Catcher Francis Christy and his team at Casa Grande of Petaluma are in the midst of an outstanding season. The Gauchos are No. 1 in this week’s Division II state rankings. Photo: Harold Abend.
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By Mark Tennis
Contributing: Paul Muyskens
If this week’s first compilation of the Cal-Hi Sports divisional state baseball rankings was done on Monday, then Redlands would have been on the top in Division II. This was based on the team’s placing in the overall state top 20.
Already this week, however, the Terriers have suffered a loss to arch-rival Redlands East Valley. That pushed Casa Grande of Petaluma to the top, which was a team that just missed being in the top 20 overall itself.
Joining Casa Grande as a top-ranked team this week is Mater Dei of Santa Ana in Division I, Oaks Christian of Westlake Village in Division III, Pacific Grove in Division IV and Desert Christian Academy of Bermuda Dunes in Division V.
Please note that the Cal-Hi Sports five-divisions will not match the same divisions in some CIF sections because some of those sections have more than five divisions for the playoffs. In the CIF Southern Section, for example, Division I is Division I and Division II is Division II for our state rankings. The CIFSS Division III and Division IV teams, however, are combined for our format. This means that Division V for the CIFSS is the same as Division IV for us and that Division VI is the same as Division V.
Here are this week’s rankings (after games of Tuesday, April 23; could be a few scores from early this week still unaccounted for):
DIVISION I
1. Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 20-1
2. St. Francis (Mountain View) 23-1
3. Fountain Valley 21-1
4. Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood) 18-3
5. Granada (Livermore) 16-0
6. Buchanan (Clovis) 20-2-1
7. Lutheran (Orange) 16-4
8. Granite Hills (El Cajon) 18-4
9. Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) 20-3
10. Serra (San Mateo) 19-4
11. Elk Grove 15-3
12. Turlock 21-1
13. El Toro (Lake Forest) 15-5
14. Clovis North (Fresno) 19-5
15. Canyon (Anaheim) 15-4
Notes & Highlights: Most bubble teams in the overall state top 20 would be the same for Division I…..Serra of San Mateo has lost early this week in a league game to Archbishop Mitty of San Jose. The Padres, however, have a chance to bounce back in a big way with a game Friday at St. Francis of Mountain View….Don’t look for preseason No. 1 Cathedral Catholic to come back up next week because the Dons already have taken their sixth loss early this week.
DIVISION II
1. Casa Grande (Petaluma) 17-1
2. San Clemente 19-5
3. Beckman (Irvine) 17-4
4. Cypress 16-6
5. Campolindo (Moraga) 11-6-1
6. Redlands 15-4
7. Valencia (Placentia) 19-4
8. Benicia 21-3
9. Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 17-4-1
10. South Hills (Covina) 16-5
Bubble Teams: Clayton Valley (Concord) 12-3, College Park (Pleasant Hill) 10-4-1, Del Campo (Fair Oaks) 15-5, Foothill (Palo Cedro) 24-4, Madison (San Diego) 14-6, Rosemont (Sacramento) 17-4.
Notes & Highlights: If Casa Grande wants to end the season No. 1, it will have to win the CIF North Coast Section 2A title. That is the same division that for the last four years has been won by No. 5 Campolindo. Although the Cougars have six losses, they’ve played one of the toughest schedules in Northern California.
DIVISION III
1. Oaks Christian (Westlake Village) 17-3-1
2. Bonita (La Verne) 19-2-1
3. San Dieguito (Encinitas) 18-4
4. Whitney (Rocklin) 20-1
5. Serra (Gardena) 18-5
6. Quartz Hill 16-5
7. Antelope 17-3
8. Kaiser (Fontana) 18-3
9. Acalanes (Lafayette) 12-5
10. Northview (Covina) 17-4
Bubble Teams: Analy (Sebastopol) 15-3, Diamond Bar 16-3, Gahr (Cerritos) 14-5, Garces (Bakersfield) 19-6, Hemet 15-5, Laguna Beach 20-2, Serra (San Diego) 15-3, Sutter 21-3, Vista del Lago (Folsom) 20-4, Warren (Downey) 18-3.
Notes & Highlights: Oaks Christian is No. 1 in the CIFSS Division IV rankings while Bonita is No. 1 in CIFSS Division III. Both are in the overall state top 20, but the reason the Lions are higher is due mostly to their runner-up finish to Mater Dei in the Southern California bracket of the Boras Baseball Classic.
DIVISION IV
1. Pacific Grove 21-0
2. Kerman 20-3
3. Central Catholic (Modesto) 18-3-1
4. La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla) 14-5
5. Oak Hills (Hesperia) 17-6
6. Paraclete (Lancaster) 16-3
7. Taft 21-3
8. Templeton 14-2
9. Linden 16-4-1
10. Capital Christian (Sacramento) 15-5-1
Bubble Teams: Colusa 18-4, Escalon 12-8-1, Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) 13-7, St. Francis CCC (Watsonville) 18-6, St. Mary’s (Berkeley) 10-4, Woodcrest Christian (Riverside) 13-4.
Notes & Highlights: Pacific Grove’s 21-0 record so far comes on the heels of a CIF Central Coast Section Division III title from last year. The team will take a 28-game win streak into a game Thursday against Carmel. The Breakers have a win over Escalon in addition to beating Concord, Aptos and Galena of Reno so far this season.
DIVISION V
1. Desert Christian Academy (Bermuda Dunes) 18-2
2. Head-Royce (Oakland) 14-1
3. Caruthers 19-2-1
4. Malibu 18-3
5. Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento) 16-5
6. Webb (Claremont) 14-2
7. Mariposa County (Mariposa) 16-2
8. Fall River (McArthur) 19-1
9. Firebaugh 17-7
10. St. Bernard (Eureka) 11-4
Bubble Teams: Capistrano Valley Christian (SJ Capistrano) 15-7, High Tech (San Diego) 16-4, Maxwell 15-6, St. Vincent de Paul (Petaluma) 13-3.
Notes & Highlights: It’s a close call at the top between Desert Christian Academy and Head-Royce. DCA’s two losses are to bigger schools Palm Springs and Citrus Hill of Perris, but the Conquerors also have a win over Palm Springs and were impressive at the Anaheim Lions tourney where they beat Bradshaw Christian, Buena Park, Troy of Fullerton and Villa Park. Head-Royce’s only loss is to much larger school Antioch.
Corrections or comments? Email markjtennis@gmail.com.
