Greatest High School Baseball Teams of All Time

They played high school baseball better than anyone.

Greatest High School Baseball Teams of All Time

High school baseball might seem to be ruled by teams from the Southern states and California, the places that are most conducive to playing baseball year-round. History tells us another story.

Great high school baseball programs have built dynasties throughout every part of the country. And the teams were as good as any that ever stepped on a high school baseball diamond regardless of location.

These are the greatest high school baseball teams of all time. The only rule? One team per school.

30. 1972 Tucson High School

Location: Tucson, Arizona

Record: 25-0

Head coach: Ray Adkins

Key players: Ron Hassey, Michael Odum, Frank Castro, Al Lopez

Bottom Line: 1972 Tucson High School

The undefeated, Class AAA state champions were led by shortstop Ron Hassey, who had a .486 batting average, was named Tucson City Player of the Year and would go on to play 14 years in the majors as a catcher. Senior pitcher Frank Castro was just as clutch, going 13-0 with a 0.68 ERA.

Tucson High won its first state championship in 13 years after winning 26 state championships from the first tournament in 1912 through 1959. They also had to come from behind to win in the state semifinals and finals as Castro went 3-0 at the state tournament.

29. 2013 Pensacola Catholic High School

Location: Pensacola, Florida

Record: 30-0

Head coach: Richard LaBounty

Key players: Avery Geyer, Drew LaBounty, Gavin Wehby, Evans Bozeman, Cody Henry

Bottom Line: 2013 Pensacola Catholic High School

One of two teams from the Florida Panhandle to make the list, Pensacola Catholic went undefeated, won its second consecutive state championship and was named national champions by USA Today, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and MaxPreps, while finishing No. 5 in the Baseball America poll.

No one was better for Pensacola Catholic in 2013 than senior pitcher Avery Geyer, who went 12-0 with a 0.74 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 75.2 innings. Geyer was named a MaxPreps All-American and the Class 4A Player of the Year.

Head coach Richard LaBounty's son, Drew LaBounty, led the Crusaders with a .511 batting average.

28. 1994 Start High School

Location: Toledo, Ohio

Record: 31-0

Head coach: Rich Arbinger

Key players: Matt King, Dan Wardrop, Steve Luda

Bottom Line: 1994 Start High School

This was the first of two state championships for legendary Start High head coach Rich Arbinger and his only national championship team.

Start had a seasoned group that lost in the previous year's state championship game and were led by pitchers Matt King and Dan Wardrop, who also played first base.

King and Wardrop were two of three All-State selections for Start, along with third baseman Steve Luda.

27. 2000 Gloucester Catholic High School

Location: Gloucester City, New Jersey

Record: 33-1

Head coach: Dennis Barth

Key players: Mike Rucci, Mark Michael, Greg Burke, Matt Ryan, Chris Della Rocco

Bottom Line: 2000 Gloucester Catholic High School

Coach Dennis Barth's Gloucester Catholic High won the non-public school state championship before being named national champions by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Baseball America.

Eight seniors from the 2000 team earned Division I scholarships, and three players went on to play in the majors, led by star pitcher Greg Burke, who played for the New York Mets and San Diego Padres.

Gloucester Catholic fans might debate whether or not the 2000 team is even the best in school history. The 1984 team went 24-0 and was named "Team of the Century" by the Courier-Post.

26. 1925 Lane Tech College Prep High School

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Record: 30-1

Head coach: Percy S. Moore

Key players: Alf Thorp, Phil Weintraub

Bottom Line: 1925 Lane Tech College Prep High School

Lane Tech avenged its loss to New York City School of Commerce and Lou Gehrig in the de facto 1920 national championship game at Wrigley Field by topping Flushing High in 1925 at Yankee Stadium in front of almost 60,000 fans.

It might still be the largest crowd to ever watch a high school baseball game. And no player was more key in that victory than Lane Tech pitcher Alf Thorp, who had 14 strikeouts in the win over Flushing.

25. 1983 Omaha Northwest High School

Location: Omaha, Nebraska

Record: 21-1

Head coach: Bill Olson

Key players: Gregg Olson, Ryan Martindale,

Bottom Line: 1983 Omaha Northwest High School

This was the second of four consecutive Class A state championships for Omaha Northwest, but the only one of the four teams to bring home a national title.

Omaha Northwest won all four of its state titles with one of the most dominant high school pitchers of all time in Gregg Olson, a future MLB standout and the son of head coach Bill Olson.

Gregg Olson finished his career with a perfect 27-0 record, including three no-hitters in the state tournament.

24. 2018 Argyle High School

Location: Argyle, Texas

Record: 37-0

Head coach: Ricky Griffin

Key players: Bryson Hudgens, Preston King, Brendan Dixon, Sean Bolin, Hayden Clearman, Austin King, Chad Ricker, Dillon Carter

Bottom Line: 2018 Argyle High School

This was the first of back-to-back Class 4A state championship and national championship teams for Argyle High and head coach Ricky Griffin, who also led Argyle to the Class 4A state title in 2015.

Argyle was the first team in Texas to go undefeated since 2003 and just the fourth team in state history to go undefeated. Pitcher Bryson Hudgens, second baseman Preston King, shortstop Brendan Dixon, and outfielder Hayden Clearman were all named All-State.

23. 1985 Miami Lakes High School

Location: Hialeah, Florida

Record: 32-1

Head coach: Gary Krey

Key players: Ricky Rojas, Arnie Prieto, Mario Jimenez, Ozzie Carcache, Titi Roche, Lorenzo Blanco, John Halford

Bottom Line: 1985 Miami Lakes High School

Miami Lakes High caught a shooting star in senior pitcher Ricky Rojas, who went 14-0 with a 0.59 ERA and set the Florida career record with 624 strikeouts on the way to leading his school to a Class 4A state championship and the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper national championship.

Rojas, who played seven seasons in the minors, wasn't the only pitcher on Miami Lakes' roster. Arnie Prieto was just as good and turned in his best performance in a state championship win over Panama City Mosley.

22. 2009 Menchville High School

Location: Newport News, Virginia

Record: 26-2

Head coach: Phil Forbes

Key players: Jharel Cotton, Matt Armstead, Jeff Gray, Austin Crhismon

Bottom Line: 2009 Menchville High School

Menchville High's magical 2009 season ended with the school's first state championship and first national championship, led by star pitcher Jharel Cotton and USA Today National Coach of the Year Phil Forbes.

"You think of teams in Texas, Oklahoma and California," Forbes said. "It's mind-boggling."

Cotton was Menchville's ace in 2009, going 4-1 with 76 strikeouts in 36.1 innings, along with two saves. He went on to star at East Carolina University, then pitched two seasons in the majors for the Oakland Athletics.

21. 1996 Cherry Creek High School

Location: Greenwood Village, Colorado

Record: 22-0

Head coach: Marc Johnson

Key players: Darnell McDonald, Josh Bard, Tyler Johnson, Ryan Meaux, Bobby Wood

Bottom Line: 1996 Cherry Creek High School

Cherry Creek High's unbeaten, Class 5A state championship team finished No. 2 in the final Baseball America poll and featured four future MLB players with Darnell McDonald, Ryan Meaux, Josh Bard and Bobby Wood.

McDonald was the jewel. The outfielder was a two-time All-American in 1996 and 1997, when he swept all the major National Player of the Year Awards. McDonald, also one of the top football recruits in the country, was the No. 26 overall pick in the 1997 MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles.

In 2021, Cherry Creek head coach Marc Johnson became the Colorado high school career leader for victories, surpassing Eaton coach Jim Danley's 807 wins. Johnson has been Cherry Creek's coach since 1973.

20. 1978 Wichita Southeast High School

Location: Wichita, Kansas

Record: 23-0

Head coach: Jim Deckinger

Key players: Kevin Clinton, Doug Hoppock, Jim Thomas, Steve Boyer, Weston Schartz, Mark Reynolds, Mark Nordyke

Bottom Line: 1978 Wichita Southeast High School

Wichita Southeast coach Jim Hoppock won six state championships in 23 seasons, but his best team was the 1978 squad, which went 23-0, won a state championship and was named national champions by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.

The Buffs were led by one of the greatest athletes in state history, pitcher/infielder Kevin Clinton, the son of former MLB outfielder Lou Clinton. Kevin Clinton won two state championships in baseball, two in football as a quarterback and went on to play four years in the minors for the Boston Red Sox.

One of the other team's key players, Weston Schartz, went on to become one of the winningest high school football coaches in Kansas history.

Southeast outscored opponents that year 155-25.

19. 2014 Barbe High School

Location: Lake Charles, Louisiana

Record: 39-2

Head coach: Glenn Cecchini

Key players: Kennon Fontenot, Gunner Leger, Bryce Jordan, Beau Jordan, Braden Comeaux, Braedon Barrett, Adam Goree

Bottom Line: 2014 Barbe High School

Barbe High spent the final two months of the season atop the national polls on the way to winning a Class 5A state championship and the MaxPreps and Baseball America national titles. It was the first of back-to-back state titles for Barbe.

Four players from Barbe were named All-State, including Kennon Fontenot, Gunner Leger, and twin brothers Bryce and Beau Jordan. Fontenot was named Louisiana Player of the Year after he hit .434 with 52 RBI, 16 doubles and six home runs, while Barbe ended the season on a 27-game win streak.

18. 1984 Tate High School

Location: Cantonment, Florida

Record: 38-1

Head coach: Randy Putman

Key players: Jay Bell, Mac Seibert, Ben Webb, Donald Halfacre, Tony Johnson

Bottom Line: 1984 Tate High School

The first of two national champions from the Florida panhandle was the 1984 Tate High team that brought home the College Baseball No. 1 ranking after winning the Class 4A state championship.

The Aggies were led by one of the most highly coveted baseball prospects in Florida to that point, shortstop Jay Bell, who was selected No. 8 overall by the Minnesota Twins in the 1984 MLB draft.

Bell, who had a .503 batting average, played 18 seasons in the majors, was a two-time All-Star and scored the winning run for the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series.

17. 2017 Shawnee High School

Location: Shawnee, Oklahoma

Record: 40-0

Head coach: Todd Boyer

Key players: Jake Taylor, Tanner Sparks, A.J. Barron, Eli Davis, Cole Payne

Bottom Line: 2017 Shawnee High School

This was the third consecutive state championship for Shawnee High, after going 40-0 and topping off the season with national championships from MaxPreps and Baseball America.

In one of the cooler twists of all time, Shawnee High was led by catcher Jake Taylor — yes, the same name as Jake Taylor, the catcher played by Tom Berenger in the "Major League" film franchise.

Taylor, who signed with Oklahoma State, had a .519 batting average with nine home runs and 22 doubles.

16. 1999 Lassiter High School

Location: Marietta, Georgia

Record: 35-2

Head coach: Mickey McMurtry

Key players: Tyler Parker, Jarrod Schmidt, Michael Hyle, Ned Yost

Bottom Line: 1999 Lassiter High School

Lassiter High shook off a reputation for falling short in the big game by winning its first state championship in 1999 (they were runner-up in 1995 and 1997) and being named national champions by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Baseball America.

Lassiter High had four future MLB players on its roster led by catcher Tyler Parker, who went on to star at Georgia Tech.

Lassiter High has only won two state championships, in 1999 and again in 2006.

15. 2015 Parkview High School

Location: Lilburn, Georgia

Record: 34-2

Head coach: Chan Brown

Key players: Ryne Inman, Will Etheridge Jr., Daino Deas, Brandon Hill

Bottom Line: 2015 Parkview High School

Parkview High can make a case as the dominant high school baseball program in the nation in the 2010s, when they won three national championships in 2012, 2015 and 2018.

The 2015 team brought home the Class 7A state title and the MaxPreps, USA Today and Baseball American national titles behind USA Today National Coach of the Year Chan Brown.

The team's star player was 6-foot-5, 215-pound pitcher Ryne Inman, who went 11-1 and was drafted by the Seattle Mariners. He's been pitching in the minor leagues since 2015.

14. 1920 New York City School of Commerce

Location: New York, New York

Record: 31-1

Head coach: Harry Kane

Key players: Lou Gehrig, Jim Walsh

Bottom Line: 1920 New York City School of Commerce

First baseman Lou Gehrig was the LeBron James of the 1920s as a high school baseball and football phenom at New York's City School of Commerce.

Gehrig and his team were named national champions in 1920 when they traveled from New York to Chicago to play powerhouse Lane Tech High at Wrigley Field — a trip Gehrig's German immigrant mother, Christine, almost nixed because she didn't understand why anyone would travel somewhere to play baseball.

In Chicago, President William H. Taft met the New York team at the station specifically to meet Gehrig, who found himself on the cover of the New York Daily News one day later after his grand slam over the right field fence in the ninth inning.

13. 2009 Sumrall High School

Location: Sumrall, Mississippi

Record: 36-0

Head coach: Larry Knight

Key players: Jared Miller, Luke Lowery, Jackson Posey, Chase Lewallen, Austin Knight

Bottom Line: 2009 Sumrall High School

Sumrall High won the second of three consecutive state championships and were named national champions in both the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and MaxPreps polls at the end of the season.

The undefeated Bobcats were led by a fearsome pitcher/shortstop in 6-foot-4, 215-pound Jared Miller, the Class 3A Player of the Year. Miller went 11-0 with 106 strikeouts in 67.1 innings while also hitting .414 with 14 home runs.

Connor Barron (Southern Miss) and Austin Knight (Ole Miss) were both selected in the 2011 MLB draft — the only two draft picks in school history.

12. 2011 Broken Arrow High School

Location: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Record: 36-2

Head coach: James Ashley

Key players: Archie Bradley, Mason Hope, Chase Williams, Trey Cobb

Bottom Line: 2011 Broken Arrow High School

Broken Arrow had three players selected in the 2011 MLB draft — all pitchers — with Archie Bradley, Mason Hope and Chase Williams.

It was Bradley, 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, who was a star in 2006, going 12-1 with a 0.29 ERA while also leading Broken Arrow in batting average and home runs. Bradley, a USA Today All-American, was at his best in the Class 4A state championship game against Owasso High and No. 1 overall pick Dylan Bundy, striking out 14 batters in a 4-0 win.

Broken Arrow was named national champion by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Baseball America while Bradley was selected No. 7 overall in the 2011 MLB draft and has been pitching in the majors since 2015.

11. 2005 Brownsburg High School

Location: Brownsburg, Indiana

Record: 35-0

Head coach: Pat O'Neil

Key players: Lance Lynn, Drew Storen

Bottom Line: 2005 Brownsburg High School

Brownsburg High was led by a pair of future MLB pitchers, Lance Lynn and Drew Storen, as they became just the second undefeated team in Indiana history and won the Class 4A state championship.

Out of the 12 "starters" — pitching rotation included — 11 of them went on to play college baseball, and Brownsburg outscored opponents 321-74 and hit a staggering 48 home runs.

But it was Lynn and Storen who really shined. They went a combined 25-0 and Storen, who was named Indiana Mr. Baseball, went on to star at Stanford and was selected No. 10 overall in the 2009 MLB draft.

10. 1996 Westminster Christian School

Location: Palmetto Bay, Florida

Record: 36-0-1

Head coach: Rich Hoffman

Key players: Javier Miranda, K.O. Wiegandt, Keith Brice, Jason Moore, Mark Walker, Manny Crespo, Brad Dupree

Bottom Line: 1996 Westminster Christian School

This was the second national championship team for Westminster Coach Rich Hoffman, who led the team to a 36-0-1 record, Class 2A state title and a sweep of the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Baseball America national titles.

The University of Miami signed two players off the team, pitcher K.O. Wiegandt and outfielder Mark Walker. Three players off the team made it to the majors — Jason Moore, Manny Crespo and Jose Nicholas.

9. 2006 The Woodlands High School

Location: The Woodlands, Texas

Record: 38-1

Head coach: Ron Eastman

Key players: Kyle Drabek, Steven Maxwell, Mickey Armstrong, Paul Goldschmidt

Bottom Line: 2006 The Woodlands High School

Led by pitcher/shorstop Kyle Drabek, the son of 1990 Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek, The Woodlands High won back-to-back state championships in 2005 and 2006 and were named national champions by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Baseball America in 2006.

Drabek was named a USA Today All-American in 2006 and set the school record with 19 strikeouts in a regional semifinal no-hitter. Head coach Ron Eastman was also named USA Today Coach of the Year in 2006.

Drabek was selected No. 18 overall in the 2006 MLB draft and played seven seasons in the majors.

8. 2016 Buchanan High School

Location: Clovis, California

Record: 30-1

Head coach: Tom Donald

Key players: Grant Gambrell, Quentin Selma, Jamal O'Guinn, JT Arruda, Zach Preson, Hunter Reinke, Chase Rocamora, Alex Peralta, Cory Williams, Matt McGrady

Bottom Line: 2016 Buchanan High School

Buchanan High won a California Central Section Division I championship before being named national champions by MaxPreps and finishing No. 2 in the final Baseball America poll.

Buchanan won with a wealth of college and pro talent. Pitcher Grant Gambrell went 12-0 with a 0.69 ERA, played for Oregon State's 2018 College World Series championship team and was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2019.

Infielder Quentin Selma was an All-Pac 12 pick at Cal, and second baseman J.T. Arruda was an All-Mountain West pick at Fresno State and drafted by the Washington Nationals in 2019.

7. 2012 Bishop Gorman High School

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Record: 39-3

Head coach: Nick Day

Key players: Joey Gallo, A.J. Van Meetren, Michael Blasko, Johnny Sewald

Bottom Line: 2012 Bishop Gorman High School

Bishop Gorman is perhaps best known for winning national championships in football, but they've also brought home national titles in baseball, where they were No. 1 in the final polls for Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and MaxPreps in 2012, along with finishing No. 3 in the Baseball America poll.

In 2012, head coach Nick Day was named USA Today National Coach of the Year while infielder Joey Gallo was named a USA Today All-American and the Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year after he posted a .509 batting average with 21 home runs and 80 RBI in just 114 at-bats.

Gallo was selected in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft, has been in the majors since 2015 with the Texas Rangers and made his first All-Star team in 2019.

6. 1971 El Segundo High School

Location: El Segundo, California

Record: 32-2

Head coach: John Stevenson

Key players: George Brett, Scott McGregor

Bottom Line: 1971 El Segundo High School

California baseball powerhouse El Segundo High won the CIF Southern Section championship in 1971 behind future Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett.

Two more players from Brett's senior class also played in the majors — Kirk Allison and Ed Carroll — but the star of the team was junior pitcher Scott McGregor, who went 18-1 with nine shutouts.

McGregor pitched 13 years in the majors for the Baltimore Orioles, winning 138 games and helping lead them to the 1983 World Series championship.

El Segundo head coach John Stevenson died in 2010, just days before the start of his 51st season as the school's head coach. Stevenson won 1,059 career games.

5. 1953 Capitol Hill High School

Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Record: 27-0

Head coach: John Pryor

Key players: Don Demeter, Bob Shipman, Bob Burr, Buzzy Cleveland, Jimmy Davis, Chuck Page, Bill Harrison, Smokey Davidson

Bottom Line: 1953 Capitol Hill High School

Capitol Hill High went 56-1 and won back-to-back state championships in 1952 and 1953, with 1953 featuring one of the more dizzying arrays of talent ever to take a high school baseball field.

The 1953 team went undefeated and featured four future MLB players with Bob Shipman, Jimmy Davis, Chuck Page and Don Demeter. The team made headlines when the Brooklyn Dodgers signed Davis, Shipman and Demeter days after the team beat Tulsa Rogers High, 12-4 in the state championship game.

Demeter had the most successful MLB career of the bunch, playing 11 seasons. His best season was in 1959, when he helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series championship, and he finished his MLB career with 163 home runs.

4. 2004 Chatsworth High School

Location: Chatsworth, California

Record: 35-0

Head coach: Tom Meusborn

Key players: Mike Moustakas, Jason Dominguez, Matt Dominguez, Willie Cabrera

Bottom Line: 2004 Chatsworth High School

If we're talking about the greatest high school baseball players of all time, we have to include Chatsworth High shortstop Mike Moustakas in the conversation. Starting in 2004, the future MLB star helped Chatsworth to a 124-11 record and hit 52 career home runs before he was taken No. 2 overall by the Kansas City Royals in the 2007 MLB draft.

Chatsworth had a potent mix of talent in 2004 on the way to winning the CIF Southern Section title and then national championships from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, USA Today and Baseball America — the second year in a row for Chatsworth topping the USA Today poll.

Chatsworth had two freshman stars in 2004 who went on to play in the majors with Moustakas and Jason Dominguez, while senior Willie Cabrera's 72 hits set a new state record.

3. 1995 Germantown High School

Location: Germantown, Tennessee

Record: 38-0

Head coach: Phil Clark

Key players: Jay Hood, Matt Hale, Chris Latterhos, Tom Hildebrand

Bottom Line: 1995 Germantown High School

Germantown High went 38-0 and won a Class 3A state championship before sweeping the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Baseball America national championships.

Red Devils head coach Phil Clark was named USA Today Coach of the Year, and infielder Jay Hood was named USA Today All-American.

Germantown put the rest of the country on notice at the beginning of the season, when they traveled to California and won the prestigious Upper Deck Tournament and swept four of the best teams in California on the way to the championship.

2. 2005 Russell County High School

Location: Seale, Alabama

Record: 38-1

Head coach: Tony Rasmus

Key players: Colby Rasmus, Kasey Kiker, Kuyaunnis MIles, Cory Rasmus, Adam Coe, Danny Danielson

Bottom Line: 2005 Russell County High School

Russell County head coach Tony Rasmus was named USA Today National Coach of the Year in 2005 after leading Russell County to a Class 5A state championship and the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and Baseball America national titles.

Rasmus had a couple of ringers on the roster in his sons — future MLB pitcher Cory Rasmus and outfielder Colby Rasmus, the No. 28 overall selection in the 2005 MLB draft and a high school All-American who hit .484 with 24 home runs and 66 RBI in 2005.

The Rasmus boys weren't the only ones who ended up playing professional baseball. Outfielder Kuyannnis MIles, pitcher Kasey Kiker, infielder Adam Coe and pitcher Danny Danielson all played in the minor leagues.

1. 1958 Fresno High School

Location: Fresno, California

Record: 30-1

Head coach: Ollie Bidwell

Key players: Dick Ellsworth, Lynn Rube, Jim Maloney, Pat Corrales

Bottom Line: 1958 Fresno High School

This Fresno High team isn't just the greatest high school baseball team in California, arguably the best state for high school baseball. It is the greatest high school baseball team ever. The only loss for Fresno in 1958 came to the Fresno State University freshman team, and Fresno High posted wins over the freshman teams from Cal and Stanford.

Half of Fresno High's 30 wins were shutouts, and no one was more dominant than pitcher Dick Ellsworth, who went 15-0 and was called up to play for the Chicago Cubs just a few months after his high school career ended.

Ellsworth, a future 20-game winner in the majors, was one of three players who made it all the way to MLB alongside fellow pitcher and 20-game winner Jim Maloney and catcher Pat Corrales, who managed three different MLB teams.