Baseball rankings and standings
Tribune Rankings
1. Bishop Amat (16-4)
The last time we had the Lancers ranked No. 1, they got knocked off by Northview, 4-1, in the championship of the Glendora tournament on March 8, which pushed the Vikings to No. 1 for every week until now. With Northview splitting last week with San Dimas and losing two games in their own tournament, the Lancers and their No. 1 ranking in Division V move to the top spot and will get another chance to prove they deserve it against rival St. Paul on Tuesday, ranked No. 2 in the division. If you're asking how the Lancers leap Northview when the Vikings beat them head-to-head, my answer is you can't live on that game forever. It's about who's hot at the moment, and the winners of six straight and nine of their last ten is Nieto's Blue Soldiers.
2. Northview (15-4)
They were down 5-3 to San Dimas on the road in the seventh inning, their bid for a third straight Valle Vista league title slipping away, and somehow the Vikes come back and wins, 8-5. This after losing a heartbreaking 1-0 affair in 12 innings two days earlier. You don't do that without being a team that trusts each other and plays hard for one another. I'll give Northview this, they're probably the closest team I've covered in years. That's why they've won so many dramatic games like this. They've got a coach they believe in and players that will do anything for each other. All they need to do to lock up the VVL is get a split against Covina this week, but I'm sure they want a sweep being ranked No. 2 in Division IV.
3. Bonita (13-5)
The Northview tournament champions have now won nine straight are in first place in the Miramonte League with a slight lead over Charter Oak. You knew Jiovanni Mier was legit, but look at the pitching. Jason Plowman is 5-1 with an 1.76 ERA. Joseph Yapez is 2-0 with a 1.61 ERA, and their overall team ERA is 2.50. This is all happening with a team batting average of .350. In Div. IV we're always talking about Northview, San Dimas, Covina, defending champ Charter Oak, but it looks like Bonita will have as good a shot as anyone if this hold ups.
4. Glendora (12-6)
Steve Ramirez told me last week that Tartans pitcher James Jancleas is having as good a year on the mound as anyone? With all the pitching in the Valley I thought he was crazy until you notice that he's got a 1.50 ERA with 42 strikeouts. In fact here's another team with a team ERA under 3, and a team batting average over .350. The Tartans split with a very good Chino Hills team last week, they won the Arcadia baseball tournament, and now they get two games with Chino this week. But get this, five teams in the Sierra are separated by only a game. This is the NBA's Western Conference. Some very good teams are going to miss the playoffs.
5. San Dimas (12-7)
See Northview comment above because the Saints played their tails off in a 1-0 win over the Vikes and were three outs away from beating them again and taking control in the VVL when the defending champs showed why they're the defending champs. And you know it hurt all weekend because the Saints came back on Monday and got beat 8-7 by Baldwin Park. The Saints need to step back and take a deep breath, because they can still finish second if Covina gets swept this week. And this would not be a team I wanted to face in the playoffs with Drossel starting game one.
6. South Hills (14-3)
Okay, lets make this a positive piece. So what if they split a pair with Walnut, it's a league game and league games are always tough, right? C'mon, what keeps the Huskies ranked high is their lofty record with their softy schedule, so when you lose to a team like Walnut, 6-2, you're not left with much to say? Some have told me I'm too critical of the Huskies because they're ranked No. 3 in Division III. So prove me wrong and get to the semifinals. But I don't think it's going to happen. Players need to be in big games to feel comfortable in big games and to have confidence in big games. That's how the Huskies football team does it.
7. Damien (12-7)
The Spartans needed a sweep over Ayala in the worst way, and they got it over the last place Bulldogs to move into log-jammed Sierra League. The Spartans (4-5) will face Diamond Bar (5-4) in a home-and-home series this week. A split and they're both still in it, but if anyone sweeps, the loser might as well start making their vacation plans.
8. Covina (12-6)
The Colts control their own destiny. Let me repeat, they control their own destiny. They're two-games back of Northview with a pair against the Vikings this week. If they sweep they have identical 6-3 records and the Colts would own the 2-1 edge in the series. This is a team that has Pill but doesn't know how to score when he's on the mound. The first game is at Northview on Wednesday, so what would that mean if the Colts can win won on the road, and go home Friday with the momentum swinging in their favor? It would make for another Fabulous Friday, but mark this down, it's not going to happen. Northview wins and closes it out Wednesday.
9. Nogales (13-7)
The Nobles have lost two of their last three, and are now tied with Rowland (4-3) for second in the San Antonio and only a game ahead of fourth-place Walnut (3-4), who just beat South Hills. The Nobles better be careful. It would be extremely disappointing to slip up and not make the playoffs in a down year in the San Antonio.
10. Diamond Bar (9-8-1)
Remember how giddy the Brahmas were after advancing to the semifinals of the Northview tournament? They're a team that can beat anyone and lose to anyone, a team with great hitting and so-so pitching. Is that enough to earn a playoff ticket in the wild, wild Sierra? I'm not so sure.
CIF Rankings
Division III:1. Alhambra, 2. Notre Dame, 3. South Hills, 4. Paramount, 5. Cajon, 6. El Rancho, 7. Laguna Hills, 8. San Gorgonio, 9. Mayfair, 10. Crespi.
Division IV: 1. Patriot, 2. Northview, 3. St. Bonaventure, 4. Sonora, 5. Savanna, 6. Torrance, 7. San Dimas, 8. Bonita, 9. Charter Oak, 10. Cathedral City, 11. Covina
Division V: 1. Bishop Amat, 2. St. Paul, 3. Monrovia, 4. San Marino, 5. Mary Star, 6. Temple City, 7. Gabrielino, 8. Sultana, 9. Campbell Hall, 10. Hesperia.
Area Standings and Schedules
Christian League
Del Rey League
Miramonte League
Mission Valley League
Montview League
San Antonio League
Sierra League
Valle Vista League
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How are you. Hello. I was wondering if anyone could help me by giving me some arabic preyers so I can copy them out as I am making a torah for school. Please email me or reply on this Guestbook. Thank you. I love the website by the way. Help me! Can not find sites on the: . I found only this - job for work at home moms. Organisation, will probably finally be shortened much on the hip of homes, home work. Still of the lack suburbia success stems of looking to slow nonetheless concluded poles, home work. Best regards :cool:, Rick from Cyprus.
Don, I enjoy your insightful and sane posts.
Fred
Its about time to take Nogales off your top 10.
I heard West Covina beat them on Thursday, and Walnut beat them
2 to 1 on Friday when Garcia hit a bottom of the 9th triple
NV a great team? do they anyone in the lineup that an opposing team fear? Beating Covina is not a great achievement, Pill is a good pitcher but has he beaten a good team? San Dimas loses agains BP, is this a great team?
NV will not reach finals because luck can only go so far, they need more pop or at least one dominant hitter
I was reading this and it say Bonita is in the lead for Miramonte league but CO beat them in league already and is in first with a record of 6-1
Get the facts straight!!!!!!!
Okay I may be ahead of myself, on stating AZUSA could win the league. These last four games are crucial for AZUSA. There's a one game difference between the three teams and Duarte and Sierra Vista play some tough teams this week. So SGVFAN, AZUSA'S still in the race. My opinion is and that's my opinion, AZUSA is the better team, they should have swept them both times when played!
Hang tough Northview. Good Luck today and come out swinging and aggressive!!! Still very proud to see NV in the Top 15 in the LA Times - could it really be luck?? Nah... Great article on the Pedroza family, they are certainly a unique, awesome family and are worthy of everything that has come their way.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
The Times' rankings
April 23, 2008
Dan Arritt's Top 25 (records through games of April 21): Rk. School Div. LW
1. S.O. Notre Dame (18-2) Div. III 3
2. Los Alamitos (17-3) Div. I 4
3. Crespi (16-5) Div. III 5
4. Orange Lutheran (17-3) Div. I 1
5. Simi Valley (16-6) Div. I 7
6. El Toro (17-4) Div. II 6
7. Mater Dei (16-5) Div. I 8
8. Hart (15-5) Div. I 12
9. Tesoro (14-6) Div. I 2
10. Katella (16-5) Div. II 11
11. West Torrance (17-3) Div. II 15
12. Paramount (17-4) Div. III 16
13. Vista Murrieta (15-5) Div. II 10
14. Valencia (14-6) Div. I 9
15. Northview (15-4) Div. IV 13
16. Patriot (19-1) Div. IV 20
17. Bishop Amat (16-4) Div. V 22
18. Palos Verdes (20-3) Div. II 23
19. St. Bonaventure (17-4) Div. IV 18
20. Thousand Oaks (14-9) Div. I 24
21. Lakewood (16-9) Div. I NR
22. L.B. Wilson (18-5-1) Div. I 17
23. Redlands East Valley (17-2) Div. II NR
24. Royal (16-6) Div. I NR
25. Wilmington Banning (16-7-1) City NR
yes, go look at the montview league standings, duarte is in 2nd behind serria vista who has a tie. all duarte needs to do is win out and they win league. no way around it.
so settle down azusa fan.
Dodger 34, and yeah i'm a Dodger fan also. Your not reading into it real well. Covina does have a shot to tie for the league , if they win Northview twice this week, Read your standing article again. Good Luck this week!
Dodger 34,
it has to be your over all recorder, because in league CO is 1st. they are 6-1 after win yesterday. And not in the top 10.
Hey SGV, were did you get your facts on Duarte being in first place? Azusa and DUARTE split the series,and they should have won last Friday. Azusa gave up way to many senseless errors. If you go to MAXPREPS.COM, go to league games,and not the overall record. It's going down to the wire between a few teams who could end up with the title.
sgvbbf,
A little of both; I see the Vikes as showing more offense so far and deeper pitching. More important though is the two game lead they have in the V V L and already being 1-0 in head to head.
I was brief because it seems this time of year the league races all get down to a couple front runners playing H & A's for first place.
dodger 34 : Easy on the smack
How is Bonita in the top 3 and San Dimas after their meltdown? The area is very so so, but Amat is the best around.
bishop amat is well deserving of the #1 spot. from top to bottom there is no team as talented as them in the sgv. they slipped up against nv, but come on the giants beat the patriots and tyson lost to douglas, they just had a bad day. they'll beat nv 9 out of 10 ten times. there is no doubt they will go on to win a cif title, and will be very good for years to come. by the way, all praise goes to to the pedroza family after reading that article on the in the la times. you cant say enough about them after the third of their sons, richie, receives a full ride baseball scholarship.
nice job azusa, but take the montview league? last time i checked it was in the hands of duarte
Fred,
Why do you continue to compare SH Baseball to their Football program? Different Head Coaches, with different perspectives! The team would welcome the opportunity to play area teams outside their league, and participate in the local tournaments. I am sure you are aware of the fact that the players do not set the schedule for the season! So, please keep your sarcasm out of your Rankings!!!! If you have a problem with our schedule, take it up with the person who decides who we play outside of league! Is our schedule the reason the team is not getting positive coverage in the paper or on your Blog?
Hey don are u questioning covinas #2 oe just there abilities to score runs?? I'm just wondering cuz you usually go deep into your descriptions so I was just wondering
Good Job AZUSA,beating La Canada 10-6. (4) league games left. Take the Montview League! Goes to show you that the Montview league can play anybody and win on any given day!
Best time of year, with all the league battles shaping up. When was the last time you saw someone else on top of C O this late?
Del Rey: St. Paul and the Lancers, home and away this week, see you there. (BTW, for those who were reading this time last year, I promised you a Swordsman Freshman who would make waves. He's here now; you go movie star.)
Miramonte: 4/29 and 5/1: Bonita vs Charter Oak, Home and Away, that's all folks.
Sierra: Looks like Chino Hills, Glendora, and Chino.
Valle Vista: As tough as the Pill kid is, the Colts need both this week to take the V V L. Not a smart money bet.
San Antonio: Tough row to hoe hear for all but the Huskies who remain in the driver's seat.