MaxPreps Northern California Preseason Top 30 Baseball Rankings

Video: Plays of the Week // Week 7
Steve Montoya and Chris Stonebraker break down the best of the best from last week.

Never mind the hail in the Sacramento valley and the wind and rain hammering the Bay Area last week. Baseball season is here and so are sunny skies. The top team hails from the Sac-Joaquin Section, the No. 2 team from the Central Coast Section and the No. 3 team from the North Coast Section. A lot of the power programs face off in early meetings, a credit to cross-sectional scheduling.

1. Elk Grove, 23-10 (2017 record)
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Jeff Carlson
Update: Winners of three successive Division I section titles and eight overall under coach Carlson, the Herd aim for more. The coach's son, Tanner Carlson, anchors the infield and is off to Long Beach State. Jake Jordan, Brian Freitas, George Spithorst and Kenny Williams are also key players. The Delta League includes Davis, Franklin, Jesuit and others.

2. Valley Christian (San Jose), 22-11-1
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: John Diatte
Update: A March 6 showdown against Elk Grove looms for the Bay Area's top team. Ace Patrick Wicklander was 9-1 last season and Eddie Park hit .337 in 2017. Coach Diatte has had power teams for years, including going 33-4 in 2007 and 30-6 in 2008.

3. Foothill (Pleasanton), 19-5-1
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay Athletic
Coach: Angelo Scavone
Update: The ace is Stanford-bound lefty Brett Hansen, and the top hitters figure to be Pacific-bound Jeremy Lea and Oregon-bound Sam Novitske. The league is stacked and includes De La Salle, Monte Vista and others.

4. Davis, 23-9
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Dan Ariola
Update: A power under coach Ariola since the 2000, the Blue Devils will deal with Elk Grove in the Delta and in the playoffs. Arizona-bound slugger Ryan Holgate is back, and he went 7-2 on the mound. Tyler Mortensen, Jack Painter and Nick Vogt are also back.

5. Bellarmine College Prep (San Jose), 21-9
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Mike Rodriguez
Update: The Bells are stacked on the mound with Cal-bound Joe Ammirato, who went 8-2 in 2017, and Wes Harper. Bellarmine won the Boras Classic NorCal title last season at midseason.

6. Serra (San Mateo), 17-14
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Chris Houle
Update: The Padres have college talent galore, including Cameron Barstad and Mitchell Scott, and will break in their new coach in a loaded WCAL scramble.

7. De La Salle (Concord), 21-8
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay Athletic
Coach: David Jeans
Update: The Spartans have won 10 section titles, including the previous two, and the league race includes Foothill. Lefty Kyle Harrison is headed to UCLA and Trace Tammaro is one of the state's top infielders/hitters.

8. St. Mary's (Stockton), 20-11
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-City Athletic
Coach: Randy Ortega
Update: USC-bound Tyler Lozano anchors the infield with Utah-bound Christian Almanza, and Chandler Sanguinetti went 5-1 in 2017 for the perennial power.

9. Vacaville, 24-4
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Monticello Empire
Coach: Stu Clary
Update: A longtime playoff regular, the Bulldogs could have their greatest team. Arizona-bound Bryce Begell hit .366 in 2017, and Cal-bound Cole Elvis hit .315 while winning six games on the mound. T.J. Smith was 8-0.

14. Franklin (Elk Grove), 18-9-1
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Bryan Kilby
Update: The Delta will prepare or buckle anyone, and the league includes Elk Grove, Davis and Jesuit. Evan Gibbons had monstrous outings last season, including winning five games on the mound.

11. Saint Francis (Mountain View), 21-10
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Matt Maguire
Update: For such a storied program, the coaching turnover has been curious, and now it's Matt Maguire's turn to navigate through a brutal WCAL. He's the fourth coach since 2016. The Lancers are led by Baylor-bound infielder Ricky Martinez.

12. Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory (San Francisco), 22-8
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Update: The Irish earned the top seed in the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs last season but were a quick out. The motivation is to finish strong this season with a wealth of returning talent.

13. Los Gatos, 20-11
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Nate Anderson
Update: A powerhouse for years, the Wildcats went 30-6 in 2015 and 28-5 in 2009 and 28-5 in 2006. Among the returners are pitcher Tyler Williams, who went 4-2 in 2017.

14. Monte Vista (Danville), 21-9
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Bill Plona
Update: The Mustangs fell to rival De La Salle in the Division I section finals and expect to win it this time with San Jose State-bound Jackson Ertz and Santa Barbara-bound Andrew Howard.

15. Jesuit (Carmichael), 13-14
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Delta
Coach: Joe Potulny
Update: Jesuit was a rare quick out in the playoffs last season and finds out in a hurry what it has this season with early games against Bellarmine, Valley Christian, St. Mary's and Vacaville. The arms include Stanford-bound Cody Jensen.

16. Palo Alto, 25-7
Section: Central Coast
League: De Anza
Coach: Pete Fukuhara
Update: The motivation is there after getting bounced in the first round of the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs. Key returners include Max Jung-Goldberg and Niko Lillios.

17. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), 17-13-1
Section: Central Coast
League: West Catholic Athletic
Coach: Brian Yocke
Update: Mitty hails from the stacked WCAL and will sink or swim (think swim). Nick Yorke is the top returning hitter.

18. Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 21-10
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Sierra Foothill
Coach: Todd Melton
Update: The Trojans have been a force for years and have sent their share to the Division I college ranks. Cameron Allie, Zach Reyes and Peter Hansen lead this charge.

19. Tracy, 25-6
Section: Sac-Joaquin
League: Tri-City Athletic
Coach: Vic Alkire
Update: The Bulldogs have won the last two Division I south titles in brackets that include St. Mary's. Tracy returns pitcher Will Schaff and infielder Josh Alvarado.

20. San Ramon Valley (Danville), 21-8
Section: North Coast
League: East Bay
Coach: Chris Declercq
Update: Oregon State-bound Brett Soulages leads the way for a program seeking a North Coast Section championship breakthrough.

The next 10:
Pleasant Valley (Chico) — 23-4-1
McClatchy (Sacramento) — 22-10
Benicia — 22-5-1
College Park (Pleasant Hill) — 17-10
Capital Christian (Sacramento) — 25-6
Clayton Valley Charter (Concord) — 23-3
Arroyo (San Lorenzo) — 22-6-1
Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) — 18-9
Christian Brothers (Sacramento) — 29-2
Casa Grande (Petaluma) — 24-5
Miramonte (Orinda) — 27-1

Joe Davidson has covered high school sports for The Sacramento Bee since 1988. Follow him on Twitter: @SacBee_JoeD and at sacbee.com