Our rankings are broken up into two divisions: large school and small schools. We classify the 'large' schools as those residing in Class 5 & 6, while the small schools make up the remaining MSHSAA classifications. We rank what we believe to be the top teams in the state at that level, as well as highlighting several 'On Deck' teams.

With two weeks of the season under our belt, our staff is formally updating the state’s team rankings for the first time in 2024, using our vast knowledge of the state across all levels to do so. 

Make sure to follow along on Twitter at @PrepBaseballMO for all of our high school coverage throughout the spring

LARGE SCHOOL NOTES 

+ The top of our board remains unchanged, as No. 1 Francis Howell (4-1) and No. 2 Staley (2-1) hold onto their top two spots. Despite falling in the Troy Buchanan tournament championship game, the Vikings have scored 55 runs in their five games, while holding their opposition to nine. Staley won two of their first three games and will really kick off their season with a spring trip to Arizona this upcoming week. 

+ Both Lee’s Summit West (6-1) and Fort Zumwalt West (6-1) rise after strong weeks, sitting at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. All of the Titans’ wins are against quality opponents - they took down Bentonville (AR), Lafayette, Platte County, and Kearney before taking two of three games against conference foe Liberty North. Per usual, the Jaguars look the part of a well coached, competitive bunch that rolled right out of the game to a 5-0 start, beating No. 1 Francis Howell in the Troy tournament championship game 4-3. They have wins over No. 9 Jackson, Washington, Timberland, Parkway West, and Westminster Christian. 

+ Blue Springs (5-3) has played one of the tougher schedules in the state to date and, given their success, rise up two spots to fifth overall. A big reason why is their recent sweep over cross-town rival Blue Springs South, where the Wildcats rattled off three straight wins against one of the state’s tougher teams. As a staff, they allowed three earned runs over 22 innings, flexing the talent and depth their rotation has to offer. Additionally, Blue Springs has wins over Kearney and Life Prep (KS) on the year. 

+ No. 6 Vianney (2-3), No. 7 Liberty North (6-2), and No. 8 Nixa (4-4) all drop a touch down on our board as a result of other teams climbing. Still, all three of these programs are viewed by our staff as legitimate threats to make a trip to Ozark at the end of the season. 

+ No. 11 Willard (6-0), No. 12 Fort Zumwalt South (3-0), and No. 13 Parkway South (4-0) all saw slight climbs in their rankings. The Tigers are rolling, finding ways to win games in various facets. They have three shutout wins, three wins of 9+ runs, and beat Glendale 7-6 in walk-off fashion. Fort Zumwalt South opened their season up in the Big Orange Classic on Saturday, scoring 47 runs in three games. As a whole, they’re as dangerous of a team you’ll find in Class 5 with a real shot of making a return run to Ozark. Backed by a deep pitching staff, Parkway South has won a handful of tight contests, including one-run wins over Fort Zumwalt East and SLUH, defeating Pattonville 4-2 as well. 

+ The only team debuting in these rankings is Webb City (5-0), who jumps in at No. 14. Their offense, especially the top of their lineup, is relentless, as the Cardinals have scored at least 11 runs in all five of their games (62 total). 

LARGE SCHOOL RANKINGS

On Deck: Rock Bridge, Festus, Fort Zumwalt East, Glendale, Lafayette, Borgia, Kearney, Hickman, DeSmet, Seckman, Liberty (KC), SLUH, Oakville, Helias Catholic, Ozark, St. Dominic, Lebanon, Lindbergh, West Plains, John Burroughs, CBC, Carl Junction

SMALL SCHOOL NOTES 

+ Similarly to our ‘Large School’ list, the top spot remains unchanged here, with Logan-Rogersville (4-1) staying at No. 1. Their only loss came to an out of state foe, and the Tigers have wins over Branson, Republic and two other ‘Small School’ ranks in Father Tolton and Blair Oaks. 

+ Speaking of Father Tolton, the Trailblazers (4-2) jump up a few spots to No. 2 on our list. In their wins, Father Tolton is outscoring their opponents 49-to-4. They fell to the top-ranked Wildcats and their other loss came in nine innings to Class 5 Springfield Catholic. 

+ Duchesne (7-0) and Southern Boone (6-0) both climb in this update, now sitting at No. 3 and No. 4 overall, respectively. The Pioneers are a young, yet talented bunch, and they’ve been on a tear to start the spring. They’ve scored 10 or more runs in four of their seven games, with quality wins over Valley Park and St. Michael the Archangel. You can always count on Southern Boone to be a well coached, competitive bunch, and this year isn’t any different. They’ve found ways to win games in multiple ways and are an experienced, upperclass heavy group. 

+ Three new teams jump into the top-10: No. 6 Valle Catholic (7-0), No. 9 Blair Oaks (5-2), and No. 10 Lone Jack (6-0). Valle Catholic is a program that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing success out of; they’ve won four state championships since 2014 and won 29 games last spring. They’re off to another dynamite start in 2024, scoring 65 runs and holding their opponents to 11 with four shutout wins. Blair Oaks has built themselves an impressive resume early, with wins over Camdenton, Boonville, St. Francis Borgia, and Springfield Catholic - all of which are quality opponents. Finally, Lone Jack has really swung the bats well to open up 2024; in five of their six wins, the Mules have beaten their opponents by an average differential of 13 runs. 

SMALL SCHOOL RANKINGS 

On Deck: Seneca, Forsyth, St. Louis Patriots, St. Elizabeth's, Ash Grove, Valley Park, Notre Dame (Cape Girardeau), Cooter, Hollister, Summit Christian, Wright City, Central (Park Hills), Knob Noster, Portageville, Putnam County

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