MaxPreps Northern California Top 25 high school baseball rankings

With league play winding down this week or next, the races are tightening. And everyone is leery of upsets. It happened last week with Jesuit (Carmichael) losing to Ponderosa (Shingle Springs) and small-school power Bradshaw Christian beating Elk Grove. When the upsets happen in the playoffs, that's when the emotions soar or boil.

MaxPreps Northern California Baseball Rankings

1. (Last week: 1) St. Francis (Mountain View), 22-1
The Lancers know no limits as they roll on in the talent-laden West Catholic Athletic League. St. Francis beat St. Ignatius (San Francisco) 12-1 and Serra (San Mateo) 13-3, the second win avenging the only loss this season. Games this week: Bellarmine (San Jose) and Valley Christian (San Jose) to cap the WCAL regular season. Other St. Francis wins include Campolindo (6-3), De La Salle (Concord) (6-4) and St. Mary's (Stockton) (8-2), the only team to beat national No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana) this season.

2. (2) Granada (Livermore), 18-0
The Matadors control the East Bay Athletic League after beating Livermore 5-0 and San Ramon Valley (Danville) 4-3. Games this week: Foothill (Pleasanton) and Amador Valley (Pleasanton) with the last game set for May 17. There are six games and a lot of season remaining.

3. (3) Serra (San Mateo), 20-5
The Padres fell out of a first-place tie with St. Francis in the WCAL after falling to Mitty (San Jose) 6-4 and St. Francis 13-3 before recovering emphatically with a football-like 28-2 rout of Evergreen Valley. Games this week: Riordan (San Francisco) and Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco). An earlier win was over St. Francis and losses were to preseason No. 1 Campolindo (Moraga) 3-1 and to Mitty (San Jose) 2-1.

4. (6) De La Salle (Concord), 12-5
The Spartans beat California (San Ramon) 4-0 and Foothill (Pleasanton) 7-3 in East Bay Athletic League action. Games this week are against Amador Valley (Pleasanton) and Monte Vista (Danville). De La Salle has early losses to No. 3 Serra (4-2) and to top-ranked St. Francis (6-4) with quality wins over preseason No. 1 Campolindo (2-0) and St. Mary's-Stockton (10-0).

5. (7) Davis, 18-5
The Blue Devils of Yolo County have the second-longest winning streak among large schools in the Sac-Joaquin Section with 11, thanks to aces Matt Trask and Jake Miille and leaders Chris Daunt and Joe Murray. Games this week include
Elk Grove on Friday, a Delta Valley Conference rematch that saw Davis prevail 2-1 behind Trask. Davis is The Sacramento Bee's top-ranked team.

6. (4) Elk Grove, 18-4
The Thundering Herd are a game behind Davis in the Delta Valley Conference, eager for Friday's showdown, and the season finale against their rivals from Yolo County to decide the race. The aces are David Smith and Micheal Wright. Coach Jeff Carlson was presented the Character Combine Coach of the Year for his overall body of work, a co-honor of sorts with his wife and inspiration, Caryn, a breast cancer survivor.

7. (5) Amador Valley (Pleasanton), 12-6
The Dons lost to Foothill (Pleasanton) 2-0 and rebounded with an 8-4 effort over Livermore in EBAL play. Games this week will go a long way to deciding the title: De La Salle and Granada, ranked Nos. 2 and 4 in these rankings. Other losses were to Granada 5-0 and 1-0 to top-ranked St. Francis. A win earlier was over De La Salle 3-2.

8. (8) Turlock, 22-1
The Bulldogs are running away with the Central California Conference, suffering only a season-opening loss of 1-0 to NorCal-ranked Lincoln (Stockton). Wins last week were 8-2 over Buhach Colony (Atwater) and 3-0 over Merced. Games this week: Golden Valley (Merced) and Atwater. Ace Tyler Murphy is 8-0.

9. (11) Lincoln (Stockton), 17-2-2
The Trojans are the only team to defeat NorCal-ranked Turlock, 1-0 in an opener, and they own a 5-4 victory in the Banner Island Classic over Jesuit (Carmichael), which is ranked third by The Sacramento Bee. Now there's a 2-1 victory over three-time defending Sac-Joaquin Section D-I champion St. Mary's of Stockton, the lone team to stick national heavy Mater Dei (Santa Ana) with a loss. Other wins last week were 13-0 and 12-2 over Franklin (Stockton). Games this week are against Tracy, twice, the team that just beat Lodi twice, and Lodi has two wins over Lincoln.

10. (12) Bellarmine (San Jose), 19-6
The Bells compete in all things athletic, including baseball, and are coming off 3-2 wins over Valley Christian and 6-3 against Mitty. Games this week: Top-ranked St. Francis and Riordan.

11. (13) Casa Grande (Petaluma), 19-1
The Gauchos grudgingly allow runs, including just four allowed in their last five games in taking control of the North Bay Athletic League. Wins last week were 2-1 over Windsor and 7-1 over Ukiah. Games this week: Santa Rosa and Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park). The aces are Anthony Bender (6-0) and Eric Parnow (5-0).

12. (14) Campolindo (Moraga), 12-6-1
The MaxPreps NorCal preseason No. 1 team, the Cougars of the Diablo Foothill Athletic League have a seven-game winning streak after beating Dublin 8-1 and Acalanes 2-1. An early win includes Elk Grove 4-1. Game this week: Miramonte.

13. (15) Jesuit (Carmichael), 17-5
The Marauders are tied with rivals Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) and Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) in the Delta River League, and stung a bit from an upset loss to Ponderosa (Shingle Springs). Games this week: three against Sheldon (Sacramento) before wrapping up the regular season with a three-game slate against Pleasant Grove.

14. (16) St. Mary's (Stockton), 11-12
Slowly creeping back to .500, the three-time defending Sac-Joaquin Section D-I champions have some impressive wins this season, including 1-0 over national power Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and 8-1 over Mitty (San Jose) and 2-1 over Rocklin. Close setbacks include: Serra (4-2), Valley Christian (San Jose) (2-1), Jesuit (4-2) and last week to Lincoln (2-1) with rout losses to Elk Grove (10-1) and De La Salle (10-0). Games this week: two against Stagg (Stockton).

15. (17) Rocklin, 14-6
The Thunder are in first place in the rugged Sierra Foothill League within the Sac-Joaquin Section, just ahead of rivals Granite Bay and Woodcreek (Roseville), also ranked in the Top 25 here. Two wins last week were over Roseville 10-5 and 7-1. Games this week: Woodcreek. The ace arms are Logan Webb and Austin Dick. Wins earlier include NorCal and current-Sacramento Bee No. 1 Davis 3-2 and Bee No. 5 Oak Ridge 3-1.

16. (10) Lodi, 14-9
The Flames finally cooled a bit, falling twice to formidable Tracy 8-4 and 3-0 after earlier beating Lincoln (Stockton) twice. The San Joaquin Athletic Association race is a fight to the finish. Games this week are Bear Creek (Stockton) twice.

17. (18) Pacific Grove, 24-0
The Breakers of the Mission Trail League in Monterey County continue to roll, taking down Greenfield 8-1 and Soledad 4-0. Conyal Cody drove in two and struck out 13 with a one-hitter in the 4-0 effort. Pacific Grove plays Stevenson (Pebble Beach) this week.

18. (19) College Park (Pleasant Hill), 12-4-1
The Falcons of the DVAL beat Berean Christian (Walnut Creek) 20-0 and 3-1 as sophomore Joe DeMers tossed a three-hitter with eight strikeouts. CP plays Ygnacio Valley (Concord) twice this week. An early win was 5-2 over No. 3 Serra.

19. (20) Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 14-8
The Trojans are heating up, having won seven consecutive games behind leaders such as Alec de Watteville, Austin Root, Tommy Hummer and FP Santangelo, among others. Oak Ridge beat Sheldon twice, Roseville 11-3 and opened this week with a 12-0 rout of Folsom. It plays Folsom two more times this week and closes Delta River League play with a three-game set against Ponderosa (Shingle Springs) with eyes on winning the title. Earlier wins include Jesuit and Pleasant Grove (twice) in DRL play.

20. (NR) Woodcreek (Roseville), 15-5
The Timberwolves are back in these rankings with a recent surge, despite the harsh news that ace Stephen Nogosek could be sidelined for the rest of the season with arm soreness. Woodcreek beat defending Sierra Foothill League champion Granite Bay 3-2 and 9-4 last week. Games this week are two against rival Rocklin.

21. (9) Granite Bay, 12-8
The Grizzlies of Placer County went from top ranked by The Sacramento Bee two weeks ago to suddenly spinning a bit in the rugged Sierra Foothill League, including setbacks to rival Woodcreek of 9-4 and 3-2, mixed in with a 7-3 win over the same club. Games this week: two against Del Oro (Loomis). The Grizzlies have also this season beat Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove) 2-0 and then Bee No. 2 Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 8-1 with losses to Bellarmine (6-4) and Campolindo (13-0).

22. (21) Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove), 17-6
The Eagles are back on track, having won four consecutive games after two losses in Delta River League play to Oak Ridge. Two games loom this week against Ponderosa (Shingle Springs) and then a regular-season ending three-game slate against Jesuit. PG is the defending DRL champion that has an early 11-1 win over Elk Grove.

22. (22) San Benito (Hollister), 20-4
The Haybalers of the Monterey Bay League had a shutout week with wins over North Salinas (10-0) and Monterey (4-0). The lone game this week is against Salinas.

23. (24) Whitney (Rocklin), 23-1
The Wildcats of the Capital Athletic League have lost only to rival Antelope 4-3 and own two wins against the club. JR Robinson is 6-1 on the hill and Josh Little is 6-0. Robinson has 42 RBIs and Trevor Abrams 37. Games this week include El Camino (Sacramento) and Cordova.

24. (24) Benicia, 22-3
The Panthers are in control of their league and have rolled since falling 5-4 to Fairfield, smoking that same Fairfield team 18-0 then beating Vanden (Fairfield), 4-0 and 6-0. Games this week to close out the regular season are against American Canyon.

25. (NR) Foothill (Palo Cedro), 24-4
The Cougars of the Northern Section are bearing down on a Sacramento River League title under coach Todd Buck, who led the team to a 29-2 showing last season. Sean Clark is hitting .432 with 36 RBIs. The leading arms include Colton Landreth (7-1) and Chase Larsen (6-0).