Video: Clemson commit makes incredible diving catchWatch MaxPreps Top 100 recruit Keir Meredith make a leaping grab for Glenn (Kernersville, N.C.).
The 2016 MaxPreps National Champion Buchanan Bears saw their reign at the top of the 2017 Xcellent 25 last just one week after losing in the second round of the National Classic last week.
The Bears ascended to No. 1 two weeks ago when Archbishop McCarthy lost in the second round of the National High School Invitational. Buchanan experienced the same treatment when it fell to Sunrise Mountain in the second round at the National Classic in Orange County. The Bears went on to win two more games and finish fifth.
The Bears' loss is Shawnee's gain as the Wolves move up to the No. 1 ranking with a 27-0 record and a 39-game win streak. Buchanan falls to No. 4 with the loss. George Ranch is now at No. 2, while Archbishop McCarthy is moving back toward the top at No. 3.
Only four new teams join the rankings this week with Lamar, St. John Bosco, Helena and Moody joining the mix.
MaxPreps 2017 Xcellent 25 National High School Baseball Rankings
1. (last week 2) Shawnee (Okla.), 27-0
The Wolves move into the No. 1 position in the Xcellent 25 with three more wins, including a 6-5 victory over perennial Class 5A powerhouse Carl Albert. Shawnee also defeated Piedmont 10-0 and 5-0.
Tanner Sparks threw a one-hitter in the 10-0 win. The Wolves have won 39 straight games since the 2016 season.
2. (3) George Ranch (Richmond, Texas), 23-1George Ranch won its only game of the week, defeating Dawson (Pearland) 13-0. The win was the 13th in a row for the Longhorns and kept them undefeated in district play. George Ranch has also posted eight shutouts on the season.
3. (4) Archbishop McCarthy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 19-1
The Mavericks are working their way back to the top of the Xcellent 25 after beating Hallandale 6-0 and Royal Palm Beach 9-1 last week.
Joey Thompson hit a home run against Royal Palm Beach, while
Joe Perez hit one out against Hallandale.
4. (1) Buchanan (Clovis, Calif.), 20-1
The Bears saw their 31-game win streak and No. 1 national ranking end with an 11-7 loss to Sunrise Mountain (Peoria, Ariz.) at the National Classic. Buchanan, which opened the tournament with a 7-3 win over co-host Esperanza (Anaheim), bounced back to beat Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 6-1 and co-host El Dorado (Placentia) 4-2 for fifth place. Sophomore
Miguel Ortiz had a big tournament for the Bears, going 7-for-14 with seven RBIs, two doubles, a triple and a home run in four games.
5. (5) Winder-Barrow (Winder, Ga.), 24-2
The Bulldogs took three from Apalachee (Winder), including two by shutout, winning 7-0, 4-2 and 12-0.
Daniel Buice struck out nine and
Zack Smith hit a home run in the 7-0 win.
Will Hardigree fanned 11 in the 4-2 victory.
6. (9) Huntington Beach (Calif.), 15-3
The Oilers prepped for the Boras Classic by taking a pair from Edison (Huntington Beach) last week. In an 11-0 win,
Josh Hahn,
Hagen Danner,
Nick Pratto,
Cory Moore and
Garrett Runyan all hit home runs with Pratto throwing a one-hit shutout with nine strikeouts. Danner struck out 12 for the win in a 4-3 contest that saw
Ben McConnell hit one out.
7. (10) North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.), 25-2
North Gwinnett heads into the final week of the season with three more wins, beating Discovery (Lawrenceville) 12-3, Peachtree Ridge (Suwanee) 6-5 in eight innings and Mountain View (Lawrencville) 11-0. Freshman
Josh Shuler and
Parker Coyne homered against Mountain View.
8. (13) South Hills (West Covina, Calif.), 16-3
The Huskies picked up a big win early in the week, beating Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 3-0. South Hills also knocked off Claremont 6-4 and 3-1 in Palomares League play and take on Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) next week.
9. (14) Columbus (Miami), 19-1
The Explorers head into the final week of the regular season with two more wins as they bounced Miami Springs 11-2 and Coral Reef 4-1 last week.
10. (NR) Lamar (Houston), 20-2-1
Lamar has been ranked No. 3 in the Class 6A state rankings by Texas High School Baseball, but it will probably move up a spot following the loss by Lake Travis last week.
Colson Kostelnik delivers from George Ranch during a recent outing against Lufkin.
File photo by Rudy Hardy
The Cavaliers suffered their first league loss of the season, falling to Vista Ridge (Cedar Park) 6-5 in the second game of a doubleheader. Lake Travis also defeated Vista Ridge 6-3 on Wednesday and 2-1 on Thursday.
12. (7) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), 17-2
The Broncos had a rough start to the San Diego Lions Tournament, losing their first game to Madison (San Diego) 2-0. Rancho Bernardo bounced back to beat Helix (La Mesa) 3-2 in 10 innings, Westlake (Westlake Village) 9-0 and Elk Grove 5-1 to win the consolation championship.
13. (NR) Helena (Ala.), 28-4
The Alabama Sports Writers Association has Helena ranked No. 1 in Class 6A and it has recent wins over Hoover, Hartselle, Spanish Fort and Thompson.
14. (19) West Monroe (La.), 29-2
The Rebels continue to play well, dumping Pineville three times last week by scores of 5-2, 13-8 and 7-0. West Monroe finishes the regular season with three games against Alexandria.
15. (8) Owasso (Okla.), 22-2
The Rams split their two games with Bixby last week, losing 8-1 before rebounding to win the next day 10-2.
Athanie Leeviraphan had a home run, while
Caleb Denny went 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs in the win.
16. (11) Allatoona (Acworth, Ga.), 24-3
The Buccaneers went 2-1 during the week, routing Osborne (Marietta) 15-0 and 19-0 before losing to Dalton 7-6 in nine innings. The 15-0 game went three innings with
Landon Babay throwing a three-inning, no-hitter with six strikeouts.
Kyle Jacobsen had a home run in both wins.
17. (23) Mosley (Lynn Haven, Fla.), 17-1
Michael Cullen and
Brett Robertson both hit home runs with Cullen driving in four and Robertson knocking home three in an 11-1 win over Marianna. Mosley also beat Arnold 6-0 as Nicky Agosto tossed a one-hitter.
18. (25) Colleyville Heritage (Colleyville, Texas), 26-1-1
The Panthers racked up wins over Birdville, winning 4-0 and 6-2.
Alex Scherff struck out 14 in the 6-2 win.
19. (NR) Moody (Corpus Christi, Texas), 17-0-3
Moody has taken over the No. 1 spot in the Class 5A state rankings by Texas High School baseball after Prosper's recent losses.
20. (NR) St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), 17-3
St. John Bosco had a recent three-game sweep of Orange Lutheran and also won two of three from Mater Dei in Trinity League play.
21. (12) Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.), 12-4
The Lancers did not play last week and open the Boras Classic against Gahr (Cerritos).
22. (16) New Hanover (Wilmington, N.C.), 16-1
The Wildcats went 2-1 at the Ashley tournament, falling to Hoggard (Wilmington) 14-10 while defeating Ronald Reagan (Pfafftown) 4-1 and Northwest Guilford (Greensboro) 14-0. New Hanover has a rematch with Hoggard this week and also takes on Topsail (Hampstead).
23. (17) Tate (Cantonment, Fla.), 17-2
The Aggies split a pair with Pace, losing 6-2 early in the week and winning 7-2 on Friday.
24. (18) Canterbury (Fort Myers, Fla.), 16-4
The Cougars won their only game of the week, beating Community School 11-0. Canterbury has a key game this week against IMG Academy.
25. (20) Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.), 16-1
The Crusaders lost their first game of the season, falling to Gilman (Baltimore) 3-0. They got back on track against one of the top programs in Virginia by beating Lake Braddock (Burke) 10-1.
Corey Rosier had a home run against the Virginia club.
Dropped out: No. 15 Oxford (Miss.), No. 21 Prosper (Texas), No. 22 Monsignor Pace (Miami), No. 24 Walton (Marietta, Ga.)
