Nation's No. 1 high school baseball team, St. John Bosco (Calif.), knocked out of playoffs

The nation’s No. 1 high school baseball team has been knocked out of the postseason as there will be a new top squad come next week.

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The Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco Braves, which were this past week’s No. 1 team per the Rivals High School Baseball Top 25 Rankings, fell in the California high school baseball playoffs to San Diego (Calif.) Cathedral Catholic, 4-2, on Tuesday night. The Braves finish the 2026 high school baseball season with a 27-6 record.

“I told them, ‘Walk away with your head high.’ It doesn’t take away from the last two years of back-to-back Trinity League championships and back-to-back CIF Southern Section championships, which is only the second time it’s been done since 1993,” St. John Bosco head coach Andy Rojo said to The Orange County Register after the loss.

“We got a little bit out of our approach. Swings got a little bigger than they have been in the past month or so. We could have easily tacked on one maybe two earlier in the game and the game could’ve had maybe a little different outlook to it afterwards.”

The Dons (27-6) received a strong pitching performance from starting pitcher Jose Partida, who went just over five innings, yielding six hits, two earned runs and striking out four batters.

St. John Bosco during the regular season had won a best of three series against previous No. 1 ranked Orange Lutheran (CA), but then had followed that up with a surprising three-game losing streak. The Braves were able to bounce back, working their way to the No. 1 ranking before Tuesday’s loss to Cathedral Catholic.

Prior to the loss, the Braves (27-6) were riding a 16-game winning streak every since the 3-game ski, which featured losses to Orange Lutheran, Norco and Huntington Beach, respectively. St. John Bosco’s only other two teams they had lost to this season was Casteel (Ariz.) and Trinity (Ky.) at the National High School Invitational in North Carolina.

More about St. John Bosco High School

Corner Canyon High School, located in Draper, Utah, is a prominent public school recognized for its strong academics, competitive athletics, and active extracurricular programs. Offering a variety of AP and honors courses, the school prepares students for college and careers. Corner Canyon’s athletic teams are highly successful, often achieving state-level championships. Emphasizing leadership, community involvement, and personal development, the school ensures students are well-rounded and future-ready.