Two key players for state-ranked Otay Ranch in baseball have been Eddie Alvarez (left) and Andre “Jeter” Avalos. For Pacifica of Garden Grove in softball, it’s easy to tell where Nicole DeWitt (left) and Kaylee Carlson (right) are going to college. They are shown with head coach Mark Campbell. Photos: Otay Ranch Facebook page & Student Sports.
New top three in baseball goes like this: Clovis, Rancho Bernardo, St. Francis of Mountain View. Softball’s top three of Mission Viejo, Amador Valley and Archbishop Mitty could have changed but didn’t. Go inside to see why.
Attention young athletes: To check out info and to sign up for the first-ever Cal-Hi Sports/Gold Medal Excellence All-Sports Speed Camp and All-State Football Combine, CLICK HERE for June 14 event in Tracy or CLICK HERE for June 22 event in Bakersfield.
To read our breakdowns on each State Top 20 team, why some of these rankings moves were made, which teams are on the bubble and for the divisional state rankings for both baseball and softball that are coming soon, you need to be a member of our Gold Club. It’s a great deal at less than $2 per month. Join our team today by CLICKING HERE.
Coach and trainer Chris Asher works with state stat stars and players from state-ranked teams of all ages, helping them to improve their speed, quickness and agility. He is based in Hollywood, also has a role with the UCLA track program and serves athletes within many miles of his location. For more about him, CLICK HERE. For a video about his Gold Medal Excellence training program, CLICK HERE.
NEW BASEBALL STATE
TOP 20 OVERALL RANKINGS
For the third straight week, there is a new No. 1 atop the Cal-Hi Sports State Top 20 rankings in baseball.
With previous No. 1 Huntington Beach getting swept in a pair of Sunset League games by Fountain Valley, the new No. 1 coming up from the No. 3 spot is Clovis.
One of the main reasons for hopping the Cougars over No. 2 Rancho Bernardo is that they will playing No. 6 Buchanan twice this week. If they win, the No. 1 ranking will be more secure. If they lose twice or split, then it will be much easier to move up Rancho Bernardo if it doesn’t lose.
As the season continues to fluctuate with top teams beating each other, perhaps the last major game this season between two top teams from different CIF sections will take place Saturday at University of the Pacific in Stockton when No. 5 Elk Grove will play No. 9 Temecula Valley in the Boras Baseball Classic title game.
Temecula Valley won the SoCal bracket of that event on April 5 with a 4-1 triumph over league rival Vista Murrieta. Elk Grove won the NorCal bracket on April 17 with a 2-1 win against St. Francis of Mountain View. We are still ranking St. Francis higher since the Lancers have a better overall record that includes an earlier win over the Thundering Herd.
Like Huntington Beach, previous No. 4 Loyola of Los Angeles also lost twice last week. That cleared the way for preseason state No. 1 Harvard-Westlake to move up to No. 4 in the state this week. The Wolverines also have assumed the No. 1 ranking in the Los Angeles Times’ Top 25.
(Compiled with assistance from Paul Muyskens; updated through games played Saturday, April 26; previous rating in parentheses)
1. (3) Clovis 27-4
2. (2) Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) 17-3
3. (5) St. Francis (Mountain View) 19-3
4. (6) Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood) 16-4-1
5. (9) Elk Grove 15-4
6. (10) Buchanan (Clovis) 20-4
7. (11) Bellarmine Prep (San Jose) 19-4
8. (13) Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 18-3
9. (14) Temecula Valley (Temecula) 15-4
10. (7) Clayton Valley (Concord) 19-1
11. (16) Wilson (Long Beach) 20-4
12. (1) Huntington Beach 17-4
13. (4) Loyola (Los Angeles) 16-4-1
14. (8) Hart (Newhall) 16-3-1
15. (15) Otay Ranch (Chula Vista) 15-4*
16. (18) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 14-4
17. (17) California (San Ramon) 15-3
18. (NR) Norco 18-2
19. (NR) Fountain Valley 15-6
20. (20) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 16-5
Dropped Out: Previous No. 12 Vista Murrieta (Murrieta); No. 19 Clovis West (Fresno).
NEW SOFTBALL STATE
TOP 20 OVERALL RANKINGS
With No. 1 Mission Viejo and No. 2 Amador Valley continuing to chalk up wins with an unbeaten record, the focus for this week’s State Top 20 in softball turned to which newcomers to bring in and what to do about No. 3 Archbishop Mitty suffering its first loss.
The Monarchs ran into a red-hot team and pitcher (Brynne Fitzpatrick) in taking a 3-1 loss to Valley Christian of San Jose. Since they are still in first-place in the West Catholic Athletic League, however, and since the No. 4 and No. 5 teams from last week’s rankings also lost, we ended up not dropping coach Brian Yocke’s girls.
While we didn’t move up Valley Christian in front of Mitty, the Warriors did become an easy choice to go into this week’s rankings and are now up to No. 16 in the state.
This week’s highest newcomer is No. 14 Huntington Beach. The Oiler girls posted a 1-0 win last week over Marina that avenged an earlier loss and put them a 9-1 in the Sunset League (which is one of the best in Southern California). Of the team’s other three losses, one was to Dana Hills (a team the Oilers also have beaten) while the other was to higher-ranked Esperanza.
Yucaipa, Leland of San Jose and El Camino Real of Woodland Hills were this week’s three other newcomers.
(Compiled with assistance from Paul Muyskens; updated through games played Saturday, April 26; previous rating in parentheses)
1. (1) Mission Viejo 17-0
2. (2) Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 17-0
3. (3) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 21-1
4. (12) M.L. King (Riverside) 19-3
5. (6) Vacaville 19-0-1
6. (7) Alhambra (Martinez) 15-2
7. (8) Pacifica (Garden Grove) 17-4
8. (13) Clovis 26-1
9. (4) Santiago (Corona) 19-3
10. (10) Chino Hills 19-4
11. (5) Esperanza (Anaheim) 18-4
12. (16) Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga) 17-3
13. (19) Chino 20-3
14. (NR) Huntington Beach 16-3
15. (15) Rocklin 15-4-1
16. (NR) Valley Christian (San Jose) 15-4
17. (NR) Yucaipa 16-4
18. (18) James Logan (Union City) 15-2
19. (NR) Leland (San Jose) 15-3
20. (NR) El Camino Real (Woodland Hills) 17-1
Dropped Out: Previous No. 9 Vista Murrieta (Murrieta); No. 11 Westview (San Diego); No. 14 Elk Grove; No. 17 Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove); No. 20 Granada (Livermore).
Mark Tennis is the co-founder and publisher of CalHiSports.com. He can be reached at markjtennis@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow Mark on the Cal-Hi Sports Twitter handle: @CalHiSports
