Peninsula Prep Baseball
Another week without the WCAL season gives us the chance to shine a lot of the PAL Bay and Ocean Divisions, both of which are up for grabs in the early going.
So, who do we like? Sequoia is the class of the Bay Division but keep an eye on a handful of other teams – from Carlmont and Burlingame to Menlo School, Hillsdale and The King's Academy.
And don't sleep on Menlo-Atherton. The Bears are proving they have the offense to make any team in the Bay nervous. Their 5-10 record is while playing what might be the toughest public-school schedule on the Peninsula. If Friday's 22-12 victory over Pioneer proved nothing else, it's that Menlo-Atherton won't go quietly into the night.
In the Ocean Division, Sacred Heart Prep has separated itself as the team to beat. But Terra Nova, Woodside, Half Moon Bay and San Mateo can win a game on any given day. And who had Aragon on their Bingo cards to become a contender? The Dons find themselves 7-4 and a team to take seriously.
Half Moon Bay finds itself atop the Ocean standings. It plays two games with San Mateo before taking on Sequoia in a non-league game at Oracle Park on Friday night. Which game does coach Brian Anderson choose to start Kai Kung, his ace?
We'll soon know.
| Rank | Team | Summary | Upcoming Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Saint Francis (13-2) | The Lancers fared well in Sacramento by winning three of four games. The only setback came in a 1-0 loss to Mississippi State signee Dax Hightower, who struck out 15 in St. Mary's 1-0 victory over Saint Francis. The Lancers will be just fine. | This weeK: Wednesday vs. Central Catholic; Friday vs. Carmel. |
| 2. | Bellarmine (12-2) | Nathan Chew saved the Bells this week with four hits, including a walk-off double in a 3-2 victory over The King's Academy. The Bells have been consistently good all season. | This week: Thursday at Hollister; Saturday at Carlmont. |
| 3. | Los Gatos (12-2) | The SCVAL-De Anza Division is down this year and the Wildcats aren't likely to be tested again in league this season. Winning three of four games in Sacramento was a good test and a week in Tennessee will help get the Cats ready for CCS. | This week: Thursday at Friendship Christian, Nashville; Friday at Green Hill, Tennessee. |
| 4. | St. Ignatius Prep (10-4) | Playing four games in four days will test a pitching staff. The Wildcats were tested in Sacramento and the rotation showed it might not be as deep as it needs to be. Still, the senior leadership makes St. Ignatius Prep dangerous. | This week: Thursday vs. Soquel; Saturday vs. Whitney. |
| 5. | Valley Christian (10-4) | The Warriors are proving themselves to be a team no one wants to play in May. They have pitching and timely hitting. Nathan Choi is providing some additional pop to an already talented lineup. | This week: Tuesday at Salpointe Catholic of Tucson Arizona; Wednesday at Salpointe Catholic of Phoenix Arizona; Thursday at Valley Christian of Chandler Arizona. |
| 6. | Serra (10-5) | Serra rebounded from a three-game losing streak by winning three of four games in Sacramento. Freshman Michael Ohman appears to be factoring more and more into the Padres' plans, both on the mound and in the field. | This week: Saturday at Campolindo of Moraga. |
| 7. | Archbishop Mitty (11-4) | Talent-wise, the Monarchs are probably the fifth or sixth best team in the WCAL and yet they are capable of playing with each of the teams rated as better. That's good coaching and a longstanding toughness within the program. | This week: Thursday vs. Santa Cruz; Saturday vs. Willow Glen. |
| 8. | Sequoia (8-3) | We believe the Ravens are the team to beat in the PAL-Bay Division, but now there are questions regarding whether they have enough pitching to make a deep postseason run. Teams that pitch to Morgan Winfield will do so at their own peril. | This week: Friday vs. Half Moon Bay at Oracle Park. |
| 9. | Sacred Heart Prep (9-4) | A week off did little to extinguish the optimism in Athherton. The Gators are the team to beat in an Ocean Division that suddenly finds itself seven deep and as competitive as any league on the Peninsula. All things equal, bet on the team with the better pitching. | This week: No games. Tuesday vs. Mills; Thursday at Mills. |
| 10. | Terra Nova (7-4) | The Tigers move up a spot only because Wilcox dropped a series to Los Altos. We like the Tigers, but this is a team in dire need of a winning streak. Four games in San Luis Obispo this week should build team chemistry, but the pitching staff will get tested there. | This week: Tuesday vs. Morro Bay at the Central Coast Spring Classic; Wednesday vs. Atascadero; Thursday vs. Arroyo Grande; Friday vs. Cathedral. |
| 11. | Carlmont (7-7) | It's go time for the Scots. A split with Sequoia this week showed some character, especially after Friday's rebound game when Jacob Shinseki threw a gem. Two games against WCAL foes and a Friday showdown with Hillsdale at Oracle Park will tell us a lot about them. | This week: Tuesday at Sacred Heart Cathedral; Friday vs. Hillsdale at Oracle Park; Saturday vs. Bellarmine Prep. |
| 12. | Menlo School (8-6) | Another team that is a world beater one day and very ordinary the next. This week demonstrated that with a loss to visiting Half Moon Bay that was followed up by a 17-1 victory over Aptos. Chuck Wynn has five homers in the last three games. | This week: Monday at Palma. |
| 13. | The King's Academy (6-5) | The Knights were six outs away from pulling off the upset over Bellarmine this week, but wound up falling, 3-2, in walkoff fashion. This is a team that has exceeded expectations. Now we'll find out if they can make a push in the Bay Division. | This week: Wednesday vs. Capuchino; Friday at Capuchino. |
| 14. | Burlingame (7-4) | The Panthers return from spring break sitting atop the Bay Division standings. We're going to learn a lot about them as the Bay schedule unfolds. We think their pitching is deep. They're well-coached. The bats will tell the tale. | This week: Wednesday vs. Riordan; Saturday vs. Capuchino at Oracle Park. |
| 15. | Half Moon Bay (7-5) | The Cougars make their debut in the rankings and we have no idea if they're the team that has impressive wins over Menlo School and Sacred Heart Prep or the team that lost on four consecutive Saturdays, games that should have their win total in double digits right now. Consistency matters. | This week: Tuesday vs. San Mateo; Thursday at San Mateo; Saturday vs. Sequoia at Oracle Park. |
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