Upswing for many teams in CCCSIA State Top 25 Baseball Poll #4
PASADENA - Many polls in a number of sports usually settle past the halfway mark of the season. Not the case with the CCCSIA State Top 25 Baseball Poll #4 where 14 teams made moves upward while four new teams climbed on from the previous rankings.
Ohlone continues a formidable run, collecting 11 out of 16 first-place votes to solidify its #1 ranking. The Renegades have the most victories in the state with 24 and have extended their winning streak to 22 games going into Tuesday's play.
Santa Ana received the next most No. 1 votes with three and picked up a spot as the South Region's top team in the #2 slot. Mt. San Antonio had the biggest jump of any team moving up nine spots and into the top 10 at #9. Reedley, #13 in poll #3, and Diablo Valley, tied at #14 a few weeks ago, both dropped completely off the rankings. The highest ranked newbie to the poll is West Valley at #18.
The North had a slight edge over the South, 13 teams to 12 representing this week, showing a fair slice of the pie between California's two regions.
As the conference races heat up, here are updates on top teams in California Community College baseball, according to sports information professionals.
1 OHLONE (24-2)--The Renegades lead the Coast Conference South Division race at 9-0 and extended their advantage to three games with an 8-7 win over second-place Cabrillo on Saturday. CF Damian Stone homered and stole his state-leading 32nd base in the victory. Max Gonzales is one of five pitchers that lead the state with seven victories and he has a 2.66 ERA with just five walks in 47.1 innings. RANK: UNCHANGED
2 SANTA ANA (20-5-1)--The Dons kept themselves in the Orange Empire hunt by sweeping Golden West in a 3-game set. Although tied for 4th at 5-4, five teams are within a game of each other. CF Kyle Ashworth had big hits in all three wins, including a 2-run HR in the 7th inning to erase a 4-3 deficit in the finale. The pair of Ashworth and LF Christian Thompson are tied for the state lead in walks with 29. RANK JUMP: 1 SPOT
3 FOLSOM LAKE (20-3-1)--The Falcons saw a 17-game undefeated streak (16-0-1) end with a 16-4 loss to Cosumnes River on Mar. 22. Folsom Lake responded with two victories over CRC to to take the series as it holds a percentage points lead in the top spot of the Big 8 (8-1). CF Chris Catalano hit a game-winning HR in the ninth of a 7-6 win in game #2. 3b Logan Sutter hit a grand slam in a 13-2 rout in the finale. RANK JUMP: 1 SPOT
4 SADDLEBACK (19-7)--The Bobcats are in a 3-way tie for 1st place in the OEC at 6-3. In winning 2-of-3 v. Cypress, LF Cole Koniarsky torched Chargers' pitching, batting 7-for-13 with a HR and 8 RBI. Ace Connor Wilford is one of the Southland's best hurlers at 6-1, 2.08 ERA, only 5 BB and 40 Ks in 47.2 IP. RANK FALL: 2 SPOTS
5 GLENDALE (20-5)--Winners of 10 straight overall, the Vaqueros are 9-0 to lead the Western State Conference South Division. Glendale swept Bakersfield and then swept LA Mission in 3-game sets. Against Mission, the Vaqueros twice rallied in the 9th for victories. In the opener, Glendale scored two in the 9th, including a walk-off RBI single by 1b Kenji Pallares for a 3-2 win. Coming back from down 4-2 in the 9th in the finale, CF Joey Craig (second in state in batting .466) pulled a Jackie Robinson by stealing home for another walk-off win,
5-4. RANK JUMP: 1 SPOT
6 SAN JOAQUIN DELTA (19-6)--The Mustangs are 10-2 in the Big 8, ahead in wins but 2nd place in percentage points to Folsom Lake. Delta has won 7 of its last 8, including take 2-of-3 v. Sacramento City. Closer Nate Morris has been lights out with a win and a save v. SACC as he has allowed no runs in his last 8.1 innings with 9 Ks. RANK JUMP: 1 SPOT
7 PALOMAR (18-7)--The Comets lead the PCAC at 8-2, one game ahead of Grossmont. Palomar swept Grossmont in a 2-game series, outscoring the Griffins, 31-13, then swept San Diego Mesa in 2 games. C Devlin Lindeman has an incredible 12-game streak of driving in at least one run with 33 RBI in that stretch. In the opener v. Mesa, he hit 2 triples and a HR. Lindeman leads the state in homers with 10 and RBI with 40. RANK JUMP: 1 SPOT
8 PASADENA CITY (19-7)--Ironically, it was the Lancers who cooled off a 7-game win streak by Palomar on Saturday, 11-6. PCC is 8-4 in a super-close South Coast Conference race where the 2 teams ahead of it both already have lost 2-of-3 series v. the Lancers in Mt. San Antonio and East Los Angeles. PCC needed a walk-off HR by C Matt Rice to win the finale of the ELAC series, 2-1, on Mar. 19. SS Raider Tello leads the state in hits (53) and is 4th in both BAVG (.461) and RBI (37). RANK JUMP: 3 SPOTS
9 MT. SAN ANTONIO (19-6)--The sizzling Mounties have won 9 in a row and are the percentage points leader of the SCC at 9-3. Mt. SAC swept both Rio Hondo and then Cerritos in 3-game series. Against Cerritos, Mt. SAC won 25-7 in the middle contest. 1b Cristian Enriquez batted 8-for-16 and 3b Robbie Mansour 5-for-10 with 7 RBI in the Falcons series. RANK JUMP: 9 SPOTS
T-10 FRESNO CITY (18-5)--The red-hot Rams have won 8 straight and lead the Central Valley Conference at at 10-1. In sweeping a series v. Porterville, Fresno outscored the Pirates, 40-12, and scored in double digits in all 3 wins. In the final 2 games, 2b Bret Carrell hit 4-for-8 with 3 doubles, a HR and 5 RBI and CF Korey Likens was 6-for-8 with a triple, a HR and 5 RBI. RANK JUMP: 3 SPOTS
T-10 RIVERSIDE CITY (17-8)--Winners of 5 consecutive games, the Tigers climbed into a 3-way tie for 1st place in the OEC with both Saddleback and Fullerton (all 6-3) by taking 2-of-3 v. Santa Ana and sweeping Irvine Valley. 1b Daniel Garcia was 6-for-12 in the 3 wins v. IVC. RANK JUMP: 7 SPOTS
12 FEATHER RIVER (21-6)--The Golden Eagles had an 11-game win streak snapped by Butte, 13-7, on Mar. 17, then proceeded to win the next 5 in a row to top the Golden Valley Conference standings at 12-1. In the last four wins, LF Corey McIntyre is 8-for-17 with 2 HRs, a triple and 8 RBI. RANK FALL: 2 SPOTS
13 SKYLINE (19-5)--The Trojans are 3rd in the Coast Conference North. Skyline has had to fight for runs of late, needing SS Jace Jeremiah's RBI double (he homered earlier in game) in the 8th to rally past San Mateo, 6-5, then used a bases-clearing, 3-run double from 3b Dominic Meza in the 8th to defeat Chabot, 3-1. RANK FALL: 8 SPOTS
14 FULLERTON (18-10)--The Hornets won 2-of-3 against both Irvine Valley and Orange Coast to be involved in the current 3-way tie for 1st in the Orange Empire at 6-3. Outstanding pitching by Joel Martinez in the 11-0 opening win (6 shutout innings) and Jon Sarmiento (6 shutout innings, 2 hits) in a 3-2 win in the finale of the OCC series sparked Fullerton. RANK: UNCHANGED
15 MODESTO JC (18-7)--In 3rd place in the Big 8, the Pirates scored 2-of-3 series wins over Sierra and Diablo Valley. CF Luke Brown was an offensive weapon in the DVC series, hitting 6-for-12 with 2 doubles, a triple, and 5 walks. Modesto scored 11 runs in the 9th inning of a 23-6 rout in game #2. Adan Perez hurled 7 shutout innings of 2-hit ball and 9 Ks in a 7-0 win in the opener. RANK JUMP: 5 SPOTS
16 EL CAMINO (19-8)--Fourth in the South Coast at 7-5, the Warriors have won 10 of their last 12 games. ECC swept LA Harbor in a 3-game set thanks in part to the hitting exploits of 3b Theo Forshey, who went 7-for-13 with 2 doubles, a triple, and a HR. The pitching group of Thomas Bainton, Jack Snyder, Elijah Tolsma and Neil Feist combined to throw 21 IP, allow just 14 hits, 4 runs and strike out 27 Harbor batters. RANK JUMP: 3 SPOTS
17 ORANGE COAST (14-11)--Rarely has a Pirates team ever been as low in the OEC standings, currently sixth at 4-5. OCC lost 2-of-3 against both Saddleback and Fullerton. C Emilio Morales was 4-for-6 with a HR in the last 2 games of the Fullerton series. RANK FALL: 8 SPOTS
18 WEST VALLEY (17-9)--The Vikings have won 9 of their last 10, grabbed 1st place in the Coast Conference North at 8-1, and leaped on to their first ranking of the season this week. Canada snapped WVC's 8-game win streak in a 9-3 win on Mar. 24 but West Valley rebounded with an 8-4 triumph over San Mateo thanks to a grand slam by CF Henry Wright. RF Curran Ozawa-Burns also homered v. CSM and has hit HRs in back-to-back games three times this month (second in state with 9). UNRANKED LAST POLL
19 MERCED (17-8)--The Blue Devils are in 2nd place in the CVC at 9-3 and have won 7 straight to jump on to this week's poll. Merced performed 3-game sweeps over West Hills Coalinga and Reedley. SS Trent Mallonee is on a 5-game binge that produced the following balloon-ball numbers: 14-for-24 (.583), 2 doubles, 2 homers, 9 runs scored and 13 RBI. UNRANKED LAST POLL
20 BUTTE (19-10)--The Roadrunners are 11-3 to occupy 2nd in the Golden Valley. Butte had a 6-game win streak snapped by Feather River, losing 2 straight to the Golden Eagles to fall behind them. Butte righted its ship by then sweeping 3 games over Siskiyous. In a 22-2 rout in the opener, CF Danelle Daniels batted 5-for-6 with 2 triples, a HR, 4 RBI and 12 total bases. RANK JUMP: 3 SPOTS
21 COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO (15-9)--The Bulldogs had an 8-game win streak end in a 6-5 loss to Skyline on Mar. 24. CSM blasted Canada, 28-0, on Mar. 17 when CF Karl Peters was 5-for-6, slugging 2 of the team's 6 HRs and knocking in 6 RBI. San Mateo is currently in 2nd place in the Coast North at 6-2. UNRANKED LAST POLL
22 SACRAMENTO CITY (14-10)--The Panthers are 4th in the Big 8 at 5-4, but played extremely well despite losing 2-of-3 v. Delta. Sac City lost the opener 5-3, won the middle game 4-3, and were nipped, 9-8, in the finale. RF Will Asby launched a 2-run HR for the big blow in their win. RANK JUMP: 3 SPOTS
23 EAST LOS ANGELES (15-11)--The Huskies lost 2-of-3 v. Pasadena, but turned right around to achieve their third SCC sweep, this time over Compton. ELAC is 11-4 and percentage points behind Mt. SAC at the top of the South Coast standings. C Daniel Vierra hit a walk-off single for a 5-4 win in game 2. RANK JUMP: 1 SPOT
24. SANTA ROSA JC (15-9)--The Bear Cubs are scuffling a bit in the Big 8, now at 5-6 in 6th place. After being swept by Folsom Lake, SRJC roared back with a pair of wins over American River. Tyler Stasiowski fired a complete-game, 4-hitter with no walks and 10 Ks in a 4-1 win on Mar. 24. RANK FALL: 8 SPOTS
25. CYPRESS (13-12)--The Chargers are hanging around in the tight OEC race at 5-4 (tied for 4th). DH Brenden Harris has put together a couple of big performances in recent wins. In an 11-9 win over Golden West on Mar. 17, Harris was 4-for-5 with 2 HRs, a double, and 3 RBI. In a 17-13 win on Mar. 24, Harris also was 4-for-5 with a HR and 4 RBI. UNRANKED LAST POLL
OTHERS: Reedley (15-10, 13th LR), Cuesta (14-11), Grossmont (14-9), Diablo Valley (14-11, T14th LR), Golden West (14-12, 22nd LR), Santa Barbara City (15-10), Long Beach City (14-11), Rio Hondo (15-12, 21st LR), Los Medanos (15-10), Chaffey (14-13), College of the Sequoias (15-11).
Baseball Poll Coordinator/Release by Robert Lewis, CCCSIA Executive Board