National high school baseball top 25 rankings (05/04/2025)

With playoffs underway for many states, see how our top 25 fared last week and which teams remain alive in the 2025 season

Venice pitcher Carter Cox (#17) fired a one-hitter last week as No. 5 Venice picked up a pair of wins in the Class 7A state playoffs. / Thomas Bender/Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What a week it was for the teams on our top 25.

With state playoffs roaring across the south, many of the teams on our top 25 this year are already deep into postseason play. With that, only No. 1 IMG Academy has completed its season and is idle at the top.

There were only a few losses combined across all 25 teams last week, so there are very few changes to our list this week. There will be some exciting games and definite changes in the weeks to come, as several of the teams on our list could end up crossing paths in their respective playoffs.

In fact, that will happen this week in Florida's Class 3A playoffs, which hosts No. 7 South Walton, No. 11 Bishop Verot and No. 22 Calvary Christian. Bishop Verot and Calvary Christian will do battle in a best-of-three series this week for a trip to the state semifinals.

Florida's Class 7A also features No. 5 Venice and No. 6 Stoneman Douglas, while Texas Class 6A Division II features No. 10 Houston Memorial and No. 25 Tomball.

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National high school baseball top 25 rankings

May 4, 2025

1. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)

Final record: 24-1

Previous ranking: 1

The Ascenders wrapped up their season on April 25, finishing strong on a 15-game winning streak and picked up 12 wins this year against opponents who would have fit into our top 50. Stacked with talent from top to bottom on their roster, the Ascenders hit .366 as a team while 12 different pitchers saw time on the mound and pitched to a collective 1.54 ERA. The ace of the staff, Chase Bentley, had a big hand, er arm, in all of that. He went 10-0 on the bump this year with a 0.94 ERA, 62 strikeouts and only five walks in 59.2 innings. The offense was led by Dean Moss (.471/.611/1.282) and Sean Gamble (.413/.484/1.310), while Kelvyn Paulino and Nate Eisfelder each batted .371. Eisfelder and Gamble led the team with four home runs apiece and Paulino cracked three.  

2. Corona (Corona, California)

Current record: 25-2

Previous ranking: 2

Coming down the final stretch of the season, the Panthers picked up three more dominant wins last week against Roosevelt (8-0, 5-0, 20-0) to extend their winning streak to seven games. Corona’s pitching staff got the job done yet again, tossing three more shutouts to give them 14 on the season and their first since sweeping King by a combined 43-0 in a two-game series April 1 and April 3. Auburn commit Ethin Bingaman had a huge week, batting .583 (7-for-12) with a double, triple, home run and eight RBI while also picking up the win in a 5-0 shutout of Roosevelt when he pitched six innings, allowing two hits with 11 strikeouts and three walks. Jason Gerfers (seven innings, five hits, eight strikeouts, no walks) and Seth Hernandez (five innings, two hits, 12 strikeouts, no walks) also picked up wins on the mound.

3. Etowah (Woodstock, Georgia)

Current record: 32-2

Previous ranking: 3

The Eagles have breezed through the first two rounds of Georgia’s Class AAAAAA state playoffs. Carrollton proved no match for them last week, as Etowah sent the Trojans packing with 10-3 and 11-1 wins in their second-round best-of-three series. They advanced to the quarterfinal round where they will take on a very tough Parkview squad that is 28-9 on the season in a best-of-three showdown this week.

4. Puyallup (Puyallup, Washington)

Current record: 21-0

Previous ranking: 4

They only played once last week, but the Vikings made it count with a dominant 8-1 victory over Graham-Kapowsin. Mason Pike picked up another win on the mound, surrendering one run on two hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in five innings. He also helped himself with a 2-for-2 day at the plate with a double, walk, an RBI and three runs scored. Shortstop and leadoff man Brayden Landry had three hits, including two doubles, and stole two bases in the game while teammate Keagan Soliza also doubled and finished with three hits. The Vikings clash with another clan of Vikings, the Curtis Vikings, this week.

5.  Venice (Venice, Florida)

Current record: 28-3

Previous ranking: 5

Things could get interesting very soon in the Florida Class 7A state baseball playoffs. Our No. 5 squad and our No. 6 squad, Stoneman Douglas, both remain alive as the tournament gears into its regional finals round. The Indians got it done last week on the backs of their pitching, as they swept Newsome 2-0, 10-0 in their best-of-three regional semifinal series. Carter Cox got the job done in Game 1, firing a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts and no walks in the complete-game shutout. August Backman hit a go-ahead home run in the bottom of the sixth in that one before backing his pitchers again on Thursday with two doubles. Starting pitcher Jackson Lucas also doubled and combined with reliever Kasen Poplin on another one-hitter with nine strikeouts and two walks collectively in five innings. They’ll take on Class 7A Cinderella, seventh-seeded Alonso (19-11), who has won series against second-seeded Windermere 2-1 and sixth-seeded Sarasota 2-0 to get there.

6.  Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Florida)

Current record: 27-2

Previous ranking: 6

As we mentioned above, the Eagles remain alive in the FHSAA 7A playoffs after getting to the regional finals in relative ease. They beat up on fourth-seeded Taravella last week, sweeping them 12-2, 10-0 in their best-of-three series. While Gio Rojas played the hero in the tournament’s first round against Cypress Bay, Nick Diaz took his turn in the spotlight in round two as he went 5-for-7 at the plate with two home runs, a double, five RBI and five runs scored in the series. The Eagles take on third-seeded West Broward in a best-of-three series this week.

7. South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach, Florida)

Current record: 24-3

Previous ranking: 7

Seahawks like a nice breeze, and that’s exactly what they’ve been enjoying so far in the FHSAA Class 3A State Baseball Championships. For the first time in two rounds, the Seahawks finally allowed a few runs last week. Still, it was hardly enough as they beat West Nassau 11-3 and 8-0 to advance to this week’s regional finals against third-seeded Suwannee (23-8) for another best-of-three showdown. With three shutouts in four playoff games so far, South Walton has outscored its opponents 39-3 this postseason.

8. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Florida)

Current record: 27-4

Previous ranking: 8

Elite teams find ways to win and that’s exactly what the Conquerors did last week in Florida’s Class 2A state playoffs. In their regional semifinal opener against fifth-seeded Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Ethan Wheeler hit a one-out triple in the bottom of the ninth and scored two batters later in a 1-0 walk-off victory. They broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the fifth of Game 2 with two runs and added three more in the sixth to win 9-4. A perfect 4-0 so far in these playoffs, the Conquerors take on Panama City’s Bozeman (26-6), the third seed, this week.

9.  Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, California)

Current record: 22-4

Previous ranking: 9

After dropping two-of-three games to Newport Harbor, the Oilers got back to their winning ways with a three-game sweep of Edison, 18-1, 3-0 and 14-3. The Oilers’ offense clubbed nine doubles in the Game 1 blowout on Tuesday, while three pitchers (Otto Espinoza, Tanner Brown, Ashton Arroyo) combined on a one-hitter. They take on Fountain Valley and Gahr this week.

10. Memorial (Houston, Texas)

Current record: 27-3-1

Previous ranking: 10

Mason Manis and Ben Barnett came through in the clutch for the Mustangs last week, as they swept Houston Heights in a best-of-three bi-district series, 1-0, 8-4. In Game 1 on Wednesday, Manis allowed one hit and worked around five walks in six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts before Barnett hit an RBI double in the seventh to drive in the decisive run. The Mustangs didn’t mess around in Game 2 on Thursday, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the third and cruising the rest of the way. They will take on Richmond George Ranch (20-11-2), who swept Katy Tompkins 15-1, 5-2, in the area round.

11. Bishop Verot (Fort Myers, Florida)

Current record: 30-1

Previous ranking: 11

Our eyes are all over Florida’s Class 3A playoffs, as three of our top 25 teams are still among the eight teams alive (South Walton, Bishop Verot, Calvary Christian). All three have reached the regional finals, but only one is guaranteed to advance to the state semifinals as Bishop Verot and Calvary Christian have a three-game series against each other this week. The Vikings swept No. 4-seed McKeel Academy in the best-of-three series, winning 9-3 and 7-4. Braylon Sheffield had a big week for the Vikings, going 3-for-5 with a double, triple, home run, three walks, four RBI and scored four runs.   

12. Catholic-B.R. (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)

Current record: 33-5

Previous ranking: 12

The top-seeded Bears have made it to the semifinals of the 2025 Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Baseball Division I (Select) State Tournament after sweeping John Curtis Christian (River Ridge) in the quarterfinals, 4-0 and 7-5. In Game 1 on Thursday, Noah Lewis clubbed a three-run double, and Orlando Henriquez chipped in an RBI single in a four-run second inning while Lucas Lawrence pitched a complete-game shutout, scattering four hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in seven innings. Those same Bears were hunting again on Friday, as Henriquez broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the eighth with a go-ahead three-run double of his own. Lawrence, meanwhile, smacked a two-run homer in the second inning and added a two-run single in the sixth. They will face Lafayette’s St. Thomas More (27-9), the fourth seed, in a best-of-three showdown for a shot to reach the state finals.

13. Live Oak (Watson, Louisiana)

Current record: 30-6

Previous ranking: 13

The first team in our top 25 to lose a game last week, Live Oak, as its name suggests, was a bit too rooted for Northshore to knock over. That’s not to say things weren’t dicey for the Eagles, who survived two elimination games to advance. Trailing 2-1 and facing elimination in the bottom of the seventh of Game 3 on Saturday, Isaac Ott led off the home frame with a single before Cooper Smith launched a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right to walk it off, 3-2. That comeback culminated the larger comeback the team had to make after getting shut out 5-0 in Game 1. But the Eagles responded then, too, with an 8-0 win in Game 2 on a complete-game performance from starting pitcher Zant Gurney (seven innings, five hits, five strikeouts, one walk) and a two-hit, three-RBI game from Cal Cassard. The Eagles will face fifth-seeded Benton (35-4) in a three-game series, with the winner advancing to the finals to face the winner between national top 25 power Barbe (the No. 2 seed) and Sam Houston (No. 11).

14. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio)

Current record: 13-2-1

Previous ranking: 14

The Fighting Crusaders had a clean week, picking up shutout wins over La Salle (3-0, 11-0) before closing with a 12-5 win against Conner. Speaking of Conner, Conner Cuozzo had a big week at the plate for Moeller with three home runs, including two homers and five RBI in Thursday’s 12-5 win against his namesake. The Fighting Crusaders have one game scheduled this week, but it’s a tough one against 14-3 Olentangy Orange (Lewis Center, Ohio).

15. Doral (Doral, Florida)

Current record: 25-6-1

Previous ranking: 15

The Firebirds, the second seed in Florida’s 6A State Championships, escaped a fire last week. After rolling third-seeded Braddock 10-0 in Game 1 of their three-game series in the regional semifinals, the Bulldogs (21-9-1) stormed back with a dominant 15-2 blowout on Thursday to set up Saturday’s winner-take-all showdown. After watching a 5-0 lead trimmed to 6-4 entering the seventh, Braddock got runners at second and third with no outs before reliever Matthew Paez came in and closed it out, allowing a run on a sacrifice fly before getting two harmless grounders to help the Firebirds advance. They will take on top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas in a regional final series this week with the winner advancing to the state semis.

16. Vianney (Kirkwood, Missouri)

Current record: 23-0

Previous ranking; 16

Count De Smet Jesuit as another club who can’t quite solve Vianney this season. The Golden Griffins picked up a pair of 5-3 wins against the Spartans. Missouri Tigers commit JD Dohrmann took the mound in Game 1 on Tuesday and allowed just one hit over six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts and one walk to earn the win. The Golden Griffins jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held off another late surge in Game 2 on Thursday. They have a doubleheader against Eureka on Saturday.  

17. Barbe (Lake Charles, Louisiana)

Current record: 34-4

Previous ranking: 18

Barbe’s offense isn’t necessarily setting the world on fire through the first three rounds of the 2025 Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Baseball Division I (Non-Select) State Tournament, but the Buccaneers’ pitching staff has been on a scorcher. Someone else will have to be the first team to score a run against the Bucs this postseason, as 10th-seeded Dutchtown wasn’t that team. Barbe pitchers fired two more shutouts, winning 2-0 and 4-0, advancing the Buccaneers to the final four where they will face Sam Houston, the No. 11 seed. The winner of that series will face the winner between No. 13 Live Oak, the top seed, and Benton, the fifth seed, in the finals.   

18. St. John’s (Washington, D.C.)

Current record: 26-1

Previous ranking: 19

The Hawton-Henley fellows came up big for the Cadets last week, as Nate Hawton-Henley homered and drove in two runs and Caleb Hawton-Henley drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh to spark a 4-2 win against Paul VI and a 2-0 week for St. John’s. Likewise, Ren Devereaux had a big game, going 3-for-3 with a double, triple, four RBI and picked up the win on the mound after allowing one hit with five strikeouts and no walks in three scoreless innings of an 11-0 win in five innings. The Cadets take on Gonzaga this week.   

19. Valley Christian (San Jose, California)

Current record: 17-4-1

Previous ranking: 17

An extra-innings loss kept the Warriors from completing another perfect week. After beating Archbishop Riordan 11-0 on a combined no-hitter by Quinten Marsh, Rohan Kasanagottu and Alex Kim, they dropped an 2-1 affair in eight innings to San Francisco’s St. Ignatius College Prep before bouncing back the following day with a 5-1 victory over those same Wildcats the following day. They’ll take on Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep this week.

20. Harlem (Harlem, Georgia)

Current record: 33-1

Previous ranking: 20

Their winning streak lasted 32 games and into the second round of the GHSA Class AAA State Baseball Championships, but the Bulldogs finally lost a game last week. Not to worry, they bounced back and won the best-of-three series over Whitewater 2-1. They will take on Pickens (29-5) in the quarterfinals this week. Harlem picked up a 6-0 shutout in Game 1 as Steven Harshberger went 3-for-3 with a home run and a double and pitcher Domenic Titus pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout. After dropping a 2-1 pitcher’s duel on Thursday, they jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Friday and pitcher Walker Spivey went seven strong innings to preserve the win.

21. Owasso (Owasso, Oklahoma)

Current record: 34-2

Previous ranking: 21

The Rams picked up four wins last week, beating Enid 3-1 and 5-2, Booker T. Washington 8-7 and Life Prep 4-3. They won or took the lead in three of those games in their final turn at-bat. Against Enid on Thursday, the Rams trailed 2-1 before scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth in the 5-2 win. In Thursday’s nightcap against Booker T. Washington, the Rams led 6-0 before giving up seven runs in the fifth, tying it with a run in the bottom of the inning and then winning 8-7 on a walk-off single by Drew King. After giving up two runs in the top of the sixth against Life Prep on Saturday, the Rams trailed 3-2 before tying it and taking the lead on an error in the bottom of the sixth.  

22. Cavalry Christian (Clearwater, Florida)

Current record: 28-3

Previous ranking: 22

Welcome to Florida’s 3A Baseball State Championships, where three of the nation’s top teams are in the final eight teams vying for the state championship. For the Warriors, the series they’re about to face might be the most exciting in the entire country this week, as they take on top-seeded Bishop Verot (33-1 and higher up in these top 25 rankings) in the regional finals for a shot to advance to the state’s final four. Perhaps the Warriors took it personally when they were handed the third seed in the tournament? They haven’t lost in the playoffs after sweeping second-seeded North Broward Prep (Coconut Creek) 5-1 and 4-0 in their best-of-three regional semifinals series.  

23. Blessed Trinity (Roswell, Georgia)

Current record: 27-7

Previous ranking: 23

The Titans launched themselves into the quarterfinals of the Georgia Class AAAA GHSA State Baseball Championships with a pair of blowout wins in the second round on Tuesday against Northside. They won Game 1 of the best-of-three series 10-0 on 13 hits and a complete game performance by starter Aiden Pack, who allowed four hits and struck out eight with one walk in six innings. Game 2 was much the same, as they won 12-0 on 14 hits while starter Joseph Contreras pitched six scoreless, allowing one hit with 13 strikeouts and three walks. The Titans will take on Marist (30-5) in a best-of-three series this week.  

24. St. John Bosco (Bellflower, California)

Current record: 22-4

Previous ranking: 24

The Braves picked up three wins last week, sweeping JSerra Catholic in a three-game series. They trailed 1-0 in the third inning on Tuesday before storming back for a 6-1 victory. They never trailed on Wednesday, as catcher Micah Taguiam had a big game with three hits, including a home run and a double, and three RBI in an 11-3 win. Locked in a pitchers’ duel on Friday, Jaden Jackson finally busted things open with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth in a 2-0 win. Pitchers Noah Everly and Brayden Krakowski combined on the three-hit shutout. The Braves take on Torrance this week.

25. Tomball (Tomball, Texas)

Current record: 26-6-1

Previous ranking: 25

The Cougars remain alive in the Texas Class 6A Division II state playoffs after throttling Houston Langham Creek 6-0 and 11-1 in the best-of-three bi-district series. Karson Reeder had another huge week for the Cougars. He went 2-for-3 with a home run, double and five RBI in Wednesday’s 11-1 victory. He was Tomball’s starting pitcher on Thursday, and the fireballer netted a two-hit shutout with nine strikeouts and one walk in seven innings. The Cougars advanced to play Willis (19-10-3), who swept Dekaney 11-6, 7-3, in an area round best-of-three series.

Just missed the cut: T.C. Roberson (Asheville, North Carolina); Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas); The Woodlands (The Woodlands, Texas); Fayetteville (Fayetteville, Arkansas); Corpus Christi Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas)

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