Final MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 high school baseball rankings

It's over.

The high school baseball season started with great promise, featured a lot of non-conference inter-sectional showdowns and then some fabulous postseason efforts.

The Major League Draft is this week, and scores of players could be picked. Many will head off to college, too. Elk Grove slugger, four-year starter and USC signee Rowdy Tellez, expected to be drafted this week, may have said it best.

He said that there's no way he can forget his prep teammates because, "this was the time of our lives."



Check out the MaxPreps Computer Rankings for California and also be sure to visit the MaxPreps California baseball playoff brackets.

Final MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 Baseball Rankings *Section champion

*1. (2) St. Francis (Mountain View) 29-4
The Lancers belted West Catholic Athletic League rival Serra (San Mateo) 10-0 to win a Central Coast Section D-I title for the first time since 2001. Junior left-hander John Gavin tossed a one-hitter with eight strikeouts. All told, St. Francis peeled off playoff wins of 2-0, 3-0, 8-3 and 10-0. In three games against Serra this season, the Lancers put up 32 runs.

*2. (5) Campolindo (Moraga) 21-6-1
The preseason MaxPreps No. 1 team finished strong, winning 16 straight and a fourth successive North Coast Section D-II championship behind anchor leaders Trent Shelton and Matt Ladrech. The playoff march included four shutouts, including Clayton Valley (Concord) in the semifinals and 8-0 over Casa Grande (Petaluma) in the finals. An early nonleague win of 4-2 over Elk Grove prompts the final rankings switch over that club.

*3. (3) Elk Grove 29-5
With Rowdy Tellez collecting 12 hits, including three towering home runs, and co-aces David Smith and Mikey Wright pitching like D-I scholarship pitchers (to Nevada and San Jose State, respectively), the Thundering Herd went 7-0 in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I playoffs. The capper was sweeping three-time defending champion St. Mary's in the finals for the program's seven title and fifth under coach Jeff Carlson since 2003. Another team leader was catcher Dom Nunez.

*4. (NR) Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.) 18-10
The Dons wowed no one entering the North Coast Section D-I playoffs, going 7-7 in the East Bay League and suffered a four-game losing streak. Then they took off, thanks to superb pitching and timely hitting. Amador Valley beat previous No. 1 Granada (Livermore) 9-7 and De La Salle (Concord) for the title, the third time the Dons topped the Spartans this season. The win over Granada was pleasing in that Granada had rolled them in league play, outscoring them 20-0. Michael Echavia and Jake Dronkers were paramount in the team winning a second section title in four years.

5. (1) Granada (Livermore) 24-2
There's sound argument to keep this club ahead of Amador Valley in the final rankings, but AV did deliver the 9-7 playoff win, with Granada trailing 9-1 before making it a game. Granada giving up nine runs was a stunner as the Matadors had yielded 31 all spring, thanks in large part to the 1-2 pitching punch of Anthony Olmo and Jacob Payne.

6. (4) Casa Grande (Petaluma) 27-3
The Gauchos started 5-0 in the North Coast Section D-II playoffs and got past College Park 12-11 in 13 innings before being derailed by Campolindo 8-0 in the finals. Anthony Bender started 10-0 with an 0.26 ERA.

7. (6) Bellarmine (San Jose) 25-7
The Bells beat St. Francis and Serra to take the WCAL tournament title to soar to No. 1 in these rankings, then bowed out of the Central Coast Section D-I mix with a 6-4 setback to Palo Alto.



8. (7) Serra (San Mateo) 27-7
The Padres fell to WCAL rival St. Francis 10-0 in the Central Coast Section D-I finals. Serra came in having rolled Homestead (Cupertino) 11-1 and San Benito (Hollister) 6-0.

9. (8) De La Salle (Concord) 19-8
After an A.J. Puckett one-hitter to beat Logan (Union City) 5-1 in the North Coast Section D-I playoffs, the Spartans fell to Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 3-1 in the finals.

10. (10) Clayton Valley (Concord) 22-5
The Eagles fell to Campolindo in a North Coast Section D-II semifinals gem after wins over Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 4-1 and Newark Memorial (Newark) 4-0. CV won the Diablo Valley Athletic League and will return pitcher Austin Cannedy (0.73 ERA).

*11. (11) Pacific Grove 31-0
The Breakers beat Menlo School 10-4 to win the Central Coast Section D-III title and secure the best single-season mark in NorCal history, according to Cal-Hi Sports. They bettered the 30-0 mark by Maxwell from 2011. What's more, Pacific Grove is second in single-season state history, behind 35-0 Chatsworth of LA City Section in 2004. Junior ace Chris Clements went 14-0 with a 0.91 ERA, striking out 92 in 77 innings.

12. (9) St. Mary's (Stockton) 20-14
A nine-game winning streak came to a halt against Elk Grove in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I finals. The season ended with losses of 9-1 and 11-2, and the D-I section three-peat run was over. The team leader and ace was Joe Caffese, who was 10-4.

13. (12) Franklin (Elk Grove) 18-15
The defending Sac-Joaquin Section D-I North champions had a bumpy regular season but hit a new gear in the postseason. Franklin beat Rodriguez (Fairfield) 13-0, Delta River League champion Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 4-1, then lost to Elk Grove 9-6 before eliminating Sacramento Bee No. 1 Davis 12-3 and taking out Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) in a loser's bracket final. The end came against Elk Grove in the North finals, 4-2 despite the efforts of ace Connor Adams. Tyler Blake is headed to Sacramento State while sophomore shortstop Hank LoForte returns.

14. (13) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 24-9
The Eagles in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I North playoffs beat Rocklin 2-1, Vacaville 5-2, Sacramento Bee No. 1 Davis 6-3 and fell to Elk Grove 5-0 in a winner's bracket game and to Franklin (Elk Grove) in the loser's bracket finale. Matt Stafford will return after winning eight games as will shortstop star Bronson Grubbs.

15. (14) Davis 22-8
The Blue Devils bowed out with losses of 6-3 to Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) and 12-3 to Franklin (Elk Grove) in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I North playoffs. The Delta Valley Conference champions were led by ace Matt Trask, a UCLA commit who is only a junior.



*16. (16) Del Campo (Fair Oaks) 25-7
The Cougars beat Benicia 2-0 to win the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II championship behind ace Sam Long, who struck out six. The junior will graduate early and head to Sacramento State for his scholarship tour next spring. Team leaders included Tyler Swank, Derek Rodigo and Jared Biggs.

17. (17) Logan (Union City, Calif.) 19-8
The Colts opened North Coast Section D-I playoff action with wins over Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 5-4 and California (San Ramon) 10-3 before falling to De La Salle 5-1 in the semifinals. Ace Alex Martinez is headed to Cal.

18. (17) Valley Christian (San Jose) 18-12
The Warriors were not able to repeat as Central Coast Section D-I champions, falling to WCAL rival St. Francis 3-0. Valley Christian was led this season by Theron Kay.

19. (18) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 19-9
The Trojans won the Delta River League over Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) and Jesuit (Carmichael) but a 12-game winning streak came to a grinding halt to Franklin (Elk Grove) 4-1 in a Sac-Joaquin Section D-I opener, ending a fine career for Alec de Watteville and season for Tommy Hummer.

20. (19) College Park (Pleasant Hill) 20-6-1
The Falcons produced North Coast Section D-II playoff wins over Livermore (1-0) and Maria Carillo (Santa Rosa) 4-3 before falling to Casa Grande in the semifinals in extra innings.

*21. (20) Willow Glen (San Jose) 18-10
The Rams beat defending Central Coast Section D-II champion St. Ignatius (San Francisco) to take the title, the program's first section crown since 1967. A throwing error allowed John Riley to score the winning run in the 11th inning.

22. (21) San Benito (Hollister) 23-7
The Haybalers beat Menlo Atherton (Atherton) 3-2 and Mitty (San Jose) 5-0 in Central Coast Section D-I play before falling to Serra (San Mateo) 6-0.

23. (22) Benicia 27-5
The Panthers beat Bella Vista to take the best-of-three Sac-Joaquin Section D-II series and then fell to Del Campo in the title game 2-0 as Ryan Bohnet suffered his first loss after a 9-0 start.

24. (23) Woodcreek (Roseville) 20-7
The Timberwolves won the Sierra Foothill League championship before falling to Elk Grove 8-5 in extra innings in a Sac-Joaquin Section D-I opener. Ace Stephen Nogosek, he of the 93-mph fastball, expects to get drafted. He's also an Oregon commitment.

(TIE) 25. (24) Jesuit (Carmichael) 20-8
The Marauders fell to Sacramento Bee No. 1 Davis 2-0 in a Sac-Joaquin Section D-I playoff opener and return a wealth of talent, including pitcher Chris Loeb, a sophomore who struck out six against Davis.

(TIE) 25. (25) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 18-12
Survivors of the rugged WCAL, the Monarchs opened the Central Coast Section D-I playoffs with a walk-off homer by Luke Rasmussen to beat Salinas before falling to San Benito (Hollister) 5-0.