We purposely waited a couple of weeks to release our initial Power 25 Team Rankings because we wanted to allow more teams to get games under their belts. It’s still really early, and thus hard to say an undefeated team is truly better than a team with one or two losses that has played a quality schedule. The good thing about several of our teams in the Power 25 is that most of the debates will be settled on the field at some point this spring. 

CLIMBING

+ No. 1 Nazareth (9-0): The Road Runners have gotten off to a perfect 9-0 start to the season and climb one spot to the No. 1 spot in the state. Nazareth has put up double digit runs in five of their nine games so far and held opponents to three runs or less in six of the nine wins. A more demanding schedule is upcoming, so the Road Runners will have plenty of tests to pass to stay at the top spot. 

+ No. 2 St. Laurence (7-1): The Vikings, who jumped a spot to No. 2, were arguably the most impressive team to start the season with a number of dominating wins over quality opponents, including No. 6 Lincoln-Way West and No. 10 Lemont. A recent 2-1 loss to a talented DePaul College Prep (now at No. 17) put a chink in the armour but the Vikings still look like one of the most complete teams in the state.

+ No. 3 Huntley (7-0-1): Huntley jumps two spots, now sitting at third overall after an impressive start to the season. They have a few quality wins under their belt, having not lost yet either, defeating Hononegah 9-2, sweeping Maine South, taking down Marist 16-2, and defeating No. 16 Stevenson and Moline in week one, respectively. Huntley’s given up just 14 runs over their eight games played, scoring 56 of their own, and clicking in all facets early on. Once again, the Red Raiders look like legitimate contenders at the 4A level. 

+ No. 4 Lockport (6-1): Lockport rises more than any team that was slotted within our ‘Preseason Power 25’, climbing 10 spots in this update to now sit at fourth on this board. They swept through the Kickoff Classic, handing Edwardsville a commanding 10-0 loss while scoring three times as many runs (27) as they allowed (9) in their southern trip. Lockport’s also picked up wins over Yorkville, Downers Grove South, and No. 21 Joliet Catholic, dropping their only contest to Plainfield Central, who’s 7-1 on the year. An all-around talented, well-coached group that does the little things right, Lockport once again looks like a premier program in the state. 

+ No. 8 Providence Catholic (5-1): The Celtics are yet another talented club off to a strong start that warranted a rise to No. 8, up three spots. In the Celtics five wins they outscored opponents 52-5. A recent loss to Minooka 15-3 is the lone blemish on the record so far with plenty of tough opponents on the docket in the near future. Providence is scheduled to face No. 17 DePaul College Prep, De La Salle, Hinsdale Central and Homewood-Flossmoor this week.   

+ No. 14 New Trier (5-1): The Trevians jump up four spots after a strong start to the season with two area wins against Taft 12-0 and Lane Tech 6-2 before hitting the road for a spring trip. Their only loss has come to Casteel (AZ), who is 8-0 and the No. 5 team according to PBR Arizona. 

SINKING

+ No. 5 Edwardsville (8-2): Edwardsville falls to fifth on our board, having lost to No. 4 Lockport and No. 11 Father McGivney thus far, respectively. Still, the Tigers are more than a formidable threat at the 4A level, and they’ve outscored opponents 94-21 in their wins. OF/RHP Joseph Chiarodo (2025; Alabama), 1B Riley Iffrig (2023; Indiana State), OF Caeleb Copeland (2023; St. Charles CC), and INF Cole Funkhouser (2023; Central Missouri) are all red-hot at the plate for Edwardsville, with Chiarodo, LHP Logan Geggus (2023), and RHP Alec Marchetto (2024) anchoring their staff on the mound. Southwestern Conference play starts this week for the Tigers, who draw rival O’Fallon twice at the start, and matchup with perennial Missouri powerhouse Francis Howell on Friday, too. 

+ No. 15 Brother Rice (3-6): The Crusaders drop nine spots after falling to 3-6 on the season. Though the record isn’t pretty, the Crusaders have faced perhaps the toughest schedule out of all teams in Illinois so far - falling to Calvary Christian (6-2), Basha (7-2) and JSerra Catholic (8-0) at the NHSI Tournament hosted by USA Baseball. Though their loss to Leo (9-8) was rather unexpected, the Crusaders bounced back with a statement win over perennial powerhouse Hagerty (FL) by the score of 5-0. It’s been an up-and-down start for the Crusaders, but the strength of schedule paired with roster depth has them still firmly planted in the Power 25. 

+ No. 18 Mundelein (3-2): The Mustangs fall to the No. 18 position after a 2-2 week, bringing their overall record to 3-2. Two tough losses against Willard (12-7) and Christian Brothers (12-2) certainly put a damper on the week, but they were still able to pound out two strong wins against Putnam County (9-1) and Christian Brothers (7-3). With only five games under their belt, look for the Mustangs to pick up steam as they start getting more games in. 

+ No. 19 Belleville East (6-4): The Lancers drop nine spots in this update, falling to Mascoutah early on and returning a 1-3 record from their Alabama spring trip. Still, the Lancers have one of the state’s deepest and most dangerous pitching staffs, and the offense is led by INF Joseph Mendiola (2023; St. Charles CC), who’s once again off to a hot start at the plate. 

+ No. 22 Naperville Central (3-3): Naperville Central fell seven spots this week after going 2-2 on their trip down south. They lost to Athens (AL) and Hewitt-Trussville (AL), but found wins over Ariton (AL) and Planview (AL). Now back in Illinois, the Redhawks will face No. 20 Joliet Catholic, St. Charles East, Bolingbrook, and No. 4 Lockport. In for a challenge this week, the Redhawks face some of the better teams in the state and this will be a test for their team.

+ No. 24 Joliet West (3-2): The Tigers fell four spots this week after going 1-1 on the week. They defeated No. 6 Lincoln-Way West (6-1) but fell to Plainfield Central (10-0). Joliet West is scheduled to play Minooka, Oswego, and Bradley-Bourbonnais this week. This week's slate of games will test the Tigers and it will give a better assessment of how they compare to other Power 25 teams. 

NEW TO THE TOP 25

+ No. 9 Sandburg (7-1): After beginning the season unranked, the Eagles have found themselves at No. 9. They have notched wins over No. 10 Lemont and No. 15 Brother Rice with their only loss on the season to No. 6 Lincoln-Way West in an 11-10 game. The Eagles have scored 56 runs so far this season, and they look like they are going to continue to be one of the top teams in the state. This week they are scheduled to play Marist, Andrew, Thornwood, and Minooka. 

+ No. 11 Father McGivney (11-0): The Griffins are amongst the hottest programs in Illinois, rattling off 11 straight wins to start the season, and debuting inside our ‘Power 25’ at No. 11. Recently, Father McGivney took down Willard and CBC, two top programs in Missouri, and they took down No. 5 Edwardsville 6-4 in Tennessee. RHP Gabe Smith (2023; Ole Miss) and INF/RHP Daniel Gierer (2023) have been legitimate stoppers on the mound thus far, with that duo pacing the Griffins’ offensively, too. C Nick Franklin (2024), INF Jacob McKee (2023), INF Drew Kleinheider (2025), OF AJ Sutberry (2024), and OF/RHP Jackson Rodgers (2023; Western Illinois) are all off to hot starts too. 

+ No. 12 Downers Grove North (6-0): The Trojans find themselves slated at No. 12 after beginning the season unranked. They have started the season out with six straight wins, and they bring one of the more dangerous lineups to the IHSA this season. Headlined by 3B/OF George Wolkow (2023; South Carolina), INF Ean Czech (2023; Texas), INF Tony Konopiots (2023; West Virginia), INF Jude Warwick (2024; Michigan State) and C/3B Jimmy Janicki (2024; Troy), the Trojans will be a tough out for any opposing team. RHP Ben Llewellyn (2024), RHP Sean Ryniec (2023), and RHP Ryan Dennison (2023) will look to lead the way on the mound. This week the Trojans face York, Wheaton North, and Hinsdale South.

+ No. 17 DePaul College Prep (6-2): The Rams jumped into the rankings this week after defeating No. 2 St Laurence 2-1 last Thursday. They are led by OF AJ Garcia (2023; Michigan), and C Oliver Vigerust (2023) on the offensive end, and RHP Dylan Kaminski (2023) and RHP Luke Oblen (2024) will look to continue to lead their pitching staff. In their eight games played so far, the Rams have tallied 65 runs.

+ No. 20 Joliet Catholic (6-1-1): The Hilltoppers have started out the season with wins over No. 15 Brother Rice, Lincoln-Way Central, and most recently Plainfield Central. Their only loss on the season was against No. 4 Lockport in a close 3-2 game. Pitching has been a strength for this year's team with LHP TJ Schlageter (2023; Louisville), LHP Jacob Gimbel (2024), and RHP Aidan Hayse (2024; Tennessee) leading the way. In three appearances, Schlageter has struck out 17 batters, including an 11 strikeout performance against Brother Rice. On the offensive end, OF/1B Trey Swiderski (2023; Louisville), 3B Vinny Spotofora (2023; College of Dupage), and 1B Jake Troyner (2024) look to remain their major run producers. On Tuesday, the Hilltoppers will face another Power 25 team in their matchup against No. 22 Naperville Central.

+ No. 25 Mascoutah (8-1): Mascoutah climbs into the ‘Power 25’ in our final spot, with the Indians off to an 8-1 start. They’ve taken down Effingham, No. 19 Belleville East, and are currently on a five game winning streak, dropping their only game of the year to No. 4 Lockport at the Kickoff Classic. OF Trevor Geis (2024), C Grant Reinneck (2024), and INF Wyatt Beer (2024) are all swinging it well early on to headline Mascoutah’s offense. RHP Austin Musso (2025) hasn’t allowed a run on the mound in his three starts, striking out 23 while walking just four, and both C/RHP Zane Timon (2023; Eastern Illinois) and the aforementioned Beer are getting it done on the mound, too. Mascoutah will look to keep their hot stretch going this week, squaring up against Belleville West, Alton Marquette, and Carbondale, respectively. 

DROPPED OUT

+ Oak Park-River Forest (1-4)
+ Glenbrook North (3-3)
+ Lane Tech (6-3)
+ Normal University (5-3)
+ Grayslake Central (2-3)
+ Triad (6-2)

JUST MISSED THE CUT

+ Cary-Grove (7-1)
+ Warren Township (7-1)
+ Lake Park (7-0)
+ Evanston (6-1)
+ Homewood-Flossmoor (6-2)
+ Belleville West (6-0)
+ Crystal Lake South (6-0)
+ O’Fallon (7-1)
+ Harrisburg (7-1)
+ Evergreen Park (7-1)
+ Montini Catholic (8-1)
+ Deerfield (4-1)
+ Kenwood (5-1)
+ Antioch (4-0)
+ Oak Forest (5-0):
+ Morton (6-1)
+ Plainfield Central (7-1)

+ CLICK HERE to view entire Power 25 Team Rankings

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