In a stunning turn of events, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart has dethroned reigning state champion Beal City to ascend to the No. 1 ranking in the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Division 4 poll. The two neighboring rivals have long been locked in a fierce battle for supremacy, and this latest development adds another chapter to their storied history.
Beal City, which claimed the state title last year and was widely regarded as the preseason favorite, has seen its status slip to No. 3 following a doubleheader split with Sacred Heart. The Aggies’ loss marks a significant triumph for the Irish, who have moved from No. 3 to No. 1 in the rankings.
The rivalry between Sacred Heart and Beal City dates back to 1971, when Sacred Heart won the inaugural MHSAA baseball state championship. Beal City, in turn, captured the most recent title in 2023. This fierce competition is expected to continue throughout the season and beyond.
Elsewhere in the Division 1 rankings, Birmingham Brother Rice has displaced Northville as the top-ranked team. Flint Powers remains unchallenged at the summit of Division 2, while Algonac maintains its No. 1 position in Division 3.
The updated MHSBCA state rankings for April 24, 2024, are as follows:
Division 1
1. Birmingham Brother Rice
2. Northville
3. Bay City Western
4. Zeeland East
5. West Bloomfield
6. Detroit Catholic Central
7. Rockford
8. Mattawan
9. Allen Park
10. Saline
11. Jenison
12. Novi
13. Birmingham Groves
14. Portage Northern
15. Sterling Heights Stevenson
16. Birmingham Seaholm
17. Battle Creek Lakeview
18. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
19. Forest Hills Central
20. Anchor Bay
Division 2
1. Flint Powers
2. New Boston Huron
3. Forest Hills Eastern
4. Adrian
5. Freeland
6. Stevensville Lakeshore
7. Allendale
8. Coopersville
9. Spring Lake
10. Pontiac Notre Dame
11. Petoskey
12. Williamston
13. Standish-Sterling
14. Southgate Anderson
15. North Branch
16. Saginaw Swan Valley
17. Portland
18. DeWitt
19. Grand Rapids South Christian
20. Armada
Division 3
1. Algonac
2. Detroit Edison
3. Clinton
4. North Muskegon
5. Ottawa Lake Whiteford
6. Bridgman
7. Brooklyn Columbia Central
8. Watervliet
9. Traverse City St. Francis
10. Onsted
11. Ecorse
12. Charlevoix
13. Montrose
14. Pewamo-Westphalia
15. Niles Brandywine
16. Grass Lake
17. Laingsburg
18. Gladstone
19. Kingsley
20. Lansing Catholic Central
Division 4
1. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart
2. Fowler
3. Beal City
4. Plymouth Christian
5. Muskegon Catholic Central
6. Kalamazoo Hackett
7. Riverview Gabriel Richard
8. Rudyard
9. East Jordan
10. Indian River Inland Lakes
11. Marine City Cardinal Mooney
12. Norway
13. Merrill
14. Ubly
15. Gaylord St. Mary
16. Portland St. Patrick
17. Maple City Glen Lake
18. Painesdale Jeffers
19. Johannesburg-Lewiston
20. Unionville-Sebewaing
