The rain continues and although the top teams were able to get in some games, it could rain again this week. Circumstances caused cancellation of the Queen of the Mountain Tournament, and that cost some teams games, and a prom prevented Sheldon from defending its title in a Livermore Stampede that itself fell victim to the rains that have drenched Northern California since the start of softball season. Meanwhile, the CIF North Coast Section and Pleasanton in particular has become the center of the Northern California softball universe mostly on the arms of the pitcher’s of the town’s two teams.
We have a lot of changes from the first rankings because a lot of teams didn’t have a lot of games played and now that some of the big tournaments are complete it hurt some of the smaller schools whose losses cost more than top teams beating each other in the who-beat-who syndrome. The result is we have six newcomers and a total of 57 teams that get a mention.
1. (1) Foothill-Pleasanton 10-0
The Falcons won their pool in the Livermore Stampede and looked impressive doing it after wins over a solid Castro Valley that is mow on the radar screen, a struggling Monte Vista-Danville, and a mercy-shortened 9-0 win over a Nevada Bishop Manogue-Reno that has five D1 and three Pac-12 recruits on its roster. They were no match for the 94-mile per hour rise ball of Oklahoma-committed sophomore Nicole May or the Foothill bats that exploded in the victory. Championship Flight play in the Stampede has been postponed until April 21 but that’s the least of the worries of Coach Matt Sweeney right now because on Tuesday they visit Amador Valley.
2. (3) Amador Valley-Pleasanton 9-3-1
The Dons made the quarterfinals of the Michelle Carew Tournament in Orange County before a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Cathedral Catholic-San Diego where their inability to put some hits together cost them and Northwestern-bound senior Danielle Williams who gave up two runs in three games in what most everyone agrees is the state’s top tournament. Along the way they had a win over 3-1 win over a Huntington Beach team that has a win over a Cathedral Catholic team that went on to win the Carew in an even more impressive performance against national top 10 and state No. 1 Orange Lutheran than they had against the Dons, holding OLu to one hit while the Dons got four. Coach Teresa Borchard and her girls finished up the Carew in eighth place after losses to state power Norco and Mater Dei-Chula Vista, but just making the final eight qualifies as an impressive showing.
3. (5) Watsonville 10-0
With Sheldon and Carlmont both losing the Wildcatz not only move up two spots but are now the top team in the Central Coast Section. We kind of felt Coach Scott Wilson and his girls deserved the top slot but we deferred to Carlmont having a little tougher competitive equity resume but that was then and this is now. Junior pitcher Jessica Rodriguez and junior slugger Juliana Wilson will get their resume tested on Tuesday when they face a San Benito team that on the surface looks a little down but has a 13-5 win at an Archbishop Mitty team that looked good at the Livermore Stampede.
4. (8) Freedom 9-0
Since they were only 1-0 for the first rankings we had hinted that the Falcons would likely move up based on what they did in the Reed Easter Tournament in the Reno suburb of Sparks, and the Livermore Stampede. They won the Reed tourney by beating Logan in the semis and then Nevada No. 1 Spanish Springs-Sparks in the title game. Coach Brook Russo and his girls, led by Southern Utah-committed senior pitcher Vanessa Strong, followed that up by winning their pool at the Stampede with wins over California, Alhambra and Moreau Catholic. Up next is Heritage on Tuesday as they open Bay Valley Athletic League action.
5. (2) Sheldon-Sacramento 7-1
The Huskies did not play in the Livermore Stampede for the first time in many years due to a conflict with a prom so they couldn’t defend their title, and then they took a 3-2 loss in Delta League play to Elk Grove, but one of that team’s three losses was 1-0 at Amador Valley. Coach Mary Jo Truesdale and her girls are still the No. 1 team in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section and a 1-run loss to Elk Grove is not that bad at this stage of the season other than it puts them a game back of first place in league.
6. (6) James Logan-Union City 8-2
The Colts hold tight with losses to Foothill and Freedom but they have a win over host Reed in that team’s tourney in Sparks, Nevada. After losing to Freedom in the semis of the Reed tournament they won the third-place game with a 7-0 blanking of Oregon top 10 Henley-Klamath Falls. Coach Teri Johnson, the CIF North Coast Section all-time winningest coach, now has 653 career coaching victories heading into a Mission Valley Athletic League matchup with Fremont American.
7. (4) Carlmont-Belmont 11-1
As is the case with Sheldon one loss by one run, and particularly to a St. Francis team many thought would be the best in the West Catholic Athletic League, does not automatically mean a drop way down or behind that team. In softball rankings head to-head may mean something in the playoffs but even more so in this day of competitive equity the overall body of work determines a ranking more often than not, and that’s why it’s only a three-spot drop.
8. (7) St. Ignatius-San Francisco11-1
The Wildcats haven’t played since the first rankings but have to drop a spot to make room for Freedom and to remain behind the Carlmont team that dealt them their only loss. West Catholic Athletic League action heats up for Coach Derek Johnson and his girls on Tuesday when Archbishop Mitty come to town after winning its pool at the Livermore Stampede. Senior Maddie Augusto has pitched six straight shutouts. Will the streak continue against the Monarchs?
9. (18) Concord 5-2
The Minutemen girls get a big boost for a few reasons. First, we had them way too low since their losses are only 3-1 to a Huntington Beach team that lost by the same score to Amador Valley but has a win over a Cathedral Catholic team that beat Amador Valley, and the other loss is to unbeaten and state No. 5 Clovis in the Clovis Leadoff Classic where they went on after the loss to a 9-inning 9-8 win over a San Benito team that has a win over Archbishop Mitty. The final reason is on Monday they play a Benicia that has a current tie with Amador Valley.
10. (10) Granite Bay 7-0
The Grizzlies still are without a loss but their competitive equity resume is comprised of all Sacramento metro area teams and their cumulative competitive equity is not that strong. Unbeaten is unbeaten but Coach Michele Granger and her girls haven’t played anywhere near as tough a schedule as teams above them so we will be cautious about moving them up too fast so they hold tight.
11. (11) Oakdale 11-0
The Mustangs went unbeaten in the Elk Grove tournament but were not in the same group as the hosts or a CIF Central Section Madera team that is one of that section’s top teams. Strength of schedule is a question mark both in the resume so far this season and the Valley Oak League as well. Like Granite Bay we are going to be cautious of getting them up too high
12. (16) St. Francis-Mountain View 11-3
It’s at this stage of the rankings the who-beat-who syndrome kicks in and despite losses to Watsonville, Silver Creek and Hillsdale the Lancers have some quality wins, including Valley Christian, and they just beat Carlmont in what so far has been and up and down season for Coach Mike Oakland and his girls, so they can go up and ahead of Hillsdale plus others that dropped.
13. (NR) Archbishop Mitty-San Jose 6-3
The Monarchs are the epitome of the who-beat-who scenario and the defending CIF Central Coast Section Open Division champions now come back in the rankings big time for a few reasons. They have losses to Valley Christian, San Benito and Santa Clara, but they have a win over a Gilroy team that has a win over San Benito and Hillsdale. They also just won their pool at the Livermore Stampede and en route they routed previous No. 7 Livermore. Lastly, they are in San Francisco on Tuesday to play St. Ignatius and a win there will move them up again while a loss will drop them behind some teams they’ve jumped.
14. (NR) Notre Dame-Belmont 6-1
The first rankings were difficult because so many teams like Notre Dame had so few games, and also now that the Spirits are no longer members of the West Catholic Athletic League they were only Others Considered in the first rankings but they were not off the Cal-Hi Sports radar screen even with still just a few game they made the state rankings Bubble with a resume that includes a loss to Carlmont but a win over a Silver Creek team that has a win over St. Francis. They also have a win over a Kings Academy-Sunnyvale team that has a win over Valley Christian.
15. (NR) St. Mary’s-Stockton 8-1
The Rams have a stinker loss to Lodi where they lost in the bottom of the seventh on the road 4-3, and after all was said and done they were in the weakest pool at the Livermore Stampede, but anyone that wins a pool in the top tournament in Northern California has to be ranked, and they have to go ahead of Livermore, but they are still the lowest ranked Stampede pool winner
16. (7) Livermore 9-3
The hosts of the Livermore Stampede had a rough game against Mitty after Coach Andrew Paulazzo and his Cowboys girls got bucked from the saddle in an 8-0 defeat. They still went 2-1 in their pool and the other losses are to Foothill and Amador Valley so they have to drop big and fall in behind Mitty and Notre Dame-Belmont.
17. (17) Alhambra-Martinez 6-2
The Bulldogs were 0-0 when we placed them in this spot last week and after going to the Reed Tournament and losing to the Oregon top 10 Henley-Klamath Falls team Logan beat in the third-place game, Coach Paul Buccellato and his girls ran the table to win the consolation championship. They were in the same pool as Freedom at the Stampede and were no match for the Falcons, but they won their other two games including upstart California so they get to fall in behind Livermore
18. (NR) Gilroy 7-3-1
The win over Hillsdale gets the girls from garlic city into the rankings since their losses are to Watsonville, Mitty and Valley Christian with a tie against perennial power Notre Dame-Salinas.
19. (15) Hillsdale 12-3
After all was said and done the Fighting Knights have to drop with the loss to Gilroy and drops them just in front of the teams that are sharing the final spot. into the group sharing the final slice of the pie.
20T. (19) Alameda 8-0
This team has a win over Bishop O’Dowd and since the Hornets have to lose a spot means O’Dowd drops out. This is another team that if they keep winning a move upward is in their future.
20T. (NR) Elk Grove 7-3
The Thundering Herd handed Sheldon a loss and they only lost 1-0 to Amador Valley. Their other loss is to Del Campo or this team would be higher and might be moving up.
20T. (20T) Enochs-Modesto 9-0
The top team from the Modesto area is in the same spot as a couple of other teams they’re tied with, and that’s a lack of a solid resume, but like the others they can possibly move up if they keep winning
20T. (13) Half Moon Bay 7-2
The girls from the coast have to drop but get to a piece of the 20T group and fall in behind the Hillsdale team that handed a 5-1 loss to go with their other loss to St. Ignatius. It’s still shaping up as a solid season so far for the Cougars despite not playing a lot of games.
20T. (NR) Valley Christian-San Jose 7-3
The Warriors girls have a loss to a Kings Academy team that has a loss to Notre Dame-Belmont but in the who-beat-who scenario they have a win over Mitty so they get dragged up from the Others Considered this week to join the tie group.
20T. (20T) San Lorenzo Valley-Felton 8-1
The Cougars took a 2-0 loss to Carlmont and had that team beat St. Francis-Mountain View they might have moved up.
20T. (20T) San Marin-Novato 8-0
The strength of schedule just isn’t strong enough in this bunch but if they keep winning they could be moving up. The Mustangs are idle this week but next week they face a test with Marin Catholic.
Dropped out to Others Considered:
Previous No. 12 Calaveras-San Andreas 12-3, No. 14 Sutter 9-1, 20T. Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland
Others Considered:
Amador-Sutter Creek 10-0
Bella Vista-Fair Oaks 13-3
Benicia 6-1-1
Calaveras-San Andreas 12-3
California-San Ramon 8-3
Carondelet-Concord 4-4
Casa Roble-Orangevale 11-3
Castro Valley 6-4
Del Campo-Fair Oaks 8-1
Elk Grove 7-3
Granada-Livermore 7-2
Heritage-Brentwood 7-2
Los Gatos 10-3
Marin Catholic-Kentfield 8-1
Notre Dame-Salinas 8-3-1
Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills 6-3-1
Petaluma 8-3
Rancho Cotate-Rohnert-Park 5-2
Piedmont Hills-San Jose 8-1
Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove 8-3
Presentation-San Jose 5-4
Redwood-Larkspur 8-3-1
Salinas 8-3
San Benito-Hollister 6-9
Santa Clara 9-4
Silver Creek-San Jose 9-2
Vanden-Fairfield 7-2-1
Woodland Christian 9-0
