Marty Pallman
The high school baseball season is heading into spring.
And there’s an old familiar face at the top of The Prep Zone Power Poll, which ranks the top 20 baseball teams regardless of classification across 26 counties in Florida.
St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) advanced to the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) 2A state championship game in Fort Myers for the second time in three years in 2023. And with an all-star lineup back in 2024, the Spartans are ready to make another run.
They are off to another hot start at 8-0. That includes wins over No. 7 Buchholz (Gainesville) and RV Columbia (Lake City), as well as No. 8T Clay (Green Cove Springs), North Florida Christian (Tallahassee), and Thomasville (GA).
They received all eight first place votes to earn the No. 1 ranking.
Two teams are tied for second in Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) and Montverde Academy.
The Conquerors, who were upset in the opening round of the 3A playoffs last spring by Bolles (Jacksonville), are off to a 6-1 start with the only loss being to a Louisiana team.
The Eagles are 7-2 so far in the young season with wins over Bolles, 5-3, Lake Highland Prep (Orlando) and two Alabama teams, and their only losses coming to Bolles, 1-0, and a Louisiana team.
Spruce Creek (Port Orange) starts at No. 4.
The Hawks advanced to Fort Myers last May before being knocked out in the state semifinals by the No. 1 team nationally, Stoneman Douglas (Parkland).
Spruce Creek is 7-1 to start in 2024 with wins over Bartram Trail (St. Johns), Seabreeze (Daytona Beach), Lake Mary and Deltona and the only loss to Windermere.
Last year’s 4A state runner-up, Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), rounds out the top five.
The Crusaders, who were beaten by North Marion (Citra), 5-0, in the 4A title game at Hammond Stadium last spring, started this season 5-1 with wins over North Marion, Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine), and St. Joseph Academy (St. Augustine). Their only loss so far came to Oakleaf (Orange Park).
The second five includes Providence (Jacksonville) at No. 6, followed by Buchholz, Clay, Forest (Ocala), and Newberry in the top 10.
Keystone Heights, which is in the Mainstreet Daily News’s coverage area, is ranked at No. 19.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, girls volleyball, girls basketball, boys basketball, softball & baseball teams (regardless of FHSAA classification) across 26 counties in North Florida (Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Citrus, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on by sportswriters and sportscasters and it is powered by Anytime Fitness of Gainesville.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2024 BASEBALL POLL #1
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, final 2023 record, 2024 record through 3/12, and total voting points)
Teams in bold are inside the Mainstreet Daily News coverage area
1. St. Johns Country Day (Orange Park) (2A) (8) (26-5) (8-0) – 160
2T. Montverde Academy (3A) (25-4) (7-2) – 135
2T. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (22-5) (6-1) – 135
4. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (7A) (20-11) (7-1) – 129
5. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (4A) (19-11) (5-1) – 123
6. Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (25-5) (6-3) – 113
7. Buchholz (Gainesville) (6A) (21-7) (4-2) – 89
8T. Clay (Green Cove Springs) (5A) (23-7) (5-2) – 84
8T. Forest (Ocala) (6A) (11-13) (10-1) – 84
10. Newberry (1A) (16-9) (6-1) – 82
11. Bolles (Jacksonville) (3A) (15-13) (7-3) – 81
12. Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (22-5) (7-1) – 80
13. Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) (4A) (15-10-1) (6-0) – 62
14. Baldwin (3A) (11-14) (7-1) – 43
15. First Coast (Jacksonville) (6A) (11-14) (6-0) – 36
16. Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) (6A) (15-12) (6-2) – 31
17T. Dunnellon (4A) (15-12) (6-3) – 25
17T. Mount Dora Christian Academy (2A) (17-10) (8-2) – 25
19. Keystone Heights (3A) (16-9) (6-1) – 22
20. Englewood (Jacksonville) (5A) (12-13) (6-1) – 18
Also receiving votes: Lake Minneola (6A) (21-6) (7-3) – 17; Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (18-9) (6-4) – 14; P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) (3A) (19-8) (5-1) – 14; Fleming Island (Orange Park) (6A) (16-9) (4-2) – 11; Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (3A) (21-9) (5-3) – 11; Hernando (Brooksville) (4A) (23-5) (5-3) – 10; Umatilla (3A) (17-9) (7-0) – 9; Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (4A) (22-7) (5-3) – 8; Episcopal (Jacksonville) (3A) (4-20) (6-2) – 7; Bishop Snyder (Jacksonville) (3A) (6-15) (7-3) – 6; Oak Hall (Gainesville) (2A) (18-6) (4-2) – 3; Yulee (4A) (15-11) (5-4) – 2.