News4JAX Super 6 baseball: St. Johns Country Day back at No. 1, Clay rejoins rankings

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The News4JAX Super 6 high school baseball rankings will be published each Friday during the regular season. Records are through April 18 games.

News4JAX Super 6 baseball

Rank, previous, school, record, classification

1. (2) St. Johns Country Day (17-5, Class 2A)

Notable wins: Baldwin, Buchholz, Calvary Day (Ga.), Chaparral (Ariz.), Clay, Flagler Palm Coast, Fleming Island, Florida High, North Florida Christian, Providence, Thomasville (Ga.), West Nassau, Yulee.

Glance: The Spartans move back to the top spot for the first time in more than a month. They were 1-3 at the National High School Invitational, but returned to the area with wins over Yulee (4-0) and Providence (2-1 in 10). That win over the Stallions was special. Seth Alford hit a walk-off bomb in the bottom of the 10th, his fifth homer of the season, to win it for the Spartans. St. Johns has a brutal closing stretch with three Super 6 teams over the next week — Bishop Kenny, red-hot Creekside and Bolles. Nick Bowden (.415, 2 HR, 11 RBI) and James Gilson (.389, 3 HR, 13 RBI) lead a St. Johns team with state championship expectations.

2. (1) Trinity Christian (18-5, Class 3A)

Notable wins: Apex Friendship (NC), Baldwin, Buchholz, Calvary Day (Ga.), Clay, Lowndes (Ga.) twice, Mill Creek, Providence, Viera.

Glance: The Conquerors went 2-2 in the National High School Invitational, but they’ve struggled since they returned. Trinity has lost four of its last five, including a 3-2 game to University Christian and an 8-5 game to Creekside. They ran into an excellent arm and showing in the form of UC’s Caden Worbington (6.1 IP, 4 Ks) and then saw the Knights push four runs across in the final two innings on Thursday night. Reason to panic? Not quite. Trinity’s two losses to UC and Creekside were its first this season against teams from Florida. Brady Harris (.385, 2 HR, 2 RBI) is back and in synch. Gage Petrutz (.444, HR), Aiden Arnett (.403, 2 HR, 21 RBI) and Brayden Harris (.375, 11 RBI) are tough. Competition matters and Trinity is playing one of the most difficult schedules you’ll find.

3. (3) Bolles (16-5, Class 3A)

Notable wins: Bartram Trail, Christ School (NC), Englewood, Episcopal, Fernandina Beach, Montverde, Oxford (Ala.), Providence, Yulee.

Glance: A 1-0 week for the Bulldogs, who beat Ponte Vedra 5-0. A difficult close for Bolles. The Bulldogs get Bishop Kenny, St. Joseph, Englewood and St. Johns as they wrap up the regular season. Jackson Geist (.404) is the lone Bulldogs regular over .400. Chayce Kieck is hitting .393 in 28 at-bats. Clemson signee Kieck (5-1, 0.33 ERA, 42.1 IP, 49 Ks) and David Martin (6-1, 62 Ks, 41 IP, 0.85 ERA) have pushed the staff era down to nearly sub-1.00.

4. (4) Creekside (14-8, Class 7A)

Notable wins: Atlantic Coast, Beachside, Bishop Kenny, Bolles, Columbia, Colquitt County (Ga.), Nease, North Marion, St. Augustine, Tocoi Creek, Trinity Christian.

Glance: Who wants to see the Knights right now? Among their recent Ws are Bolles, Bishop Kenny, Tocoi Creek and Trinity Christian, whom they beat 8-5 on Thursday night. They have another red-hot team in University Christian up next on Friday before closing the regular season against St. Johns Country Day and DeLand. Adam Harvey (.373, 14 RBI), Sean Ashenfelder (.342, 2 HR, 14 RBI) and Carson McFarlin (.328, 16 RBI, 2 HR) are powering the Knights.

5. (5) Bishop Kenny (15-6, Class 4A)

Notable wins: Atlantic Coast, Clay, Fernandina Beach, St. Joseph, St. Augustine, Sandalwood, Tocoi Creek.

Glance: Kenny went 2-1 since our last Super 6, falling to Columbia (8-7) after giving up four runs in the final two innings, then handling St. Augustine (8-4) and Santa Fe (9-3). They’ve got rival Bolles on Friday followed by St. Johns Country Day and Episcopal to round out the regular season. Owen Delaney (.435, 18 RBI), Cole Dennis (.367, 2 HR, 11 RBI) and Franco Chaluja (.365, 10 RBI) lead the Crusaders.

T6. (NR) Clay (13-6, Class 5A)

Notable wins: Beachside, Creekside, First Coast, Fleming Island, Keystone Heights, Lee County (Ga.), Nease, Yulee.

Glance: The Blue Devils have won five straight and make their return to the Super 6 after opening the season ranked. They round out their regular season schedule with Bartram Trail, Providence, Baldwin and Keystone Heights, all quality teams and challenges heading into the district tournament. Parker Lowrance (.370) and Easton McMahan (.338) lead the batters, while Preston Andrews (4-0, 0.73 ERA, 2 saves, 35 Ks, 38.1 IP) fronts the pitching staff. Clay slides into the Super 6 ahead of a surging Bishop Snyder, which has won six straight behind ace Aidan King (100 Ks, 52.1 IP) and freshman Tristan Silver (.397).

T6. (6) Tocoi Creek (17-4, Class 6A)

Notable wins: Beachside, Christ’s Church, Clay, Episcopal, Father Lopez, Fernandina Beach, Providence, St. Augustine.

Glance: The Toros got back in the win column since our last Super 6, routing Palatka (14-3) and topping Fernandina Beach (13-8). Those offensive showings were much needed after Tocoi went flat and put up nothing on the scoreboard in losses to Bartram Trail and Creekside the previous week. They wind down the regular season next week with Keystone Heights, Matanzas and Orange Park. Chase Pate (.367, 22 RBI) lifted his average nearly 60 points in those two games. Andy Lemaster (.365, 18 RBI) jumped his almost 30 points. Brayden Harris (6-1, 37 Ks, 40.2 IP, 1.55 ERA) leads the Tocoi Creek pitching staff.

Others

Atlantic Coast (14-6, Class 7A); Baker County (13-10, Class 4A); Baldwin (14-8 Class 3A); Bartram Trail (12-9, Class 7A); Bishop Snyder (15-7, Class 3A); Christ’s Church (12-5, Class 2A); Clay (11-6, Class 5A); Columbia (11-11, Class 5A); Englewood (14-6, Class 5A); Episcopal (15-6, Class 3A); Fernandina Beach (9-10, Class 3A); First Coast (12-8, Class 5A); Flagler Palm Coast (12-10, Class 7A); Fleming Island (14-8, Class 6A); Fletcher (12-8, Class 6A); Keystone Heights (16-6, Class 3A); Oakleaf (12-8, Class 6A); Providence (11-9, Class 3A); St. Augustine (14-8, Class 5A); St. Joseph (17-6, Class 2A); Suwannee (13-6-1, Class 4A); Union County (11-11, Class 1A); University Christian (13-9, Class 2A); West Nassau (11-9, Class 3A); Yulee (10-8, Class 4A).