won state titles last week. No. 13
Granada (Livermore, Calif.) won a North Coast Section championship and will play in the Northern California regional this week.
Dropped out: No. 19
Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville, Fla.)Newcomer: No. 22
Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park, Ill.)Game of the Week: Granada def.
De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 1-0 in 14 innings. In the North Coast Section Division 1 championship game,
A.J. Martinez
had a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 14th inning. Granada's
win ended De La Salle's streak of six straight NCS Division 1
championships (not including COVID years of 2020 and 2021).
Game to Watch: Grapevine (Texas) vs.
Argyle (Texas).
The Mustangs take on the Eagles in a Class 5A regional championship
series. Grapevine split with Argyle earlier in the season during
District 7-5A play with Argyle winning 5-1 and Grapevine winning 11-1.
Grapevine won the district 13-1 while Argyle went 11-3.
Player of the Week: David Hagen of
Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)
threw just the fourth perfect game in school history in a Division 1
state playoff win over Hamilton. He struck out 11 in the 5-0 win.
Streaks:
Eaton
advanced to the championship game of the Colorado Class 3A state
tournament with three wins to put its record at 27-0. The Reds have won
68 straight games since the 2022 season and will play in the
championship game on June 1. Eaton passed
Sumrall (Miss.) for No. 6 on the all-time consecutive wins list. Sumrall had 67 in a row from 2008-10.
North Broward Prep senior Mateo Gray finished 11-0 on the mound this season and hit a home run in the state championship game last week. (Photo: Duane Bierman)
1. Catholic (Baton Rouge, La.)
Record: 38-2 |
Last week: 1
Season complete. Select Division 1 state champion.
2. Corona (Calif.)
Record: 30-3 |
Last week: 2
Season complete. Southern Section Division 1 champion.
3. Tomball (Texas)
Record: 37-3 |
Last week: 4
Scores: Def. Rockwall, 5-1, 5-2
Hitter of the week: Cade Arrambide went 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and two RBI in 5-2 win.
Pitcher of the week: C.J. Sampson gave up one run on five hits in 5-1 win over Rockwall.
Next: Friday vs. Bridgeland, regional final
4. Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)
Record: 36-1 |
Last week: 5
Scores: Def. Stevenson, 10-0; def. Huron, 9-3
Hitter of the week: Chase VanAmeyde went 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI against Stevenson.
Pitcher of the week: Freshman
Aiden Pack went four innings and gave up no runs on one hit with two strikeouts against Stevenson.
Next: Tuesday vs. Catholic Central
5. Flower Mound (Texas)
Record: 38-4 |
Last week: 3
Scores: Lost to Keller, 1-6; def. Keller, 2-1, 10-4
Hitter of the week: Sam Erickson went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored in a 2-1 win.
Pitcher of the week: Zack James got the 2-1 win, giving up one run on six hits with three strikeouts over seven innings.
Next: Friday vs. Richardson Pearce, regional final
6. Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.)
Record: 26-5 |
Last week: 6
Season complete. Class 7A state champion.
7. Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.)
Record: 39-4 |
Last week: 7
Season complete. MAIS Class 6A state champion.
8. North Broward Prep (Coconut Creek, Fla.)
Record: 28-3 |
Last week: 8
Scores: Def. Bishop Verot, 4-1; def. Westminster Christian, 5-4
Pitcher/Hitter of the week:
Mateo Gray finished his season with a 4-1 win over Bishop Verot. He
allowed one run on five hits with six strikeouts. He ended the season
11-0 with a 0.83 ERA and 87 strikeouts. He also had a home run with three RBI in the 5-4 win.
Next: Season complete. Class 3A state champions.
9. Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Record: 40-5 |
Last week: 18
Scores: Def. Beech, 11-5; def. Siegel, 6-0; def. Beech, 13-10; def. Nolensville, 3-1
Hitter of the week: Jake Merrick went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI in 13-10 win.
Pitcher of the week: Cole Draper went seven innings and gave up one run on seven hits with three strikeouts to win championship over Nolensville.
Next: Season complete. Class 4A state champion.
10. Harlem (Ga.)
Record: 40-1 |
Last week: 9
Season complete. Class AAA state champion.
11. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.)
Record: 27-5-1 |
Last week: 10
Season complete.
12. Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.)
Record: 25-7 |
Last week: 11
Scores: Did not play
Next: Tuesday vs. Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), SoCal Division 1 regional
13. Granada (Livermore, Calif.)
Record: 29-1 |
Last week: 13
Scores: Def. Acalanes (Walnut Creek), 6-0; def. De La Salle (Concord), 1-0 (14)
Hitter of the week: A.J. Martinez had the walk-off single in the bottom of the 14th inning to beat De La Salle.
Pitcher of the week: Jake Sekany went nine innings and gave up no runs on two hits with six strikeouts.
Next: Tuesday vs. Clovis West (Fresno), NorCal Division 1 regional
14. Grapevine (Texas)
Record: 36-4 |
Last week: 16
Scores: Def. Lubbock Cooper, 4-0, 5-0
Hitter of the week: Jarett Boswell went 1-for-2 with a home run in the 4-0 win.
Pitcher of the week: Dasan Hill went seven innings for a two-hit shutout in a 4-0 win, striking out nine.
Next: Friday vs. Argyle
15. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Record: 28-2 |
Last week: 17
Scores: Def. Hamilton, 5-0; def. Lakota East, 13-6; def. Cincinnati Country Day, 13-0
Hitter of the week: Conner Cuozzo went 3-for-4 with three RBI against Lakota East.
Pitcher of the week: David Hagen threw the fourth perfect game in school history, striking out 11 over seven innings in 5-0 win over Hamilton.
Next: Thursday vs. Butler
16. Valley View (Jonesboro, Ark.)
Record: 31-2 |
Last week: 14
Season complete. Class 5A state champion.
17. West Monroe (La.)
Record: 31-8 |
Last week: 15
Season complete. Non-Select Division 1 state champion.
18. Lowndes (Valdosta, Ga.)
Record: 35-6 |
Last week: 20
Season complete. Class AAAAAAA state champion.
19. Bob Jones (Madison, Ala.)
Record: 44-9 |
Last week: 21
Season complete. Class 7A state champion.
20. Central (Phenix City, Ala.)
Record: 40-5 |
Last week: 22
Season complete.
21. Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.)
Record: 26-6 |
Last week: 23
Season complete. Class 5A state champion.
22. Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park, Ill.)
Record: 36-0 |
Last week: NR
Scores: Def. Berwyn/Cicero Morton, 9-2; def. Kenwood, 8-0
Hitter of the week: Jaden Fauske went 2-for-2 with two doubles and two RBI against Berwyn/Cicero Morton
Pitcher of the week: John Hughes went four innings and gave up no runs on one hit with four strikeouts against Kenwood.
Next: Wednesday vs. St. Ignatius College Prep
23. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Record: 19-6 |
Last week: 24
Season complete.
24. North Cobb Christian (Kennesaw, Ga.)
Record: 36-5 |
Last week: 12
Scores: Def. Appling County, 6-2, 0-3, 3-0
Hitter of the week: Jackson Uggla went 2-for-3 with a double, a home run and two RBI in a 6-2 win.
Pitcher of the week: Asher Sabom struck out 11 in six innings to beat Appling County, 6-2.
Season complete. Class AA state champion
25. Barbe (Lake Charles, La.)
Record: 34-7 |
Last week: 25
Season complete.
