By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

It goes without saying that the start of the 2014 season has been miserable playing conditions. Some teams wisely traveled out of the state to get more games in; other teams were more aggressive in getting in games in state; and some teams are just getting their feet wet. The variance of games played around the state has made the first updated Top 25 Team Rankings more difficult.

Nevertheless, we have to start somewhere. Here’s a look at the big movers in the updated team rankings:

+ At 11-0, St. Rita jumps three spots to No. 1. The Mustangs are always ahead of the curve when it comes to playing when most teams are not. They maintained their unblemished record in a recent South Carolina trip, too.

+ No. 2 St. Laurence has played arguably the most difficult schedule so far, which includes an undefeated run through Arizona, the Midwest Classic in Indiana, and a 17-2 whitewash of then-No. 5 Oak Park.

+ Minooka is the biggest riser in the Top 25, as the Indians jump to No. 3 after winning the WJOL Invitational. Not only did the Indians win the tournament, they shut out the entire competition, which included a 1-0 victory over No. 5 Joliet Catholic in 10 innings in the championship game. They have also beaten Providence twice, and both victories came against No. 1-ranked RHP Jake Godfrey.

+ Mundelein (9-0) always seems to come out of the gate hot, and this year is no different. The Mustangs shoot up to No. 10 – up 25 spots – after an impressive Southern Illinois trip.

+ Champaign Central is one of the early-season surprises. The Maroons, who feature an abundance of young talent, are off to a perfect 11-0 start of the season.

+ St. Joseph-Ogden is for real. The team proved that on Saturday when it swept 2A favorite Teutopolis in a two-game set. With RHP Hunter Hart (Indiana recruit) leading the way, look for St. Joseph-Ogden to emerge as a power in 2A this season.

+ The Southwestern Conference should again be a tight race with No. 16 O’Fallon, No. 17 Edwardsville and Alton, which just missed the Top 25 cut.

+ No. 24 Grant is off to a 5-0 start behind the scorching-hot bat of C Simeon Lucas.

CLICK HERE to view complete Top 25 Team Rankings