Mater Dei Retains Lead in Prep Poll

Mater Dei High School, which needs only one victory to clinch the Angelus League championship, remains the top-ranked team in the Orange County Sportswriters’ Assn. baseball poll.

The Monarchs (18-2) will play a two-game series against fourth-ranked Servite (17-5) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Anaheim’s Glover Stadium. The teams also play at 3:15 Friday at Mater Dei.

Laguna Hills, which has 11 straight victories, makes its first appearance in the poll at eighth.

The poll:

Pos. School (League) Record 1. Mater Dei (Angelus) 18-2 2. El Dorado (Empire) 20-3 3. La Quinta (Garden Grove) 21-4 4. Servite (Angelus) 17-5 5. Esperanza (Empire) 16-6 6. Los Alamitos (Empire) 18-6 7. Saddleback (Sea View) 18-5 8. Laguna Hills (Pacific Coast) 14-8 9. Santa Ana (Century) 14-9 10. Irvine (South Coast) 16-7

Others Receiving Votes: Pacifica (16-6), Fullerton (16-7), Westminster (15-9) and Huntington Beach (16-7).