The ‘Hotlist’ is a series that provides weekly insight into the high school baseball scene spanning the country, curated by Prep Baseball’s state directors who are situated nationwide, with vital intel on the prospects who are in their own backyards. Each week, we’ll publish our ‘Hotlist’ on varying topics that are timeliest to the national baseball calendar at that point in time.

This week’s topic: With the MLB Playoffs kicking off, we’re bringing the focus back to the 2025 High School season. What was the biggest playoff matchup you covered this past spring? Share the teams involved, standout performances, and what made the game memorable.

+ Learn of our directors stationed nationwide by visiting the staff directory.
+ View which Prep Baseball events are headed your way next at this page.
+ Read about previously published ‘Hotlist’ topics here.

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♨️ The ‘Hotlist’ (10/3):

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Alabama

+ St. Paul's vs. American Christian Academy

“These two juggernauts seemed destined to clash in the 5A state finals, but neither had an easy road as both were pushed to the brink along the way. Featuring two of the most high-powered offenses in the state—each led by SEC-bound bats—the championship series lived up to its billing. St. Paul’s (#4 in the state) struck first with a 3-2 win in Game 1, before American Christian Academy (#3 in the state) answered back with a 4-3 victory in Game 2 to even the series. In the decisive Game 3, St. Paul’s carried a lead into the sixth inning, but ACA’s offense erupted late, plating seven runs across the final two frames to secure the 5A crown with a dramatic 7-5 win.”

– David Sharp, Regional Supervisor, Deep South

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California

+ Royal High School vs. Sultana High School

“Royal was one of the top seeds in Division 2 for CIF-Southern Section. This matchup pitted former Team California Future Game Alum Dustin Dunwoody (Arizona Commit) against Sultana ace and two-way star Jose Borrego (Cal State Fullerton Commit). The matchup between two heralded starters Dunwoody and Borrego lived up to it's billing with Dunwoody going 7 innings allowing just four hits, one unearned run and punching out 10 versus just one walk. But, for as good as he was Borrego matched him nearly pitch for pitch going 6.2 innings with 8 Ks of his own allowing the same four hits and one unearned run with three walks. Neither starter would figure in the decision though as Borrego had to exit the game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh when he hit his pitch limit. Sultana turned to Eric Ruiz (Cal Baptist Commit) who was pitching for the first time in several weeks due to an injury, but Ruiz was up to the task shutting the door in the seventh to keep the game tied. Then Ruiz put the icing on the cake when he opened up extra innings by blasting a no doubt solo home run in the Sultana half of the inning to put them on top 2-1. He would then return to the mound to throw a scoreless bottom of the 8th to claim the win for Sultana in upset fashion on the road to open their journey in the CIF-SS D2 playoffs. Ruiz finished with 1.1 innings pitched, three Ks, and one hit allowed while picking up the game winning RBI with his solo blast. The two headed monster of Borrego and Ruiz were able to take down the powerful Highlanders squad which featured what is now 7 NCAA D1 commits with more to come from their younger group of players.”

– Steven Hardesty Associate Director SoCal

+ Santa Margarita vs. Crespi

“Crespi was one of the surprise teams in the CIF-Southern Section last year as they got off to a scorching hot start at 18-1 with dominant pitching and some of the best hitting in the section making their move up to Division I a seamless transition. Santa Margarita limped into the playoffs losing five of their last nine Trinity League games before getting hot at the right time behind a deep offensive lineup and some quality starts from their pitchers. Both teams won their first three playoff games with both teams winning one run games late to advance setting up a matchup of the Cinderella Crespi team and the playoff stalwart in Santa Margarita in the semifinals.

Crespi rolled out a pitcher who hadn't given up an earned run en route to a Prep Baseball California First Team All-State season in Jackson Eisenhauer. It didn't take Santa Margarita long to put an end to that streak as Ben Finnegan crushed a two-run double to left center field in the bottom of the first inning to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. The rout started in the fourth inning when Warren Gravely added another run on an RBI base hit to left field. Andre Owens added another run on a bunt single making it 5-0. The Eagles would add four more runs in the fourth inning before tacking on three more runs en route to the 12-0 rout and advancing to the CIF-SS Finals for the second time in three years.

For Santa Margarita it was a huge home win against a team many had pegged as a shoe in for the Championship Game. For Crespi it was a heartbreaking loss after what was a magical season that saw them have their catcher, Landon Hodge, drafted in the fourth round in July's MLB Draft. ”

– Les Lukach, California State Director

+ Granite Hills vs. Patrick Henry

“A great game against two powerhouse San Diego programs found themselves scoreless going into the bottom of the 6th in front of a sold out crowd, under the lights, at SDSU in the San Diego Section Open Division Championship. With Granite Hills loading the bases with 1 out, ‘25 OF Parker Vance tripled to LCF that broke the game open and made it a 3-0 game heading to the 7th to cap off a 3 hit night. On the pitching side of things, ‘25 and UCSB commit Luke Bailey finished it off with a dominate complete game, 10 K shutout. To add to the drama, Bailey ended the night celebrating the final out with an immediate back flip in front of the mound before being mobbed by his teammates. Granite Hills HS finished their 2025 season 24-0-2.”

– Vinnie Alfino, Manager, Content and Operations

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Illinois

+ Normal Community vs. O'Fallon

“In a Sectional Championship matchup between two of the state’s top programs, Normal Community outlasted O’Fallon in a 10-8 slugfest to advance to the Super-Sectional, now just one win away from the Final Four.

C Max Heineman (Normal Community, 2026; Illinois-Chicago) powered the Ironmen’s offense, going 3-for-4 with a home run, five RBI, and one run scored. Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Heineman sparked the comeback with a two-RBI single to cut the deficit to one. In the fifth, he gave Normal the lead with a two-run homer, and he tacked on another RBI with a single in the sixth, completing an all-around standout performance at the plate.

Normal Community went on to finish third in state in Illinois' biggest class (4A).”

– Gavin Smith, Manager, Content & Operations/Area Scout

+ No. 4 McHenry vs. No. 1 Brother Rice

“This game featured RHP Brandon Shannon (McHenry, 2025; Louisville) taking the ball against the top lineup in the state in No. 1 Brother Rice in the 4A State Semifinals. Shannon, who was the state's No. 5 overall prospect, punched out eight over six innings of work, allowing just one run - propelling McHenry into the 4A State Finals. The atmosphere was incredible in Joliet and this game set the tone for the rest of the State Tournament. ”

– Tyler Defibaugh, Manager, Content & Operations/Area Scout

+ Lincoln-Way East vs. Lincoln-Way West

“Unfortunately not a playoff game, but it was easily the most electric and anticipated matchup I have attended. It was senior left-hander and flamethrower Jack Bauer against fellow southpaw and recent draft pick Conor Essenburg. Bauer, a projected first rounder who opted to attend Mississippi State, was lighting up the radar gun around the 100 mph mark in front of 50+ MLB scouts and hundreds if not over 1,000 fans in attendance. The biggest moment of the game came when Essenburg took a high fastball out the other way for a home run to the tune of "overrated" chants - though Bauer's Lincoln-Way East squad would end up winning on a walk-off wild pitch. ”

– Peter Hamot, Assistant Scouting Director Illinois/Wisconsin

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Louisiana

+ Sam Houston vs. Barbe

“The 2025 Louisiana high school baseball playoffs were a memorable one with stellar matchups across all divisions, but there was one that stood above the rest. District rivals Sam Houston and Barbe met in the Non-Select Division I Semifinal round of the playoffs and gave high school baseball fans a memorable series. In front of more than 1,000 fans, the Broncos won Game 1 by a score of 2-1. Former Future Gamer 2027 Owen Galley tossed a complete-game and gave up only 1 earned run on 3 hits with 4 strikeouts. Sam Houston then got an even better performance on the mound in Game 2 from 2025 Cole Flanagan. Another former Future Gamer, Flanagan, tossed a complete-game shutout with 5 strikeouts to lead the Broncos to the series sweep over Barbe. #11 seed Sam Houston would go on to win the State Title over #1 seed Live Oak. ”

– Alex Armand, State Director

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Michigan

+ Dakota vs. Hartland

“Hartland beat Dakota 5-3 in a thrilling D1 State Title Game that went 9 innings. Michael Zielinski (Wright State) started and went 5 innings for Hartland, adding 3 hits out of the leadoff spot including the go ahead RBI single in the 9th. Logan Randall (Lansing CC commit) threw 4 innings of relief for Hartland allowing a lone run and added 2 hits and a go ahead sac fly in the 8th at the plate. Dakota started Ryan Petrovitch (Houston Astros UDFA) who allowed 2 runs in 7 innings of work striking out 8. Evan Kavalick (Northwood) and Luke DeMasse (Ball State) each had 2 hits and a RBI for Dakota while Jadon Ford (Lansing CC) had a game tying RBI single in the 8th. Hartland turned a 5-2-3 double play to get out of a bases loaded jam in the 8th before taking the lead for good in the 9th.”

– Adam Goodwin, State Director

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Nebraska

+ Lincoln East Spartans vs. Millard North Mustangs

“The last game of the season for the Class A Nebraska State Championship came down to the wire at Werner Park, as the Lincoln East Spartans grabbed the Victory in walk off fashion, 5-4, over the Millard North Mustangs. Tied game 4-4 in the bottom of the 7th when Nebraska commit Joey Senstock hits a sacrifice to score the winning run for Lincoln East for their second State title in the last three years”

– Pascal Paul, Scouting Director

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North Carolina

+ Wesleyan Christian Academy vs. Charlotte Christian

“The 2024 NCISAA 4A class was loaded with talent, and the state semifinal matchup between Wesleyan Christian Academy (WCA) and Charlotte Christian did not disappoint. WCA, an experienced squad with some ups and downs during the season, showed why they remained a serious threat in the playoffs.

Led by standout shortstop and first-round draft prospect Josh Hammonds (2025, Wake Forest commit, KC Royals signee), along with Texas commit and future MLB Draft League standout Sam Cozart (RHP, 2025), WCA entered the game with house money—but they made the most of it. Cozart delivered a dominant performance, throwing a complete game shutout while sitting 91–94 mph and touching 95 mph on the radar gun. He struck out 12 batters over seven innings, allowing just four hits and no runs.

Despite a strong effort, Grant Nicholson (Wake Forest, 2025) took the tough loss for Charlotte Christian, pitching seven innings with one hit allowed, two runs, four walks, and 12 strikeouts.

In a high-stakes, winner-take-all game, WCA’s combination of experience and elite pitching proved too much, eventually earning them the NCISAA 4A State Title.”

– Brandon Hall, Mid-Atlantic Scouting Director

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Oklahoma

+ Blanchard Lions vs. Tuttle Tigers

“The 4A State Title game brought opponents that are very familiar with one another, with two of the best coaches in the state, and teams that would have also competed for the 6A State Title. Blanchard jumped ahead 5-0 early on but Tuttle battled back ultimately tying the game 8-8 in the 6th inning. We had some massive individual performances as Blanchard's Brayson Carter and Jaxson Heard each went 4/4 while Tuttle's Easton Green drove in 6 of the 8 runs for the Tigers. An instant classic, both Blanchard and Tuttle will be amongst the top picks for a state title in 2026.”

– Bret Schwartz, Oklahoma Scouting Director

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Oregon

+ Grant vs. Jesuit

“A state semifinal matchup for Oregon's 6A classification, Jesuit hosted Grant in what was one of the most electric atmospheres we've seen at a PNW high school game. '27 LHP and Future Gamer Chase Kelly got the nod on the mound and cruised early for Jesuit, while '26 RHP Jinki Tomita went the distance for Grant. Jesuit went up 2-0 early thanks to knocks from '25 Gonzaga commit Kainoa Santiago. Grant then tied the game back up 2-2 with a towering, no doubt home run from '25 Clark College commit Kaeden Cruse. Cruse's huge night was just getting started, as the next inning he blasted a 3-run home run even further into left field, sending the Grant crowd into an absolute frenzy. Grant would go on to win the game 8-2 to advance to an improbable 6A championship game.”

– Dylan Grenz, Associate Scout

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Washington

+ Lake Washington vs. Puyallup

“This 4A state semifinal matchup had just about everything you could imagine, filled with high level talent and memorable moments. Eventual state champion Lake Washington came into the matchup as underdogs against the then undefeated Puyallup Vikings. Lake Washington blitzed the Vikings offensively, scoring 5 runs in the first inning thanks to clutch knocks from '27 Noah Kwon, '26 Kane Nishikawa and '25 Gavin Johnson. On the other side, '25 LHP and Oregon commit Shane Johnson shut down Puyallup through four innings on the mound. One of the more unique experiences happened in the 5th inning, where the game was postponed to the following day due to inadequate lighting at the stadium in the early evening. The game resumed the next day, where Puyallup tried to claw back thanks to a home run from '25 Oregon State commit Gage Thompson. Lake Washington held on and beat Puyallup by a final score of 8-1, clinching their spot in the state title game and winning a championship later that night.”

– Dylan Grenz, Associate Scout

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Wisconsin

+ Muskego vs. Badger

“The final game of the WIAA season between Muskego and Badger for the D1 State Final that saw Muskego walk it off in the bottom of the seventh.

Badger would take the lead right away in the first, Muskego would cut into the lead before tying the game at two in the second, the Badgers would add on two more runs and maintain the lead until the bottom of the sixth.

Sophomore shortstop Kyle Rogosienski would come up clutch again driving in a run on another RBI hit to center field, after putting together multiple RBI base hits the night before. Right-hander Jacob Kardelis would toss another quick scoreless inning to get the Warriors back on offense. To start the bottom of the seventh, Muskego would draw two walks to start the inning, after an intentional walk to load the bases and a hit by pitch to tie the game. Against a full infield DH Carter Nicolato would sneak a ground ball past the infielders to walk it off for the Warriors.”

– Josh Fields, Wisconsin Staff

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