Mustangs continue to lead pack in latest CCCSIA baseball poll; Cerritos, Sierra still on the chase

PASADENA, Calif. - The San Joaquin Delta College Mustangs continue to be a runaway leader in this week's California Community College Sports Information Association State Top 20 Baseball Rankings. Delta earned 14 of 18 first-place votes and its 28-6 record is matched only by No. 7-rated Ohlone.

No. 2 Cerritos (26-9) and No. 3 Sierra (24-9) held on to their spots while Orange Coast, on a 5-game win streak to move out in front in the Orange Empire Conference race jumped two spots to No. 4. Mt. San Antonio (25-9) stays at No. 5 while Saddleback (24-10) slipped a few places to No. 6.

Staying at No. 7, Ohlone (28-6) is on a 6-game win streak and its impressive pitching/defense has resulted in allowing only 19 runs in 12 Coast Pacific victories against no losses. The Renegades have given up two or less runs in an incredible 23 games this season.

Santa Rosa is at No. 8, followed by Glendale at No. 9 and climbing three places into the top 10 is No. 10 Folsom Lake. The pollsters' like the 25-9 Falcons despite it remaining in fifth place in the powerful Big 8 Conference. Glendale, winners of 13 of its last 14, has feasted on its Western State East opponents. 

The biggest jump in this week's poll was made by No. 13 Feather River, a team on a 6-game win streak that leaped four spots. The largest drop was No. 16 Marin, who fell five places after losing two straight games against unranked Laney. 

San Mateo, winners of 10 of its last 12 games, joined the top 20 at T-No. 17 while Fullerton, stuck in a 3-game losing streak after being tied for first in the OEC, went from No. 16 to left out in the poll.

Here is a current conference update, and the complete CCCSIA Top 20 Rankings.

NORTH
Bay Valley: Marin (11-4) and unranked Los Medanos (10-3) are battling it out for the conference lead.
Big 8: Delta and Sierra are tied for first at 13-5 with Santa Rosa a game out at 12-6. No. 12 Sacramento City is in fourth at 11-7.
Central Valley: No. 20 Sequoias (13-2) has a 2-game lead over unrated Fresno City (11-4).
Coast Golden Gate: San Mateo, Chabot and Mission all are tied for first with 10-5 marks.
Coast Pacific: Ohlone (12-0) has a comfortable 4-game lead.
Golden Valley: Feather River (15-4) has separated itself from the pack and holds a 3-game lead in the win column and 4-game lead in the loss column.

SOUTH
Orange Empire: Orange Coast (11-4) takes a 2-game lead over Saddleback (9-6) with No. 11 Cypress (8-7) and Fullerton tied for third. T-No. 17 Riverside City is fifth at 7-8.
Pacific Coast Athletic: No. 14 Palomar (13-5) holds a one game lead over unranked San Diego Mesa (12-6) and two games over last year's state champion Grossmont (11-7), an all but forgotten squad this season.
South Coast North: Mt. San Antonio (13-3) has taken complete control of this division, four games ahead in the loss column on three teams.
South Coast South: Cerritos (11-6) moved a game up over No. 19 El Camino (10-7) with unrated Long Beach City (9-7) still in the mix.
Western State East: Glendale (13-1) is two games ahead of No. 15 Canyons (11-3), a team on a 5-game win streak as the two teams face-off in a 3-game series this week..
Western State North: The Rodney Dangerfield division has unranked Moorpark and Santa Barbara City tied for first at 9-6. Ventura is one game back at 8-7.
Western State South: Barely over .500 overall at 18-17, non-rated Bakersfield is 12-3 and now 1.5 games ahead of Pierce (11-5).

(Robert Lewis, CCCSIA)