The rankings are starting to float in for the high school baseball world. The power rankings that is.
Not surprising the highest rated baseball team in the area is Casa Grande. They are ranked so high that they even get a number by their name in the MaxPreps schedule. That number is 52 and that is where they are ranked in the country. In the state they are at No. 14, No. 2 in the NCS (overall) and No. 1 in NCS Division 2.
The top five in the power rankings in the area are in order are: Casa Grande, Analy, Maria Carrillo, Sonoma Valley and Cardinal Newman.
In the softball rankings Petaluma is the highest ranked local team. They are at No. 113 in the country. In order the top five softball teams are: Analy, Maria Carrillo, Rancho Cotate and Santa Rosa.
This week’s YSN rankings, which we all know are more important.
BASEBALL
No. 1 Casa Grande…Seventeen game winning streak and complete control of the NBL race. Things are starting to get easier for them. Each of the last two games they have had two run lead, which equals the biggest lead they have had in an 8-0 league start.
No. 2 Analy…Huge week with wins over Petaluma and Sonoma Valley. They have won more games since 2009 when they went 23-5. They will finish over .500 in league for the first time since the same season.
No. 3 Piner…They have won three of four, the lone loss to out of area team. They are tied for second in the SCL race two games behind Analy.
No. 4 Cardinal Newman…Has won five of seven. The lone losses were one run losses to Casa Grande and Maria Carrillo. They have outscored league opponents by 23 runs. Second is Rancho Cotate at plus 10.
No. 5 St. Vincent…First team from the NCL world in the rankings. They have won seven straight in dominating fashion. Has big game for lead in NCL II race on Tuesday when they host Sonoma Academy.
SOFTBALL
No. 1 Petaluma…Continues to dominate the SCL. They have outscored opponents 61-1.
No. 2 Rancho Cotate…Let one slip away against Santa Rosa. Still at top of NBL race.
No. 3 Maria Carrillo…Four game winning streak heading into big week including home game vs. Rancho Cotate.
No. 4 Casa Grande…One game out of first place can make big impact when they host Maria Carrillo on Tuesday.
No. 5 Cloverdale…Has dominated NCL I and is 14-2 overall. The losses are to Petaluma and Salesian. Salesian is 12-1 on the season.
EARLY WEEK
TUESDAY
It is an NCL kind of Tuesday with three of the four baseball and softball races having games between the top two teams in the league.
NCL I BASEBALL
Kelseyville at St. Helena
One of these teams are going to win the NCL I championship. They are the only two teams left undefeated in league play. Not only that, the least amount of losses by any other team is three.
The schedule makers set this up nice. The two teams will end the league season with a game at Kelseyville.
Both teams are undefeated in league play and are 5-5 in non-league play.
NCL II BASEBALL
Sonoma Academy at St. Vincent
Both teams are 4-0 in the league race and have been dominating. Sonoma Academy has outscored opponents 49-15. St. Vincent is even better outscoring opponents 49-3.
Both teams are hitting over .300 as a team and have over a .400 slugging percentage.
St. Vincent has scored in double figures in five of the last six games; Sonoma Academy has done it in eight of nine.
NCL I SOFTBALL
No. 5 Cloverdale at Clear Lake
This is the one of the first-second place matchups that doesn’t have both teams undefeated going in. Clear Lake has one league loss and that was to undefeated Cloverdale 10-2.
Cloverdale has scored at least nine runs in every league game.
Besides the game against Cloverdale, Clear Lake has been just as dominating outscoring the rest of the league 79-10.
NBL SOFTBALL
No. 3 Maria Carrillo at No. 4 Casa Grande
Casa Grande needs the win to stay a factor in NBL race.
Maria Carrillo has to be careful not get caught looking ahead to the home game against Rancho Cotate on Thursday.
NON LEAGUE BASEBALL
Acalanes at No. 2 Analy
The only loss by Analy since an 2-2 start was a non-league game to Drake who is the No. 1 ranked NCS team in Division 3 according to the computer rankings. Analy is at No. 3. In between the two is Acalanes, who is 12-5 overall. Analy is 15-3 overall.
JC BASEBALL
SRJC at American River
Three games left, one game lead for SRJC. American River just coming off a series in which they lost two of three to Sierra.
Sierra is at San Joaquin Delta who just took two out of three from SRJC.
Tuesday is the last road game of the regular season for SRJC. On Thursday the Bear Cubs host Diablo Valley and on Saturday Cosumnes River.
WEDNESDAY
NBL BASEBALL
Rancho Cotate at Maria Carrillo
A league title isn’t likely unless Casa Grande comes way back to everyone. But there is still competition for the NBL post season tournament. Maria Carrillo is in fifth place one game behind Cardinal Newman, Montgomery and Rancho Cotate.
My email address is jacpasquini@comcast.net