Balance and parity seems to be the order for high school baseball in the Metro area this spring. It’s been changes galore in the VSN Baseball Top 20. Since the preseason poll was published in March, only top-ranked Archbishop Spalding (22-3 overall) has held the same ranking each week. The most recent Top 20 has the same four teams at the top from the previous week and Perry Hall (9-6) remained at No. 19.

There is no question that Spalding has established itself as the area’s premier team under coach Joe Palumbo. The Cavaliers are seeking a third consecutive A Conference crown but it won’t be easy because of the balance in their circuit where several of their teams lacking gaudy records could be contenders in other leagues. An example of that balance was 12-11 Mount St. Joseph dealing the Cavs a loss this week.

Severna Park (15-2), Chesapeake (15-2) and Calvert Hall (15-8) remained at Nos. 2 through four and after that the Top 20 was blown up because of late season surges by a host of teams.

Talk to coaches, players and parents, and you will hear how their respective leagues and conferences are the most balanced and competitive from top to bottom in the area, such leagues as, Howard County, Anne Arundel County the MIAA A Conference, the Upper Chesapeake Bay Athletic Conference (UCBAC) and Baltimore County. Howard boasts six teams in the rankings followed by four from Anne Arundel and three each from the MIAA A Conference, the UCBAC and Baltimore County.

Everybody thinks their league is the best and rightfully so.

Some 16 teams (tie for No. 20) moved with four new teams cracking the Top 20 in No. 12 Francis Scott Key (14-4), No. 14 Reservoir (10-5), No. 18 Loyola (13-8) and No. 19 Fallston. Old Mill (13-4) made the biggest leap from No. 17 to No. 8 after winning six in a row following a 1-0 loss to No. 3 Chesapeake.

Francis Scott Key made the loudest crash entrance after knocking off then No. 10 Westminster (13-3), now No. 16 for a second time, by 4-1 on Friday, to win the Cowan Division in Carroll County. The Eagles will host the Owls, the Hersh Division winners, in Union Bridge on Friday to settle the Carroll County championship.

Loyola’s Dons won four of five games last week, including a doubleheader sweep of always tough Georgetown Prep by scores of 12-2 and 8-7. The only loss was by 1-0 to perennial A Conference finalist and No. 4 ranked Calvert Hall.

Rebuilding Reservoir is on a five-game winning streak and coming of age as coach Adam Leader had hoped and Fallston has won its last four games to sneak in from UCBAC joining No. 7 Bel Air (12-3) and No. 13 Patterson Mill (13-3).

Here is the entire Week 7 VSN Baseball Top 20:

RANK TEAM RECORD LAST GAME:
NEXT GAME
01 Archbishop Spalding 22-3 (1)
LAST GAME:
def. McDonogh, 17-7

NEXT GAME:
at John Carroll, 5/3
02 Severna Park
 15-2 (2)
LAST GAME:
def. Glen Burnie, 3-2

NEXT GAME:
vs. No. 8 Old Mill, 5/2
03 Chesapeake – AA 15-2 (3)
LAST GAME:
def. South River, 5-1

NEXT GAME:
at No. 10 Arundel, 5/2
04 Calvert Hall
 15-8 (4)
LAST GAME:
def. Malvern Prep (PA), 3-1

NEXT GAME:
vs. McDonogh, 5/5
05 Dulaney
 14-3 (5)
LAST GAME:
def. Franklin, 15-4

NEXT GAME:
vs. Towson, 5/2
06 River Hill
 14-2 (7)
LAST GAME:
def. then No. 7 Howard, 2-0

NEXT GAME:
vs. Hammond, 5/6
07 Bel Air
 12-3 (8)
LAST GAME:
def. Harford Tech, 7-4

NEXT GAME:
at Archbishop Curley, 5/2
08 Old Mill
 13-4 (17)
LAST GAME:
def. Annapolis, 13-3

NEXT GAME:
at No. 2 Severna Park, 5/2
09 Howard
 12-4 (7)
LAST GAME:
lost to then No. 11 River Hill, 2-0

NEXT GAME:
vs. No. 15 Mount Hebron, 5/2
10 Arundel
 13-4 (5)
LAST GAME:
def. North County, 5-3

NEXT GAME:
vs. Chesapeake-AA, 5/2
11 Marriotts Ridge
 11-5 (9)
LAST GAME:
def. Wilde Lake, 12-0

NEXT GAME:
at No. 14 Reservoir, 5/5
12 Francis Scott Key
 14-4 (NR)
LAST GAME:
def. then No. 10 Westminster, 4-1

NEXT GAME:
vs. No. 16 Westminster, Carroll County Championship, 5/6
13 Patterson Mill
 13-3 (14)
LAST GAME:
def. Rising Sun, 9-3

NEXT GAME:
at Edgewood, 5/2
14 Reservoir
 10-5 (NR)
LAST GAME:
def. Long Reach, 2-1

NEXT GAME:
vs. No. 11 Marriotts Ridge, 5/5
15 Mount Hebron
 9-5 (13)
LAST GAME:
def. Wilde Lake, 2-1

NEXT GAME:
at No. 9 Howard, 5/2
16 Westminster
 13-3 (10)
LAST GAME:
lost to Francis Scott Key, 4-1

NEXT GAME:
vs. No. 12 Francis Scott Key, Carroll County Championship, 5/6
17 Glenelg
 10-5 (12)
LAST GAME:
lost to Reservoir, 2-1

NEXT GAME:
vs. Wilde Lake, 5/2
18 Loyola Blakefield 13-8 (NR)
LAST GAME:
def. Georgetown Prep, 8-7 & 12-2

NEXT GAME:
at St. Marys, 5/2
19 Perry Hall
 9-6 (19)
LAST GAME:
def. then No. 20 Catonsville, 2-0

NEXT GAME:
at Hereford, 5/2
20t Fallston
 9-6 (NR)
LAST GAME:
def. Harford Tech, 5-4

NEXT GAME:
at Havre de Grace, 5/2
20t Kenwood
 13-3 (NR)
LAST GAME:
def. Parkville, 7-2

NEXT GAME:
vs. Dundalk, 5/2