Top 20 Mid Season Poll

1. Owasso High School-Oklahoma 18-0 (1)
We ranked the best in the country first. Now, it seems ESPN and USA Today have caught on to what we knew all along. This is the Rams third straight week on top of our poll. That goes to show you that if you keep on winning and never lose, you get rewarded. They rack up three more big wins against Washington, Bartlesville, and Page.

2. Bishop Gorman HS - Nevada – 25-1 (3)
The Gaels averaged 15 runs a game in their last three big wins. They are playing really high level baseball right now and doing so against national competition and local teams. The local teams can’t compete right now, but baseball is sometimes unpredictable and it’s tough to route teams and keep up the momentum. But, if anyone can do it, BG can.

3. Orange Lutheran – California 16-2 (4)
They take two from J. Serra of Southern California. In game #1, All-American Gerrit Cole struck out 10 and pitched a complete game 2 hit shut-out. Aaron Gates and Cole contributed RBI’s in the win. In game two it was Gates on the mound and pitched a 3 hitter himself in a 4-2 win.

4. American Heritage - Florida – 21-2 (5)
Pompano, Everglades and Westwood were no match for the Patriots…and we mean no match. The Pats outscored them 36-3. Joey Belviso’s 12 HR’s and Eric Hsomer’s 9 bombs are the keys to their lofty record this year.

5. Lake Brantley HS, Florida 21-0 (6)
WOW!!! 21-0 is an impressive record and so are their wins vs. Lake Mary, Haggerty and Lake Howell. They continue to move up the poll.

6. Don Bosco Prep - New Jersey – 6-0 (8)
In the east, Catholic schools play on Sundays. The Church of Baseball…We like it. And on this holy day, DBP beat St. Joe's (Metuchen, N.J.) 8-1. Mike Dennhardt (Boston College) went 6 innings getting the win. Niko Spezial gets the save. To date, Don Bosco has 83 runs scored vs 5 against. Home Runs in the Sunday Special were by Steve Proscia (Virginia) & Ben Luederer (Marist) for Don Bosco Prep. Earlier in the week, Sam Cerbo (Delaware) gets the win vs. JFK. Eric Pfisterer (Duke) had a Grand Slam AND pitched a No-Hitter.

7. Sarasota - Florida – 16-2 (9)
Jesuit was the Sailors latest victim as they move up the polls and are ready to prove why they were pre-season favorites coming into the season.

8. Crespi Carmelite College Prep – 13-5 California (2)
They lose 2 out of last three and their web site suggests that their losses were a audition for the remake of the Keystone Cops. Unlike a few games that were played in the Midwest and Northeast this week, Crespi had to play in 98 degree heat. AAAWWW! Seriously, baseball is a game of ups and downs and Crespi is a great team and will stay in our Top 10, despite the heat stroke they surely suffered vs. Thousand Oaks and Loyola.

9. Plant High School – Florida – 20-2 (7)
After winning four straight, the Panthers drop a tough one to Brandon in the Saladino Tourney. They drop a bit, but 20-2 is still a great record and stay in the top 10.

10. Poway – California – 16-3 (11)
It’s tough to beat a team three times in one season…even tougher when those games are back to back to back. Mt. Carmel is one team that doesn’t want to remember the Titans as Poway beat them handily. Brett Thomas and Alex Dickerson are carrying the big sticks with .453 and .438 BA’s respectively.

11. Long Beach Wilson - California – 17-3 (12)
The Bruins have raked up 8 straight W’s and Zach Wilson could convince the locals that the school is named after him with his lofty .507 BA. Right on his tail is fellow prop prospect Aaron Hicks at .490.

12. Alvin HS - Texas – 20-3 (15)
We received a few e-mails that criticized us for having Alvin in our poll. Those e-mails must have made their way into the Yellowjackets dug-out as they win two more last week against Pearland and Clear Creek.

13. Aptos HS - California – 17-3 (16)
Soquel and Scotts Valley couldn’t keep up with the hot bats of the Mariners. They move up quite a bit.

14. Vista Murrietta - California – 14-4 (17)
Two more wins against Murrieta Valley move the Broncos up the ladder.

15. Barbe - Louisiana – 23-4 (18)
Barbe is on a hug roll with it’s 6th straight win. Sulphur is the latest victim and the Buccaneers move up.

16. Moody High School – Texas - 19-0 (20)
A few big wins over Calhoun and Miller move the Trojans up while they give their opponents a bit of a moody feeling after they get beat up by this tough Texas team from Corpus Christi.

17. Serra HS – California - 16-4 (NR)
They are back due to a huge win over California’s #1 ranked team, Valley Christian of San Jose. The Padres didn’t just beat them, they beat them up...16-1. Great pitching by Ryan Allgrove and two HR’s by Ryan Palermo (his 10th & 11th), one a Grand Slam, puts the Pads right back up in the national spotlight. Can they hold on to it this time?

18. St. Johns College HS - Washington DC 8-3 (16)
A team this loaded with talent has high expectations and a huge target on it’s back. They lose another game to DeMatha. Their weather has not been conducive for baseball and that usually evens out the playing field. They drop in the polls too.

19. Jupiter - Florida - 17-4 (13)
The Warriors have lost two in a row and we’ll give them one more week in the polls, but that’s about it.

20.Grossmont HS - California - 14-5 (10)
They had a chance to prove to a Petco Park crowd that they were the real deal and lose a tough contest to Granite Hills. We will keep them in the top twenty but they need to re-group and play tough the rest of the year.