Video: Coppell (TX) Baseball - Preseason RankingsCoppell has one of the deepest pitching staffs in the country, and so far that depth has allowed the Cowboys to win two tournaments, 11 straight games and a place at the top of the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Baseball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard.
The Cowboys went undefeated at the Brenham/Montgomery tournament and took advantage of a loss by No. 1 Oxford (Miss.) to claim the No. 1 ranking this week. Coppell has a tough outing this week as it meets 2015 Final Four participant Dallas Jesuit.
Four teams dropped out of the rankings this week with Clovis (Calif.), Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), Park Vista (Lake Worth, Fla.) and Jesuit (Tampa Bay) joining the list.
Rankings include only teams that play in states where the baseball season has already begun or will begin in the next two weeks.
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Baseball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard
Michael Sandborn and Jesuit have been on fire pitching-wise this season, and are now in the Xcellent 25.
Photo by Alyson Boyer Rode
The Cowboys won their second-straight tournament, capturing first place at the Brenham/Montgomery tournament over the weekend. Coppell topped Jefferson Davis (Houston) 20-0, Montgomery 5-0, Texas City 9-1, Bryan 2-1 and Brenham 13-3.
2. (3) Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.), 8-0
The Huskies remained undefeated with four straight wins, including two at the Desert Vista Tournament. Hamilton defeated Liberty (Peoria) 11-0, Highland (Gilbert) 6-1, Desert Vista (Phoenix) 11-3 and Desert Ridge (Mesa) 11-0.
Nick Brueser had a pair of home runs and five RBIs against Desert Ridge and one home run each against Highland and Desert Vista.
3. (4) JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.), 2-0
The Lions needed 13 innings to do it, but they defeated Roosevelt (Eastvale) 4-3 for their second win of the season. JSerra Catholic also defeated Gahr (Cerritos) 10-3 in its opener.
4. (5) Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 0-0
The Gaels' season opener is scheduled for March 15 at Centennial (Las Vegas).
5. (7) Walton (Marietta, Ga.), 6-0
Walton remained undefeated with a 3-2 win over North Paulding, a 13-2 win over Hillgrove and an 11-10 win over Harrison.
Carter Kieboom had a double and a triple against Hillgrove.
6. (13) Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 9-0
The Mavericks had a previous scrimmage loss to Stoneman Douglas credited as a regular season loss. Archbishop McCarthy is actually still undefeated after a 13-0 win over Coconut Creek and a 16-2 win over American.
7. (1) Oxford (Miss.), 5-1
The Chargers dropped their first game of the season, falling to Hillcrest (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), in the Mid-Mississippi Classic. Oxford also defeated Mooreville 7-0, Warren Central 3-2 and Brandon 7-3 during the week.
Jason Barber got the win against Brandon, but gave up his first earned run in over two years.
8. (11) Westminster Christian (Miami), 9-1
The Warriors picked up five more victories, including a 13-10 win over Gulliver Prep (Miami), but lost their first game of the season to Florida Christian (Miami) 4-3.
9. (12) Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.), 8-1
The Eagles picked up two more wins, beating Coral Springs 7-0 and North Broward Prep 5-2. A previous win over Archbishop McCarthy was actually a scrimmage.
10. (14) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), 0-0
The Broncos' season opener is March 8 vs. Santana.
11. (15) Madison (Vienna, Va.), 0-0
The Warhawks' season opener is May 15 vs. Hayfield
12. (16) Houston (Germantown, Tenn.), 0-0
The Mustangs' season opener is March 14 vs. Buckhorn.
13. (19) Providence (Charlotte, N.C.), 2-0
The Class 4A defending champion Patriots knocked off defending Class 3A state champion Marvin Ridge (Waxhaw) 2-0 and also topped Hough (Cornelius) 7-2 to open the season with two straight wins.
14. (9) Barbe (Lake Charles, La.), 9-1
The Buccaneers won three games by shutout last week, beating Sacred Heart (Ville Platte) 5-0, Zachary 2-0 and Kinder 9-0. Barbe also suffered its first loss, falling to Catholic (Baton Rouge) 6-4.
15. (22) Rockledge (Fla.), 8-0
The Raiders picked up two more wins, dropping Melbourne 4-2 and Eau Gallie (Melbourne) 7-1 to remain undefeated. Rockledge has outscored its opponents 82-5 through eight games.
16. (24) Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.), 6-0
The Bears picked up two more wins in the Coca Cola Classic last week, topping San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno) 10-1 and Edison (Fresno) 15-7.
17. (21) Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.), 1-0
The Lancers knocked off Los Gatos, 6-1, in a rematch of last year's Central Coast Section Division I championship.
18. (8) Orange Lutheran (Calif.), 2-1
The Lancers knocked off defending Southern Section Division I champion Huntington Beach 5-3 and also beat Palm Desert 3-0, but lost to Damien (La Verne) 8-7.
19. (6) Huntington Beach (Calif.), 2-2
The Oilers lost their second game of the season, falling to Orange Lutheran 5-3, but bounced back to defeat Poly (Riverside) 10-6.
20. (18) Westmoore (Oklahoma City), 0-0
The Jaguars' season opener is Monday vs. Capitol Hill.
21. (20) Liberty Christian (Lynchburg, Va.), 0-0
The Bulldogs' season opener is March 19 vs. Steward School.
22. (NR) Clovis (Calif.), 7-0
The Cougars won the Coca Cola Classic in Fresno with a 3-2 win over previously unbeaten Clovis North.
23. (NR) Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), 4-0
The Wolverines opened the season with four straight wins at the Easton Tournament, including a 3-1 victory over defending Los Angeles City Section Division I champion El Camino Real (Woodland Hills).
24. (NR) Park Vista (Lake Worth, Fla.), 9-0
The Cobras have posted five shutouts on the season and also have a 2-1 win over Boca Raton and a 1-0 win over Gulliver Prep.
25. (NR) Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.), 10-0
The Tigers posted five straight shutouts to start the season, including a 3-0 win over Venice, and have seven shutout wins on the season.
Dropped out: No. 10 St. Thomas More (Lafayette, La.), No. 17 Buford (Ga.), No. 23 Tate (Cantonment, Fla.), No. 25 Spanish Fort (Ala.).
