2013 Preseason High School Top 25

Staff Report
February 12, 2013


While most are panning the level of talent for the 2013 draft, it won't make the high school season any less interesting. Parkview High (Lilburn, Ga.) had to grind through a tough schedule to finish as the top team in the country last year and faces a tall task in repeating. Several teams have the resume of being a No. 1 team, but the Panthers start their title defense atop the Baseball America/National High School Baseball Coaches Association Top 25.

Campolindo High (Moraga, Calif.), Spruce Creek High (Port Orange, Fla.) and American Heritage High (Plantation, Fla.) all finished 2012 in the top 10 and return several key players that keep them there in the preseason poll. Everyone knows pitching is a major factor in getting through any postseason so San Diego's Cathedral Catholic should be watched closely with five Division I arms in the Dons' rotation, who check in at No. 3.

As always, major tournaments will play a big role in how the rankings shake out. The USA Baseball National High School Invitational is in its second year and has eight Preseason Top 25 teams in its field, as well as nine players from the High School Top 100. The 2012 NHSI didn't disappoint with plenty of drama and this year doesn't figure to be any different. It will be played March 27-30 in Cary, N.C., at Team USA's National Training Complex.

Another event that will grab a lot of attention is hitting the high school stage in 2013—the Boras Baseball Classic, which will feature 32 California teams. They will be divided into two brackets, North and South, with the winners of each facing each other in mid-April. The North portion will be played March 25-28 at Elk Grove (Calif.) High while the South will be hosted by Mater Dei High (Santa Ana, Calif.) and JSerra Catholic High (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) from April 2-5. The final championship will be played at the University of Pacific on April 13.

The staff of Baseball America and the NHSBCA compile the Top 25 rankings. In-season polls will be conducted every two weeks and released every other Tuesday during the season. The first in-season poll will be released on March 12. The final poll will be released in June. Records below are from 2012 and do not include ties. The number in parenthesis indicates 2012 final rank.

Rk.	School	2012
1	Parkview HS, Lilburn, Ga.	31-6 (1)
2	Campolindo HS, Moraga, Calif.	23-4 (6)
3	Cathedral Catholic HS, San Diego	30-5 (NR)
4	Spruce Creek HS, Port Orange, Fla.	28-4 (8)
5	Dulles HS, Sugar Land, Texas	27-8 (NR)
6	American Heritage HS, Plantation, Fla.	27-4 (4)
7	Carroll HS, Southlake, Texas	25-13 (NR)
8	Mater Dei HS, Santa Ana, Calif.	24-6 (17)
9	Grayson HS, Loganville, Ga.	27-9 (NR)
10	The Woodlands (Texas) HS	24-8 (NR)
11	Venice (Fla.) HS	24-8 (25)
12	Rancho Bernardo HS, San Diego	23-10 (NR)
13	Jenks (Okla.) HS	24-18 (NR)
14	Loganville (Ga.) HS	31-9 (23)
15	Barbe HS, Lake Charles, La.	35-6 (14)
16	Harvard-Westlake HS, Studio City, Calif.	24-5 (26)
17	Cypress (Texas) Woods HS	21-9 (NR)
18	Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.	24-3 (27)
19	Gainesville (Ga.) HS	32-2 (49)
20	Orange (Calif.) Lutheran HS	23-5 (16)
21	Hamilton HS, Chandler, Ariz.	23-9 (NR)
22	Tullahoma (Tenn.) HS	27-13 (NR)
23	Jesuit HS, Tampa	28-2 (11)
24	North Florida Christian HS, Tallahassee, Fla.	17-10 (NR)
25	Coronado HS, Henderson, Nev.	29-10 (NR)