Harvard-Westlake is No. 1 in preseason baseball top 25 rankings for the Southland

Here is a look at The Times’ preseason top 25 prep baseball rankings for 2022:

Rk. SCHOOL; Comment

1. HARVARD-WESTLAKE; Defending D1 champs still loaded with talent.

2. ORANGE LUTHERAN; If pitcher Louis Rodriguez comes through, beware.

3. HUNTINGTON BEACH; Lots of pitching, led by left-hander Ben Jacobs.

4. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME; Pitchers headed to UCLA, Stanford, Loyola Marymount

5. CORONA; Catcher Josh Springer is a terrific player.

6. JSERRA; Sorry, but Lions don’t get to be an underdog with all their talent.

7. SIERRA CANYON; Let’s see who can beat Jaden Noot in the D2 playoffs.

8. HART; SS Brayden Jefferis, catcher Matt Quintanar lead very good team.

9. YUCAIPA; Thunderbirds have experience, pitching and power.

10. RIVERSIDE KING; Many top players return from 24-6 team.

11. NEWBURY PARK; Junior pitching commits to UCLA, CS Fullerton, Kansas State.

12. CYPRESS; Junior Matthew Morrell is true pitching ace.

13. TRABUCO HILLS; Will Burns, Bobby Gray, Drew Barrett are impressive trio.

14. SERVITE; Friars have hitters with power and good pitching.

15. VILLA PARK; Gavin Grahovac is rising junior prospect.

16. MARANATHA; Pitching depth is key coming off 21-4 season.

17. THOUSAND OAKS; Dylan Jackson, Easton Rulli can hit.

18. FOOTHILL; USC-bound Austin Overn is player to watch.

19. AYALA; Ty Borgogno can hit with the best.

20. SANTA MARGARITA; Strong junior group leads Eagles.

21. SAN DIMAS; Landon White had 36 hits as a freshman.

22. EL DORADO; Much improved pitching staff.

23. ST. JOHN BOSCO; Early signs of being vastly improved.

24. CAPISTRANO VALLEY; Mason McGwire should be a standout.

25. FOUNTAIN VALLEY; Early signs of an effective pitching staff.