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.

Now, with week three concluded, our staff is formally updating the state’s team rankings at both the ‘Large School’ and ‘Small School’ levels.

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

LARGE SCHOOL NOTES

+ No. 1 Francis Howell and No. 2 Staley remain at the top of our rankings after productive weeks. Staley, in particular, made it to the championship game of their spring trip before falling in walk-off fashion to Hamilton (AZ), a program that’s perennially one of the best in the state of Arizona. 

+ Fort Zumwalt West continues to climb and the Jaguars rise one spot to No. 3 on these updated rankings. They won their second tournament championship already to start the spring, claiming the Midwest Classic trophy in convincing fashion over CBC. They lost one game this week, to ranked Fort Zumwalt South, though they beat ranked opponents in Lindbergh and Vianney, while also picking up victories against Lafayette and the Cadets. 

All three of Nixa, Eureka, and Willard rise in this update with all three programs finding themselves in the top 10: 

+ Nixa jumps up two spots to No. 6 overall after arguably the most impressive week in the state. They didn’t lose, rattling off wins over Kennett, Lee’s Summit North, Kearney, and ranked opponents in Liberty North and Lee’s Summit West. After starting the season at .500, the Eagles are now 9-4 and have a roster capable of competing with anyone on any given day. 

+ Eureka jumps to No. 8 overall after two big wins. They beat rival Parkway South on the road in convincing fashion, taking down the Patriots 11-2, and turned around to defeat a quality Oakville squad 6-2 the next day. The Wildcats’ offense is as deep as any unit you’ll find in the state and if they can continue to get strong pitching on the mound, Eureka will be a force come District play. 

+ Debuting in the top-10, at No. 9 overall, is Willard. The Tigers have yet to lose this year, beating Marshfield and Lebanon in week three to improve to 8-0. You can count on Willard to be a state contender each year, though that statement especially rings true in 2024. 

+ Though they didn’t rise or drop in this update, it’s worth noting the week that No. 7 Liberty North had. The reigning state champions scored 52 runs in five games with convincing wins against Rockhurst, Republic, Kickapoo, and Glendale. They allowed only five runs in total last week and their only loss came against Nixa. 

+ There’s a new school debuting on our list, as Lindbergh climbs in at No. 14 overall. The Flyers have one loss this spring, to Fort Zumwalt West, but they’ve accrued nine wins, including four highly impressive ones in week three. They took down Vianney, Fort Zumwalt South, Blue Springs South, and Parkway West to bolster an already impressive resume. 

+ Vianney drops to the last spot on our rankings after dropping two games this past week and sitting at 5-5 on the year. The Griffins roster is still littered with talent from top to bottom, however, and they should still be viewed as a force ready to make some noise in the St. Louis area. 

+ Glendale (6-4), Kearney (9-3), Raymore-Peculiar (10-3), and Rockwood Summit (7-2) are all teams to watch as we head into the fourth week of the season. 

LARGE SCHOOL RANKINGS

On Deck: Rock Bridge, Blue Springs South, Borgia, Glendale, Lafayette, West Plains, Kearney, Raymore-Peculiar, Hickman, Seckman, Liberty (KC), SLUH, Oakville, Helias Catholic Ozark, CBC, St. Dominic, Lebanon, John Burroughs, Carl Junction

SMALL SCHOOL NOTES

+ Blair Oaks makes the biggest splash in this update, vaulting up six spots to No. 3 overall. The Falcons won all four of their games last week, including key victories over Fulton and ranked Southern Boone to improve to 9-2 on the season. They’ll be tested again with tough competition this upcoming week, but the Falcons look like legitimate players in the Class 4 landscape. 

+ Lone Jack is off to an excellent start this spring and the Mules, rightfully so, have climbed to the eighth spot on our board. They have scored 10 or more runs in seven of their nine wins and they’re out-scoring their opponents 104-to-10 so far. 

+ Valle Catholic (9-0) bumps up to No. 5 and Licking (6-0) rises one spot to No. 7. Duchesne (7-1) drops to No. 6 and St. Pius X (4-4) drops from fifth to No. 9. 

+ We do have a new name in this top-10, as Forsyth debuts at No. 10. The Panthers are 7-1, their only loss being to an out-of-state team, and have won all of their games by eight or more runs. In fact, Forsyth hasn’t allowed more than two runs in a game dating back to March 15th and, in that span, the Panthers have scored 73 runs of their own. 

SMALL SCHOOL RANKINGS

On Deck: Kennett, Seneca, St. Louis Patriots, Oran, Benton, Fulton, Summit Christian, St. Elizabeth's, Ash Grove, Lawson, Portageville, Valley Park, Notre Dame, Cooter, Hollister, Wright City, Central (Park Hills), Knob Noster, Putnam County, Savannah, Sullivan, Chaffee, Windsor

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