Prep Baseball Report

Updated Illinois Power 25 Team Rankings


By Drew Locascio
Illinois Scouting Director

This is the final installment of the Illinois Power 25 Team Rankings until the state playoffs conclude in the middle of June. St. Rita remains our No. 1 once again and is now 31-6 on the season. St. Rita breezed to the Regional Championship, winning 15-0 and 10-0 in their two games. Next up for Rita will be conference rival Mount Carmel on Wednesday.

The final four teams will be set for Class 1A and 2A after today’s Super-Sectional matchups. The state finals for both classes get underway this Friday at Dozer Park in Peoria.

Class 3A and 4A Regional champions have been crowned and the Sectional semifinals start Wednesday around the state. Seven teams in last week’s Power 25 were knocked out of the playoffs during Regional play. 22 of the current Power 25 teams are still alive in the Postseason.

Below is a breakdown of this week’s Power 25.

PLAYOFF NEWS

+ Chicago Catholic League - Seven teams from the Chicago Catholic League won a Regional Championship in 3A or 4A; Brother Rice, De La Salle, Mount Carmel, Montini, Providence, St. Laurence and St. Rita all collected the Championships this past Saturday. DePaul College Prep won a 2A Regional Championship as well.

+ Plainfield - Three-of-the-four Plainfield high schools took home a Regional Championship. Plainfield North (defending 4A state champs), Central and South are all still alive and will be playing in a 4A Sectional Semi-final this week. East, the lone team from Plainfield knocked out, lost to Plainfield North by a score of 5-4 on Saturday in the Regional Championship.

+ Upsets Inside The Top 25 - When looking at 4A Regionals there were some noteworthy upsets of Power 25 squads. Arguably the biggest upset so far in the playoffs came in a Regional Semi-Final, where Romeoville beat No. 4 Lincoln-Way East 2-1. East, who ended the season 26-6, had Cole Kirschsieper, their ace on the mound and the loss was his first on the season. He was 10-0 entering the contest. Another Regional Semi-Final upset was Streamwood defeating Grant 12-9. Grant was 25-6 at the time and ranked No. 23 in the Power 25.

A few upsets in 3A Regional Championships, were Morris over No. 18 Coal City 4-2, Highland over No. 20 Mascoutah 9-5, and Glenwood routing No. 21 Rochester 10-2.  

+ Intriguing Sectional Matchups To Watch - As the postseason rolls on there are a number of interesting matchups on the Horizon. Below are just a few to keep an eye on this week:

4A

+ No. 2 Edwardsville vs. No. 19 Belleville West
+ CCL Blue - No. 1 St. Rita vs Mount Carmel
+ Fox Valley - No. 10 Huntley vs Cary-Grove (Likely RHP Quinn Priester)
+ No. 9 Brother Rice vs. No. 14 Nazareth
+ At Oswego HS
- No. 11 Neuqua Valley vs. Plainfield North (Defending State Champs)
- No. 7 Plainfield South vs Plainfield Central

3A

+ No. 3 St. Laurence vs. Morris
+ No. 15 Normal University vs. No. 23 Galesburg
+ Fox Valley - No. 16 Prairie Ridge vs. Crystal Lake South

A LOOK AT THE TOP FIVE

+ No. 1 St. Rita (31-6) - The Mustangs cruised to their 4A Regional Championship with convincing 10-0 and 15-0 wins. Up next for St. Rita is CCL-Blue rival Mount Carmel on Wednesday in the Sectional Sem-Final.

+ No. 2 Edwardsville (32-5) - The Tigers went 3-0 on the week and cruised in their two playoff games; beating Quincy 11-1 and then Alton 8-1. Up next for Edwardsville is Southwestern conference foe, No. 19 Belleville West.

+ No. 3 St. Laurence (31-5) - The Vikings, who are in the 3A Division this year for the first time, got through their Regional unscathed as well. St. Laurence knocked off Morgan Park 15-0 and Lemont 7-2. Up next for the VIkings is Morris (25-8) on Wednesday at Ozinga Field in Crestwood.

+ No. 4 Joliet Catholic (27-7) - The Hilltoppers are yet another top five team to cruise through to their Regional Championship. Joliet Catholic beat Rich Central 20-1 and Manteno 12-4. Next up is Tinley Park and if they advance past that, they would play the winner of St. Laurence vs Morris for the Sectional Championship.

+ No. 5 Warren (32-4) - The Blue Devils have been one of the more impressive and surprising teams in the state this spring and captured a 4A Regional Championship with a hard-fought 4-3 win over St. Viator. They also took down Grayslake North 9-4. Up next for Warren is Fremd, who knocked off a solid Buffalo Grove squad 12-3.

NEW TO THE TOP 25

+ Belleville West (27-7) - The Maroons have had an impressive year and it continued on Saturday beating a, 25-9 O’Fallon squad, by the score of 6-4 to capture a 4A Region Championship. Belleville West, who went 2-0 last week, are up to No. 19 in the Power 25 and have a huge matchup with conference foe and No. 2 Edwardsville on Wednesday.

+ Glenwood (28-8) - The Titans have won eight straight and are coming off an impressive 3A Regional Championship win over then No. 21 Rochester by the score of 10-2. Glenwood, now No. 21 in the Power 25, face Charleston on Wednesday in a Sectional Semi-Final.

+ Galesburg (28-7) - Another 3A team, new to the Power 25, is No. 23 Galesburg. The Streaks went 2-0 last week, knocked off Peoria Notre Dame for the Regional Championship and are rich in pitching, with a front-end arm in Connor Aten (Bradley commit). Galesburg has a big matchup on Wednesday with No. 15 Normal University.

+ Dunlap (25-5) - The Eagles had been knocking on the door of the Power 25 all spring and finally get in at No. 24. Dunlap went 2-0 last week, capturing a Regional Championship with a 3-2 win over Limestone. Up next for Dunlap is Lincoln, who defeated a quality Morton squad 6-4 for their own Regional Championship.

DROPPED OUT

+ Mascoutah (29-4)

+ Rochester (26-8-1)

+ Grant Community (25-7)

+ Normal Community (25-7)

JUST MISSED THE CUT

+ Moline (26-8-1)

+ Lake Forest (24-10)

+ Morris (25-8)

+ Oak Park-River Forest (22-12)

+ Crystal Lake South (23-10)

+ Marion (18-1-1)

+ Tinley Park (26-6)

+ Aurora Christian (19-9-1)

UPDATED TOP 10

RANK
LAST WEEK TEAM CLASS
2019 RECORD
1
1 St. Rita
4A 31-6
2 2 Edwardsville
4A 32-5
3 3 St. Laurence
3A 31-5
4 5 Joliet Catholic
3A 27-7
5 6 Warren
4A 32-4
6 7 Marist
4A 24-10
7 8 Plainfield South
4A 28-6
8 4 Lincoln-Way East
4A 26-6
9 9 Brother Rice
4A 25-11
10 10 Huntley
4A 28-9


CLICK HERE to view updated Power 25 Team Rankings.

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