The top-ranked Madison High School baseball team will open their season by hosting No. 6 Stone Bridge tomorrow night in Vienna.
The two schools are no longer in the same league after the Virginia High School League's realignment two years ago, which had Stone Bridge drop to Class 5A and aligning with the all-Loudoun County Conference 14, and Madison aligning with the 6A Conference 6. The Warhawks and Bulldogs combined to win seven of the last eight Group AAA Liberty District championships from 2006-13, and developed a heated rivalry during that period under coaches Mark "Pudge" Gjormand (pictured) and Sam Plank.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 2014 campaign that saw them win their first regional championship in school history. The Warhawks, after falling to McLean in the 6A North Region semifinals last spring, received eight of the 12 first-place votes by our selection committee in the preseason Top 10 Poll and are seeking their first region title since 2003.
In other Top 10 action, No. 2 Battlefield won its season-opener tonight, defeating Hylton, 1-0, behind a run-scoring double by junior first baseman Brady Harju. Junior left-hander Jake Agnos started and went three innings, and junior Keegan McGinnis and senior Collin Brown each threw two innings of scoreless relief for the Bobcats, while Bulldogs junior Trey Shepard struck out seven over four scoreless innings of work.
It was the debut for Hylton coach Jason Ritenour, who came over from Woodbridge this offseason. Battlefield, which garnered the other four first-place votes in our preseason poll, are next in action tomorrow night when they host Freedom-Woodbrige.
No. 3 Paul VI Catholic fell for the second time in three games tonight, dropping a 7-4 decision at DeMatha. It was the fourth game this week for the Panthers, who posted shutouts of Gonzaga and Bishop Ireton earlier this week, but also suffered a lopsided 16-0 defeat to St. John's.
Chantilly, the defending 6A North Region champion which tied Oakton for the No. 8 spot in the preseason poll, also opened its season tonight, defeating South County, 12-5.
No. 10 Centreville opened with a 5-1 win over W.T. Woodson on Wednesday, and No. 7 Patriot dropped its season opener to Gar-Field, 6-2, on Tuesday.
No. 4 West Springfield opens its season at home tomorrow against Robinson, No. 5 Lake Braddock opens up tomorrow at home against Freedom-South Riding, and Oakton opens up on Saturday at McLean.
The magazine's next Top 10 Poll will be released next Friday, March 27, and then will be released each Friday for the remainder of the season.
Photo courtesy of Albert Jacquez
