Peninsula Prep Baseball
You had to figure there would eventually be a new team atop the PeninsulaPrepBaseball.com poll.
Saint Francis is the new No. 1, after winning its seventh straight game on Friday and distinguishing itself as the only remaining unbeaten team in the WCAL standings.
Serra, which fell to Jacob Vines and Sacred Heart Cathedral is now in the No 2 spot, while Mitty leapfrogged St. Ignatius Prep with a 7-6 victory over the Wildcats on Friday.
Remember, polls are meaningless. We look at them as a snapshot in time, a gauge for where we are today. And if past seasons have shown us nothing else, where we are today and where we'll be in late May are vastly different places.
All that said, this ranking is merely something for you to complain about.
| Rank | Team | Summary | Upcoming Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Saint Francis (8-1) | The Lancers are running wild after stealing 11 bases against Riordan in a lopsided win on Friday. Landon King and Jack Leeper are doing most of the thievery, but there was a recent game when catcher Gino Cappellazzo stole three bases. | This weeK: Tuesday: vs. Mitty; Friday at Mitty. |
| 2. | Serra (8-2) | There's no shame in getting shutout by Jacob Vines, who might be the best pitcher in the WCAL. The Padres have more pitching might than any team around. Their offense has yet to find its consistency. | This week: Tuesday: at Valley Christian; Friday vs. Valley Christian. |
| 3. | Archbishop Mitty (9-2) | Friday's come-from-behind victory over St. Ignatius Prep showed the Monarchs' grit. They lack the star power of some other schools in the WCAL, but the three-four combination of Elijah Kroenung and Derek Allen is impressive. | This week: Tuestay: at Saint Francis; Friday: vs. Saint Francis; Saturday: vs. Homestead. |
| 4. | St. Ignatius Prep (6-2) | We haven't lost confidence in the Wildcats and their ability to bludgeon their opponents. The loss to Mitty on Friday might have exposed some inconsitencies in the bullpen. | This week: Tuesday vs. Riordan; Friday at Riordan. |
| 5. | Los Gatos (7-1) | The Los Gatos offense responded big time over a two-game period, where they outscored the opposition, 33-2. Brady Simon and Beau Musser are leading the way, but it's a team effort that includes Chase Frolich and Jackson Fitzpatrick. | This week: Wednesday: vs. Palo Alto; Friday: at Palo Alto. |
| 6. | Bellarmine (9-2) | So far, the loss of ace Preston Pera has proven to be catostrophic, but the WCAL season is a grind and it remains to be seen how the Bells' pitching staff will respond. A good offense can cure a lot of problems. | This week: Tuesday: at Sacred Heart Cathedral; Friday: vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral. |
| 7. | Sequoia (7-2) | Morgan Winfield's right pitching arm might be missed. However, the good news is that he is expected to be able to swing the bat soon. His presence in the lineup makes the Ravens lethal, especially with Cole Hymer showing himself as one of the Bay Division's best hitter in the first month. | This week: Friday: at Terra Nova; Saturday: vs. Mountain View. |
| 8. | Valley Christian (6-4) | The Warriors split with Bellarmine to open the WCAL season, but the defense has been shaky and the pitching has not yet discovered its consistency. Valley is young and feeling the growing pains. We'll learn a lot about the Warriors this week against Serra. | This week: Tuesday: vs. Serra; Friday: at Serra. |
| 9. | Wilcox (5-4) | The Chargers played well -- with the exception of two popups -- in a 3-1 loss to Los Gatos on Wednesday. Lefty Eliah Laureles is the real deal. Unfortunately, a 19-0 loss to the Wildcats on Friday was a bad look. | This week: Wednesday vs. Los Gatos; Friday at Los Gatos.: at Santa Clara; Friday vs. Santa Clara. |
| 10. | Sacred Heart Cathedral (4-4) | We've yet to see the Irish play their best baseball. Jacob Vines has the ability to shut down any team he faces, as we saw on Friday against Serra. We're still waiting for the bats to come to life. | This week: Tuesday: vs. Bellarmine; Friday: at Bellarmine; Saturday at Burlingame. |
| 11. | Menlo School (6-4) | The Knights split with Hillsdale in their first-ever PAL-Bay Division series. Jackson Flanagan is a pitch-to-contact hurler who knows how to keep opponents off balance. We know about Jack Freehill and Chuck Wynn, but the rest of the lineup doesn't get nearly enough credit. | This week: Wednesday: at Menlo-Atherton; Friday vs. Menlo-Atherton. |
| 12. | Sacred Heart Prep (6-4) | The Gators salvaged a split with Half Moon Bay on Thursday, thanks to Kyle Sweeney and Nico Pollioni, who combined on a one-hit shutout. Add Rallin Covey to the mix and this is the Ocean Division's best pitching staff. | This week: Tuesday: vs. South San Francisco; Friday at South San Francisco; Saturday vs. Menlo-Atherton at Sunkin Diamond. |
| 13. | The King's Academy (6-4) | The Knights split a pair of slugfests with Sequoia and should be feeling pretty good about themselves. However, after jumping to a 8-2 lead on the Ravens, their pitching staff allowed that lead to evaporate. We like the bats, but the loss of shoortstop Justin Cho to a broken thumb will hurt them. | This week: Service week, no games. |
| 14. | Woodside (6-2) | The Wildcats find their way into the rankings thanks to a deep lineup and the pitching tandem of Carter Ball and Colby Fernandez. This is a team to watch in the Ocean Division, but the nonleague schedule has yet to challenge the Wildcats. | This week: Tuesday: vs. Aragon. Thursday: at Aragon. |
| 15. | Terra Nova (4-2) | A 12-inning win over Carlmont puts the Tigers back into the rankings. The Tigers have a lineup that can do damage and junior right-hander Jesse Martinez is rounding into shape after an extended basketball season. Don't be surprised when the Tigers get hot. | This week: Tuesday at San Mateo; Thursday vs. San Mateo. |
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