Preseason national baseball rankings: Calvary Christian (Florida) No. 1 in SBLive Power 25

SBLive scoured the country to compile the nation's top high school baseball programs entering the 2023 season.

The SBLive Power 25 national high school baseball rankings include teams affiliated with the state high school athletic association in the state it resides in or those allowed to play affiliate high schools in their home state as well as some of the country's baseball academies.

The rankings will be released weekly throughout the 2023 baseball season. Find the complete breakdown of the preseason SBLive Power 25 below.

The Power 25 rankings are compiled by SBLive reporter Bodie DeSilva based on observations and conversations with an extensive network of coaching and media sources across the country. Reach Bodie on Twitter (@SDPreps) or email him at bodie@scorebooklive.com.

SBLIVE POWER 25 NATIONAL BASEBALL RANKINGS

Feb. 7, 2023

1. Calvary Christian (Clearwater, Fla.) (0-0)

Last season: 26-2

Ranking rationale: The Warriors allowed record 14 shutouts last season and allowed just 26 runs all season before falling to Berkeley Prep in the 3A regional semifinals. Pitchers Liam Peterson (Florida), Hunter Dietz (Arkansas), and Landen Maroudis (NC State) are three of the nation's best, giving the Warriors the unquestioned best rotation in the country. The trio combined for 185 strikeouts a year ago. Peterson and Maroudis both hit over .350 last season while Pittsburgh commit Andrew Tess (.411, seven doubles last year) will handle the catching duties.

2. JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) (0-0)

Last season: 25-11

Ranking rationale: JSerra finished last season by winning 19 of their final 21 games on their way to capturing the Southern Section Division 1 championship. JJ Hollis (UC Santa Barbara) returns after being named SBLive's California Pitcher of the Year. He finished his junior season with a 9-0 record and an earned run average of 1.01. Leading the Lions lineup are infielders Trent Caraway (Oregon State), Jonathan Mendez (UC Santa Barbara) and Dominic Smaldino (California) in addition to catcher/outfielder Andrew Lamb (USC). Brodie Purcell (USC) and Ben Reimers (Stanford) are names to watch in the rotation following Hollis.

3. Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.) (0-0)

Last season: 30-8

Ranking rationale: Parkview fell short last year, dropping two games to Woodstock in the Georgia 7A semifinals. The Panthers return five of their top seven hitters from that team led by Mississippi State commit Colin Houck. He hit .412 with 15 home runs and ten doubles as a junior. Landon Stripling (Texas Tech) returns after hitting .433 with six home runs and five doubles. He was also 9-2 with a 1.53 earned run average and 81 strikeouts during his 13 appearances on the mound. Ford Thompson (Georgia) and Garrett Lambert (Mercer) combined for 169 strikeouts a year ago and will slot in next to Stripling for a dominant rotation.

4. Huntington Beach (Calif.) (0-0)

Last season: 25-9

Ranking rationale: The Oilers fell short in the Southern Section playoffs last season but rebounded a week later and defeated JSerra in the Southern California Regional Championship game, 2-0. Catcher/infielder Ralphy Velasquez (Arizona State) returns after hitting the game-winning home run in that game against JSerra. Also back in the loaded lineup are infielders Dean Carpentier (USC), Colby Turner (San Diego State) and outfielder Aiden Espinoza (UCLA). Espinoza hit .388 with ten stolen bases a season ago. Wyatt Thomas (Biola), Carson Lane (UNLV) and Brad Grindlinger are three of the pitchers that will be counted on to step up following the graduation of star pitcher Ben Jacobs.

5. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) (0-0)

Last season: 23-2

Ranking rationale: The Ascenders return just two of their top nine hitters from last season but have reloaded as usual. Catcher Zion Rose (Louisville) transferred in from Chicago and will pair up with returners TayShaun Walton (Miami) and Stone Russell (Florida) to form a dominant trio atop the lineup. Arkansas commit Jaewoo Cho struck out 30 batters last season and is the top returner on the mound. Pitcher/outfielder Noah Franco (Mississippi State) is one of the top two-way players in the country and recently announced his decision to move up to the class of 2024.

6. Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.) (0-0)

Last season: 30-2

Ranking rationale: The Eagles ended 2022 on a 22-game winning streak that included a 7A state championship. Florida commits Christian Rodriguez and Jacob Gomberg lead the front end of the rotation. Rodriguez is also the leading returning hitter, batting .355 with two home runs, two triples and three doubles last season. Vanderbilt commit Matt Ossenfort should be a difference maker in the lineup after moving in from South Dakota for his final season. Junior Jayden Dubanewicz (Florida) struck out 14 batters across eight shutout innings last season.

7. Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.) (0-0)

Last season: 29-4

Ranking rationale: The Huskies cruised to the 6A state championship, scoring in every inning during the 11-1 win over Chandler in the finals. UCLA commit Roch Cholowsky returns after leading the Huskies with 35 hits last season. TCU commits Zach Wadas and Josh Tiedemann will hold down the corner infield spots after combining for 13 home runs a season ago. LSU commit Ryan Kucherak hit .352 with seven home runs, six doubles and two triples last season. Arizona commits Carson Johnson and Will Shelor will be expected to step up after the Huskies lost four of their top five pitchers from last year.

8. St. Mary’s Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.) (0-0)

Last season: 44-0

Ranking rationale: The Eaglets graduated several top hitters and pitchers from last season's undefeated team but they will not be lacking in talent. Tennessee commit Blake Grimmer returns after hitting .343 with eight home runs and 11 doubles a season ago. Indiana commit Jasen Oliver is back after hitting .368 and serving as the team's main reliever with six saves and a 0.52 earned run average. Michigan State commit Aidan Donovan slots in atop the rotation following a 7-0 season with a 0.92 earned run average as a sophomore.

9. Pearland (Texas) (0-0)

Last season: 34-9-1

Ranking rationale: The Oilers lost in the 6A regional semifinals last season and return 10 of their top 11 hitters this season led by Anthony Avalos. The Houston commit hit .337 with 28 stolen bases as a junior. Texas A&M commit Caden Ferraro is a two-way standout, hitting .330 with six home runs last year. On the mound, he went 7-0 with a 1.54 earned run average and stuck out 66 batters in 45.1 innings. Brett Smajstrla, a Sam Houston State commit, tied for third on the team in hits last season with 24 despite only playing in 22 games.

10. Jesuit (Tampa, Fla.) (0-0)

Last season: 24-8

Ranking rationale: Jesuit finished last season on a nine-game winning streak by shutting out Eau Gallie in the 5A state championship. Ole Miss commit Wesley Mendes returns after a dominant two-way junior season. On the mound, he finished 10-1 with a 1.16 earned run average and 93 strikeouts. At the plate, he hit .422 with four home runs, three triples and three doubles. Miami commit Jake Kulikowski hit. 307 with six home runs and six doubles. John Abraham (Florida State) and McCall Biemiller (East Carolina) will be counted on in larger pitching roles after combining for just 21.1 innings pitched last year.

11. Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) (0-0)

Last season: 29-3

Ranking rationale: Moeller saw their season end in the Division 1 regional finals last season at the hands of Mason. Five of the six leading hitters from last season return led by Charlie Niehaus (Cincinnati) and Toby Hueber (George Mason). CJ Richard and Nathan Manley combined for 48 hits last year and were two of the better power hitters, combining for seven. The Fighting Crusaders return lots of pitching led by Hueber, Carson Marsh, Clay Burdette (Ohio State) and Zion Theophilus (Duke),

12. Doral Academy (Doral, Fla.) (0-0)

Last season: 25-4-1

Ranking rationale: Miami commit Michael Torres led the Firebirds with a .512 average last season as a sophomore and also struck out 29 batters during his 17 innings on the mound. Returning with Torres is fellow Miami commit Adrian Santana who hit .433 with four home runs and seven triples last season. Frank Menendez (Florida) returns for his final season after posting a 6-2 record, 1.91 earned run average and 68 strikeouts last season.

13. Sinton (Texas) (0-0)

Last season: 36-1

Ranking rationale: Sinton ended 2022 on a 31-game winning streak, shutting out  Argyle 9-0 in the 4A state championship game. LSU commit Blake Mitchell returns after a dominant junior year that included a .465 average, seven home runs, 17 doubles, a 6-0 record and an earned run average of 0.40. Jaquae Stewart (Houston Baptist) also is back after hitting .414 with 11 home runs and ten doubles. Stewart posted video game numbers on the mound, finishing 8-0 with 70 strikeouts and an earned run average of 0.17. Braeden Brown (Sam Houston State) was 7-0 with a 1.24 earned run average in 50.2 innings last year.

14. Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.) (0-0)

Last season: 22-8-1

Ranking rationale: The Wolverines captured the Mission League championship last season but fell to eventual champion JSerra in the Southern Section quarterfinal round. 6'6" outfielder Will Gasparino (Texas) returns alongside junior Bryce Rainer (Texas). Rainer hit .395 with five home runs last season and is expected to be healthy enough to return to the mound after not pitching last year. Tommy Bridges (TCU) had a breakout sophomore season on the mound, finishing 8-1 with a 1.98 earned run average.

15. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) (0-0)

Last season: 35-6

Ranking rationale: Corner infielder Easton Shelton (UNLV) returns for the Gaels after hitting .346 with 12 home runs and 11 doubles as a junior. Kamdyn Perry (St. Mary's) and Kaden Soder (Oregon) will be relied on to step up on the mound as seniors after seeing lighter duty last year. Catcher Anthony Marnell IV (Oregon State) hit .451 as a junior.

16. Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) (0-0)

Last season: 19-11

Ranking rationale: The Eagles finished fourth in the Trinity League last season despite sweeping their three-game series against JSerra. Catcher Luke Lavin (Stanford) hit .433 last season. The Eagles also feature Blake Balsz (UCLA) and Bryce Humphry (San Francisco) who can catch and play the infield. Sammy Cova (Oregon) and Jack Svinth (Stanford) lead the way on the mound. Junior Logan de Groot (UCLA) is one to watch on both sides of the ball.

17. Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) (0-0)

Last season: 34-8

Ranking rationale: The Dragons finished 2022 on a 16-game winning streak to capture the Texas 6A state championship. Seniors Tyler White (Texas A&M), Ethan Mendoza (Arizona State), and Ben Tryon (Dallas Baptist) are among the returners. Mendoza hit .406 with 15 doubles last season while Tryon hit .466 with seven doubles.

18. Villa Park (Calif.) (0-0)

Last season: 28-6

Ranking rationale: The Spartans lost in the Southern Section semfinals to JSerra and in the Southern California regional semifinals to Huntington Beach last season. They return two of Southern California's best from last season in Gavin Grahovac (Texas A&M) and Zach Brown (Ohio State). Grahovac hit .376 with 17 doubles and five home runs. They return nearly all of their pitching from last year led by Brandon Luu (UC Irvine) and Andrew Krodel (UC Santa Barbara).

19. Catholic (Baton Rouge, La.) (0-0)

Last season: 31-7

Ranking rationale: The Bears beat John Curtis Christian 4-1 to win the Division 1 state title in Louisiana last season. Trip Dobson (Houston) is back after a team-leading 41 hits including ten doubles and three triples. Catcher Clayton Pourciau (Lousiana-Lafayette) hit .337 with two home runs. The Bears have loads of pitching led by Harrison Breaux (LSU), Cole Cranford (Tulane), Alex Ainsworth (Tulane), William Schmidt (Mississippi State) and Harrison Waghalter (Southeastern Louisiana).

20. Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) (0-0)

Last season: 25-5

Ranking rationale: The Lancers dominated their way to the Trinity League championship last season but were picked off by Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the Southern Section playoffs. Third baseman Casey Borba (Texas) is back after hitting .353 with six home runs as a junior. The lineup alongside Borba features Derek Curiel (LSU), Vincent Hudson (Arizona), Ben Reiland (Oklahoma State) and Gabe Fraser (Arkansas). Evan Miranda (Texas) and Ross Clark (Arizona State) lead the way on the mound.

21. West Monroe (La.) (0-0)

Last season: 33-4

Ranking rationale: The Rebels rolled through the playoffs last season, beating St. Amant 9-6 for the Louisiana 5A state championship. Trey Hawsey (Louisiana Tech) is the leading returning hitter after batting .417 with four home runs as a junior. John Pearson (LSU) and Hayden Federico (Ole Miss) also return while incoming freshman Bradyn Garner has already made a commitment to LSU.

22. Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.) (0-0)

Last season: 31-7

Ranking rationale: Jackson Prep outlasted Madison-Ridgeland in a three-game series last year to capture the Mississippi state championship. The Patriots return five of their top seven hitters led by Konnor Griffin (LSU), Rives Reynolds (Mississippi State) and Duncan Mathews (South Alabama). Griffin also contributed on the mound as a freshman, striking out 59 and finishing with a 6-1 record. Kevin Roberts Jr. will be one of the top freshman to watch in the country this season.

23. Barbe (Lake Charles, La.) (0-0)

Last season: 36-4

Ranking rationale: Barbe lost to eventual runner-up St. Amant in the Louisiana 5A quarterfinals a season ago. Junior LSU commit Landon Victorian returns as one of nation's best starting pitchers. The offense will be led by Donovan Lasalle (Oklahoma State), Jon Cassidy Vanek, and Owen Galt (LSU).

24. St. Xavier (Louisville, Ky.) (0-0)

Last season: 34-10

Ranking rationale: The Tigers cruised past Russell County 11-1 for the Kentucky State title a season ago. Louisville commits Ty Starke and Jake Gregor will give fits to opposing hitters atop the St. Xavier rotation throughout the season. Cooper Smith (Troy) is expected to be the leader in the Tigers' lineup.

25. Aquinas (San Bernardino, Calif.) (0-0)

Last season: 28-3

Ranking rationale: Aquinas fell short in the Southern Section Division 4 playoffs last season but returns nearly all of their offense led by Oregon commit Eric Bitonti. He hit .526 with eight home runs, 17 doubles and three triples as a junior and also posted a 0.62 earned run average in 45.1 innings on the mound. Alongside Bitonti in the lineup are Seth Rajacich (BYU) and Landon Young (TCU). Mason Greenhouse (Miami) has transferred in from Riverside King while Owen Egan (UCLA) joins the group after playing at Yucaipa.