Softball State Rankings By Divisions

Allie Wallsjasper from Sierra of Manteca led her team to 2013 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV title. Photo: Paul Muyskens.

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The first two CIF sections in softball from around the state to crown champions are the Northern (last weekend) and the Sac-Joaquin (beginning last weekend and concluding on Wednesday night).

It’s rare that any of those champions finish No. 1 in the state in a division, but it turns out that at least one of them will. It’s not going to be Wheatland in the Northern Section in Division IV, which was upset in its title game by Sutter and was denied a 32-2-1 final record. But it is going to be Sierra of Manteca in Division III.

Sierra won the Sac-Joaquin Division IV title last Saturday with a victory against Kimball of Tracy. At the time, the Timberwolves were No. 3 in the Division III state rankings. Since then, the previous No. 1 and No. 2 teams have lost, which will move up Sierra to No. 1. The team also features one of the top junior pitching/hitting prospects in the nation in Allie Wallsjasper, who has committed to LSU.

The other new No. 1 team this week is Chino in Division II. The Cowgirls, however, still have three games to win in the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs.

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 in its 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 Wednesday, May 22; previous rank in parentheses; could be a few scores from early this week still unaccounted for):

DIVISION I
1. (1) Pacifica (Garden Grove) 27-5
2. (2) Yorba Linda 23-3
3. (4) Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 22-2
4. (10) Santiago (Corona) 27-5
5. (8) James Logan (Union City) 23-1
6. (7) Vintage (Napa) 34-1
7. (12) California (San Ramon) 20-4
8. (14) San Benito (Hollister) 23-3
9. (15) Norco 25-7
10. (NR) Lutheran (Orange) 24-7
11. (13) M.L. King (Riverside) 24-7
12. (NR) Etiwanda 19-8
13. (NR) Carlmont (Belmont) 25-3
14. (NR) Leland (San Jose) 25-2
15. (NR) Rosary (Fullerton) 19-12
Dropped Out: Previous No. 3 Great Oak (Temecula); No. 5 Mater Dei (Santa Ana); No. 6 Esperanza (Anaheim); No. 9 El Diamante (Visalia); No. 11 Marina (Huntington Beach).
Bubble Teams: See list on new softball message board. CLICK HERE.
Notes & Highlights: Vintage of Napa has battled back through the loser’s bracket in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I tournament and on Wednesday won the championship by beating Pleasant Grove of Elk Grove twice. The Crushers would finish No. 1 in Northern California if neither Amador Valley or James Logan win the CIF North Coast Section title. They are more likely to end up No. 2 behind the Amador Valley/James Logan winner. This team isn’t on the same level as recent Sac-Joaquin title teams when Sheldon had Jolene Henderson and Pleasant Grove had Ally Carda, but it’s still 34-1 against solid competition.

DIVISION II
1. (4) Chino 23-2
2. (1) Mission Viejo 26-2
3. (2) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 27-1
4. (5) Lakewood 25-6
5. (NR) Chino Hills 25-7
6. (6) Bonita Vista (Chula Vista) 22-4-1
7. (7) Petaluma 24-1
8. (9) Alhambra (Martinez) 21-2-1
9. (NR) Ayala (Chino Hills) 19-7
10. (NR) Millikan (Long Beach) 25-6-1
Dropped Out: Previous No. 3 Moorpark; No. 8 Rocklin; No. 10 Benicia.
Bubble Teams: See list on new softball message board. CLICK HERE.
Notes & Highlights: When we issued the new top 20 overall rankings after Tuesday night’s game, we did not drop No. 1 Mission Viejo far enough. The Diablos, as a team that will not win its section title, cannot be No. 1 in the state in its division. Chino still can so the Cowgirls have to be in front of Mission Viejo and should have been in the overall top 20.

DIVISION III
1. (3) Sierra (Manteca) 25-2
2. (4) Santana (Santee) 24-5
3. (6) California (Whittier) 26-4
4. (7) Dos Pueblos (Goleta) 23-3-1
5. (8) Soquel 23-4
6. (NR) La Quinta 26-3
7. (10) Righetti (Santa Maria) 24-7
8. (NR) La Serna (Whittier) 20-7
9. (1) Bishop Amat (La Puente) 22-5
10. (NR) Buena (Ventura) 22-6
Dropped Out: Previous No. 2 Highland (Palmdale); No. 5 Burbank; No. 9 Segerstrom (Santa Ana).
Bubble Teams: See list on new softball message board. CLICK HERE.
Notes & Highlights: For much of the season, we were differing with the CIF Southern Section coaches polls by having Bishop Amat in front of both Highland of Palmdale and Burbank. All three have now lost and are done for the season. Amat fell to La Serna of Whittier (same league as No. 3 California of Whittier) while Highland lost to La Habra and Burbank was defeated by Sunny Hills of Fullerton.

DIVISION IV
1. (1) Francis Parker (San Diego) 21-2
2. (3) Calvary Chapel (Downey) 22-4
3. (5) Aquinas (San Bernardino) 23-2
4. (7) Liberty (Madera Ranchos) 24-6
5. (8) Hughson 24-4-1
6. (NR) Notre Dame (Salinas) 17-6
7. (2) Wheatland 31-3-1
8. (4) Santa Catalina (Monterey) 25-3
9. (NR) Mater Dei Catholic (Chula Vista) 23-7
10. (6) Salesian (Richmond) 18-2
Dropped Out:N0. 9 La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla); No. 10 Cabrillo (Lompoc).
Bubble Teams: See list on new softball message board. CLICK HERE.
Notes & Highlights: In another key Wednesday result, Notre Dame of Salinas defeated previous No. 4 Santa Catalina in the CCS Division III semifinals. The Spirits will now play Half Moon Bay in Saturday’s championship. Apologies to Calvary Chapel of Downey for erroneously dropping the team from these rankings earlier this week. San Dimas also should have have been listed. That team had defeated Calvary Chapel of Santa Ana and did not play Calvary Chapel of Downey. In Thursday’s CIFSS Division V playoffs, Aquinas of San Bernardino topped Calvary Chapel of Downey 5-3.

DIVISION V
1. (1) Redwood Christian (San Lorenzo) 22-0
2. (2) Pomona Catholic (Pomona) 20-9
3. (4) Rosamond 25-3
4. (5) Sierra Pacific (Hanford) 24-3
5. (6) Port of Los Angeles (San Pedro) 27-8
6. (7) Kern Valley (Lake Isabella) 26-3-1
7. (10) Waterford 20-5-1
8. (9) Bellarmine-Jefferson (Burbank) 20-10
9. (3) Woodland Christian 17-2
10. (NR) Santa Paula 20-4
Dropped Out: Previous No. 8 East Nicolaus.
Bubble Teams: See list on new softball message board. CLICK HERE.
Notes & Highlights: Unlike the volatility of the other divisions, this one still looks like it will boil down to whether Redwood Christian can finish off an unbeaten season in the CIF North Coast Section compared to Pomona Catholic’s strength of schedule and ability to rattle off another CIFSS crown. Redwood Christian opens the playoffs at home Friday against St. Bernard’s of Eureka. Pomona Catholic plays Mary Star of the Sea of San Pedro in its quarterfinal game on Friday. The Pacers were supposed to play Shadow Hills, but that team was disqualified and dropped from the bracket due to holding illegal batting practice before its second-round contest.

Paul Muyskens contributed to this report.

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Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @CalHiSports