The 2021 season was an exciting one as almost every state made their way back toward reality throughout the playing of the high school baseball season. While some states didn’t quite get to finish out their usual state playoffs, many did, and we are able to once again crown a national champion. This year’s national champion, Stoneman Douglas High School out of Parkland, Fla., played six teams, among their very talented Southern-Florida based schedule, that were a part of the national rankings at some point and finished their season 28-2 on their way to Florida’s 7A state title, the largest and potentially most difficult classification in the state.
The rest of the top-5 were all very deserving of this honor as they all were able to finish very impressive seasons in their respective states. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (Mich.) finishes the year at No. 2 after a 43-1 season in which they took home Michigan’s Division 2 state title and ended the year on a 22-game winning streak. Barbe (La.) closes the year at No. 3 after one of the more storied seasons in the state of Louisiana, finishing 39-2 and capturing the state’s 5A title. Madison Central (Miss.) closes out the year at No. 4 with a 34-2 record and an impressive run to take home the 6A state title in Mississippi, while Thousand Oaks (Calif.) finishes at No. 5 after only losing a single game (29-1) on their way to the Southern Section Division 2 title in California.
This final edition of the High School rankings holds 27 state, or regional, champions and those teams are as follows: *Stoneman Douglas (Fla.), *Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (Mich.), *Barbe (La.), *Madison Central (Miss.), *Thousand Oaks (Calif.), *Rockwall-Heath (Texas), Harvard Westlake (Calif.), *Baylor (Tenn.), Trinity (Ky.), *JSerra Catholic (Calif.), *Jackson Prep (Miss.), *Parkview (Ga.), Auburn (Ala.), *Heritage Hall (Okla.), American Fork (Utah), *Houston County (Ga.), *Buchanan (Calif.), The First Academy (Fla.), St. Joes Montvale (N.J.), Liberty (Ariz.), Barbers Hill (Texas), Blue Valley (Kan.), Roff (Okla.), Blue Valley Southwest (Kan.), Jasper (Ind.), Liberty (Mo.), New Albany (Ohio)
* = Member of the Preseason High School Top 50
The following schools were members of the Preseason High School Top 50 and managed to make both the preseason list and this final edition of the rankings: Stoneman Douglas (Fla.), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (Mich.), Barbe (La.), Madison Central (Miss.), Thousand Oaks (Calif.), IMG Academy (Fla.), Rockwall-Heath (Texas), Buford (Ga.), Baylor (Tenn.), JSerra Catholic (Calif.), Orange Lutheran (Calif.), Jackson Prep (Miss.), Parkview (Ga.), Lake Travis (Texas), Tampa Jesuit (Fla.), Bishop Gorman (Nev.), Heritage Hall (Okla.), Houston County (Ga.), Buchanan (Calif.), Reagan (Texas), Phillips Academy (Mass.), Malvern Prep (Penn.), Hamilton (Ariz.), Lakeland Christian (Fla.), Calvary Christian Academy (Fla.), Doral Academy (Fla.), Spruce Creek (Fla.), and The Bolles (Fla.).
While this will be the final edition of the High School Top 50 for this calendar year, we will be releasing our High School State Players of the Year tomorrow where we will name a player of the year for each state as well as a National Player of the Year, National Pitcher of the Year and National Two-Way Player of the Year. Thank you for following along with us all season long and we are already looking forward to the 2022 high school season.