Bay Area News Group baseball rankings: Bellarmine soars toward the top
Bay Area News Group Top 20
(Mercury News & East Bay Times)
No. 1 DE LA SALLE (18-4)
Previous ranking: 1
What’s happened since the last ranking: Despite a 2-1 week that included a 10-5 loss to Granite Bay, the Spartans hold on to the No. 1 ranking. They hold a 5-0 win over St. Francis and are 6-1 overall against private schools on their schedule.
Up next: Today vs. San Ramon Valley, 4 p.m.
No. 2 BELLARMINE (19-5-1)
Previous ranking: 7
What’s happened since the last ranking: Bells remain a half-game behind St. Francis in the West Catholic Athletic League standings. Still, they did have a 3-0 week including Tuesday’s 7-4 win over Valley Christian. Also, they beat St. Francis in the most recent meeting between the clubs. So they leap five spots in the rankings. Junior SS Chase Knight, a Fresno State commit, led Bellarmine on Tuesday, going 3 for 3 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Up next: Friday at Sacred Heart Cathedral, 3:30 p.m.
No. 3 ST. FRANCIS (22-4)
Previous ranking: 2
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Lancers held on to their half-game lead in the WCAL with three runs in the seventh to beat St. Ignatius 5-3. OF Wyatt King, a Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo commit, doubled and drove in three runs for St. Francis.
Up next: Thursday vs. Archbishop Mitty, 5:30 p.m.
No. 4 VALLEY CHRISTIAN (20-5-1)
Previous ranking: 3
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Warriors’ nine-game win streak had to end sometime. Three Bellarmine runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth proved to be the difference.
Up next: Friday vs. Serra, 4 p.m.
No. 5 FOOTHILL (19-3)
Previous ranking: 4
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Falcons bounced back from a loss to De La Salle with wins over Granada and Dublin. Pepperdine-bound Jack Basseer homered and Foothill stole six bases in the win over Dublin.
Up next: Today at California, 4 p.m.
MORE PREP SPORTS
- Roundup: Bellarmine beats Valley Christian to stay in WCAL baseball race
- Roundup: Valley Christian wide receiver chooses Oregon
- SRV baseball coach cites toxic conditions in abrupt resignation
- Feature: An 89-year-old Bay Area high school coach is calling it a career
- Meet Alejandro Cervantes. He is a blind Bay Area high school hurdler
No. 6 PALO ALTO (20-5)
Previous ranking: 5
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Vikings rolled to a pair of victories over Los Gatos and CF Henry Bolte climbed from No. 51 to No. 44 among Baseball America’s top 300 draft prospects.
Up next: Today vs. Los Altos, 4 p.m.
No. 7 CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER (17-4)
Previous ranking: 6
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Ugly Eagles doubled up Miramonte 10-5 on Tuesday. Concordia University (Irvine) signee Jordan Bolden and sophomore Jerry Coakley each had three hits for the Uglies.
Up next: Thursday vs. Miramonte, 4 p.m.
No. 8 CALIFORNIA (18-4)
Previous ranking: 9
What’s happened since the last ranking: LSU-bound lefty Nic Bronzini allowed three hits over six innings in a 6-1 win over San Ramon Valley, and UCSB commit Aidan Camberg homered in a 6-3 win over Dougherty Valley.
Up next: Today vs. Foothill, 4 p.m.
No. 9 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (17-7)
Previous ranking: 8
What’s happened since the last ranking: Mitty took care of business Tuesday with a five-run first in an 11-4 rout of Riordan. Today the Monarchs finally get to play for the championship of the Boras Classic against Woodcreek-Roseville at St. Mary’s-Stockton. The game was supposed to be played three weeks ago in Sacramento but was rained out.
Up next: Today vs. Woodcreek-Roseville in Boras Classic championship game at St. Mary’s-Stockton, 4 p.m.
No. 10 SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (15-9-1)
Previous ranking: 12
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Fightin’ Irish won for the fourth time in five games by pounding Serra 12-3 Tuesday. SHC scored five runs in each of the first two innings. Lucas Kelly had four hits and Aidan Shea homered and drove in three runs.
Up next: Friday vs. Bellarmine, 3:30 p.m.
No. 11 BERKELEY (16-5)
Previous ranking: 15
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Yellowjackets stung Bishop O’Dowd twice, giving them 13 wins in their last 14 games. Berkeley gave up just four runs in the two games thanks to strong pitching efforts from starters Luca McKerley and Will Polishuk, and closer Kevin Parker Jr., an Arizona commit who fired four innings of scoreless relief.
Up next: Today vs. Alameda, 4 p.m.
No. 12 BRANHAM (18-5)
Previous ranking: 11
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Bruins had won 10 in a row until losing to Live Oak 10-3 last Friday. The Acorns, who trailed 3-0 at one point, scored eight runs in the sixth. Two days earlier Branham built a 5-0 lead against Live Oak and held on for a 5-3 win.
Up next: Today at Santa Teresa, 4 p.m.
No. 13 LIBERTY (18-5)
Previous ranking: 13
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Lions capped a 3-0 week by blanking Heritage 7-0 Tuesday. Liberty is 9-0 in Bay Valley Athletic League play.
Up next: Thursday vs. Heritage, 4 p.m.
No. 14 ACALANES (14-7)
Previous ranking: 18
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Dons snapped a two-game losing streak by allowing just one unearned run in wins over Campolindo and Benicia. Tuesday’s game against Benicia was scoreless until Acalanes pushed across the game’s only run in the bottom of the seventh.
Up next: Thursday at Benicia, 4 p.m.
No. 15 COLLEGE PARK (12-8)
Previous ranking: Not ranked
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Falcons soared into the rankings with a 6-1 victory over Northgate, their fifth win in a row. Future UCLA Bruin right-hander Michael Barnett fired a three-hitter, allowing just one unearned run and striking out 10.
Up next: Friday vs. Vacaville, 4 p.m.
No. 16 CARLMONT (16-6-1)
Previous ranking: 20
What’s happened since the last ranking: Senior OF/LHP Tripp Garrish homered in both games as the Scots swept The King’s Academy. Garrish, who is headed to the Air Force Academy, is hitting .491 with four homers. On the mound, he sports a 5-1 record, 2.47 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 34 innings.
Up next: Today at Capuchino, 4 p.m.
No. 17 SANTA TERESA (19-4)
Previous ranking: 16
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Saints came from behind to win a pair of hard-fought contests against Sobrato. The victories put Santa Teresa in a tie with Branham atop the BVAL Mt. Hamilton Division. Both teams are 8-2. The Saints and Branham meet today and Friday.
Up next: Today vs. Branham, 4 p.m.
No. 18 SAN RAMON VALLEY (13-8)
Previous ranking: 10
What’s happened since the last ranking: No team in the top 20, and maybe in the entire Bay Area, had a tougher week than the Wolves. Coach Tony Battilega resigned and SRV lost to California and Granada, scoring only one run in the two defeats. Won’t get any easier today.
Up next: Today at De La Salle, 4 p.m.
No. 19 LEIGH (16-7)
Previous ranking: 19
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Longhorns’ one-two punch of pitchers Miles Lu and Dillon Haftorson held Leland to one run over two games for a pair of victories. Haftorson pitched a one-hitter in the second of the two games and Lu fanned 13 in the first game.
Up next: Today at Pioneer, 4 p.m.
No. 20 MOUNTAIN VIEW (15-10)
Previous ranking: Not ranked
What’s happened since the last ranking: The Spartans used a pair of wild wins against Los Altos to edge back into the rankings. Mountain View has won four in a row, including a 12-5 rout of Palo Alto. The Spartans have outslugged their opponents 46-31 in those four wins.
Up next: Today vs. Cupertino, 4 p.m.
Also considered: Live Oak (15-8), Serra (13-12), Benicia (13-7), Bishop O’Dowd (14-8), Heritage (15-8).
Many results come from team pages on the MaxPreps website. For corrections, please email highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com.