Tannon & Taylon Snow are leading the way again for Chino Hills softball while JSerra baseball is looking for major tourney win. Photos: Snow family & @theborasclassic.
Buchanan sweeps Clovis West and Dana Hills sweeps San Clemente to justify big jumps in this week’s State Top 20 in baseball. In softball, Newark Memorial’s upset of James Logan causes changes with the highest ranked newcomer being Chino Hills.
Check below for this week’s new list of the State Top 20 baseball and softball rankings.
To read our breakdowns on each Top 20 team, why some of these rankings moves were made, which teams are on the bubble and for divisional state rankings (once basketball is complete), you need to be a member of our Gold Club. Join our team today by CLICKING HERE.
NEW CAL-HI SPORTS BASEBALL
TOP 20 OVERALL RANKINGS
With the way more and more leagues going to two-game and three-game series during each week involving matchups of top teams, it does seem to be much more difficult for one of those teams to sweep the other.
Two teams getting impressive sweeps last week were Buchanan of Clovis and Dana Hills of Dana Point. Buchanan went 2-0 vs. previous state No. 20 Clovis West and moved up from No. 3 to No. 2 in this week’s State Top 20. Dana Hills did the same vs. previous state No. 9 San Clemente and jumped from No. 16 to No. 7.
Both of Buchanan’s wins over Clovis West also were by shutout. Conner Loeprich pitched the first one with a 2-0 three-hitter and 10 strikeouts. D.J. Martinez notched the second one with a 4-0 three-hitter and lowered his season ERA to 0.99.
The only reason Buchanan did not move to No. 1 is that current leader JSerra of San Juan Capistrano will be playing in Saturday’s “state” title game of the Boras Baseball Classic at Cal State Fullerton against No. 13 St. Francis of Mountain View. The Lions did lose a game last week, but it still was just their third of the season and they also beat Orange Lutheran twice.
Dana Hills won its two games over San Clemente 2-1 and 5-4. That also was the team that won the National High School Invitational earlier this season. In the first game, Marrick Crouse pitched a six-hitter, struck out six and went 2-for-3 at the plate. Recent OC Varsity Scholar Athlete of the Week Jay Schuyler also had another strong week. He went 2-for-3 with a run in the first game, then went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI in the second.
(Compiled by Mark Tennis; updated through games played Saturday, April 25; previous rating in parentheses)
1. (1) JSERRA (SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO) 17-3
2. (3) BUCHANAN (CLOVIS) 23-3
3. (5) SAN DIMAS 22-0
4. (6) COLLEGE PARK (PLEASANT HILL) 13-3
5. (7) HARVARD-WESTLAKE (NORTH HOLLYWOOD) 18-3
6. (2) LOS GATOS 21-2
7. (16) DANA HILLS (DANA POINT) 21-4
8. (8) LA COSTA CANYON (CARLSBAD) 16-4
9. (10) OAK RIDGE (EL DORADO HILLS) 22-2
10. (17) HUNTINGTON BEACH 15-7
11. (4) AGOURA (AGOURA HILLS) 18-3
12. (19) JESUIT (CARMICHAEL) 17-5
13. (12) ST. FRANCIS (MOUNTAIN VIEW) 17-5
14. (9) SAN CLEMENTE 17-6
15. (NR) FRANKLIN (ELK GROVE) 18-4
16. (NR) VALLEY CHRISTIAN (SAN JOSE) 18-5
17. (NR) ALEMANY (MISSION HILLS) 15-6
18. (NR) LIVERMORE 12-4
19. (13) SAN RAMON VALLEY (DANVILLE) 13-3
20. (NR) SANTA FE CHRISTIAN (SOLANA BEACH) 18-3
Dropped Out:
Previous No. 11 Vista; No. 14 Maria Carrillo (Santa Rosa); No. 15 San Benito (Hollister); No. 18 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose); No. 20 Clovis West (Fresno).
NEW CAL-HI SPORTS SOFTBALL
TOP 20 OVERALL RANKINGS
All eyes lately have been on No. 1 Mission Viejo and the assault of slugger Alyssa Palomino on the Cal-Hi Sports state career home run record. She hit No. 54 last week and now has the record solely in her grasp.
Barring something bizarre, the Diablos should remain unbeaten going into their non-league regular season finale against No. 6 Pacifica of Garden Grove. But as we’ve said many times, at this point, it’s going to take two losses or a Mission Viejo loss in the upcoming CIF Southern Section playoffs for there to be a change at the top.
The biggest upset in the state last week came in the Bay Area where James Logan of Union City dropped its first game of the season to Mission Valley League rival Newark Memorial 1-0 in eight innings. And judging from last week’s East Bay rankings, it seems as if the Colts will drop down behind possibly Amador Valley and Heritage in this week’s rankings.
In this week’s state rankings, Logan’s first loss and Patrick Henry of San Diego dropping one to Mira Mesa of San Diego allowed several teams to rise, including Elk Grove (to No. 8), Grand Terrace (to No. 9) and Amador Valley (to No. 10).
(Compiled by Mark Tennis; updated through reported games played Saturday, April 25; previous rating in parentheses)
Olivia Sanchez of Murrieta Valley will play next at BYU. Photo: team web site.
1. (1) MISSION VIEJO 21-0
2. (2) PIONEER (SAN JOSE) 21-0
3. (3) YUCAIPA 20-3
4. (5) SANTIAGO (CORONA) 20-3
5. (6) LUTHERAN (ORANGE) 21-2
6. (7) PACIFICA (GARDEN GROVE) 15-4
7. (9) POWAY 18-4
8. (12) ELK GROVE 20-2
9. (15) GRAND TERRACE 16-3
10. (19) AMADOR VALLEY (PLEASANTON) 13-3
11. (13) HERITAGE (BRENTWOOD) 15-2
12. (14) ARCHBISHOP MITTY (SAN JOSE) 18-3
13. (8) PATRICK HENRY (SAN DIEGO) 18-3
14. (16) BONITA VISTA (CHULA VISTA) 14-3
15. (4) JAMES LOGAN (UNION CITY) 14-1-1
16. (20) LOS ALAMITOS 18-6
17. (NR) CHINO HILLS 18-5
18. (NR) MURRIETA VALLEY (MURRIETA) 18-6
19. (NR) WEST RANCH (VALENCIA) 18-5
20. (NR) YORBA LINDA 14-4
Dropped Out:
Previous No. 10 Canyon (Anaheim); No. 11 Norco; No. 17 Livermore; No. 18 Highland (Palmdale).
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
