Gainesville – Defending 8A state champion Spruce Creek (Port Orange) remains on top of the baseball Prep Zone Power Poll, but they are no longer a unanimous selection.
The Hawks (13-3) received six of the seven first-place votes following a 2-1 week that included their second loss of the season to DeLand. However, Spruce Creek’s 10-1 record in their past 11 games was enough to keep them No. 1.
Bolles (Jacksonville) (14-2) remained second despite a 3-0 loss to Episcopal (Jacksonville), which snapped the ‘Dogs eight-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Eagles (10-4) moved in to the top 20 for the first time this season at No. 15 following the win against their 4A-District 3 rival.
Class 5A Clay (Green Cove Springs) is ranked third. The Blue Devils (12-3) lost to Bolles, 4-3, but won their next two games, including a 2-1 win over previous #6 Creekside (St. Johns) (10-2), which dropped two spots to eighth.
Despite their first loss of the season, Fletcher (Neptune Beach) moved up one spot to fourth. The Senators (14-1), who fell to Fleming Island (Orange Park), 4-3, also defeated previous #15 First Coast (Jacksonville), which dropped one spot to 16th in the poll.
Forest (Ocala) rounded out the top five. The Wildcats (13-2) moved up three spots following a 3-0 week.
The other first-place vote went to Baker County (Glen St. Mary). The Class 5A Wildcats (13-1) won their eighth in a row, including an 8-2 win over Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville), which dropped six spots to ninth after dropping both of its games last week.
The Prep Zone Power Poll ranks the top 20 high school football, basketball, baseball & softball 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, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters.
PREP ZONE POWER POLL – 2013 BASEBALL NOMINATIONS POLL #3
(School, followed by classification, record through March 24, first-place votes and total voting points)
1. Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (8A) (13-3) (6) – 136
2. Bolles (Jacksonville) (4A) (14-2) – 130
3. Clay (Green Cove Springs) (5A) (12-3) – 120
4. Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (7A) (14-1) – 117
5. Forest (Ocala) (7A) (13-2) – 106
6. Buchholz (Gainesville) (7A) (10-3) – 100
7. Baker County (Glen St. Mary) (5A) (13-1) (1) – 99
8. Creekside (St. Johns) (5A) (10-2) – 97
9. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (10-4) – 85
10. Trenton (1A) (13-0) – 77
11. Nease (Ponte Vedra) (5A) (12-3) – 72
12. New Smyrna Beach (7A) (9-2) – 71
13. Williston (4A) (11-3) – 54
14. Eustis (5A) (11-2) – 45
15. Episcopal (Jacksonville) (4A) (10-4) – 36
16. First Coast (Jacksonville) (7A) (10-4) – 25
17T Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (4A) (10-2) – 24
17T Providence (Jacksonville) (3A) (9-7) – 24
19. Fort White (4A) (10-4) – 13
20. North Marion (Citra) (5A) (10-5) – 10
Also receiving votes: Taylor (Pierson) (1A) (11-4) – 5; Santa Fe (Alachua) (4A) (8-7) – 5; Hernando (Brooksville) (5A) (10-3) – 4; Lafayette (Mayo) (1A) (10-2) – 3; Terry Parker (Jacksonville) (5A) (10-5) – 3; Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (7-6) – 2; South Sumter (Bushnell) (4A) (7-3) – 2
