North Pocono and Mid Valley took over the No. 1 spots when the Riverfront Sports Super Six Baseball Power Rankings of District 2 teams were posted Tuesday morning.
A rough week for ranked teams led to an overhaul of the Big School portion of the rankings while the Small Schools also underwent some changes.
North Pocono parlayed the district’s longest active winning streak and best record into becoming the first team to bump Class 6A powerhouse Hazleton Area from the top of the Big School rankings.
Mid Valley used two routs to create the second straight change in Small School No. 1 after Old Forge spent one week at the top.
Pittston Area, Abington Heights and Holy Redeemer also moved up during the week while Scranton Prep, Crestwood and Elk Lake moved into the rankings.
Last week’s Big School Super Six came in with combined records of 62-12, then went 10-10 for the week.
North Pocono has the last unbeaten divisional record in District 2 at 10-0 to lead Lackawanna League Division 1. The Trojans have won 11 straight to reach 14-1 overall, including three wins in the last week to move up one spot into first.
Hazleton Area’s 42-game Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 winning streak was ended by Pittston Area, 1-0, and the Cougars then lost to Central Dauphin, 9-7, in a meeting of potential state Class 6A contenders. Still the WVC Division 1 leaders, the Cougars’ season credentials allowed them to drop only one spot to second.
Pittston Area and Abington Heights moved up one spot each to third and fourth.
The Patriots began a four-game week by beating two teams that they trailed in the rankings, Hazleton Area and Dallas, then recovered from a 7-6, non-league loss to Delaware Valley by routing Wilkes-Barre Area, 16-1. Before the loss to Delaware Valley, Pittston Area had allowed just six runs in a six-game winning streak.
Abington Heights lost to Scranton Prep, 5-4, then beat Valley View by the same score and shut out West Scranton, 9-0.
Scranton Prep and Crestwood moved into fifth and sixth, each after weeks that involved beating a previously ranked team.
After beating Abington Heights, Scranton Prep blanked Valley View, 10-0. The Cavaliers have won six straight by a total of 41-12.
Crestwood had a 3-0 week, including beating Dallas, 4-3.
Dallas started the week in third, but lost all four games. The Mountaineers and Honesdale, which lost two out of three while playing Small Schools, dropped out of the rankings.
Mid Valley won twice by a total of 34-2 to move from second to first.
Holy Redeemer became the first District 2 baseball team to clinch at least a tie for a division title. The WVC Division 2-leading Royals jumped from third to second by winning twice by a total of 14-3.
Old Forge dropped from first to third in the rankings after a 7-0 loss to West Scranton, but the Blue Devils won their three league games during the week to take over first place in Lackawanna Division 2.
Lake-Lehman and Riverside held fourth and fifth.
Lake-Lehman won three of four games. Riverside beat two teams that were ranked last week, Honesdale and Dunmore.
Dunmore fell from the Small School rankings after losing three of four.
Lackawanna Division 3 leader Elk Lake went 3-0 and rejoined the rankings by replacing the Bucks in sixth.
The full baseball rankings, with last week’s ranking and current records:
RIVERFRONT SPORTS SUPER SIX BASEBALL POWER RANKINGS
Big Schools
| Rank | Team | Last Rank | Record |
| 1 | North Pocono | 2 | 14-1 |
| 2 | Hazleton Area | 1 | 13-3 |
| 3 | Pittston Area | 4 | 14-3 |
| 4 | Abington Heights | 5 | 10-5 |
| 5 | Scranton Prep | NR | 7-6 |
| 6 | Crestwood | NR | 10-8 |
Small Schools
| Rank | Team | Last Rank | Record |
| 1 | Mid Valley | 2 | 10-4 |
| 2 | Holy Redeemer | 3 | 12-3 |
| 3 | Old Forge | 1 | 10-5 |
| 4 | Lake-Lehman | 4 | 10-7 |
| 5 | Riverside | 5 | 10-6 |
| 6 | Elk Lake | NR | 12-3 |
