MEET THE TOP TEAM: GRANADA
Granada capped off its dominant regular season by coming from behind to beat San Ramon Valley in the East Bay Athletic League tournament final on Friday. Saturday, the Matadors received the No. 1 seed in the North Coast Section Division I playoffs. The Livermore school, which finished the regular season 25-1 overall and 12-1 in the EBAL, has held the top spot in the Bay Area News Group rankings for the majority of the season. The Matadors have beaten the likes of James Logan, De La Salle, Cardinal Newman, College Park, Liberty and Pittsburg — all of which made the section playoffs. Granada boasts a strong pitching trio of Stanford commit Parker Warner, Mason Ravera and Jake Sekany. The staff has given up just over two runs a game this season. Power-hitters Riley Winchell and Mikey Boyd, junior Tyler Kardy and catcher Tommy Brown anchor Granada’s lineup, which scored 203 runs in the regular season.
Granada’s Carlos Hernandez (19) douses his teammates after defeating San Ramon Valley during the East Bay Athletic League baseball tournament championship game at Granada High School in Livermore, Calif., on Friday, May 10, 2024. Granada defeated San Ramon Valley 6-4. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
TOP STORYLINES
De La Salle received the No. 2 seed in Division I and will play Bay Valley Athletic League tournament runner-up Liberty in the first round. The Spartans will be looking to capture their seventh consecutive NCS Division I title dating to 2016. The senior led Spartans rely on infielder Hank Tripaldi, outfielder Joe McGee and utility Jack Harper to lead a dynamic offense. Counting NorCals, which started two years ago, De La Salle has won 30 consecutive section and regional playoff games since losing in the NCS Division I final in 2015. … After winning the Diablo Athletic League regular-season title, College Park was awarded the No. 3 seed in Division I and will play No. 14 Berkeley in its first-round matchup. Nathan Leffel and Vincent “Tino” Vassell lead a College Park lineup that has 51 extra-base hits this season. If seeds hold, the Falcons will face No. 6 San Ramon Valley in the quarterfinals. … Benicia is playing its best baseball at the right time, having won seven of its last 10 games. The Panthers are the No. 4 seed in Division II and will play Washington-Fremont in the first round … Bishop O’Dowd fell short of capturing a West Alameda County Conference Foothill Division title, but a 15-10-1 record helped the Dragons snag the No. 1 seed in Division III. O’Dowd has a first-round bye before beginning its quest to capture its first NCS title since 1993 … No. 1 St. Mary’s-Berkeley and No. 2 Piedmont were given the top seeds in Division IV. Piedmont won the WACC Foothill Division title.
De La Salle’s Joe McGee (8) hits a three-run home run against San Ramon Valley at San Ramon Valley High School in San Ramon, Calif., on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
College Parks’ Nathan Leffel (2) throws to first base against Acalanes in the third inning at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, Calif., on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
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WHO CAN MAKE A SURPRISE RUN?
James Logan finished league play undefeated and hasn’t lost since early April. But the Colts were given an unfavorable No. 9 seed and will have to beat Monte Vista on the road to reach the quarterfinals. No matter, Logan has undeniable talent. Do-it-all shortstop Jesus Vasquez leads the Colts in batting average (.473), on-base percentage (.547), stolen bases (22) and hits (35). Logan ace Westley Vega has a 1.47 ERA and 45 strikeouts this season. If Logan can get past the Mustangs in round one, the Colts will likely play top-seed Granada in the quarterfinals, a rematch of Logan’s season opener. Granada won 10-1. … Alameda quietly had a solid season. The Hornets beat the likes of Freedom, Berkeley, Piedmont and O’Dowd — all teams which secured a spot in the section playoffs. Alameda was given the No. 8 seed and will play No. 9 Maria Carrillo at College of Alameda on Wednesday. If seeds hold, the Hornets will play No. 1 Cardinal Newman in the second round …Salesian won the Tri-County Athletic League Stone Division, but was given the No. 12 seed in Division IV. The Pride will have to travel two hours north to play No. 5 Kelseyville, but the Richmond school could have the tools to pull off the upset and make a deep run. Sophomore Evan Vela is Salesian’s best player, batting .453 and allowing just over two runs a game on the mound.
