What a difference a week and a half makes since that’s how long it’s been since the last rankings. The shakeup is pretty big with Benicia coming back in from nowhere after dropping out from the first rankings to lead a contingent of three CIF Sac-Joaquin Sections teams now in the top five. The who-beat-who syndrome is not confined to the wild-and-wacky West Catholic Athletic League either, as it permeates the entire rankings, almost like baseball. Rankings include games up until April 1.
1. (4) Freedom 11-0
The Falcons went from No. 8 in the first rankings to No. 4 and now to the top spot, but what a week it was to hold onto it after two come from behind wins in BVAL action over Heritage and Antioch, and they are in action at the Livermore Stampede Championship Flight on Saturday. Our NCS rankings released earlier in the week have them behind Amador Valley but we’re going to put them in the catbird seat pending the Stampede where they will have to beat Mitty and the Foothill versus Castro Valley winner and if they do that Southern Utah-bound Vanessa Strong and her teammates will deserve the top spot or drop.
2. (2) Amador Valley-Pleasanton 12-3-1
The Dons have a win over Foothill that looked better before the Falcons suffered a loss to Carondelet but even so Coach Teresa Borchard and her girls have won three straight since the Carew Tournament, all shutouts by Northwestern-bound Danielle Williams, including a one-hitter with 16 strikeouts and no walks, plus she had two doubles and an RBI in a 4-0 win over Monte Vista.
3. (NR) Benicia 11-1-1
We knew the Panthers were going to be in the mix after a tie with Amador Valley to start the season that is supposedly going to be completed in May, but it looked like this year was going to be a rebuilding season due to the loss of all-state pitcher/hitter McKenna Gregory (now at Michigan State). They took a loss at Napa but they also now have a win over three-time defending CIF Sac-Joaquin Section D1 champion Sheldon-Sacramento after Grace French tossed a four-hitter for the Panthers while Amanda Ajari went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in a 3-1 victory, plus they have a 10-0 victory over Concord.
4. (11) Oakdale 15-0
We had questioned the Mustangs strength of schedule in the early season but with teams previously above them losing and with a win over a Tracy team that has a win over St. Mary’s-Stockton now on their resume, Coach Kristin Grubbs and her girls are the second CIFSJS team to make a huge jump. Besides the win over Tracy and last week over a solid East Union-Manteca, another reason the Mustangs girls are now getting their due is they have arguably the best player in the CIFSJS, Oklahoma-bound Grace Green (.511 average, eight home runs), and junior Lexie Webb (.622, eight home runs), who has slightly better numbers than Green
5. (5) Sheldon-Sacramento 10-2
Despite a loss to Benicia Coach May Jo Trousdale and her girls hold tight and at No. 3 in the CIFSJS pecking after avenging the other loss this week with a 6-4 win over Elk Grove that gets them basically back into a tie with that team for first place in the Delta League although they need to beat Cosumnes Oaks on Saturday to equal the 7-1 record of Elk Grove.
6. (7) Carlmont-Belmont 15-1
After losing three spots in the last rankings they gain one back since their lone loss is by a run to a St. Francis team that now has a win over Archbishop Mitty. The top team in the Central Coast Section could be moving up if they continue winning in PAL – Bay action.
7. (1) Foothill-Pleasanton 12-2
How far to drop the Falcons is the question not so much because of the loss to Amador Valley but because of an EBAL loss to Carondelet. At this stage no team is unblemished and Carondelet is not a stiff, so it’s a six spot drop. If they win the Livermore Stampede this weekend it will change things again.
8. (12) St. Francis-Mountain View 11-3
The who-beat-who scenario continues to kick in for the top team from the WCAL along with the what have you done for me lately routine, and as a result the Lancers get to move up and ahead of some teams that have beaten them, including Watsonville, after Coach Mike Oakland and his girls have won six straight over Carlmont, Santa Clara, Valley Christian, Notre Dame-Belmont, Mitty, and on Thursday over St. Ignatius. That means after a four-spot bump last week it’s a four-spot jump this week into the top 10.
9. (3) Watsonville 14-2
With a loss to San Benito and now Monterey means a drop even though the Wildcatz have a win over St. Francis, so despite that win they fall in behind St. Francis as the penalty for the Monterey loss.
10. (NR) Tracy 13-3
The second newcomer and fourth team in the top 10 from the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section has a slug it out loss to Oakdale, a loss to fellow newcomer Heritage, and a 1-0 loss to Amador Valley, but they also just beat St. Mary’s and among their other wins is over a Del Oro team that has a tie with Elk Grove.
11. (15) St. Mary’s-Stockton 11-2
The Rams have a stinker loss to Lodi where they lost in the bottom of the seventh on the road 4-3, and they just lost to Tracy, but they have a win over Carondelet at the Livermore Stampede that beat Foothill so they can come up and fall in behind Tracy. Because of scheduling they are unable to play on Saturday in the Championship Flight of the Stampede.
12. (13) Archbishop Mitty-San Jose 11-4
The Monarchs have been caught up in the who-beat-who scenario of the wild-and-wacky WCAL but they followed up a loss to St. Francis by avenging their other league loss to Valley Christian and they have a chance to win the Livermore Stampede so they get to move up two spots.
13. (6) James Logan-Union City 11-3
The Colts have to drop after a loss to Moreau Catholic but as we get further down the pecking order one almost needs a soothsayer to help figure out what to do with everyone beating each other or taking a stinker loss.
14. (20T) Valley Christian-San Jose 12-4
If not for a loss to Kings Academy the Warriors girls likely could go ahead of the Mitty team they just lost to in their league rematch but based on their competitive equity resume they still get to come up pretty high.
15. (8) St. Ignatius-San Francisco13-3
The No. 4 team from the WCAL in the rankings has losses to Mitty and 1-0 to St. Francis on Thursday since the last rankings and that means a drop behind the team they’re facing heading into a Tuesday matchup at Valley Christian.
16. (NR) Heritage-Brentwood 8-3
The Patriots still haven’t played a lot of games compared to other teams in the rankings but their losses to Castro Valley and Cosumnes Oaks aren’t stinker losses, and the highest ranked newcomer from the NCS has a win over a Tracy team that beat St. Mary’s.
17. (20T) San Marin-Novato 11-0
We’ve held the Mustangs back because of strength of schedule but with Utah-committed sophomore pitcher Madison Papenhausen continuing to blow away North Bay opposition and the girls outscoring opponents 110-8 we can’t hold them back any longer but we’re not jumping them through the roof yet.
18. (20T) San Lorenzo Valley-Felton 8-1
The Cougars lone loss is 2-0 loss to Carlmont and had if their competitive equity resume were better they could move further up but if the Cougars keep winning they will be moving up much closer to where Carlmont is right now
19. (10) Granite Bay 10-1
The Grizzlies were rolling along but now that they have taken a Sierra Foothill League loss to Oak Ridge means they have to drop until we see how good that league is as the season progresses.
20T. (NR) Antioch 11-2
Coach Nick Wisely and his girls made it to the championship game of the Dud by Dudes tourney in the CIF San Diego Section area before falling to Imperial in the title game and their only other loss was this week when they put a scare in Freedom by leading 4-0 before falling 6-4 to the No. 1 team. The Panthers get a piece of the pie despite the loss.
20T. (NR) California-San Ramon 13-3
If not for a season-opening loss to Rodriguez-Fairfield the young Grizzlies, who have no seniors on the roster, would be breaking in a lot higher since they have a 6-0 win over Carondelet and their other losses are 2-1 to Freedom and 7-6 to a previously-ranked Alhambra team, both at the Livermore Stampede. Cal-committed freshman Gabriella Tobey has been very impressive so far this season in the circle and at the plate and is a big reason California is 7-0 and in first place in the EBAL.
20T. (NR) Casa Roble-Orangevale 15-3
The Rams batter their way into getting a slice of the action based on a win over Del Campo and blasting a Rodriguez team that has a win over California. Losses to Pleasant Grove and Lincoln, and an out of state loss to a team from Florida prevent them from being higher right now.
20T. (9) Concord 5-2
The Minutemen girls have a win over a San Benito team that has a win over Mitty, and their resume was strong enough to give them a big boost last week, but they got spanked by Benicia and also lost to Gregori. They still get a slice of the pie but the Gregori loss makes it pretty thin.
20T. (20T) Elk Grove 13-4-1
The Thundering Herd has a split with Sheldon and they only lost 1-0 to Amador Valley. They have a loss to a very solid Madera team from the CIF Central Section and their other loss is to a Del Campo team that is breaking into the rankings. They also have a tie with Del Oro or they could be higher.
20T. (NR) Del Campo-Fair Oaks 11-2
We were going to have this team a lot higher based on a win over Elk Grove but then the bug bit and they lost to Whitney. Even so, we are going to bring them in tied with Elk Grove based on a solid body of work.
Dropped out to Others Considered:
Previous No. 14 Notre Dame-Belmont, No. 16 Livermore, No. 17 Alhambra-Martinez, No. 18 Gilroy, No. 19 Hillsdale, No. 20T Alameda, No. 20T Enochs-Modesto, No. 20T Half Moon Bay
Others Considered:
Alameda 10-1
Alhambra-Martinez 8-3
Bella Vista-Fair Oaks 13-4-1
Carondelet-Concord 8-5
Castro Valley 9-4
Enochs-Modesto 11-1]
Gilroy 11-6-1
Granada-Livermore 10-4
Gregori-Modesto 11-4-1
Half Moon Bay 11-3
Hillsdale-San Mateo 15-4
Livermore 11-5
Los Gatos 13-5-1
Marin Catholic-Kentfield 9-2
Notre Dame-Belmont 9-5
Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills 10-4-1
Petaluma 12-4
Rancho Cotate-Rohnert-Park 9-3
Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove 10-5
Redwood-Larkspur 9-3-1
Salinas 12-4
San Benito-Hollister 10-9
Santa Clara 11-4
Silver Creek-San Jose 11-3
Vanden-Fairfield 10-2-1
Woodland Christian 12-0
