FHSAA Baseball Rankings: Pensacola Catholic improves to No. 4 overall in state
Pensacola Catholic continues to impress in the state, ranked fourth in the latest FHSAA baseball rankings.
Class 3A dominates the top 10 in the state, with four of the top five teams overall in that class. Trinity Christian Academy, Westminster Christian and North Broward Prep – all Class 3A teams – are above the Crusaders in the rankings.
Pensacola Catholic's rating of 21.438 is just behind Westminster Christian (21.562) and North Broward Prep (21.509). Trinity Christian's is 22.179.
Elsewhere in the area, Central (Class 1A) continues to climb in the state rankings, improving to 83rd this week. The Jaguars remain the top team in District 1, Region 1 and fourth in 1A.
District tournaments for baseball begin on April 29, stretching until May 2. In Classes 2A-7A, the winner of each district tournament advances to the regional tournament, followed by the next four-best teams, according to the FHSAA rankings, as at-large bids. In Class 1A, it’ll be the two district champions plus the next two highest teams in the regional rankings.
Here's a breakdown of each class and the state rankings for area teams.
Class 6A
Pace (14.495) – first in District 1-6A, fifth in Region 1-6A, 11th in Class 6A, 44th overall
Gulf Breeze (9.018) – second in District 1-6A, 12th in Region 1-6A, 30th in Class 6A, 149th overall
Tate (7.988) – third in District 1-6A, 14th in Region 1-6A, 37th in Class 6A, 174th overall
Milton (5.514) – fourth in District 1-6A, 19th in Region 1-6A, 49th in Class 6A, 234th overall
Navarre (2.561) – fifth in District 1-6A, 22nd in Region 1-6A, 63rd in Class 6A, 299th overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the four Region 1 automatic bids would be: Chiles (District 2), Hagerty (District 4), Buchholz (District 3) and Pace (District 1). The four at-large bids would go to: Tocoi Creek (District 3), Fleming Island (District 3), Mosley (District 2) and Oakleaf (District 3).
This is how the region quarterfinals would shape up:
No. 1 Chiles vs. No. 8 Oakleaf
No. 2 Hagerty vs. No. 7 Mosley
No. 3 Buchholz vs. No. 6 Fleming Island
No. 4 Tocoi Creek vs. No. 5 Pace
Class 5A
Escambia (9.895) – first in District 1-5A, fourth in Region 1-5A, 20th in Class 5A, 122nd overall
Booker T. Washington (-2.309) – fourth in District 1-5A, 14th in Region 1-5A, 57th in Class 5A, 406th overall
Pine Forest (-4.352) – fifth in District 1-5A, 17th in Region 1-5A, 67th in Class 5A, 456th overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the four Region 1 automatic bids would be: Lincoln (District 2), Clay (District 3), Escambia (District 1) and St. Augustine (District 4). The four at-large bids would be earned by: Columbia (District 2), Englewood (District 4), Fort Walton Beach (District 1) and Ponte Vedra (District 4).
Here's how the four Region 1 quarterfinal games would look:
No. 1 Lincoln vs. No. 8 Ponte Vedra
No. 2 Clay vs. No. 7 Fort Walton Beach
No. 3 Columbia vs. No. 6 Englewood
No. 4 Escambia vs. No. 5 St. Augustine
Class 4A
West Florida (11.491) – second in District 1-4A, fourth in Region 1-4A, ninth in Class 4A, 94th overall
Pensacola (-7.508) – fifth in District 1-4A, 18th in Region 1-4A, 79th in Class 4A, 498th overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the four Region 1 automatic bids would be: Arnold (District 1), Bishop Kenny (District 3), Wakulla (District 2) and Santa Fe (District 4). The four at-large bids would be earned by: West Florida (District 1), South Walton (District 1), Suwannee (District 2) and Yulee (District 3).
The quarterfinal matchups in Region 1 would shape up to be:
No. 1 Arnold vs. No. 8 Santa Fe
No. 2 Bishop Kenny vs. No. 7 Yulee
No. 3 Wakulla vs. No. 6 Suwannee
No. 4 West Florida vs. No. 5 South Walton
Class 3A
Pensacola Catholic (21.438) – first in District 1-3A, second in Region 1-3A, fourth in Class 3A, fourth overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the four Region 1 automatic bids would be: Trinity Christian Academy (District 2), Pensacola Catholic (District 1), Bolles (District 3) and Trinity Catholic (District 4). The four at-large bids would go to: Providence School (District 3), Episcopal School of Jacksonville (District 3), Bishop Snyder (District 2) and Keystone Heights (District 4).
The four Region 1 quarterfinal matchups would look like:
No. 1 Trinity Christian Academy vs. No. 8 Keystone Heights
No. 2 Pensacola Catholic vs. No. 7 Trinity Catholic
No. 3 Bolles vs. No. 6 Bishop Snyder
No. 4 Providence School vs. No. 5 Episcopal School of Jacksonville
Class 2A
L.E.A.D. Academy (-15.723) – sixth in District 1-2A, 17th in Region 1-2A, 86th in Class 2A, 564th overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the four Region 1 automatic bids would be: St. Johns Country Day (District 2), North Florida Christian (District 1), Oak Hall (District 4) and University Christian (District 3). The four at-large bids would go to: St. Joseph Academy (District 2), Christ's Church Academy (District 2), St. John Paull II (District 1) and Saint Francis Catholic (District 4).
The four Region 1 quarterfinal matchups would be:
No. 1 St. Johns Country Day vs. No. 8 Saint Francis Catholic
No. 2 North Florida Christian vs. No. 7 St. John Paul II
No. 3 St. Joseph Academy vs. No. 6 Christ's Church Academy
No. 4 Oak Hall vs. No. 5 University Christian
Class 1A
Central (12.083) – first in District 1-1A, first in Region 1-1A, fourth in Class 1A, 83rd overall
Jay (3.845) – second in District 1-1A, third in Region 1-1A, 14th in Class 1A, 271st overall
Northview (-0.719) – fourth in District 1-1A, sixth in Region 1-1A, 22nd in Class 1A, 382nd overall
If the regular season ended today, assuming the top team in each district wins its tournament, the two Region 1 automatic bids would be: Central (District 1) and Holmes County (District 2). The two at-large bids would be earned by: Jay (District 1) and Paxton (District 2).
This is what the two Region 1 semifinals would look like:
No. 1 Central vs. No. 4 Paxton
No. 2 Holmes County vs. No. 3 Jay
Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at BGrieco@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Catholic baseball still among best in FHSAA; Central top in Region 1-1A