MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 high school baseball rankings

What are rankings without some movement and newcomers to the fray?

Granada of Livermore takes over the top spot here for the first time in a record season with West Catholic Athletic League rivals St. Francis (Mountain View) and Serra (San Mateo) holding up No. 2 and 3.

Postseason tournaments are in full swing. Only the Sac-Joaquin Section has any form of a double-elimination format, though history shows it's extremely rare to win the title through the loser's bracket. MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 Baseball Rankings

1. (3) Granada (Livermore) 23-1
Say hello to the new No. 1 in the Matadors, rolling along with an outright East Bay Athletic League championship and seeking to win more. Jacob Payne is 11-1 with an 0.30 ERA and Anthony Olmo is 11-0 with a 1.11 ERA. Granada opens North Coast Section Division I action on Friday.



2. (4) St. Francis (Mountain View) 28-4
Ranked No. 1 here for most of the season before some speed bumps down the stretch of the West Catholic Athletic League, the Lancers are off to a good start in the Central Coast Section D-I playoffs. They have wins over Monta Vista (Cupertino) 2-0 and Valley Christian (San Jose) 3-0 and play Palo Alto on Wednesday.

3. (2) Serra (San Mateo) 26-6
The Padres rolled in the early rounds of the Central Coast Section D-I field, belting Sequoia (Redwood City) 11-0 and Homestead (Cupertino) 11-1. Matt Gorgolinski no-hit Sequoia. Next is San Benito (Hollister) Wednesday. Serra earlier rolled into the WCAL title game before losing to Bellarmine (San Jose), which has already lost in the playoffs.

4. (8) Elk Grove (26-5)
The Thundering Herd is off to a 4-0 start in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I playoffs, thanks to ace David Smith, who has two wins in relief, a save and a complete-game four-hit gem to beat Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 5-0 with a career-best 13 strikeouts. Elk Grove plays for the D-I North title on Friday, seeking its sixth such title since 2002.

5. (1) Bellarmine (San Jose) 25-7
From No. 1 here after winning the the WCAL tournament title with a 10-game winning streak to the sudden end of the season, the Bells are done after a 6-4 loss to Palo Alto in the Central Coast Section D-I quarterfinals. WCAL playoff wins included 12-2 over Serra and previous No. 1 St. Francis 1-0.

6. (5) De La Salle (Concord) 17-7
The Spartans belted Livermore 18-2 and then edged California (San Ramon) behind a Hunter Mercado-Hood walk-off homer to secure the No. 2 seed in the North Coast Section D-I playoffs, opening action on Friday.

7. (9) Casa Grande (Petaluma) 24-2
The Gauchos beat Cardinal Newman 2-1 in the North Bay League, the rivals that earlier halted their 21-game winning streak, to earn the No. 1 seed in the North Coast Section D-II playoffs. They beat Pinole Valley 4-1 and now take on Cardinal Newman again on Friday.



8. (10) Campolindo (Moraga) 18-6-1
The preseason MaxPreps NorCal No. 1 club has won 13 in a row, including a win over Montgomery (Santa Rosa) 2-0 in the North Coast Section D-II playoffs. Campo seeks a program four-peat. It plays Washington (Fremont) on Friday.

9. (14) St. Mary's (Stockton) 19-12
The three-time defending Sac-Joaquin Section D-I champions are rolling with an eight-game winning streak, having won 13 of 14 overall after a murderous nonleague schedule. The run includes snapping Turlock's 26-game winning streak in a playoff showdown, then beating Pitman (Turlock). St. Mary's plays Turlock Wednesday at Pacific.

10. (6) Turlock 28-2
The Bulldogs had their 26-game winning streak halted by St. Mary's in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I playoffs but get a shot at the Rams again Wednesday at Pacific.

11. (16) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 24-8
The Eagles in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-I 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. Pleasant Grove plays Franklin on Thursday in the loser's bracket final for a shot to take on Elk Grove.

12. (NR) Franklin (Elk Grove) 17-14
The defending Sac-Joaquin Section D-I North champions had a bumpy regular season, going 0-6 against Delta Valley Conference front-runners Davis and Elk Grove, but hit a new gear in the postseason. Franklin beat Rodriguez (Fairfield) 14-0, Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 4-1, then lost to Elk Grove 9-6 before eliminating Sacramento Bee No. 1 Davis 12-3. The Wildcats play Pleasant Grove on Thursday in the loser's bracket final. Ace Connor Adams has been superb, winning two playoff games.

13. (7) 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 playoffs. The Delta Valley Conference champions were led by ace Matt Trask, a UCLA commit who is only a junior.



14. (20) Whitney (Rocklin) 29-1
The Wildcats are rolling with a school-record start and play Colfax Wednesday at Sacramento State in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II playoffs, needing a win to reach their first final. J.R. Robinson is 8-1 and has driven in 48 runs. Trevor Abrams has 42 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.

15. (NR) California (San Ramon) 18-6
The Grizzlies are the No. 3 seed in the North Coast Section D-I playoffs and take on Mission (San Jose) today. Nate D'Emilio is 7-2 with a 1.61 ERA and Adam Kimmel is 5-2 with an 0.96 ERA.

16. (11) 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.

17. (15) 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.

18. (18) Pacific Grove (30-0)
Small-school status or not, PG is certifiably good. Playoff wins include 4-0 over King's Academy (Sunnyvale), 4-0 over Sacred Heart Prep (Atherton) and 10-3 over Stevenson (Pebble Beach). Menlo (Atherton) looms in the title game on Saturday.

19. (NR) Del Campo (Fair Oaks) 24-7
The Cougars are in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II finals for the first time since 2003, thanks to the efforts of senior leaders such as Derek Rodigo and Sam Long, who struck out 14 to beat Bethel (Vallejo) 3-2. Del Campo plays Benicia on Monday for the title at Sacramento City College.

20. (24) Benicia 24-7
The Panthers beat Bella Vista to take the best-of-three series in the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II playoffs and now take on Del Campo on Monday at Sacramento City College for the title. Ryan Bohnet will start on the mound. He is 9-0 with an 0.59 ERA.



21. (NR) San Benito (Hollister) 23-6
Off to a 2-0 start in the Central Coast Section D-I playoffs with wins over Menlo (Atherton) 3-2 and Mitty (San Jose) 5-0, it now comes down to this: Wednesday's showdown with Serra (San Mateo). Cody Freitas and Robert Soto have led the charge.

22. (NR) Clayton Valley (Concord) 21-4
The Eagles of the Diablo Valley League are the No. 3 seed in the North Coast Section D-II playoffs, opening with a 4-1 victory over Marin Catholic (Kentfield). Ace Ryan Snyder is 12-2 with a 1.19 ERA.

23. (17) 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.

24. (19) 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.

25. (21) 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).