Baseball Super 25

Analysis by Jim Halley, USA TODAY

Who's out:  Nine teams fell out, including eight who ended their seasons with playoff losses. The top team out is No. 5 South Caldwell (Hudson, N.C.), which lost 10-4 to Providence (Charlotte) in sectional play. Others: No. 9 Harrison (Kennesaw, Ga.) lost 4-3 and 5-4 to South Forsyth (Cumming); No. 10 Moody (Corpus Christi, Texas) lost 9-6 to Alice in a 4A area game; No. 11 Clearwater Central Catholic (Clearwater, Fla.) was swept by John Carroll (Fort Pierce) 6-2 and 10-8 in 3A-Region 3 play; No. 13 Poteet (Mesquite, Texas) lost 5-1 and 5-4 to Forney in a 4A-Region 2 quarterfinal; No. 16 Riverside (Greer, S.C.) lost 8-5 to Blythewood in a 3A Upper State semifinal; No. 18 Creighton Prep (Omaha) lost 8-2 to Grand Island and 8-7 to Millard West (Omaha) in the Nebraska Class A tournament; No. 19 Crespi (Encino, Calif.) lost 7-6 to La Serna (Whittier) in a second-round Division 3 game. The only team to fall out that is still playing is then-No. 25 Lake Orion, Mich., which lost 2-0 to Midland, 8-2 to Royal Oak, 10-9 to Eisenhower (Utica) and 1-0 to Adams (Rochester).

1. American Heritage, Plantation, Fla. (31-2)

Previous: 2. Results: Defeated Chaminade (Hollywood) 10-0 and 11-6 in 3A regional semifinal as Nick Castellanos hit two homers in the first win and another in the second. Defeated Pensacola Catholic 11-6 in 3A semifinal, scoring seven runs on eight hits in the first inning. Defeated John Carroll (Fort Pierce) 8-2 for 3A title as Adrian Nieto drove in five runs with two homers. Next: Season complete.

2. Don Bosco Prep, Ramsey, N.J. (24-0)

Previous: 3. Results: Defeated Ridgewood 12-2 as Eric Pfisterer threw a five-inning five-hitter. Defeated Passaic 16-6 as Anthony Gomez and Brett Knief homered and Ben Luderer and Scott Hansen hit triples. Defeated Moore Catholic (Staten Island, N.Y.) 15-0 as Luderer homered and drove in three runs. Defeated Nutley 18-3 as Pfisterer was 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. Michael Dennhardt allowed one hit and a walk while striking out 10 in a 6-1 victory against Rutherford. Defeated Bloomfield 8-2 as Anthony Gomez hit a grand slam in the second inning. Played Wednesday at Barringer (Newark). Next: Today vs. Belleville.

3. Brookwood, Snellville, Ga. (29-3)

Previous: 1. Results: Took two of three in a regional playoff with Alpharetta. Jordan Erisman had two homers, including the game-winner, in a 7-5 win. Took two of three from Norcross to advance in second round of 5A state playoffs. Won 9-0 as Chase Hawkins threw a one-hitter. Lost 1-0 but came back with a 7-2 win as Seth Adkins hit a two-run homer, a double and a single. Won first game 14-3 in best-of-three series with East Coweta (Sharpsburg) in 5A quarterfinals as Ross Hefley homered twice. Next: Today vs. East Coweta in second game.

4. Plano West, Plano, Texas (34-0)

Previous: 4. Results: Defeated Longview 14-4 and 4-1 to win the area championship. In the first game, Harrison Holmes had five RBI. In the second, Ben Flora had eight strikeouts. Swept Rockwall 3-2 and 6-4 as Holmes hit a two-run double in the first game of a 5A-Region II quarterfinal. Ryan Ford had a two-run single in the second. Next: Friday vs. Cedar Park in 5A-Region II semifinal.

5. Reagan, San Antonio (34-2)

Previous: 7. Results: Defeated Carroll (Corpus Christi) 8-5 in 5A area playoff as Casey Selsor allowed no runs in the first six innings. Defeated Stevens (San Antonio) 6-2 and 3-2 in a 5A-Region 4 quarterfinal as Santiago Ruiz homered in the first game, and Robbie Van Cour went 3-for-4 and singled in the winning run in the second game. Next: Saturday vs. McAllen in the 5A-4 semifinals.

6. George Washington, New York (40-2)

Previous: 8. Results: Defeated Brandeis (New York) 6-5 as Jean Rodriguez went 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Defeated Murry Bergtraum 7-2 as Vioserge Rosa had two RBI. Split with Norman Thomas, winning 3-0 as Harrison Alvarado threw a four-hitter and losing 4-2. Defeated Frederick Douglass 16-4 in five innings. Next: Played Wednesday vs. Brooklyn Tech in city playoffs. If GW wins, it will play the winner of Francis Lewis (Fresh Meadows)-John Adams (Queens).

7. Socorro, El Paso (35-2)

Previous: 12. Results: Defeated Mansfield Summit 5-2 and 11-1 in Class 5A area playoff. Took two out of three from Abilene in 5A-Region 1 quarterfinal. After 11-2 win, Socorro lost 10-3 but followed that with a 14-3 victory. George Stoltz was a homer shy of the cycle in the deciding game. Next: Friday vs. Flower Mound in 5A-1 semifinal.

8. Los Alamitos, Calif. (26-3)

Previous: 14. Results: Defeated Esperanza (Anaheim) 9-2 as Travis Garrett homered and drove in two runs. Defeated Long Beach Poly 2-0 behind the pitching of Beau Wright in CIF Division 1 first-round playoff game. Defeated Canyon (Anaheim) 7-6 in second-round game, scoring five runs in the final inning. Next: Friday vs. Mater Dei (Santa Ana) in quarterfinal.

9. Malvern Prep, Malvern, Pa. (37-2)

Previous: 15. Results: Defeated Coatesville 4-3 as Rob McCabe scattered eight hits. Defeated Episcopal Academy (Merion Station) 13-1. Defeated Perkiomen School (Pennsburg) 8-0 as Tyler Young doubled and tripled. Defeated Penn Charter (Philadelphia) 6-2 as John Gentile and Chris Gosik doubled. Next: Played Wednesday vs. Episcopal Academy; State Independent Schools baseball tournament through Saturday.

10. Lakota West, West Chester, Ohio (23-1)

Previous: 17. Results: Defeated Middletown 8-6 as Jimmy Brenneman went 3-for-4 with a homer. Defeated Middletown 19-2 in five innings in the Division 1 state tournament as Brenneman went 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBI. Defeated Talawanda (Oxford) 10-3 in the round of 64 as Craig Gauden went 3-for-4 with four RBI. Next: Saturday vs. Sidney in round of 32.

11. Owasso, Okla. (35-3)

Previous: 20. Results: Defeated Midwest City 2-0 in 6A-Bracket B playoff as Brian Flynn allowed only one hit in six innings. Ryan Prickett threw a three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts in a 4-0 win vs. Yukon. Defeated Enid 6-3 as Brandon Bargas went 3-for-3 with an RBI and a save to reach the 6A title game. Defeated Moore 5-2 for a second consecutive 6A title as Flynn allowed four hits through six innings and Bargas got the save. Next: Season complete.

12. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (41-3)

Previous: 20. Results: Defeated Arbor View (Las Vegas) 17-3 as Jeff Malm had three hits and five RBI and Joey Rickard hit a two-run homer. Defeated Palo Verde (Las Vegas) 15-2 as Joey Rickard and Paul Sewald hit grand slams. Defeated Durango (Las Vegas) 22-0 as Rickard threw a no-hitter. Defeated Durango 3-0 and Spring Valley (Las Vegas) 13-8. Edged Bishop Manogue (Reno) 7-6 in the opening round of the 4A state tournament as Brandon Garcia had a two-run triple. Defeated Reno 13-0 as Sewald threw a one-hitter and Rickard and Garcia homered in a 4A state semifinal. Defeated Green Valley (Henderson) 8-3 for a third consecutive 4A title. Rickard held Green Valley to four hits while hitting a solo homer. Next: Season complete.

13. Valley Christian, San Jose (28-6)

Previous: 21. Results: Lost 7-6 to Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) in the WCAL semifinals. Defeated Gilroy 15-2 in the CIF Central Coast Section Division Playoffs. Defeated Menlo (Atherton) 14-4 as Clayton Eslick homered and had four RBI in a CCS quarterfinal. Next: Played Wednesday vs. Serra (San Diego) in CCS semifinal.

14. Orange Lutheran, Orange, Calif. (23-5)

Previous: 23. Results: Lost 3-2 to St. John Bosco (Bellflower). Opened the CIF Division 1 playoffs with a 2-0 win vs. J.W. North (Riverside) as Gerrit Cole allowed only one hit through the first six innings. Aaron Gates struck out eight and drove in the winning run in a 5-3 second-round win at El Mondena (Orange). Next: Friday vs. Norco in quarterfinal.

15. Lake Brantley, Altamonte Springs, Fla. (30-4)

Previous: Not ranked. Result: Josh Ledford threw six strong innings and Nick Franklin was 3-for-4 in a 4-1 win vs. then-No. 6 Park Vista (Lake Worth) in the Class 6A state final, ending Park Vista's 30-game winning streak. Next: Season complete.

16. St. Albans, Washington, D.C. (30-2)

Previous: Not ranked. Results: Defeated St. Stephen's-St. Agnes (Alexandria, Va.) 12-0 for the IAC championship as Dan Hultzen had 13 strikeouts. On the same day, opened the D.C. Baseball Classic with a 7-1 win against Georgetown Day (Washington D.C.). Next: May 31 vs. Maret (Washington D.C.) in the semifinals of the D.C. High School Baseball Classic at Nationals Park.

17. Rocky Mountain, Fort Collins, Colo. (23-4)

Previous: Not ranked. Result: Won its second consecutive 5A title with a 13-7 victory against Air Academy (U.S. Air Force Academy). Andy Burns hit a double, homer and came on in relief of Marco Gonzales, who won his second consecutive state title game. Next: Season complete.

18. Hamilton, Chandler, Ariz. (24-8)

Previous: Not ranked. Result: Scored four runs in bottom of the ninth against Mesquite (Gilbert) to win the Class 5A Division I championship 6-5. Ryan Casillas' two-out single drove in the winning run. Next: Season complete.

19. Barbe, Lake Charles, La. (35-7)

Previous: Not ranked. Result: Ryan Doiron won his second game in as many days and drove in the winning run to beat Jesuit (New Orleans) 7-5 for the 5A title. It was Barbe's fifth state title and second in three years. Next: Season complete.

20. Lake Shore, Saint Clair Shores, Mich. (21-1)

Previous: Not ranked. Result: Defeated Marysville 12-4 as Travis Brown and Arthur Coppola each had two RBI. Next: Today vs. Cousino (Warren).

21. Pleasure Ridge Park, Louisville (30-4)

Previous: Not ranked. Results: Won the last four games by a 57-2 margin, including wrapping up the District 21 title with a 23-1 win against Valley (Louisville) and 17-0 victory against Holy Cross (Louisville). Next: Monday, TBD.

22. Penn, Mishawaka, Ind. (24-2)

Previous: Not ranked. Result: Ryan Kaczmarski had three hits and three RBI, including a two-run inside-the-park homer as Penn finished 16-0 in the Northern Indiana Conference with a 10-0 win against Riley (South Bend). Next: Monday vs. Mishawaka in 4A-Section 3 tournament.

23. Rowlett, Texas (33-1-2)

Previous: Not ranked. Results: Defeated Allen 6-3 and 14-0 in the Class 5A Region 2 quarterfinals. Andrew Johnson and David Jackson each homered and had three RBI in the deciding game. Next: Today vs. Georgetown in the 5A-2 semifinals.

24. Sarasota, Fla. (25-3)

Previous: 24. Result: Season complete.

25. Park Vista, Lake Worth, Fla. (31-2)

Previous: 6. Results: Defeated Flanagan (Pembroke Pines) 4-2 and 6-3 in the Region 6A final. Chris Matulis had 10 strikeouts in the first game, and Eric Rice allowed only four hits in the second. Had 15 hits in a 9-4 victory against Lakeland in a 6A state semifinal. Lost 4-1 to then-unranked Lake Brantley (Altamonte Springs) in the 6A final, ending a run of 30 consecutive wins. Next: Season complete.

•About the rankings: USA TODAY's Super 25 baseball rankings are compiled by Jim Halley, who consults with a national network of prep sportswriters, scouts and coaches. Among the criteria considered are a school's strength of schedule, competition and quality of its players. Next rankings: June 5.