Earlier this season, there was a week that saw a boatload of losses for the teams in the lower parts. This past week, few teams (even those near the top) were immune.
As a result, there are lots of teams that lost that didn't fall out of the rankings.
We do have four new entrants: Redlands East Valley, Grossmont, Lakewood and a team that might be a surprise to many in Santa Margarita.
Remember to check out the
Freeman Rankings for California baseball.
MaxPreps Southern California Baseball Rankings
Griffin Canning and Santa Margarita are in the rankings for the first time this season, on the heels of two wins over Orange Lutheran.
Photo by Jeanine Brock
1 state, 1 national
Division: Southern Section I
The Monarchs,
still No. 2 in the Xcellent 50, whacked St. John Bosco 11-0 and 11-3 in two Trinity League
games.
Davis Tominaga (5-0) got the win and also went 2-for-3 at the plate in the 11-0 victory.
Jeremy Martinez was 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
Aaron Cross upped his record to 8-0 in the 11-3 victory while
Ryan McMahon had a three-run homer and Martinez had a pair of doubles and three RBIs. Two with Orange Lutheran await, but that last its luster when the Lancers took a tumble this past week.
2. (2) Harvard-Westlake (Studio City), 20-3 (6-2 Mission League)
Connor Cuse, Harvard-Westlake
Photo by Vince Pugliese
5 state, 7 national
Division: Southern Section I
The Wolverines are third in the Xcellent 50 and handed Chaminade a pair of shutout defeats last week.
Conor Cuse threw a four-hit 3-0 shutout with six strikeouts on Friday while
Jack Flaherty threw three innings to get the win in a 19-0 contest on Tuesday. Up next are two games with Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks).
3. (6) Oaks Christian (Westlake Village), 20-3-1 (6-0 Tri Valley League)Freeman Ranking: 11 state, 47 national
Division: Southern Section IV
The
Lions are rolling, winning 18 of 19, and their latest win was over previous No. 5 Bonita, 4-1 on a two-hitter. They also took a pair from St. Bonaventure, though one took a furious rally. In the first of two games, the Lions were down 10-6 entering the bottom of the sixth before winning 11-10 on a walk-off, then they beat St. Bonny 12-1 in the rematch. Up next are two games with Grace Brethren (Simi Valley).
4. (8) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), 21-3 (9-0 Palomar League)Freeman Ranking: 8 state, 20 national
Division: San Diego Section Open
The Broncos stuck it to Mt. Carmel with pitching and defense, taking all three games: 8-1, 12-1 and 3-0.
Casey Henderson went the distance in the 3-0 triumph, and yielded just two hits. Two games with Westview are on the schedule, and with a three-game lead in the league standings, Rancho Bernardo is sitting pretty.
5. (3) Fountain Valley, 22-2 (11-1 Sunset League)Freeman Ranking: 3 state, 3 national
Division: Southern Section I
The
Barons (ranked 25th in the Xcellent 25) split two with Los Alamitos, winning 4-0 then losing 10-1. A loss to Los Al would hurt more except there were so many losses in the rankings that Fountain Valley stays high. Two games with Edison and one more with Los Alamitos await this week, though the Los Alamitos game appears to need a date change. They still lead the league title race by 3.5 games, so it's likely just a matter of time for the Barons to win the crown.
6. (9) Granite Hills (El Cajon), 16-4 (5-0 Grossmont Hills League)Freeman Ranking: 20 state, 76 national
Division: San Diego Section Open
The
Eagles whacked West Hills 17-4 and then defeated Helix 7-4. A second
game with Helix is not reported as of writing this, so we'll save that
for next week. So aside from that Helix game, there are two with
Grossmont. This San Diego Section Open Division is going to be a
spectacular postseason spectacle.
7. (13) Serra (Gardena), 19-5 (6-0 Del Rey League)Freeman Ranking: 34 state, 144 national
Division: Southern Section III
The
Cavaliers ran their winning streak to nine, easily dispatching Bishop Montgomery 10-0 and 10-1. Serra got RBIs from five different players in the 10-1 win and
Solemon Bates threw a two-hitter in the shutout. Two games with St. Paul are on the schedule this week.
8. (17) Loyola (Los Angeles), 18-8 (9-1 Mission League)Freeman Ranking: 43 state, 218 national
Division: Southern Section I
The Cubs beat Alemany 3-1 and 4-2 in a pair of tight league games and then bested Cathedral 11-1 in the Redondo Tournament. The Cubs have two league games left (against Chaminade) and control their own destiny for the league title. A nonleague game with JW North is also on the schedule. One loss against Chaminade, though, and that could open the door for Harvard-Westlake.
9. (18) Buchanan (Clovis), 22-2-1 (10-1 Tri-Rivers League)
Justin Hinojosa, Buchanan
Photo by Gregg Samelson
10 state, 28 national
Division: Central Section I
The Bears have won 10 of 11 contests and are ranked 20th in the Xcellent 25. They won 7-5 and 9-5 over Clovis West to continue their push to a league title and will face Clovis twice before playing Clayton Valley at the O.co Coliseum in Oakland. Buchanan is definitely the frontrunner in the Central Section.
10. (4) Orange Lutheran, 16-6 (7-4 Trinity League)Freeman Ranking: 7 state, 18 national
Division: Southern Section I
The
Lancers had to beat Santa Margarita twice to stay in the league title race - and weren't able to do so. They lost twice, 9-2 and 3-2, and fell from the Xcellent 50. With two games against Mater Dei this week, the Lancers are likely looking at another drop in the rankings, unless they can find some magic.
11. (5) Bonita (La Verne), 21-3-1 (8-0 Hacienda League)Freeman Ranking: 29 state, 119 national
Division: Southern Section III
The
Bearcats lost 4-1 to Oaks Christian but own a win over Cypress to fall in at 12th. They stomped Los Altos 4-0 and 9-0 to stay unbeaten in league play, with the 9-0 win featuring a no-hitter. They have two games with Walnut this week and have a two-game lead in the league standings.
12. (19) Cypress, 19-6 (6-2 Empire League)Freeman Ranking: 15 state, 55 national
Division: Southern Section II
The
Centurions bounced back with three victories this past week. They swept Yorba Linda 2-1 and 6-3, then took down Millikan 7-0 in the Redondo Tournament on a three-hitter. They hold a one-game lead over Yorba Linda and Pacifica (Garden Grove) in the Empire League standings, and will face Pacifica twice this week.
13. (7) El Toro (Lake Forest), 16-6 (7-0 South Coast League)Freeman Ranking: 6 state, 17 national
Division: Southern Section I
The
Chargers split with Trabuco Hills, winning 6-5 in 10 innings but losing 7-2.
Jonah Arenado knocked in three runs in the win. They get back to league play with two against Tesoro and appear to have the league title locked up.
14. (20) Agoura, 19-8 (10-2 Marmonte League)Freeman Ranking: 66 state, 365 national
Division: Southern Section I
The Chargers took down Westlake 5-2 and 6-0, then beat Palisades 12-1 over the weekend.
Kyle London stole three bags in the win over Palisades and
Andy Sondreaal threw a complete-game shutout in the 6-0 triumph over Westlake. They can do no worse than a shared league title, and have two games left this season: against Simi Valley. One win nets the league title.
15. (22) Temecula Valley (Temecula), 16-4 (9-2 Southwestern League)Freeman Ranking: 21 state, 77 national
Division: Southern Section II
The
Golden Bears got back to winning, taking a pair from Murrieta Mesa, 5-1 and 2-0.
Burke Mitchell threw a three-hit shutout in the 2-0 win. They have two with Great Oak this week and can eliminate that team from the league title race with one win.
16. (23) Carlsbad, 19-4 (9-0 Avocado West League)Freeman Ranking: 23 state, 97 national
Division: San Diego Section I
The Lancers stifled Rancho Buena Vista, winning three times: 6-1, 2-1 and 3-1. That's 10 wins in a row. They face El Camino twice, but La Costa Canyon lurks just one game back in the league standings, and they will face LCC three times next week.
17. (11) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego), 17-6 (5-2 Eastern League)Freeman Ranking: 27 state, 115
Division: San Diego Section I
The
Dons lost 3-0 to Mira Mesa (with all runs coming in the first inning) but bounced back by beating Patrick Henry 3-1 and Mater Dei Catholic 12-3. They have one game with Patrick Henry this week.
18. (12) Canyon (Anaheim), 17-5 (9-4 Century League)Freeman Ranking: 9 state, 23 national
Division: Southern Section I
The Comanches are slipping lately. They split with El Modena, winning 4-1 and losing 1-0, and they have lost three of six now. They also beat Foothill 3-1 in a league game. A game with Brea Olinda and then two with Villa Park are the next challenges on the schedule. Canyon trails El Dorado by 1.5 games in the league standings.
19. (NR) Redlands East Valley, 18-4-1 (8-3 Citrus Belt League)
Marcos Vega, Redlands East Valley
Photo by Rob Carmell
62 state, 333 national
Division: Southern Section II
The Wildcats lost twice to Redlands and that booted them from the rankings earlier this year. Last week, though, they took two from their crosstown rivals so they're back. In a 3-1 triumph that lasted 12 innings, all the runs came after 11 scoreless frames. And in a 1-0 win,
Marcos Vega hit an RBI double. It's a three-way tie atop the league standings, so expect fun down the stretch.
20. (16) San Clemente, 20-6 (6-2 Sea View League)Freeman Ranking: 14 state, 53 national
Division: Southern Section II
The
Tritons dropped a 6-0 matchup with Tesoro, then returned the favor with a 5-0 no-hitter by
Cody Maples. This team has lost three of its last five and will try and bounce back against Dana Hills twice this week.
21. (14) Quartz Hill, 17-6 (9-1 Golden League)Freeman Ranking: 100 state, 610 national
Division: Southern Section III
The
Rebels finally fell to a league opponent, as Knight smacked a 9-0 loss on them. Quartz Hill battled back and won the rematch 7-1. Knight is a good team, and the split could equal a shared league title when it's all said and done. The loss broke an eight-game winning streak and Littlerock is the next opponent for the Rebels.
22. (NR) Grossmont (El Cajon), 18-6 (7-2 Grossmont Hills League)Freeman Ranking: 12 state, 48 national
Division: San Diego Section I
The
Foothillers have a few losses that don't look great, and but they stuck it to Granite Hills, winning 1-0 and 5-2 last week to grab a rankings spot.
Joe Viskas allowed two hits with no walks in the shutout win. They also beat West Hills 14-9. One game with West Hills and one with Valhalla are on the schedule this week for the newest San Diego Section team to earn a spot.
23. (NR) Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita), 13-10 (5-6 Trinity League)Freeman Ranking: 32 state, 132 national
Division: Southern Section I
The
Eagles? The Eagles?! Believe it. The record does not look great but there is more than meets the eye. They took a pair from Orange Lutheran this past week, 9-2 and 3-2. They gave Mater Dei everything it could handle earlier this season, coming within an out of winning. They have also taken down Lakewood and Canyon (Canyon Country). Their losses tell a lot: Three to Mater Dei, one to San Clemente and Orange Lutheran as well.
Griffin Canning is having a stellar season with a 1.97 ERA in 60 1/3 innings.
24. (NR) Lakewood, 18-8 (6-2 Moore League)
Nick Reeser, Lakewood
Photo by Heston Quan
33 state, 143 national
Division: Southern Section I
The
Lancers make their first appearance after taking a 1-0 decision against Long Beach Poly and a 12-4 triumph over North (Torrance). They have the best record in the league, and own wins over Bishop Amat and Canyon, but trail Millikan by one game and Woodrow Wilson by a half-game. Single games with Millikan and Wilson are no the slate this week.
25. (NR) Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo), 18-9 (4-4 South Coast League)Freeman Ranking: 18 state, 70 national
Division: Southern Section I
The
Cougars are back. After losing five of six, they got back on the right path by taking 9-8 and 4-3 wins over Mission Viejo, a previously ranked team. Of those five losses, one came to Fountain Valley and a pair was to El Toro, so there is certainly reason not to automatically write off the Cougars. Furthermore, they have the No. 16 spot in the LA Times rankings and are faring well in the Freeman Rankings. They have two with Trabuco Hills this week.
