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After games on Sunday, June 3

Let's be honest -- when it came to naming preseason state title contenders, Middle Creek and Weddington weren't in the discussion. But both teams are the school of North Carolina now after triumphing in the Class 4A and 3A championship series, respectively, for their first state titles.

Middle Creek got their first state crown in any sport by sweeping Hough behind the play of MVP Jimmy Boyd, who pitched a one-hitter in Game 1 and reached base four times during the two games. As a result, the Mustangs cracked the POWERADE FAB 50 this week at No. 40.

Weddington also rode the impressive play of the series MVP, Alex Bostic, who got the win on the mound in Game 1 and blasted a home run in the decisive second game.

Here are the final rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Middle Creek (Apex) 26-7 (1)
Swept Hough to win the Class 4A crown, the school's first in any sport.

2. Weddington (Matthews) 28-6 (2)
MVP Alex Bostic got the win on the mound in Game 1 and smashed a home run in Game 2 to complete sweep of CB Aycock and seal Class 3 championship.

3. Providence (Charlotte) 25-3 (6)
Sat atop the state rankings for most of the season before falling in first round of Class 4A playoffs for second time in three years.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Saturday, May 26

The teams that were talked about for most of the season as contenders are not the same teams that remain standing as the state championship series kick off this weekend.

None of the squads that made up the top 10 entering the playoffs (Week 9) are alive, but there's still plenty of good baseball on tap. Middle Creek held off Richmond to advance to the Class 4A state title series against Hough, while Weddington, which cracked the top 10 earlier in the year after beating then-No. 1 Providence, enters its first championship series against CB Aycock. All-State pitcher Alex Bostic leads Weddington with a 10-0 record, 125 strikeouts, 0.98 ERA and seven home runs to go with a .404 batting average.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Middle Creek (Apex) 24-7 (NR)
Mustangs, winners of 15 of their last 17 games, advanced to Class 4A state title game by beating Richmond in best-of-three series. They will face Hough for the crown.

2. Weddington (Matthews) 25-6 (4)
Reached the Class 3A championship for the first time after sweeping North Buncombe. Next up: CB Aycock for the title.

3. Hough (Cornelius) 23-10 (NR)
Swept East Forsyth to advance to this weekend's Class 4A championship against Middle Creek.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Saturday, May 19

The upsets continued in the playoffs, as every team ranked in the top 10 entering the postseason has now been eliminated. TC Roberson was the latest No. 1 victim, as the Rams fell to Mallard Creek in the third round.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Ashley (Wilmington) 19-6 (NR)
Downed Scotland 5-3; will face No. 3 Richmond on Tuesday for spot in Class 4A East Regional final.

2. Mallard Creek (Charlotte) 19-8 (NR)
Upset previous No. 1 TC Roberson 4-2. Up next: Hough in Class 4A West sectionals on Tuesday.

3. Richmond (Rockingham) 24-5 (NR)
Downed New Bern to set up matchup with No. 1 Ashley in the fourth round of Class 4A playoffs.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Saturday, May 12

It's been a tough last three years for Providence. In 2010, the Panthers lost in the first round of the playoffs. In 2011, the Panthers and their big bats fell in the second round. This past week, the state's top-ranked squad again fell in the opening round, this time by the count of 5-3 to Mount Tabor.

South Point, the defending 3A champs who had lost just once all regular season, fell to Asheville, while Ardrey Kell lost to Winston-Salem Reagan.

The developments allowed T.C. Roberson and its 13-game win streak to move to No. 1 in the state and No. 44 in the POWERADE FAB 50.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. T.C. Roberson (Asheville) 25-2 (3)
Rams take over top spot after beating Hopewell to open the playoffs and stretch win streak to 13.

2. Southeast Guilford (Greensboro) 23-2 (4)
Falcons beat Glenn 8-3 and face West Forsyth in Tuesday's second-round action.

3. South Caldwell (Hudson) 23-2 (6)
Spartans racked up 10 runs in the fifth inning to pull away for a playoff win against McDowell.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Saturday, May 5

Conference championships, and subsequently, playoff seeding were on the line last week for many teams. Providence sought vengeance for its loss to Ardrey Kell (and the Panthers got it Monday in the SW4A title, after these rankings were finalized), TC Roberson and South Point defended their conference titles and New Bern somehow finished atop their conference despite losing their last two games.

With the playoffs starting this weekend, Providence remains the team beat and is ranked No. 19 in the POWERADE FAB 50.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Providence (Charlotte) 24-2 (1)
After falling to Ardrey Kell to close the season, the Panthers beat Rocky River and Butler to set up a rematch with Ardrey Kell in the Southwest 4A conference title game.

2. Ardrey Kell (Charlotte) 22-3 (3)
Knights scored big win against Providence last week and are peaking at right time.

3. T.C. Roberson (Asheville) 24-2 (2)
Rams have won 12 straight and haven't lost a home game since 2010.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Saturday, April 28

Let's get this out of the way: these rankings were finalized before Ardrey Kell beat Providence in the season finale to take a share of the Southwestern 4A title and snap the Panthers' 15-game win streak.

So with that said, Providence cracked the top 10 in this week's POWERADE FAB 50 at No. 8 and still looks strong entering the Class 4A playoffs. There was also lots of movement in the state rankings, as New Bern and Scotland make their debuts after peaking at the right time. On the other hand, South Point suffered its first two losses of the season while J.H. Rose is reeling after losing three straight.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Providence (Charlotte) 22-1 (1)
Mike Herbert was strong on the mound and added two double at the plate during an 8-2 win against South Mecklenburg.

2. T.C. Roberson (Asheville) 21-2 (3)
Rams have now won 44 straight at home after avenging a loss to North Buncombe last week.

3. Ardrey Kell (Charlotte) 19-3 (5)
Knights riding 10-game win streak as season comes to a close.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Saturday, April 21

In the first six weeks of the baseball season, it's been hard to separate the cream of the crop. Last week, the first five teams have three losses combined.

Things separated a bit in this week's rankings, as JH Rose and Southeast Guilford saw their 15- and 10-game win streaks snapped, respectively. Providence, meanwhile, moved even closer to entering the top 10 by moving to No. 12 in the latest POWERADE FAB 50 rankings.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Providence (Charlotte) 17-1 (1)
Panthers continue to roll behind strong pitching and play at the plate.

2. South Point (Belmont) 18-0 (2)
Red Raiders are on cusp of securing their fourth Big South Conference title in five seasons.

3. T.C. Roberson (Asheville) 19-2 (6)
Rams will put 43-game home win streak on line Tuesday as they look to avenge a loss earlier this season to No. 10 North Buncombe.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Saturday, April 14

Providence continues to establish itself as the team to beat in North Carolina, moving to No. 13 in the POWERADE FAB 50 and having outscored its opponents 119-26 through 18 games. But several other teams are showing that they too are to be reckoned with.

There's South Point, which is 15-0 and looks to be primed for a repeat Class 3A title. There's JH Rose, which is also off to a 15-0 start and always possesses a stable of players who can put together a deep playoff run. And there's Northwest Cabarrus, which appears to be peaking at the right time and has a monster player in Corey Seager.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Providence (Charlotte) 17-1 (1)
Panthers won their 10th straight, beating South Mecklenburg 15-0. They have outscored opponents 119-26 this season.

2. South Point (Belmont) 15-0 (2)
Beat Forestview in the Gaston County Baseball Tournament, leaving them one win from tying last season's 16-game win streak.

3. Southeast Guilford (Greensboro) 16-1 (3)
Win streak is now at nine games.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Saturday, April 7

While the preseason favorites have lived up to the hype, with Providence rising to No. 19 in the POWERADE FAB 50 and defending Class 3A champ South Point simply dominating the competition, there's another team to watch.

Winning seasons are nothing new for JH Rose, but during their 14-0 start, the Rampants have looked downright impressive. They have put up more than seven runs per game and held off No. 8 North Buncombe 5-3 by holding the Black Hawks to just five hits.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Providence (Charlotte) 15-1 (1)
Panthers beat a tough Charlotte Christian team 5-4 to win the Jack Sink Invitational and maintain their hold atop the rankings.

2. South Point (Belmont) 12-0 (4)
Defending Class 3A champs have given up one run in last six games and shut out half of their opponents.

3. Southeast Guilford (Greensboro) 14-1 (5)
Have won seven straight games.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Saturday, March 31

Four teams remain undefeated in the latest top 10, including defending Class 3A state champ South Point and North Buncombe, which at 11-0 is off to its best start in school history. Top-ranked Providence is not included in this bunch, as the Panthers boast a record of 13-1, but after a big win against rival Ardrey Kell, the Panthers are now No. 19 in the POWERADE FAB 50 rankings.

One worthy sidenote: Cardinal Gibbons' junior Robbie Thorburn tied a state record with a hit streak of 14 at-bats. (Key word: at-bats, not games). According to this News & Observer article, the second baseman hit and reached base safely 14 times over 16 plate appearances, with the two outliers being a walk and a hit by pitch. Thorburn's streak, which came to an end March 29, tied him with Kevin Jordan of Jordan-Matthews in the state record book.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Providence (Charlotte) 13-1 (1)
Mike Herbert's two-hitter helped the Panthers beat rival Ardrey Kell 4-1.

2. South Caldwell (Hudson) 10-0 (3)
Four Spartans had two hits each to help the team beat Hibriten 5-0 and continue its hot start.

3. T.C. Roberson (Asheville) 10-1 (2)
Rams bounced back from their first loss with by scoring 10 runs each in wins against Erwin and Asheville.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Monday, March 26

Last week, it was Weddington making a rise into the rankings after knocking off top-ranked Providence, which comes in at No. 28 in the POWERADE FAB 50 rankings. This week, North Buncombe makes a similar debut after downing previously unbeaten T.C. Roberson by the score of 9-6. The Black Hawks have begun the year on a tear, winning their first 10 games and showing a strong offense along the way.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Providence (Charlotte) 11-1 (1)
Jackson Campana belted a home run to help push the Panthers past Butler in a 4-0 win, their second of last week.

2. T.C. Roberson (Asheville) 8-1 (2)
Rams suffered their first loss of the season to North Buncombe by the score of 9-6.

3. South Caldwell (Hudson) 9-0 (7)
Despite registering just one hit, the Spartans beat Watauga 9-8 last week.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Tuesday, March 20

Nobody expected Providence to go undefeated, so the Panthers 3-2 loss to Weddington isn't reason to panic. (The Panthers fell to No. 32 in the POWERADE FAB 50.) But it is reason to show some respect for Weddington, which boasts a good balance of pitching and hitters behind Alex Bostic, Payden Honeycutt and Mike Massardo and rides a three-game win streak into the rankings.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Providence (Charlotte) 10-1 (1)
Panthers dropped their first contest of the year in a 3-2 loss to Weddington but have won two straight since then.

2. T.C. Roberson (Asheville) 8-0 (2)
Rams shook off an early deficit and rain delay to notch comeback win against McDowell on Saturday and remain unbeaten.

3. Northwest Cabarrus (Concord) 8-0 (4)
Trojans keep rolling behind Corey Seagar and a high-powered offense that's averaging more than eight runs per game.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Monday, March 12

Providence is off to the start that most everybody expected, winning their first six games behind the pitching of Ty Buttrey (12 strikeouts in a win against East Rowan) and the all-around skills of Jackson Campana. The Panthers sit at 10th in this week's POWERADE FAB 50.

Just as impressive has been T.C. Roberson, last year's Class 4A runner-up. The Rams appear to be playing with a chip on their shoulder after coming up short last year, emerging unscathed after a tough early schedule that included defending champ Holly Springs, defending 2A champ East Rutherford and rival Reynolds.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. Providence (Charlotte) 6-0 (1)
Panthers won three games last week, including a 4-2 victory against East Rowan that saw ace Ty Buttrey fan 12 batters in 5 2/3 innings

2. T.C. Roberson (Asheville) 4-0 (NR)
Rams stood tall against a tough early schedule, beating defending 4A champ Holly Springs, defending 2A champ East Rutherford and their rival Reynolds.

3. Fuquay-Varina 4-0 (8)
Bengals' pitching has been impressive, allowing just five runs in their first three games.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina baseball rankings.

After games on Sunday, March 11

An upset, comeback and dynasty. That's what we're left with after crowning the state champions this past weekend at the Dean Dome.

In Class 4A, defending champ West Charlotte's bid at a repeat fell short against an undersized but upstart New Hanover squad. Kadeem Allen, who transferred from Laney this year, was huge with 21 points and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter that have the Wildcats the lead for good.

In Class 3A, Hickory couldn't hold on to its early lead against Rocky Mount, which surged ahead for the title. The Gryphons were led by double-doubles from Dante Battle (20 points, 16 boards) and Terrill Hilliard (21 points, 11 rebounds).

In Class 2A, Kinston conjured up talk of a dynasty by winning its eighth title overall and third crown in the last five years. Cuthberston nearly pushed the game to overtime, but a last-second 3-pointer missed, giving the Vikings a 58-55 win.

That'll do it for the North Carolina basketball rankings in what was an eventful season. Stay tuned for NICSAA 3A champ Ravenscroft in the ESPNHS NHSI tournament starting March 31 in Maryland.

Here are the final rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. New Hanover (Wilmington) 30-1 (3)
Wildcats knocked off defending 4A champ West Charlotte to win the crown behind game MVP Kadeem Allen's 21 points.

2. Ravenscroft 31-3 (2)
Ravens were selected to play in the ESPNHS NHSI tournament in Maryland on March 28-31.

3. West Charlotte 27-6 (1)
Lions couldn't repeat as 4A champs, falling to New Hanover despite getting 14 points and 21 rebounds from Kennedy Meeks.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina hoops rankings.

After games on Sunday, March 4.

Six days after his team's season ended abruptly, Olympic coach Ty Baumgardner was still searching for answers. In December, the Trojans had beaten West Charlotte in a close battle. All year, the Trojans boasted the state's most talented squad, featuring the likes of super junior Allerik Freeman and Clemson commit Josh Smith. But on Feb. 28, a one-point lead in the third quarter morphed into a 21-point loss to the same West Charlotte team in the Class 4A regional semifinals.

"We had it close there in the third quarter and then we just committed turnover after turnover after turnover," said Baumgardner, whose team also finished 28-2 and lost in the regional semis last year. "We were never able to recover."

Meanwhile, the defending champ Lions, now ranked No. 48 in the POWERADE FAB 50, look more than recovered from their early-season inconsistency, beating Olympic and then Davie County to earn their 17th straight win and reclaim a spot in the 4A title, this time against a surging New Hanover squad. Coach Baronton Terry called last season's championship run a matter of "peaking at the right time," and it appears 2012 could bring the same.

Here are this week's rankings (last week's rankings in parentheses):

1. West Charlotte 27-5 (2)
The defending champ Lions knocked off Olympic before downing Davie to win their 17th straight game and set up a Class 4A final against New Hanover.

2. Ravenscroft 31-3 (3)
Ravens had their greatest season in school history, winning a record 31 wins and the NCISAA 3A title. Future is bright with super junior Anton Gill returning next year.

3. New Hanover (Wilmington) 29-1 (5)
Thomas Johnson dropped 29 points to lead Wildcats to Class 4A title matchup with top-ranked West Charlotte on Saturday.

Click here for the full POWERADE weekly North Carolina hoops rankings.