WHERE WE LEFT OFF
Granada had one of the most magical runs by a Bay Area high school team. The Matadors defeated De La Salle 1-0 in an all-time classic North Coast Section Division I championship game that went 14 innings and stretched across two days, two fields, two cities and two counties. They then defeated Clovis West, De La Salle again and St. Mary’s-Stockton to capture the CIF NorCal Division I title, becoming the first public school to win the top NorCal division since the championships began in 2022. The Matadors had a senior-heavy team led by Stanford pitcher Parker Warner, along with infielders Riley Winchell (University of Pacific), Nate Brown (Butte College) and A.J. Martinez (Cuesta College). But Granada – with a crop of young talent – will be in the mix to win another NCS title this season. … Archbishop Mitty caught fire at the end of the regular season to win the CCS Division I championship over St. Ignatius. Seniors Makoa Sniffen (infielder) and Luka Pintar (pitcher) helped lead the San Jose school to its second section title in three years but first in the section’s top division since 2010. … As for other teams from the Bay Area News Group’s coverage area that captured section titles last season, here is the list: Oakland Tech (Oakland Section), The King’s Academy (CCS Division II), Christopher (CCS Division III), Mountain View (CCS Division IV), Capuchino (CCS Division V) and Menlo (CCS Division VI).
Granada High Principal Clark Conover is surrounded by by the school’s baseball team after they won the NorCal Division I championship game against St. Mary’s-Stockton, Saturday, June 1, 2024, in Livermore, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
BEST OF THE REST
De La Salle had its eight-year, 33-game playoff winning streak snapped last season, but don’t expect the Spartans to take a step back. De La Salle returns plenty of talent, including one of the best defensive shortstops in the Bay Area, junior Tyler Spangler. The East Bay Athletic League first-team selection led De La Salle in home runs with four and batted .364. Outfielder Ethan Sullivan was a consistent bat in the Spartans’ lineup, hitting .325 and driving in 19 runs. Once basketball season ends, De La Salle will get Oklahoma commit Alec Blair in its outfield. Blair missed the first few games last season with a leg injury, but hit .377 to go along with 18 RBIs.
In San Jose, Valley Christian has a loaded roster yet again. UC Santa Barbara commit Kole Laubach, who pitched a perfect game last season, will anchor the Warriors’ staff along with Stanford-bound Quinten Marsh, who is also a talented hitter. He had a slash line of .378/.477/.500. The Warriors also return a talented group of seniors: catcher Jordan Ortiz, outfielder Hunter Fujimoto and pitcher Rohan Kasanagottu.
Serra could be a dark horse to win the West Catholic Athletic League title as it opens its refurbished home field. The Padres tied Valley Christian for first place in the WCAL regular-season race last year but lost to the San Jose school in the league tournament final. St. Mary’s commit Ian Josephson returns to the Serra lineup after a solid 2024 season.
The East Bay’s Bay Valley Athletic League will be highly competitive once again with powerhouses Heritage and Pittsburg expected to be contention for the title. Last year’s BVAL MVP Alonzo Alvarez of Heritage recently committed to the University of Miami and will be a key piece for the Patriots. Pittsburg is led by BVAL pitcher of the year Diego Deluna and BYU-bound junior JJ Robinson.
Los Gatos won the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division in 2024 and figures to be back in contention this spring. Ace Ethan Williams returns to lead a strong pitching staff for the Wildcats.
De La Salle’s Tyler Spangler, center, celebrates with teammates in the dugout after he scored on a wild pitch against College Prep in the fifth inning of a NCS Division I playoff game at De La Salle High School in Concord , Calif., on Tuesday, May 20, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
PLAYERS TO WATCH
(alphabetical order)
Alonzo Alvarez, IF, Heritage, senior
Earned BVAL MVP last season. A Miami commit, Alvarez led the BVAL in RBIs (28) and had a .530 slugging percentage.
Trent Amoroso, P/OF, Woodside, senior
Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division player of the year batted .350 and had a slugging percentage of .537. Committed to play at Lewis and Clark College.
Alec Blair, OF, De La Salle, senior
An Oklahoma commit, Blair hit .377 and drove in 18 runs. Earned all-league and all-BANG recognition.
Tommy Brown, C, Granada, senior
The Arizona State commit was one of the area’s top catchers last season. Hit .366 and drove in 18 runs en route to all-league and all-BANG honors.
Hayden Burton, IF, Oakland Tech, senior
Helped Oakland Tech win an Oakland Section title, hitting .354 while totalling 17 RBIs.
Diego Deluna, P/IF, Pittsburg, senior
BVAL pitcher of the year had an ERA of 1.62 and struck out 62 in 2024.
Rashad Hayes, IF, Bishop O’Dowd, senior
The Stanford commit was a defensive standout for the Dragons. Had a fielding percentage of .935 with just five errors in 27 games last season.
Brayden Jaksa, C/OF, Irvington, senior
Mission Valley Athletic League MVP posted a slashline of .437/.560/.830. Committed to play at the University of Oregon.
Ian Josephson, INF, Serra, senior
Josephson earned all-WCAL first-team honors, hitting .341 and driving in 27 runs. Committed to play at St. Mary’s.
Markos Lagios, OF, Piedmont, senior
Named West Alameda County Conference Foothill Division player of the year in 2024 after hitting .358, totaling six homers, stealing 13 bases and driving in 28 runs.
Kole Laubach, P/IF, Valley Christian, senior
Pitched a perfect game in a regular-season game against St. Ignatius. Finished 2024 with a 0.97 ERA and 59 strikeouts.
Quinten Marsh, P/UTIL, Valley Christian, senior
The Stanford commit had a team-high 34 hits to go along with a .378 batting average. As a pitcher, Marsh totaled 88 strikeouts and had a 1.14 ERA.
Jake Sekany, P, Granada, senior
The USC commit was key in Granada’s NorCal title run as he had an ERA of 1.85 and struck out 88 in 11 starts. Earned all-league and first-team all-BANG recognition.
Tyler Spangler, IF, De La Salle, junior
Spangler was one of the Bay Area’s top shortstops last season, batting .364 and hitting a team-high four home runs. A defensive stalwart, Spangler helped lead De La Salle to the NCS Division I championship game and the NorCal Division I semifinals.
Evan Tavarez, OF, Bellarmine, senior
All-WCAL first-team selection, Tavarez hit .321 and had 26 RBIs. Had a fielding percentage of .905.
Alex Tran, P/UTL, Piedmont Hills, senior
Tran hit .385 and totaled 14 RBIs for a Piedmont Hills team that had a CCS Division V playoff berth.
Waylon Walsh, INF, Archbishop Mitty, senior
A Santa Clara University commit, Walsh hit .389 and had 22 RBIs. Helped lead Mitty to a CCS Division I title.
Ethan Williams, P, Los Gatos, junior
Williams helped lead Los Gatos to a SCVAL De Anza Division crown after posting a 1.34 ERA and striking 55 batters.
Valley Christian pitcher Quinten Marsh (24) throws against Serra High during a West Catholic Athletic League game at Valley Christian High School in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
OTHERS TO WATCH
Cristian Alvarenga, UTL, Mt. Eden, senior
Gio Bernal, IF/P, South San Francisco, junior
Wynston Bishop, OF, Hercules, senior
Mikey Boyd, IF, Granada, senior
Evan Furuichi, IF, Encinal, junior
Hugo Garay, C/P, Milpitas, senior
Ezra Goldfarb, UTIL, Head-Royce, junior
David Gonzales, OF, Acalanes, senior
Sam Guenther, UTL, Christopher, senior
Quinton Hill, P, Berkeley, sophomore
Brandon Kim, OF, Leigh, senior
JJ Kinnaird, OF/P, Heritage, senior
Dominic Louro, P, Benicia, senior
Jordan Medina, OF, James Logan, senior
Nathan Pagba, P/OF, Milpitas, senior
Nate Plata, P, The King’s Academy, junior
JJ Robinson, IF, Pittsburg, junior
Peyton Rowles, IF, Benicia, senior
Elijah Rucker, Oakland Tech, sophomore
Lance Takamura, C/INF/P, Leigh, senior
Toby Torres, UTL/P, Piedmont Hills, junior
Westley Vega, P, James Logan, junior
James Logan pitcher Westley Vega (24) delivers against Monte Vista High in the third inning of their playoff game at James Logan High baseball field in Union City, Calif., on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Bay Area News Group Baseball preseason Top 20
(Mercury News & East Bay Times)
No. 1 VALLEY CHRISTIAN (27-6 last season)
Final ranking last season: 2
How it finished: Lost to St. Mary’s-Stockton in the first round of NorCal Division I playoffs.
Season opener: Feb. 26 vs. Elk Grove, 5:30 p.m.
No. 2 GRANADA (32-1 last season)
Final ranking last season: 1
How it finished: Beat De La Salle to win NCS Division I title. Beat St. Mary’s-Stockton to capture NorCal Division I championship.
Season opener: Feb. 25 vs. St. Ignatius, 3:30 p.m.
No. 3 DE LA SALLE (21-8 last season)
Final ranking last season: 4
How it finished: Lost to Granada in the NCS Division I final. Lost to Granada in the NorCal Division I semifinals.
Season opener: March. 11 at St. Mary’s-Stockton, 4 p.m.
No. 4 SERRA (22-7 last season)
Final ranking last season: 3
How it finished: Lost to St. Ignatius in the CCS Division I quarterfinals.
Season opener: Feb. 25 vs. Menlo School at Sacred Heart Prep, 3:30 p.m.
No. 5 COLLEGE PARK (19-8 last season)
Final ranking last season: 10
How it finished: Lost to De La Salle in the NCS Division I semifinals.
Season opener: Feb. 25 at St. Mary’s-Stockton, 3:30 p.m.
No. 6 ACALANES (23-4 last season)
Final ranking last season: 8
How it finished: Lost to Granada in the NCS semifinals.
Season opener: Saturday vs. Marin Catholic, noon
No. 7 JAMES LOGAN (21-4 last season)
Final ranking last season: 5
How it finished: Lost to Granada 11-1 in the NCS quarterfinals.
Season opener: Feb. 26 at San Ramon Valley, 3:30 p.m.
No. 8 HERITAGE (20-6-1 last season)
Final ranking last season: 6
How it finished: Lost to De La Salle in the NCS quarterfinals.
Season opener: Feb. 25 at Tokay, 6:30 p.m.
No. 9 ST. IGNATIUS (21-11 last season)
Final ranking last season: 11
How it finished: Lost to Redwood in the NorCal Division II semifinals.
Season opener: Feb. 25 at Granada, 3:30 p.m.
No. 10 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (20-13-1 last season)
Final ranking last season: 16
How it finished: Beat St. Ignatius to win the CCS Division I title. Lost to St. Mary’s-Stockton in the NorCal Division I semifinals.
Season opener: Feb. 28 vs. Homestead, 3:30 p.m.
No. 11 LOS GATOS (23-5 last season)
Final ranking last season: 7
How it finished: Lost to Carmel in the CCS Division I quarterfinals.
Season opener: Feb. 25 vs. Menlo-Atherton, at Sacred Heart Prep, 3:30 p.m.
No. 12 SAN RAMON VALLEY (16-11 last season)
Final ranking last season: 9
How it finished: Lost to Castro Valley in the first round of the NCS Division I playoffs.
Season opener: Feb. 26 vs. James Logan, 3:30 p.m.
No. 13 PITTSBURG (20-7 last season)
Final ranking last season: 14
How it finished: Beat Liberty to win the Bay Valley Athletic League title. Lost to Heritage in the first round of the NCS Division I playoffs.
Season opener: Tuesday vs. Vacaville, 3:30 p.m.
No. 14 LEIGH (19-10 last season)
Final ranking last season: 17
How it finished: Lost to The King’s Academy in the CCS Division II championship game.
Season opener: Feb. 25 at St. Francis, 3:30 p.m.
No. 15 BENICIA (18-9 last season)
Final ranking last season: 15
How it finished: Lost to Cardinal Newman in the NCS Division II semifinals.
Season opener: Feb. 28 vs. Wood, 3:30 p.m.
No. 16 WOODSIDE (21-4-1 last season)
Final ranking last season: 12
How it finished: Lost to Palma in the CCS Division III quarterfinals.
Season opener: Feb. 25 vs. Riordan, 3:30 p.m.
No. 17 CAPUCHINO (20-11 last season)
Final ranking last season: 18
How it finished: Beat Santa Cruz to capture the CCS Division V championship. Lost to Piedmont in the first round of the NorCal IV playoffs.
Season opener: Feb. 25 vs. El Camino, 6:30 p.m.
No. 18 THE KING’S ACADEMY (18-11-2 last season)
Final ranking last season: Not ranked
How it finished: Beat Leigh in the CCS Division II championship game. Lost to Justin-Siena in the first round of the NorCal Division III playoffs.
Season opener: March. 4 at Los Gatos, 3:30 p.m.
No. 19 PIEDMONT (19-10 last season)
Final ranking last season: Not ranked
How it finished: Lost to Justin-Siena in the NCS Division IV finals. Lost to Bradshaw Christian in the NorCal Division IV championship game.
Season opener: Feb. 26 at Salesian, 3:30 p.m.
No. 20 CASTRO VALLEY (17-9-1 last season)
Final ranking last season: Not ranked
How it finished: Lost to College Park in the NCS Division I quarterfinals.
Season opener: Feb. 26 vs. Monte Vista, 3:30 p.m.
Archbishop Mitty’s Tanner Kern (9) heads to the dugout after scoring a run off a single hit by Archbishop Mitty’s Waylon Walsh in the second inning of their Central Coast Section Division I baseball championship game against St. Ignatius in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, May 25, 2024. Archbishop Mitty went on to win the game 6-2. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)
Teams eligible for the Bay Area News Group rankings come from leagues based predominantly in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.
