The News-Gazette's baseball Top 10: IPC teams still leading charge

May 14—Area teams appear to have saved some of their best baseball for the end of the regular season, a good sign with the start of postseason play just two weeks away. Here's preps coordinator Zach Piatt's latest thoughts:

1. Unity

➜ Record: 20-6

➜ Previous ranking: No. 1

➜ Quick hit: The perks that came with the Rockets' win on May 4 against St. Joseph-Ogden haven't expired just yet, which is why they can lose three in a row and still hold onto the top spot. Plus, two of those losses were to two-time reigning Class 1A state champion Ottawa Marquette while the other was against Mt. Zion on Tuesday in eight innings.

2. St. Joseph-Ogden

➜ Record: 27-2

➜ Previous ranking: No. 2

➜ Quick hit: The Spartans have bounced back well after their 5-2 loss to Illini Prairie Conference rival Unity, now rocking a five-game winning streak. Senior All-State outfielder Trevor Ames has been on a tear during that stretch, blasting six home runs to lead SJ-O's potent and deep lineup during a key stretch of the season.

3. Monticello

➜ Record: 27-3

➜ Previous ranking: No. 3

➜ Quick hit: After a 21-0 start, which nearly matched their program-record 22-0 start from 2024, the Sages have lost three games in their last nine tries. Certainly nothing to panic about, not when they have guys like Koyie Williams, Jax Bailey and Grant Kiger leading the way, as Monticello looks to return to the form it had earlier in the season.

4. Champaign Central

➜ Record: 22-6

➜ Previous ranking: No. 4

➜ Quick hit: The Maroons have been on an absolute heater during the last month, as John Staab's team has won 14 of its last 15 games and is closing in on at least a share of the Big 12 Conference title. Just a two-game conference series with Danville remains on the Big 12 slate, as Central controls its own destiny. 5. Mahomet-Seymour

➜ Record: 21-6

➜ Previous ranking: No. 5

➜ Quick hit: The Bulldogs locked up an Apollo Conference title with a 5-3 win against Charleston last Thursday. That win broke what was originally a three-game losing streak, but fellow Apollo contender Mt. Zion had to retroactively forfeit its April 29 win against M-S because of a pitch count error.

6. Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin

➜ Record: 15-8

➜ Previous ranking: No. 6

➜ Quick hit: A three-game skid in late April must have been a wake-up call for Cruz Dubois and the Blue Devils, as they've now won five of their last six games. Their bats have been hot, scoring a total of 61 runs during a four-game winning streak.

7. Armstrong-Potomac

➜ Record: 18-3

➜ Previous ranking: No. 7

➜ Quick hit: The Trojans have also been on an upswing since their last loss to Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin on April 22, winning six consecutive games, but it's been their pitching staff that's stood out the most. A-P has held its opponents to just five runs in that span, including three shutout wins during that stretch.

8. Arthur-Lovington- Atwood-Hammond

➜ Record: 18-7

➜ Previous ranking: No. 8

➜ Quick hit: Despite Wednesday's 10-4 home loss to Mahomet-Seymour, the Knights have still won eight of nine games. Of their 239 hits on the season, 67 of them have been for extra bases, and they've been pretty evenly spread throughout the lineup. Just a solid all-around team with ALAH now nearing the 20-win mark. 9. Westville

➜ Record: 20-12

➜ Previous ranking: No. 9

➜ Quick hit: The Tigers might have had their nine-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday with a 7-5 loss at Arcola. But this remains a very capable Westville team. Just like the Tigers have been the last couple years, during which Westville captured back-to-back undefeated Vermilion Valley Conference titles.

10. Argenta-Oreana

➜ Record: 16-10

➜ Previous ranking: No. 10

➜ Quick hit: After posting an 11-2 record through the first month of the season, the Bombers have been up and down over the last month, but the quartet of Jaxon Finch, Lucas Camfield, Brycen Cameron and Carter Logue has been consistently pacing the A-O lineup for coach Eric Gebben's team throughout the spring.