TUCSON, Ariz. — Menchville (Newport News, VA) is ranked No. 1 in the first regular season Easton Sports National High School poll. The Monarchs will open their season on March 16 against cross-town foe Warwick.

Last year Menchville captured the No. 1 spot in the final Easton poll of the season after winning the Virginia 3A state championship. With two of the top high school pitchers in the country on its staff this season, Menchville was named the top team in the pre-season Easton poll.

Sumrall, Miss., ranked second, has kicked off its season with 8 straight wins. The team has a 50-game winning streak dating back to 2008.

The Mississippi High school consecutive game winning streak is 51, and the Bobcats hope to break that record this week. Sumrall has outscored opponents, 114-10.

No. 3 Bellaire, Tex. began its season with a 13-1 record. Recently Bellaire won five straight games to capture the championship of the Ewell Jackson Tournament. LHP Matthew Abrahams was named MVP of the tourney as he earned the victory in the title game.

Moving up from the pre-season poll to No. 4 is Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.) which has started this season ranked No. 1 in the Los Angeles area. Leading the team is pitcher Henry Owens who has allowed three earned runs. He has struck out 26 batters in 14 innings.

Moving up in the poll to No. 6 is Christopher Columbus (Miami, FL) which posted a 10-1 record. Three of the wins were shutouts.

No. 7 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) kicked off its season with two big wins. In an 18-4 rout of Desert Oasis, T.J. White hit a grand slam, double and had 5 RBI while Neil Lawhorn hit a two-run homer. In a 9-3 win over Spring Valley, Cory Welch allowed four hits, two earned runs and had six strikeouts in six innings.

Naples, Fla. is No. 8. After losing its first game to Collier 11-0, Naples has come back to win six straight with three shutouts and a 20-2 victory over Golden Gate.

No. 9 Owasso, Okla. started its season with seven straight wins, outscoring its opponents 72-14. Ryan Wilson and Dylan Bundy are both 2-0 for the season. Bundy has struck out 31 of 48 batters in 14 innings. Wilson has not given up an earned run with 17 strikeouts in 10 innings. Eight starters are hitting .350 or better with Bundy having a .650 batting average and OF Phillip Wilson with 12 RBI.

New to the poll at No. 13 is Crespi Carmelite (Encino, Calif.) which started its season as the No. 2 team in the Los Angeles area. Recently they defeated Granada Hills Kennedy, 7-0, Ventura, 10-3, Rio Mesa, 13-2 and Camarillo, 4-2.

Chatsworth, Calif. fell to No. 15. The perennial LA City champions started its season with a 4-1 record.

No. 16 Pelham, Ala. is off to a solid start with a 17-2 record. The team is hitting .322 with 24 home runs, 36 doubles and 58 stolen bases. The team ERA is 1.07 with 179 strikeouts and 65 hits in 124 innings.

Leading the pitching staff is Trevor Fitts, who is 5-0 with 2 saves, 0.66 ERA, 53 strikeouts in 32 innings. Top hitter is Michael Bishop with a .436 batting average, 30 runs scored, five doubles, four home runs, 14 RBI and 24 stolen bases (a new single season school record).

No. 17 Barbe (Lake Charles, LA) is 11-1. The biggest strength of this team has been hitting with the team’s batting average at .363.

Moving up to No. 18 is Wando (Mount Pleasant, SC) with five straight wins to start its season. The Warriors won the International Paper Classic, outscoring its opponents 34-12. The team hit .365 with 8 home runs while the pitching staff posted a 1.62 ERA, allowing just six earned runs over 26 innings.

In its first six games, No. 19 Roswell, Ga. (6-0) has outscored its opponents 61-26.

No. 20 Sarasota, FL kicked off its season with five straight wins.

New to the poll is No. 21 Spanish Fork, Utah which started the season with an 8-0 victory over highly regarded Cottonwood.

No. 23 Hamilton (Chandler, AZ) has posted a 9-1 record. Leading the offense is Jorge Flores who was hitting .516 with five doubles, two home runs and 8 RBI. He has a .600 on-base percentage.

After losing its first game of the season, No. 25 Charlotte Christian, NC bounced back to win its next three by good margins.

Jumping into the poll at No. 26 is Vestavia Hills, Ala. They are 16-2 on the season with one of their losses being 7-0 to Pelham. They have posted five shutouts so far.

The Woodlands, Tex. fell to No. 29 after posting a 10-3 record. They have losses against perennial Texas powerhouses Moody, Carroll and Flower Mound. District play begins soon.

New to the poll are No. 27 Norman Thomas (New York, NY) and No. 28. Germantown Academy, Penn. Germantown is on a spring break trip to Florida and has won five straight games. In his first start, RHP Keenan Kish has 8 strikeouts, 2 walks and allowed no hits in four innings. SS Sean Coyle is hitting over .500 with a 3-run homer.