The ScoutConnect staff is once again updating our MSHSAA St. Louis’ area team rankings, with the eighth week of the Missouri high school baseball season under our belt. Again, this ranking 

We’ve detailed some movement inside our rankings, as well as two teams that are back in the rankings this week after leaving for a few weeks. We’ve also touched on seven teams who didn’t crack the cut, but are playing well, and should be followed closely with the postseason approaching. You can learn about all of that and more, below. 

AT THE TOP…

The top five teams in our rankings all remain the same from last week:

+ Francis Howell (29-2): Another perfect week for the Vikings, who won all five of their games to extend their streak to 11 straight. Francis Howell’s maintained the top spot on this list since our preseason rankings and they continue to look the part of an absolute juggernaut. This week, the Vikings will look to become the sixth team in program history to win 30+ games in a season. Additionally, head coach Tony Perkins will look for his 700th win, as he currently sits at 699, which would inch him closer to Missouri’s all-time wins mark (713). 

+ Vianney (27-1): The Griffins undefeated season ended on Saturday with a 14-5 loss to Westminster Christian, but they still had an impressive week nonetheless. They picked up a win over ranked Oakville (6-1) on Monday and followed that up with a cross-state victory over O’Fallon (6-1), who is one of the top teams in our Illinois’ rankings. Vianney also beat Lutheran South (10-0) and Festus (9-8) to round out their week. 

+ Fort Zumwalt West (23-7): The Jaguars swept a conference double-header with Francis Howell North (11-1, 6-1) before dropping a non-conference matchup to Parkway Central (6-5) on Friday. Still, this group is plenty deep and talented, and they look every bit the part of one of the area’s top teams. 

+ Summit (19-5): Our staff was particularly high on the Falcons from the early going and they’ve impressed us plenty as the season’s rolled on. They’ve lost once since April 3rd and picked up two wins last week, defeating Parkway West (10-0) and previously ranked Oakville (13-2). 

+ Lindbergh (18-9): The Flyers had the toughest go of this bunch, going 2-2 on the week. They split their conference set with Eureka (4-1 W, 4-3 L) and lost to Parkway South (4-2) on Monday before finishing things off with a 6-2 win on Friday over ranked North Point. 

THE REST OF THE TOP 10…

+ St. Dominic (19-7-1) is up a few spots after a 3-1 week, now sitting at No. 6 overall on our updated board. The Crusaders rattled off three wins in a row to start off their week, beating Father Tolton (6-2), Hazelwood West (9-1), and Webster Groves (6-5). They lost to St. Charles West 4-3 on Saturday but quickly rebounded with a 12-1 win over the St. Louis Patriots. 

+ SLUH (18-7-1) bumps down one spot after a 3-2 week. The Jr. Billikens traveled across the river and blanked an Illinois’ ranked Belleville East (1-0) club and also swept their conference series with Chaminade (6-1, 6-4). They ended the week with back-to-back losses to Seckman (12-6) and Francis Howell (5-0). They’ll be tested this upcoming week, drawing ranked Rockwood Summit on Wednesday and a double-header with a tough Westminster Christian club this Saturday. 

+ Jumping back into the rankings after a few weeks out of them is Lafayette (17-10). The Lancers had won 10 in a row before losing to top-ranked Francis Howell 5-2 on Saturday, and they added three wins to their resume this week, taking down Kirkwood (13-3), Marquette (11-2), and Holt (10-0). From Thursday, April 24th, to Tuesday, May 6th, Lafayette won all eight of their games, threw three shutouts, and outscored their opponents 75-to-10. 

+ North Point (22-8) rises one spot, now at No. 9, after a 2-1 week. The Grizzlies beat Francis Howell North (11-3) and Fort Zumwalt North (8-6) before dropping a game to ranked Lindbergh (6-2) on Friday. 

+ Jumping back into the rankings in this update is Parkway South (17-7). The Patriots went 2-1 this week, beating Lindbergh (4-2) and the St. Louis Patriots (7-5) before falling to Washington 3-1 on Friday. 

+ Oakville (15-10) and Union (20-7) are out of our rankings in this update. The Tigers went 2-3 on the week, losing to Vianney (6-1), Rockwood Summit (13-2), and Kirkwood (3-2), with wins over Festus (3-2) and Valley Park (5-2). Union (20-7) lost both of their games last week, falling to the St. Louis Patriots (14-12) and St. Francis Borgia (4-3). 

NEXT UP…

+ Westminster Christian (18-8): Four wins in a row for the Wildcats, including handing Vianney their first loss of the season. This Westminster club will certainly be one to watch in Class 5 when the playoffs roll around as they’re an older, experienced, and talented club. Names like Ethan Martin (2025), Joey Fentress (2025; Truman State), Cal Leighton (2025; Bradley), Asher Waitkus (2025), and Ridge Cathcart (2025). 

+ Kirkwood (16-4): The Pioneers have lost once since April 17th, winning eight of nine in that stretch. Deven Peterson (2025), Jacob Noland (2026), and Ryan Caffey (2028) have propelled the Kirkwood offense. LHP Owen Nesslage (2025; Maryville) has been excellent on the mound, pitching to a 1.91 ERA over 33 innings of work. 

+ Warrenton (18-5): After dropping a game to Duchesne to start the week, the Warriors rattled off four straight wins, and they’ve won 11 of their last 12 games. Colin Disilvester (2025) and Austin Haas (2025) continue to have excellent offensive seasons, while Carter Martin (2027) and Jake Kirkpatrick (2027) anchor this club on the mound. 

+ Eureka (15-10):  The Wildcats have rebounded nicely after losing four straight. They split their conference series with a talented Lindbergh club while also taking games from Parkway Central and Marquette this past week. Eureka’s pitching staff is going to give them a chance to win any game they’re in; the Wildcats have allowed three or less runs in 17 of their 25 games this season. 

+ Timberland (16-8): It’s the first time we’ve seen the Wolves on our ‘Next Up’ this spring. They’ve turned their season around, rattling off 10 straight wins to boost their record from 6-8 to 16-8. Ethan Chiodini (2025; St. Charles CC) and Collin Porter (2026) have provided the spark offensively, as both of them are hitting over .300 in 60+ at-bats. The strength for the Wolves, however, has been their pitching staff. Sophomore Parker Sansone (2027) has a 0.78 ERA in 27 innings on the hill, and Richie Swain (2025; Mississippi State) has pitched his way to a 2.03 mark in his 31 innings of work. Names like Kannon Manner (2025) and Gavin Jones (2025) have also thrown the ball well in their opportunities. 

+ Farmington (17-6): The Knights won their first two games of the MAAA Conference Tournament before losing in the championship game to West County. They’re 17-6 on the season with three games against tough teams coming up. 

+ Duchesne (19-6): The Pioneers continue to look like the creme of the crop in Class 4, and they’re the lone ‘Small School’ in St. Louis to be recognized on our ‘Next Up’ this season. They won all three of their games this week, and didn’t allow a run in any of them, beating Warrenton (3-0), Wright City (3-0), and MICDS (4-0).