Conference titles go down to the wire as CCCSIA State Top Baseball Poll #6 features changes
PASADENA - Entering the final week of the regular season, eight different conferences are still up for grabs as the CCCSIA State Top 25 Baseball Poll #6 features a number of those teams vying for postseason host seeds.
Ohlone scored 13 of 16 first-place votes and remains #1 as it ran its winning streak to 34 games. The Renegades clinched the Coast Conference South Division title at 18-0 and can complete a perfect conference season if it defeats Cabrillo in their 2-game series.
Saddleback, the South region's top team by voters and RPI, gained the other three first-place votes and only was 13 points behind Ohlone, showing that many voters believe the BobCats are right there with Ohlone as an upper echelon squad.
Saddleback holds a 2-game lead in the Orange Empire Conference standings with a 3-game series v. Fullerton this week. At #3, Glendale is also looking for a perfect conference season and the Western State South Division champions (18-0) and can accomplish the feat if it sweeps Antelope Valley in their 3-game set.
Here are updates on top teams in California Community College baseball, according to sports information professionals.
1 OHLONE (36-2)--It's hard to believe but at one time, the Renegades were 2-2 and had lost two straight games to #4 Mt. San Antonio and #18 Cypress. From that point on, Ohlone hasn't lost in a remarkable streak that has spanned almost three months. When De Anza scored 6 runs in the 9th to put a scare in a 10-9 loss to the Renegades on April 22, Ohlone responded by scoring a season high in pounding the Mountain Lions, 28-2 on April 24. CF Damian Stone batted 5-for-5 in the series opener, then went 3-for-4 with 2 HRs, a double and 7 RBI in the finale. RANK UNCHANGED.
2 SADDLEBACK (29-8)--The Bobcats have won 10 in a row, eight straight in OEC play. Saddleback swept Golden West last week in a 3-game series. LF Cole Koniarsky is Mr. Clutch as he hit a walk-off double in a 3-2 win in the middle game, then was 3-for-4 with 4 RBI in a 20-4 rout in the finale. RANK UNCHANGED.
3 GLENDALE (31-5)--The Vaqueros ran away with the WSC South title and extended their winning streak to 21 games after sweeping #24 LA Valley in 3 games. In the middle game, Glendale rallied from down 5-0 as RF Adrian Gonzalez belted 2 homers, including one in the 10th that followed a solo HR by DH Brandon Nguyen in a 7-5 extra-innings victory. In the finale, LAVC held a 3-0 lead in the 7th before the Vaqueros 1b Will Cheatham hit a 2-run double in the eighth in a comeback 6-3 win. RANK UNCHANGED
4 MT. SAN ANTONIO (30-7)--The Mounties are winners of 19 of their last 20 games, including 3-game sweeps over East Los Angeles and Compton. Mt. SAC leads the South Coast Conference at 17-4, one game ahead of both #11 El Camino and #16 Long Beach City. 1B Alex Reynozo batted 10-for-13 with 3 doubles, a triple and 7 RBI in the Compton series. Mt. SAC has a 3-game showdown with El Camino this week. RANK JUMP: 4 SPOTS
5 SAN JOAQUIN DELTA (27-9)--The Mustangs are a half game behind #6 Folsom Lake for the Big 8 Conference lead. Delta recovered from losing 2-of-3 v. unranked Cosumnes River by sweeping American River, outscoring the Beavers, 32-4 in the three wins. The Delta bullpen hurled 14.2 IP of 8-hit, shutout ball with 13 Ks led by Wilbur Berrios with 4.2 scoreless innings in the opener. SJD takes on #15 Santa Rosa in a 3-game set this week. RANK FALL: 1 SPOT
6 FOLSOM LAKE (28-6-1)--The Falcons (16-4) hold the slim lead over Delta (16-5) in the Big 8 race, but play 4 conference games this week, 3 v. Sacramento City and one v. Sierra. Winners of 6 in a row, Folsom Lake beat Sierra twice and then swept Diablo Valley in their 3-game series. 1b JT Waldon batted 7-for-13 with 2 doubles, a HR and 9 RBI in the DVC series. RANK JUMP: 3 SPOTS
7 SANTA ANA (27-9-1)--The Dons are sitting in third place in the OEC and face Orange Coast in their final 3-game set of the regular season. Santa Ana's high RPI will likely net it a host spot anyway in SoCal Regional Playoffs. SAC split a non-conference 2-game series v. #16 Long Beach, then won 2-of-3 v. Irvine Valley. Cedrick Perez batted 4-for-5 and pitched the final 2 innings for the mound win a 5-4 triumph in game 1 of the IVC series. Perez hit a RBI double in the 8-3 middle win and pitched 7.1 IP, 4-hitter in the finale but had to settle for a no decison in a 3-2 loss to the Lasers. RANK FALL: 2 SPOTS
8 FEATHER RIVER (31-7)--The Golden Eagles won 8 in a row to clinch the Golden Valley Conference title at 22-1 in league games. Outstanding team pitching has held opponents to just 4 runs in the last 4 wins as Bridger Holmes hurled 6 IP, 2-hitter, no ER and 8 Ks in defeating Redwoods, 9-1, then fired another 6 IP gem (no earned runs again) allowing 5 hits in an 8-2 victory over #22 Butte. RANK JUMP: 2 SPOTS
9 RIVERSIDE CITY (24-11)--The Tigers play #18 Cypress in their OEC finale series, but like Santa Ana seems to have a host seed well in hand. Currently in second with a 12-6 conference record, RCC had a 5-game win streak snapped by Orange Coast, 8-3 on April 23. RF Matthew Bardowell is a smoking 16-for-22 (.727) with 4 doubles, a triple and 7 RBI in his team's last five games. RANK JUMP: 2 SPOTS
10 PALOMAR (28-9)--A 10-game win streak, including a 3-game series sweep over Grossmont, has clinched the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference title for the Comets. From April 12-19 in four wins, DH Derek Augenstein batted 12-for-19 with 9 runs, 7 doubles, a HR and 7 RBI. RANK JUMP: 2 SPOTS
11 EL CAMINO (28-9)--The Warriors have won 12 of their last 13 contests, including a shocking sweep over now #14 Pasadena City. In the middle game, ECC had a rally for the ages by scoring 10 runs in the top of the 9th to beat the Lancers, 14-13. LF Ben Griffin launched a grand slam during the momentous comeback. With a chance for the SCC title, ECC now must face #4 Mt. SAC in a 3-game set. RANK JUMP: 2 SPOTS
12 FRESNO CITY (27-10)--The Rams scuffled through a 4-game losing streak but still hold a 2-game lead in the Central Valley Conference with three CVC games remaining v. different teams this week. DH Logan Azem went 3-for-4 with a triple and 4 RBI to help FCC end the streak, beating Taft, 16-5. RANK FALL: 6 SPOTS
13 SKYLINE (28-8)--The Trojans have won 8 of their last 9 and hold a 1-game lead over #20 West Valley with 2 games left v. a hot #25 Chabot squad. Skyline won back-to-back, 2-game series sweeps over CC San Francisco and San Mateo. 3B Dominic Meza went 3-for-3 with 2 homers and 5 RBI in an 8-1 victory over CSM. 1B Michael Sarhatt is 8-for-his-last-13 with a HR and 2 doubles. RANK JUMP: 1 SPOT
14 PASADENA CITY (26-11)--The Lancers are trying to recover from being swept by El Camino and will face Cerritos in their SCC final series this week. PCC dropped to 4th place in the standings despite continued outstanding relief pitching by Benny Olguin, who allowed only 8 hits and 1 ER in his last 11 IP over 2 games with 12 Ks. His ERA is third in the state at 1.45. RANK FALL: 7 SPOTS
15. SANTA ROSA JC (25-11)--The Bear Cubs are on a 12-2 stretch and remain in 3rd place in the Big 8 standings. They will be up against it facing #5 Delta this week in their 3-game final conference series. SRJC scored a huge 10-6 win in 11 innings over Cosumnes River, tying the game with a run in the 9th, then using a 3-run HR by C Jack Gallagher to win it in the 11th. RANK JUMP: 1 SPOT
16 LONG BEACH CITY (25-12)--The Vikings are in an interesting spot going into the final week of the South Coast race. LBCC could conceivably win at least a share of the SCC title by sweeping last-place Compton and getting help if El Camino were to beat Mt. SAC just once in their series. LBCC has won 10 straight in conference play. OF Bryan Sanders went 6-for-12 with a HR, a triple and 4 RBI in a 3-game sweep over East Los Angeles last week. RANK JUMP: 2 SPOTS
17 MERCED (25-12)--Winners of 8 of their last 9, the Blue Devils trail Fresno City by 2 games in the CVC standings with 3 games left to be played. On April 13 in a wild 17-14 win over ELAC at the Allan Hancock Tournament, 1b Jacob Solorio batted 5-for-5 with 3 doubles and 5 RBI. In their last CVC win, LF Austin Cappas broke a 4-4 tie with a 3-run blast in a 9-8 win over Reedley. RANK UNCHANGED
18. CYPRESS (21-16)--The Chargers are tied with Santa Ana for 3rd place in the OEC standings at 11-7 and will slug it out with Riverside this week. Cypress has won 4 of its last 5, including RF Dean Toigo slugging a game-winning, 2-run HR in the 9th to beat Fullerton,
3-2, after the Hornets won the series opener. In the finale, Cypress took the series, rallying from down 9-3 as DH Brenden Harris bombed a 3-run HR for an 11-10 lead in the 6th inning en route to a 15-10 triumph. RANK JUMP: 3 SPOTS
19. LASSEN (26-12)--The Cougars jumped on to the Top 25 this week to give the Golden Valley Conference 3 teams in the rankings. Lassen, tied with Butte for 2nd place in the GVC, won 11 of its last 12 games and scored 14 runs in each of its last three victories. State batting leader and LF Kamdon Lewis (.457) went 3-for-4 in the team's most recent 14-3 win over Shasta. UNRANKED LAST POLL
20 WEST VALLEY (23-15)--The Vikings play an important 2-game series v. San Mateo as they trail Coast North Division leader Skyline by just one game. Cae Cox threw a 7 IP, 5-hitter (1 run) in a 7-3 win over Canada, then Eric Murchison and Michael Dixson combined for a 4-hit shutout (11 Ks) in a 2-0 win over Canada on April 23. RANK FALL: 1 SPOT
21 CUESTA (22-14)--The Cougars are 13-3 in their last 16 games to lead the Western State North going into 4 games this week. The only problem is 2nd place and unranked Santa Barbara City handed Cuesta all 3 of those losses, including a 2-1 defeat in the Cougars last game. SBCC is just 1 game back and play Cuesta again in the regular season finale on April 30. 3B Zach Tallerman slugged a grand slam in an 11-5 win over Allan Hancock. RANK JUMP: 4 SPOTS
22 BUTTE (24-14)--The Roadrunners are spinning in the wrong direction having lost 4 of their last 5. Butte is tied with Lassen for 2nd place in the GVC and has 2 games left v. Siskiyous. RJ Aranda and Sergio Gutierrez combined on a 6-hit shutout in a 3-0 win over Lassen, but the Cougars won their 3-game series v. Butte, 2-games-to-1. RANK FALL: 7 SPOTS
23 MODESTO JC (21-13)--The Pirates are in 5th place in the Big 8, but continue to draw votes over 4th place Cosumnes River. Modesto lost 2-of-3 v. Santa Rosa, but SS Alex Gouveia went 6-for-12 with 4 RBI in the series. RANK FALL: 3 SPOTS
24. LOS ANGELES VALLEY (23-14)--The Monarchs are fighting for their playoff lives after being swept in 3 games by #3 and WSC South champ Glendale last week. LAVC (9-9 in conference games) dropped to a 3-way tie for 3rd place behind 2nd place Canyons (10-8). DH Yeonwon Jeong is 7-for-his-last-11 with 4 RBI. RANK FALL: 1 SPOT
25 CHABOT (24-12)--The Gladiators picked the right time to get hot, winning 8 in a row and moving into a 3rd place tie in the Coast North standings. On April 19, Chabot won an epic 13-inning affair over West Valley, 9-8. The Gladiators scored 3 runs in the 9th to send it to exra innings. In the 11th, DH Alonzo Guijarro hit a RBI single for an 8-7 lead only to see WVC tie it in the bottom of the frame. But in the 13th, Guijarro did it again, singling in the GW RBI. UNRANKED LAST POLL
OTHERS: Los Medanos (24-13, current Bay Valley Conference leader), Sierra (21-14), College of the Desert (25-13), Grossmont (21-14, 22nd LR), Fullerton (20-17, 24th LR), Santa Barbara City (21-12), Golden West (20-17), Southwestern (22-15, T25 LR), College of the Sequoias (21-16), San Bernardino Valley (19-18, percentage points leader in IEAC), Reedley (23-15), College of Marin (22-15), College of San Mateo (21-15-1), College of the Canyons (17-19).
Baseball Poll Coordinator/Release by Robert Lewis, CCCSIA Executive Board