CSM Baseball Power Rankings, April 14, 2026: Normal Community, U-High off to fast starts
- Jonathan Michel
- Apr 14
- 5 min read
The high school baseball season in Illinois is approximately one month in and it’s provided much to talk about.
Normal Community’s bid to return to state is off to a strong start as the Ironmen carry a closely-bonded team with plenty of familiar faces, but they’re not the only team in Normal that’s a state contender. Normal U-High has been looking strong out of the gate and despite losing star pitcher Josh Jones to the Ironmen, the Pioneers’ pitching group has been dominant.
The Mid-Illini is full of contenders once again as Dunlap rides a lengthy winning streak and East Peoria’s Jackson Ahrens is off to one of the most unforgettable starts in Peoria-area baseball history. At the small-school level, the throne is open after Eureka graduated lots of starters from its squad that made a run to state in 2025.
Check out how the best baseball teams in the Peoria and Bloomington/Normal area stack up below in our first Clutch Sports Media power rankings of the season. Teams in the Mid-Illini and the Big 12 are part of the large school rankings while area schools from any other conference are in the small school rankings.
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