The Orange County baseball rankings as of Monday, May 18:
ORANGE COUNTY BASEBALL TOP 25
Notable this week: Santa Margarita, which lost three straight games to JSerra in the final week of Trinity League play, rolled to a 19-1 win over Rancho Christian in the first round of the playoffs. The Eagles move up to No. 7 this week in the rankings. … Sunset League teams Marina, Edison and Corona del Mar also rise in the Top 25. … Top-ranked Orange Lutheran won its two pool-play games in the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs and advanced to the quarterfinals. … No. 2 Huntington Beach and No. 3 Cypress went 1-1 in their first two pool-play games in Division 1 and they face elimination games Tuesday.
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(Team records through Sunday, May 17)
1. Orange Lutheran 25-5: The Lancers went 2-0 in pool-play games in the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs with wins over Corona Santiago 3-1 and Corona 9-6. Their next game is Friday in the quarterfinals.
Previous ranking: 1
2. Huntington Beach 22-7-1: The Oilers went 1-1 in Division 1 pool-play games to start the playoffs. They play an elimination game at La Mirada on Tuesday.
Previous ranking: 2
3. Cypress 22-8: The Centurions started the Division 1 playoffs with a pool-play loss to St. John Bosco, 2-1, in 11 innings but bounced back with a win over Oaks Christian, 8-2. They are home Tuesday to face Sierra Canyon in an elimination-round game.
Previous ranking: 3
4. Servite 16-13: The Friars opened the Division 2 playoffs with a 2-0 win over Costa Mesa as Shane Wendler pitched a one-hitter. Servite plays at Foothill on Tuesday.
Previous ranking: 4
5. Newport Harbor 19-9: The Sailors rolled to a 15-1 win over Trabuco Hills in the first round in Division 2. They led 13-0 lead after three innings as Grant Horsley went 3 for 4 and Cameron Hatfield drove in three runs. Newport Harbor plays at Great Oak of Temecula on Tuesday.
Previous ranking: 6
6. Mater Dei 13-15: The Monarchs did not receive a spot in the CIF-SS playoffs. They finished fourth in the six-team Trinity League and did earn a guaranteed berth.
Previous ranking: 5
7. Santa Margarita 16-13: The Eagles barely got into the Division 2 playoffs and in the first round proved they belong with a 19-1 win on the road against Rancho Christian. Andre Owens smacked three of Santa Margarita’s eight home runs in the game. Santa Margarita plays at home against Elsinore on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.
Previous ranking: 10
8. Villa Park 19-9-1: The Spartans lost a close game to Elsinore, 3-2, in the first round of the Division 2 playoffs.
Previous ranking: 7
9. JSerra 11-15: The Lions did not earn a spot in the playoffs. They won their final four games of the regular season, including a three-game sweep of Santa Margarita.
Previous ranking: 9
10. Foothill 18-11: The Knights return to the Top 10 after defeating Vista Murrieta, 2-1, in the first round of the Division 2 playoffs behind pitcher Caden Lauridsen’s one-hitter.
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Previous ranking: 11
11. Trabuco Hills 17-12
Previous ranking: 8
12. Dana Hills 18-11
Previous ranking: 12
13. Marina 14-15
Previous ranking: 14
14. San Clemente 18-11
Previous ranking: 13
15. Fountain Valley 13-15
Previous ranking: 15
16. Edison 13-16
Previous ranking: 19
17. Los Alamitos 11-17
Previous ranking: 18
18. Mission Viejo 20-9
Previous ranking: 16
19. Aliso Niguel 16-10-2
Previous ranking: 17
20. Corona del Mar 15-13
Previous ranking: 21
21. El Modena 22-7
Previous ranking: 20
22. El Dorado 12-16
Previous ranking: 22
23. La Habra 11-16-1
Previous ranking: 23
24. Canyon 15-14
Previous ranking: 25
25. Fullerton 16-12
Previous ranking: Not ranked