Stallions remain on top of regional baseball poll for 2nd straight week
GAINESVILLE — It was a busy week for baseball teams in The Prep Zone Power Poll.
Many traveled and played in tournaments on their Spring Break. And that is definitely true for the top-ranked team again this week, the Providence (Jacksonville) Stallions.
Providence won three games last week against the #1 team in Alabama, Glenwood, while also defeating another ranked Alabama team in Central and Ravenwood from Tennessee, and they received seven of the eight first-place votes to remain atop the rankings.
The Stallions (13-2) are #1 in 4A in ThePrepZone.com state baseball poll for March 23 and sixth overall in the all-classification rankings state-wide.
Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) remains undefeated and is once again right behind Providence at #2.
The Class 5A Crusaders (11-0) knocked off ninth-ranked Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) and scored nine runs in the bottom of the 7th to stun #T-6 Oakleaf (Orange Park), 12-11, last week.
Bishop Kenny also defeated RV Stanton (Jacksonville) and received the other first-place vote in this week’s poll. They are ranked second in the state in their classification.
Moving up to third is Sandalwood (Jacksonville).
The Saints (11-1) have won 11 in a row after dropping their season opener 9-8 at Providence, and moved up two spots from last week’s poll.
Sandalwood is ranked 4th in the 9A state poll and 7th in the statewide all-classification rankings right behind Providence.
Bolles (Jacksonville), ranked fifth in the 5A state rankings, remains 4th.
The Bulldogs (9-3) won last week against two state-ranked teams in 9A #9 Olympia (Orlando) and 4A #9 American Heritage (Delray Beach), but dropped a 6-3 decision to 8A Royal Palm Beach.
Rounding out the top five is Trinity Christian (Jacksonville).
The Conquerors (9-4) moved up two slots from the previous poll after a 3-1 record in the Sarasota Classic. Among the wins was a 1-0 triumph over the top-ranked team in 8A Venice, before losing to 7A #2 Tate (Cantonment) in the tourney championship game.
Tied for sixth with Oakleaf is Fletcher (Neptune Beach). The Senators (12-2) also moved up three places this week after a 3-0 week which included a win over #20 Terry Parker (Jacksonville), and are also ranked 5th in the state for Class 8A.
Rounding out the top 10 are Suwannee (Live Oak), Atlantic Coast, and University Christian (Jacksonville).
For Suwannee (11-2), they move up three spots into the top 10 after two wins over Baker County (Glen St. Mary).
Atlantic Coast, ranked 3rd in 8A, fell six places from the previous poll after losses to Bishop Kenny and Fleming Island (Orange Park) and are now 9th.
And University Christian (8-4) dropped a spot but stayed in the top 10 after a week that saw losses to 8A #2 Hagerty (Oviedo) and 9A #10 Vero Beach with a win over 9A Boone (Orlando).
The only team to drop out from the previous poll is Mount Dora Christian Academy, which dropped from the #T-20 position a week ago in the receiving votes category this 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, Madison, Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Sumter, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union & Volusia counties). It is voted on weekly by sportswriters and sportscasters.
THE PREP ZONE POWER POLL POWER POLL – 2017 BASEBALL POLL #2
(School, followed by classification, first place votes, record thru 3/25, and total voting points)
1. Providence (Jacksonville) (4A) (7) (13-2) – 158
2. Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) (5A) (1) (11-0) – 152
3. Sandalwood (Jacksonville) (9A) (11-1) – 143
4. Bolles (Jacksonville) (5A) (9-3) – 135
5. Trinity Christian (Jacksonville) (4A) (9-4) – 122
T-6. Fletcher (Neptune Beach) (8A) (12-2) – 116
T-6. Oakleaf (Orange Park) (8A) (11-2) – 116
8. Suwannee (Live Oak) (5A) (11-2) – 99
9. Atlantic Coast (Jacksonville) (8A) (9-3) – 81
10. University Christian (Jacksonville) (3A) (8-4) – 74
11. Creekside (St. Johns) (7A) (9-3) – 64
12. Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto) (2A) (10-0-1) – 54
T-13. Belleview (6A) (11-1) – 51
T-13. Springstead (Spring Hill) (6A) (12-2) – 51
15. Trenton (1A) (10-1) – 49
16. Mandarin (Jacksonville) (9A) (7-5) – 43
17. South Sumter (Bushnell) (5A) (9-0) – 37
18. Keystone Heights (5A) (10-2) – 35
19. Trinity Catholic (Ocala) (4A) (9-3) – 23
20. Terry Parker (Jacksonville) (6A) (10-4) – 14
Also receiving votes: University (Orange City) (9A) (8-4) – 12; Stanton (Jacksonville) (6A) (9-3) – 9; New Smyrna Beach (7A) (9-4) – 7; Ridgeview (Orange Park) (6A) (10-2) – 7; Gainesville (7A) (11-4) – 6; Mount Dora Christian Academy (2A) (9-2) – 5; Union County (Lake Butler) (1A) (10-3) – 5; Ponte Vedra (6A) (8-4) – 4; Spruce Creek (Port Orange) (9A) (8-6) – 4; Taylor (Pierson) (1A) (10-1) – 4.
