MEET THE TOP TEAM: VALLEY CHRISTIAN
Valley Christian finished the regular season on top of the West Catholic Athletic League, beating Serra in the WCAL tournament championship on Friday. The teams tied for first place in league play, and the San Jose school was awarded the top seed in the Central Coast Section Division I bracket. Valley has won four of the past five titles in the CCS’s top division. The Warriors, who stayed in the Top 5 of the Bay Area News Group rankings all season, will bring a 26-4 record into their playoff opener at home on Saturday against eighth-seeded St. Francis. Valley’s resume includes wins over Cardinal Newman, Elk Grove, Palo Alto, Jesuit-Carmichael Leigh and Sera. Kole Laubach, Quinten Marsh and Rohan Kasanagottu lead a talented pitching staff that has a 1.36 ERA. The Warriors hit for contact and power. Senior Tatum Marsh leads the team in home runs (six) and batting average (.365). Hunter Fujimoto, Nathan Choi and Brock Ketelsen also make contributions to an offense that averages more than five runs per game.
Valley Christian High’s Quinten Marsh (24) throws against Serra High during their WCAL championship game at Valley Christian High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, May 9, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
TOP STORYLINES
Serra poses the biggest threat to dethrone Valley Christian. The Padres beat the Warriors 9-0 in April and finished the regular season 22-6. Senior infielder Jake Downing and catcher Ian Armstrong are Serra’s best hitters, combining for nine home runs and 56 RBIs. The San Mateo school, which was given the No. 2 seed in Division I, will face St. Ignatius at home Saturday. The teams split the season series. … Leigh captured the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division title and is 17-9. The Longhorns were given the No. 1 seed in Division II and will play Menlo-Atherton (12-11) in their first-round matchup on Saturday. Junior Brandon Kim leads Leigh in batting average (.453) and runs (24). … Christopher has gotten hot at the right time. The Gilroy school won six of its last seven games and was awarded the No. 2 seed in Division III. …The Division VI bracket could turn out to be the most competitive. Six of the eight teams have fewer than six losses. Menlo (18-9) took the top seed while No. 3 Lincoln (21-4), No. 4 South San Francisco (21-5) and No. 7 Thomas More (18-6) rounded out the rest of the field.
Serra High’s Jake Downing (2) reacts after striking out against Valley Christian High during their WCAL championship game at Valley Christian High School in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, May 9, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
Leigh’s Lance Takamura (7) pitches against Westmont at Westmont High School in Campbell, Calif., on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
WHO CAN MAKE A SUPRISE RUN?
Los Gatos has quietly been one of the South Bay’s most impressive teams this season. The Wildcats won the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division title and have strung together winning streaks of seven or more twice this season. Los Gatos was given the No. 3 seed in Division I and will face No. 6 Carmel at home on Saturday. If seeds hold, the Wildcats will play Serra in the semifinals. … Milpitas won its first league title in over 20 years, going a perfect 15-0 in the SCVAL El Camino Division. The Trojans will face a big test when they play No. 2 Santa Cruz in their Division V quarterfinal matchup on the road. Milpitas certainly has the pitching to make a playoff run as Nathan Pagba and Robert Ridola each have sub-two ERAs. … Trent Amoroso, Cruz Torres and Ryan Dodge have led a Woodside offense that is one of the best on the Peninsula. The Wildcats, who won the Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division championship, averaged nearly eight runs a game. Woodside is the No. 6 seed in Division III and will go on the road to play No. 3 Palma. If the Wildcats can pull off the upset, they will likely face Christopher in the semifinals.
Los Gatos’ Santino Nanez (1) jumps in celebration with teammates after beating a throw to first allowing two to score and Los Gatos to win against Los Altos 2-1 at Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos, Calif., on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
