With another week of the Illinois’ high school baseball season behind us, it’s time to update our ‘Small School’ rankings again. At ScoutConnect, we break our IHSA rankings into two different categories, grouping the 3A and 4A into a ‘Large’ school bucket, while doing the same for the 1A and 2A programs as ‘Small’ schools.

To see our rankings from a week ago, click HERE. 

It’s important to note that these rankings do not cover the entire state. Our coverage map extends from Peoria on down, and only teams that fall underneath the Peoria line on the state map will be included within our rankings all season long. It’s also important to note that these are just initial rankings, and they will fluctuate throughout as the season rolls on and gameplay starts.

We’ve detailed our updated rankings below, which include minimal action at the top, two new teams debuting, and a quick note on one program that just missed the rankings, but is firmly on our radar. 

CONTINUITY AT THE TOP…

It’s a relatively quiet week from a rankings update standpoint, with no movement inside the top-10 of our board: 

+ No. 1 St. Joseph-Ogden (7-1): The top-ranked Spartans played just one game this past week, due to weather, traveling to Rantoul and taking down Rockridge 7-2. They’ll have a tough week ahead, drawing Warrensburg-Latham, Pleasant Plains, and ranked Tremont to end the week. 

+ No. 2 Teutopolis (6-1): T-Town keeps rolling, adding another quality win to their resume when they defeated ‘Large School’ ranked Mahomet-Seymour 5-0 to start last week off. They also beat Breese Mater Dei 10-1, marking five straight games in which they’ve allowed a run or less. They’ll kick off this week with a ranked, rivalry matchup on the road at Effingham. 

+ No. 3 Freeburg (6-2): The Midgets went 2-1 this week, kicking a 4-3 game to Belleville East before beating Belleville West (4-0) and North Clay (15-5). They’re not falling because of the loss, mostly since we’re fairly convinced Freeburg is one of the top 2A teams in the state. Their schedule this week isn’t easy – they’ll play ‘Large School’ ranked Waterloo on Monday, have two games against conference rival Columbia, and will end the week against Alton. 

+ No. 4 St. Anthony (6-1): St. Anthony took both games they played last week, beating Salem (5-4) and Flora (10-6). The Bulldogs will look to add to what’s already an impressive resume with games against Mahomet-Seymour and Mt. Zion this coming week. 

+ No. 5 Father McGivney (7-3): It appears the Griffins have found their groove again, bashing the two teams they played this past week. They swept a conference series with Althoff Catholic, outscoring the Crusaders 24-to-4, and beat Vandalia at home 13-1 as well. The Griffins have arguably their toughest conference opponent this week, drawing Christ Our Rock Lutheran, and will end the week with a trip up to Springfield for the annual Pleasant Plains tournament. 

+ No. 6 Effingham (6-2): Effingham only played one game last week, beating Salem 12-2 in that matchup. The Hearts, who have won four straight, host No. 2 Teutopolis later today, with a conference series against Charleston after that. 

+ No. 7 Nashville (7-2): The Hornets continue to be one of the more consistent programs in the state, adding three more wins to their total this past week. They allowed just two runs in those three contests, scoring 21 runs themselves. 

+ No. 8 Carterville (11-1): This Carterville club is rolling, extending their winning streak to six straight after a 3-0 week. They raced out to a 16-8 win over previously ranked DuQuoin to kick the week off, before taking down Vienna (11-4) and Graves County (12-7) as well. They have two notable matchups this coming week, starting with a conference set against Harrisburg, before drawing Tolono Unity on Saturday. 

+ No. 9 Harrisburg (8-1): Harrisburg hasn’t lost in two weeks, rattling off six straight wins, one of which helped head coach Jay Thompson eclipse the 950 win mark for his career. They’re highly talented and are scoring runs in bunches, pushing 10 or more across in five straight games. Their week won’t be easy, as the Bulldogs travel to both Massac County and Carterville. 

+ No. 10 Monticello (10-0): Our top-10 concludes with the Sages, who are the only undefeated team on these rankings. Monticello continues to pitch at a high level, allowing three runs or less in five straight games. They have a notable matchup against rival Tolono Unity on Thursday, who’s also in these rankings. 

OUTSIDE THE TOP 10…

+ Tremont (8-1), Tolono Unity (4-1), and Roxana (7-1) all jump up a spot in this update. The Turks, who are at No. 11, outscored their opponents 24-to-1 in their two wins this past week. They have a tough week ahead of them, however, as they draw Eureka, Williamsville, and No. 1 St. Joseph-Ogden. Tolono Unity climbs up to No. 12, and their bump up is more of a result of other teams dropping down, as the Rockets didn’t play this past week. As for the Shells, Roxana is up to No. 13 after beating Carlyle (15-0) and Civic Memorial (3-2). 

WELCOME…

We have two new teams making their debut in these rankings, with No. 14 Gibault Catholic (7-3) and No. 15 Breese Central (6-2) both jumping in: 

+ The Hawks are always one of the toughest 1A teams in the state, and they’re the only 1A team on these rankings. Their desire to challenge themselves in their schedule and compete against larger schools is highly commendable, and it’s part of the reason why we’ve always been partial to Gibault Catholic. They’ve won six straight games, including three this past week, with a 9-5 win over Belleville West being the most notable. 

+ Breese Central’s defeat of DuQuoin on Friday is what pushed them into the rankings. The Cougars, who sit at 6-2 on the season, have always been one of southern Illinois’ most competitive 2A clubs, making a push for a sectional in what feels like every spring. They have a true ace in RHP Alex Athmer (2027), who will give them an advantage on the mound each time he toes the rubber.

DROPPING OUT…

+ DuQuoin (6-3) and Columbia (1-4) both fall out of our rankings in this update. The Indians lost all three of their games this week, falling to Carterville (16-8), Mt. Vernon (6-5), and Breese Central (2-0). Columbia only played one game due to weather, but the Eagles fell to Appleton North 11-4. 

JUST MISSED…

+ The team that just missed our rankings, and would have been in if we ranked 16 teams instead of 15, was Newton. They haven’t lost since their opening day defeat to Mascoutah, rattling off eight straight wins. Sophomore INF Quincy Fulton (2028) is off to an excellent start, batting .536 with seven extra-base hits, including a pair of home runs. Newton’s another strong week away from jumping into our rankings and they’re absolutely a team to keep an eye on in central Illinois.