Peninsula Prep Baseball
If the season were to end today, how many Peninsula teams would deserve invitations to the Central Coast Section tournament?
That's makes for a great debate. Certainly, the West Catholic league is ensured of six teams – Saint Francis, St. Ignatius Prep, Valley Christian, Bellarmine, Mitty and Serra – and a seventh is a possibility if Sacred Heart Cathedral can string together a few more wins.
It's in the public-school leagues where things are much more muddled. Los Gatos, which is cruising toward another Santa Clara Valley Athletic League-De Anza Division crown, is a shoo-in for an invite, while Palo Alto currently has possession of second place and the automatic bid that comes with it. But what about Wilcox? Or Homestead or Los Altos?
Sacred Heart Prep is probably a win or two to securing a berth in the Peninsula Athletic League-Ocean Division but winning the league would end any uncertainty. At this point, San Mateo and Aragon are doing enough to warrant consideration, while Terra Nova, Woodside and Half Moon Bay are likely on the outside looking in with a month to go.
The PAL-Bay Division is where things get confusing. Sequoia probably has enough quality wins to likely find its way in even if it doesn't win the PAL-Bay Division, while The King's Academy, which sits atop the standings, is closing in on a bid.
That leaves Menlo School, Burlingame, Carlmont – and possibly even Menlo-Atherton in the mix.
Things will sort out themselves in the final month but trying to predict how it will play out is a waste of time.
| Rank | Team | Summary | Upcoming Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Saint Francis (16-3) | Kyle McMillan came through with a gem in a game the Lancers absolutely needed -- a 3-0 victory over St. Ignatius Prep -- on Friday at Fairmont Park. A series split is nothing to complain about in the WCAL, where every game is a test. | This weeK: Tuesday at Valley Christian; Friday vs. Valley Christian. |
| 2. | St. Ignatius Prep (13-5) | A 15-hit attack against Saint Francis on Tuesday made a statement. The Wildcats have the lineup to match up with anyone in the CCS. They wound up splitting the series, but followed it up with a come-from-behind win over Sacred Heart Prep on Saturday at Oracle. Another statement. | This week: Friday at Sacred Heart Cathedral. |
| 3. | Los Gatos (16-2) | The Wildcats returned to the De Anza Division and won a pair against Santa Clara by a combined scored of 24-1. The top of the order with Beau Musser, Brady Simon, Jackson Fitzpatrick and Chase Frolich is on a collective heater. | This week: Wednesday vs. Los Altos; Friday at Los Altos. |
| 4. | Bellarmine (14-3) | A 9-2 loss to Serra snapped the Bells' winning streak, but they still find themselves in the thick of the WCAL title chase. A drop from No. 2 to No. 4 isn't a mark against Bellarmine as much as it is an affirmation that St. Ignatius Prep is pretty good. | This week: Tuesday at Riordan; Friday vs. Riordan. |
| 5. | Valley Christian (12-6) | A sure sign of youth is inconsistent play. When the Warriors are good, they're very good. Unfortunately, they are still susceptible to some key miscues. We'll see which Warriors show up this week when the two teams at the top of the standings meet for a pair of games. | This week: Tuesday vs. Saint Francis; Friday at Saint Francis. |
| 6. | Archbishop Mitty (14-4) | The Monarchs are pesky, the team that won't go away. They enter the home strech of the season with a .500 mark in WCAL play and a few more chances to show their gritty style of play. Keep an eye on Elijah Kroenung, who is getting hot. | This week: Tuesday at Serra; Friday vs. Serra. |
| 7. | Serra (12-6) | A win over Bellarmine snapped a four-game losing streak in the WCAL did wonders for the Padres' collective psyche, but this team still has a lot of work to do to get right before the postseason bids are announced. | This week: Tuesday vs. Mitty; Friday at Mitty. |
| 8. | The King's Academy (10-6) | Just as we suspected might happen, the return of Justin Cho from an injured thumb paid instant dividends by lengthening the Knights' lineup and making them better defensively. The King's Academy sits atop the Bay Division standings after a sweep of Hillsdale. | This week: Wednesday vs. Menlo-Atherton; Friday at Menlo-Atherton. |
| 9. | Sacred Heart Prep (13-4) | The Gators won a couple of out-of-league games this week and now return to the Ocean Division intent of extending their eight-game winning streak. Series the next two weeks against Aragon and San Mateo will tell a big part of the Gators' story. | This week: Tuesday vs. Aragon; Thursday at Aragon. |
| 10. | Sequoia (10-5) | The Ravens got a big break on Saturday when Morgan Winfield closed out a 6-5 victory over Monte Vista Christian by getting the last out. If his arm is again sound, Sequoia pitching staff will feel the immediate boost. | This week: Wednesday vs. Burlingame; Friday at Burlingame. |
| 11. | San Mateo (12-4) | A sweep of South San Francisco was just what the Bearcats needed, while a Saturday-night loss to El Camino at Orange Park can be excused, after all, few teams have pitching staff deep enough to go three games. Christian Louie is the most underrated pitcher in the Ocean Division. | This week: Tuesday at Woodside; Thursday vs. Woodside. |
| 12. | Aragon (12-5) | First-year coach John Rally has changed the culture at Aragon. The Dons may not have the talent level as a lot of the teams on the Peninsula, but they play hard and smart. Splitting two one-run pitchers' duels with Terra Nova made a statement. The bigger statement could come this week. | This week: Tuesday vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral; Thursday at Sacred Heart Cathedral. |
| 13. | Burlingame (9-6) | In the quagmire that is the Bay Division standings, the Panthers find themselves right in the thick of it after splitting a series with Menlo School last week. Burlingame has been solid on the mound and defensively, but continue to be limited with their bats. | This week: Wednesday at Sequoia; Friday vs. Sequoia. |
| 14. | Menlo School (10-7) | The Knights are stuck in a rut where they win a game and lose a game. Over the last three weeks, they are 4-4 and have missed out on opportunities to gain ground in their first year in the Bay Division. There's plenty of talent, but this is a team in need of a winning streak. | This week: Wednesday vs. Carlmont; Thursday at Carlmont. |
| 15. | Palo Alto (9-8) | After starting the season with three straight losses at the Hazlett tournament, the Vikings are back over the .500 mark and sit in second place in the De Anza Division after winning five of their last seven games. A sweep of Los Altos last week was huge. | This week: Wednesday vs. Mountain View; Friday at Mountain View. |
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