Arkansas high school baseball Super 7 rankings (3/11/2024)
The 2024 season started off with a bang as top-ranked teams converged on Hot Springs for the Southwest Sporting Goods Classic. Valley View went 2-0 to “win the event” dominated by pitching. Conference play has started in every classification, and we are starting to see separation between contenders and pretenders. Spring break is around the corner.
6A
1. Rogers (4-1)
2. Rogers Heritage (5-0)
3. Fayetteville (4-0)
4. Springdale Har-Ber (3-3)
5. Cabot (4-1)
6. Catholic (4-1)
7. Bentonville (3-3)
Rogers: The Mounties are 3-1 in conference play just behind cross-town rival Rogers Heritage for the top spot. Jake Taylor has looked sharp in his sophomore campaign. A conference clash with Fayetteville is up next. No rest for the weary in the 6A west.
Rogers Heritage: The War Eagles have allowed one run in their last four games. They shut out Springdale three straight times last week. Luke Askew tossed a no-hitter in a 3-0 win over the Red Dogs. Askew also hit a home run and drove in three runs in the first win over Springdale.
Fayetteville: The Purple Dogs came down to central Arkansas and beat Cabot 6-3 on Wednesday to set up a big conference showdown with Rogers. Landon Schaefer had two doubles and got the win on the mound against the Panthers. Both games with Rogers should be low-scoring, and the team to get the big hits will win the series.
Har-Ber: The Wildcats bounced back after being swept by Heritage opening week. They followed up a conference split with Rogers by beating Farmington 11-1. Caleb Smith and Luke Cornelison knocked in two runs each to lead the offense.
Cabot: The Panthers could not get the bats going in a 6-3 loss to Fayetteville, but there is plenty to like about this team. Austin Ryals is hitting .643 on the season and leading the team in runs batted in. Early positioning in the 6A-Central is on the line as the Panthers host Catholic on Monday.
Catholic: The Rockets’ lone blemish is a 3-1 loss to Little Rock Christian. Joe Castillo is hitting .462 with three triples already in the young season. Caleb Short, Asher Hamilton, and Jackson England looked good on the mound. Short has yet to allow a walk in 10 innings of work.
Bentonville: The Tigers took out their frustrations on Southside and Gravette this past week, scoring 34 runs in three wins to get back to .500 on the season. Daxton Horton is hitting .600 while Bodi Gist leads the team with seven runs batted in. Bentonville West is up next for the Tigers.
5A
1. Valley View (4-0)
2. LR Christian (4-1)
3. Maumelle (1-2)
4. Greenwood (4-0)
5. Greenbrier (3-1)
6. Lake Hamilton (5-0)
7. Marion (4-0)
Valley View: The Blazers have looked the part in the first two weeks of the season allowing five runs in their four wins over ranked opponents. Valley View beat Mississippi powerhouse 6-1 on Wednesday jumping out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to a triple by Arkansas commit Keaton Mathis. Drew Gartman was 2-for-2 with a double in the win. Conference play begins this week with a doubleheader against West Memphis.
LR Christian: Tate Collins and Jackson Kircher combined to throw a no-hitter against Catholic to begin the week. Kircher, who signed with Oklahoma in the fall, has three home runs in five games. Collins and Cade Bowman had two hits each in Friday’s 14-4 win over Pulaski Academy.
Maumelle: We knew the Hornets could pitch, and they have pitched well early this season against tough competition. Tag Andrews and Peyton Lee looked sharp in the Southwest Sporting Goods Classic. Blaize Ward hit a towering home run in a 5-0 win over Robinson.
Greenwood: The Bulldogs swept Bethany (Okla.) this past weekend, outscoring the Broncos 20-3. Grant Karnes was 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and three runs scored in game two. Jaxon Cole also knocked in four runs in the nightcap. A conference doubleheader at Russellville is up next for Greenwood.
Greenbrier: This squad is gritty and competes on every pitch. A much-anticipated three game series with Conway was cut short due to rain, but Greenbrier managed a split in the two games played. The Panthers overcame a 4-0 deficit to win game two 6-4 thanks to a six run fourth inning. Andrew James, Paxton Flagg, and Kaden Marquis each knocked in two runs.
Lake Hamilton: The last unbeaten team in the 5A-South is Lake Hamilton, not Sheridan, Benton, or Arkansas High. Easton Hurley returned from an ACL injury sustained in football to strike out 14 of 17 hitters faced in the conference opener against Arkansas High. The Wolves scored six runs in the last two innings to beat Sheridan 7-5 on Tuesday.
Marion: The Patriots have been good for a long time. They won a state title in 2022 and could make a run again this season. Marion beat Brookland and Morrilton on Saturday to stay unbeaten. The nine-inning affair with Brookland was an instant classic with pitching dominating the day. The teams combined for 28 strikeouts and a walk off pop fly that should have been caught ended the game. Marion travels to Searcy for a conference doubleheader this week.
4A
1. Lonoke (6-1)
2. Ashdown (4-2)
3. Brookland (6-3)
4. Robinson (5-2)
5. Morrilton (6-3)
6. Gravette (5-2)
7. Huntsville (8-0)
Lonoke: The Jackrabbits have outscored their past four opponents 54-1 since losing to Valley View. Lonoke swept Mills in their first conference series allowing only one hit over both games while scoring 33 runs. Zayvien Dyer drove in five runs in game two against Mills and got the win in game one on the mound.
Ashdown: The Panthers have won four straight games including an 11-4 contest over Magnolia on Tuesday. Caleb Blankenship hit his first home run of the season and Nash Brown had a double to lead the offense. Brown is hitting .474 on the year while Arkansas commit Walt Jones is hitting .467. Gunnar Altenbaumer leads the team with a .529 batting average.
Brookland: The Bearcats are playing as tough of a schedule as they did last year but have gotten off to a better start. They took Marion to extra innings before losing 1-0. Griffin Duval, Weston Speir and Jake Reece have been lights out on the mound and Reece leads the offense with a .517 batting average.
Robinson: The Senators’ only losses are to Maumelle and Valley View. Pitching and defense were spectacular in the conference series sweep of Pulaski Academy. Logan Eichler and Spence Watson struck out 10 batters while only allowing four hits in game one. Brooks Walker and Brady Blackwell struck out 13 batters while only allowing one hit in the night cap to complete the sweep.
Morrilton: The Devil Dogs have played teams from four different classifications so far this season. Senior Luke Carner has hit safely in every game and went 10 for 14 at the plate in the opening week. Duncan Blakeley looked good at the plate as well knocking in four runs against Brookland and Marion.
Gravette: The Lions have looked as good so far this season with their two losses coming to higher classification teams. Gunnar Woolard is hitting .526 to lead the Lions who are hitting .394 as a team. Keegan Magee is 2-0 with 17 strikeouts to lead the pitching staff.
Huntsville: The Eagles have quietly started 8-0 with a few quality wins to start the season. They were the only team to go undefeated in the NWA Showcase that included a 7-6 win over Russellville. Kaden Evans and Jaxon Ferguson belted home runs in the win over the Cyclones. A big conference matchup with Gravette is up next this week.
3A
1. Harding Academy (3-1)
2. Central Arkansas Christian (1-2)
3. Gosnell (7-1)
4. Genoa Central (7-1)
5. Rivercrest (2-1)
6. Melbourne (4-0)
7. Harmony Grove O.C. (4-3)
Harding Academy: The Wildcats started the season on fire with three wins by a combined score of 29-5. They dropped a 3-1 decision to Mississippi 6A powerhouse Magnolia Heights in a tight game that was 1-0 till the sixth innings. Kaynan Harris has already belted two home runs and driven in 13 runs. Bentley Hawks looks the part of a staff ace after holding Magnolia Heights to one run over five innings.
CAC: The Mustangs return to full strength after winning the 3A basketball state championship. Grayson Wilson and Watson Webb will look to lead the Mustangs to another conference championship and a shot at a state title.
Gosnell: The Pirates have been on fire to start the 2024 campaign with their only loss coming to Brookland. They have only allowed one run in the seven-game winning streak since the Brookland loss. Kason Newsom leads the team with 11 runs batted in while Trent Middleton and Chase Perkins have 10 each.
Genoa Central: The Dragons won the 3A-7 conference last season and have the pieces to repeat. Braxton Robertson is hitting .474 and leads the team in doubles with four. Nate Thomas has 12 runs batted in while Hayden Teer has 11. The pitching staff has a team ERA of 2.45 while holding teams to a .212 batting average.
Rivercrest: The Colts have won two straight after dropping the opener to McCrory. Ian McClain is hitting .571 while Jaxon Kilburn leads the pitching staff with 16 strikeouts in his two appearances on the mound.
Melbourne: The Bearcatz are looking to make a deeper run in the state tournament and are off to a good start at 4-0. They are 2-0 in conference play with shutout wins over Tuckerman and Newport. Hayden Edwards struck out 15 batters in a complete game win over Newport.
HGOC: The Hornets looked good in the Ralph Gross Memorial at Nashville finishing in fourth place, losing to eventual champion Magnolia and Prairie Grove. They dropped an unexpected conference game to Drew Central 2-0 this past week. The teams combined for three hits as pitching was dominant. Hornets starter Mason Morgan tossed a complete game striking out 11 allowing two runs that were unearned.
2A
1. Woodlawn (7-0)
2. Palestine Wheatley (2-0)
3. Mansfield (1-0)
4. Carlisle (2-1)
5. Bigelow (0-0)
6. Cedar Ridge (4-1)
7. Rector (4-0)
Woodlawn: The Bears have beaten up on every team to start the 2024 season. They opened with a 3-1 win over Arkadelphia and have not looked back since then. Their team ERA is 0.21 and teams are hitting just .103 against them. Woodlawn opened conference play with a 7-2 win over Parkers Chapel.
Palestine-Wheatley: The Patriots are 2-0 with wins over Clarendon and Cross County. Sophomore Jacob Hickman has looked good striking out seven over 3.1 innings of work. Conference play begins this week against England.
Mansfield: The Tigers have only gotten in one game so far this season, a 20-5 win over Scranton. Trey Vaughan was 3 for 4 with a double and home run while driving in seven runs in the win. Mansfield is scheduled to play Booneville and Subiaco Academy this week.
Carlisle: The Bison are 2-1 with their lone loss coming to Bauxite. Lefty Holden Jones has looked good on the mound so far this season along with Jonathan Pickard Jr. Pickard led off the first game of the year with a home run and has only allowed one hit through four innings on the mound. Dalton Ward is hitting .545 to lead the team.
Bigelow: The Panthers have yet to play a game after finishing basketball season. Coach Craig Neumeier said they have had a core group of players working on baseball and will be ready to go this week.
Cedar Ridge: The Timberwolves are off to a good start this season with wins over Tuckerman and Sloan-Hendrix. Their lone loss came to Highland this past Wednesday. Aiden Jones and Kyle Provence lead the team in hitting at .467. Jones is 3-0 on the mound with a .875 ERA. He has struck out 27 while only issuing three walks.
Rector: The Cougars are averaging over 15 runs per game to start the season. Three pitchers combined to no hit Marmaduke in a 13-3 win. Cooper Rabjohn got the win on the mound in the 21-7 win over Buffalo Island Central. Rabjohn is 2-0 on the mound this season.
1A
1. Taylor (3-2)
2. Viola (4-0)
3. Nemo Vista (1-3)
4. St. Joseph (2-1)
5. Norfork (5-0)
6. West Side GF (2-1)
7. Mount Ida (0-1)
Taylor: The Tigers have gone 3-2 with all their games against out of state competition except for their opening day win over Junction City. The Tigers pounded out 12 hits in their latest 12-3 win over Doyline (La.). Waylon Woodell led Taylor by going 2 for 3 with a home run and three runs batted in. Conference play begins this week.
Viola: The Longhorns have outscored their last three opponents 55-1. They are hitting .629 as a team so far this season with every starter hitting .429 or better. Gavin Blevins leads the team with 12 runs batted in. Seth Worsham, Braden Williams and Garrett Templeman were dominant on the mound, only allowing one hit between them while striking out 18.
Nemo Vista: The Red Hawks lost early games to Dover and Perryville but got their first conference win of the season over rival Wonderview this past week. Lane Jones knocked in two runs in the bottom of the third inning to put the Red Hawks ahead for good.
St. Joseph: Nicholas French tossed a perfect game in a 9-0 win over Poyen this week. French struck out 15 of the 18 hitters he faced to give the Bulldogs their second win of the season. Keaton Storie has looked good at the plate.
Norfork: The Panthers have started off hot again this season winning their first five games including two in conference play. They started the season with a 7-5 win over class 2A Cotter. A big conference clash with West Side Greers Ferry is on Tuesday.
West Side GF: The Eagles are also 2-0 in conference play after shutting out Shirley in both games this past week. They dropped a 12-11 decision to Midland to start the season.
Mount Ida: The Lions opened the season with a 9-5 loss to Jessieville. They will take on Centerpoint and Horatio this week.
--Kevin Bohannon | @SBLiveArk
