Wacky WCAL shifts gears again while De La Salle continues to surge heading into showdown with Clovis West. Watch for highlights of many ranked baseball and softball teams each Sunday night on Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area. Tune to YourTV 20, San Francisco, at 7 p.m. Replays are aired during the week on Comcast SportsNet throughout Northern California.

By Harold Abend, Special to CalHiSports.com

The CalHiSports.com kibosh caravan was on the road last week with the mojo not discriminating geographically, taking its toll on the Peninsula and the North Bay.

After witnessing Serra put a 9-3 whipping on Bellarmine last Monday, retiring Coach Pete Jensen's boys couldn't quite get him a West Catholic Athletic League title. In losing 8-7 to Valley Christian it created a three-way tie atop the league with the Padres and Bells sharing first place with St. Francis, meaning no regular season champion was crowned.

Instead, this week's playoff winner will be the sole league champion.

The kibosh worked in a different way in the North Bay.

We visited the home of last week's ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Girls State Athlete of the week, Taylor Stroud of Montgomery in Santa Rosa. She came into the week among the national leaders with a 0.00 ERA, not having given up a run in her team's 21-0 record at that time.

You guessed it. The very next day Stroud gave up two earned runs, although the Vikings won 3-2 over Ukiah to remain unbeaten. She shook off the mojo by hitting a two-run homer in the fifth to win the game.

Later in the week, the caravan stopped at Marin Catholic in Kentfield where no power could prevent the Wildcats from snagging their fourth consecutive Marin County Athletic League championship and fifth in six years with a 7-0 blanking of Tamalpais of Mill Valley.

This week, the caravan has already made a stop in Pleasanton to see the Cowgirls of Livermore against arch-rival Foothill.

There's also a possible trip to the South Bay for the WCAL softball championship, and a stop at the Coliseum on Saturday for the re-scheduled Oakland As/Dave Stewart Showdown where No. 4 state-ranked Clovis West (Fresno) plays host De La Salle.

Baseball Top 20 Teams
(Records through May 9)

1. (3) Valley Christian (San Jose) 22-7
Coach John Diatte's Warriors ascend to the catbird's seat after winning two games last week, 7-5 over Bellarmine, and 8-7 in a thrilling victory over Serra. Coming into this week, VC had won six straight in WCAL play. The Warriors are now the lone Bay Area team in the overall state top 20 after checking in this week in the No. 18 spot. Nate Underwood was last week's hero with a two-run homer against Bellarmine, a three-run shot against Serra and then the game-winning RBI that put away the Padres. An opening round 13-0 blanking of Sacred Heart Cathedral already this week has the Warriors taking on Mitty in the second round.

2. (1) Serra (San Mateo) 23-6
So the Padres dropped a close one to Valley Christian but don't count out retiring Coach Pete Jensen's charges just yet. They also had the 9-3 win over the Bells and a 13-1 drubbing of the Irish from San Francisco last week, and prior to the loss to the Warriors had won eight straight, including six in the WCAL. It's looking like Serra and VC are likely to meet again in the WCAL championship this Thursday night at Santa Clara University's Stephen Schott Stadium.

3. (4) Clayton Valley (Concord) 20-3
The San Francisco Chronicle's Jake Leonard has the Eagles atop his rankings, but in this group, although the Eagles are flying a little higher after 7-4 and 7-3 victories over College Park (Pleasant Hill) and Concord, respectively, we're not ready to give the catbird seat to Coach Bob Ralston and his charges quite yet. They will get their chances in the NCS playoffs beginning next week.

4. (5) St. Francis (Mountain View) 23-7
The Lancers have a head-to-head loss to Bellarmine but with everyone beating each other and the Lancers co-sharing first place coming into the playoffs, plus with three wins last week, 23-1 over Riordan, 6-5 over Mitty and 9-3 against St. Ignatius, they get a one-spot bump and move ahead of the Bells.

5. (11) De La Salle (Concord) 13-8
This is one place we're going to agree with the Chronicle and make the big move up for the Spartans after a second win against Monte Vista (Danville), a 2-1 squeaker last week. Since returning from the National Classic, first-year Coach Rick Steen's boys have won six straight in EBAL action. They also own a win over Serra and Jesuit of Carmichael with a close loss to Valley Christian. Three games are on tap this week, San Ramon Valley (Danville) and California of San Ramon and then Clovis West (Fresno) at the Oakland Coliseum in the re-scheduled Oakland A's/Dave Stewart Showdown.

6. (6) Los Gatos 22-3
7. (2) Bellarmine (San Jose) 21-9
8. (7) Monte Vista (Danville) 14-7
9. (13) San Benito (Hollister) 18-4-1
10. (8) Irvington (Fremont) 19-5      
11. (16) Freedom (Oakley) 18-4
12. (19) Alameda 17-4
13. (9) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 20-10      
14. (10) Wilcox (Santa Clara) 23-6          
15. (12) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 18-4     
16. (14) Foothill (Pleasanton) 12-10
17. (20) Newark Memorial (Newark) 20-6
18. (15) Casa Grande (Petaluma) 18-5
19. (nr) Palma (Salinas) 22-5
20. (nr) Miramonte (Orinda) 18-3-1

Baseball Teams On the Bubble
Amador Valley (Pleasanton) 14-8, Aragon (San Mateo) 22-5, California (San Ramon) 14-8, Campolindo (Moraga) 18-4, Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 18-5, Concord 14-8, Deer Valley (Antioch) 17-5, Drake (San Anselmo) 19-5, Dublin 13-9, Head-Royce (Oakland) 21-2, Marin Catholic (Kentfield) 18-5, Montgomery (Santa Rosa) 19-4, Oak Grove (San Jose) 22-3, Oakland Tech (Oakland) 15-9, San Ramon Valley (Danville) 13-9, Santa Teresa (San Jose) 21-5, Scotts Valley 21-4, Skyline (Oakland) 13-3.

Softball Top 20 Teams

1. (1) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) 27-0
Two more teams got Ricketted last week as the Monarchs continue the march towards a perfect season and the mythical national title where they are still No. 2 in the FAB 50 in this week's rankings. According to the ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com State Record Book and Almanac, the 27-0 record is already tied for fourth highest unbeaten mark in California history. Should Mitty run the table, it could tie the 32-0 record of the 1985 Ocean View (Huntington Beach) team. Sutter of the Northern Section, however, may be even better than that. This week, the Monarchs have a first-round bye in the WCAL playoffs before meeting Valley Christian on
Wednesday in the semifinals.

2. (2) Freedom (Oakley) 17-3
There's nowhere to move here or in the state overall where the Falcons are No. 4 but they did get a one-spot bump in the FAB 50 to No. 9. Since a loss to Mitty Freedom has run off eight straight Bay Valley Athletic League victories and outscored opponents 47-2 during the stretch. The Falcons also sewed up the BVAL with a 7-1 victory last week over Deer Valley of Antioch. This week, the Falcons finish up league play with games against Antioch and Liberty (Brentwood) before beginning the CIF North Coast Section Division I playoffs next week where they are the favorites but with no shortage of teams looking for a shot at the defending NCS large-school champions.

3. (3) Livermore 20-2
One of those teams itching to get a shot at Freedom is the Cowgirls. We're going to make a rare exception and tell you they won the EBAL for the first time since 1999 with CalHiSports.com in the house on Tuesday at arch-rival and four-time defending champion Foothill of Pleasanton. Freshman Sammi Schiller delivered a two-out double in the top of the seventh to drive home Brittany Sabatini who opened the inning with a single. Livermore overcame 2-0 and 3-1 deficits before tying the game in the fifth on a two-run single by Kaitlyn Taylor that scored Stephanie Gilbert and Sabatini. The Cowgirls' Sammi McConvey moved over from first base and pitched four scoreless innings in relief of starter Jessica Varady. Last week, they took out Monte Vista with Varady and McConvey once again combining in an 8-3 victory. Sophomore Taylor provided most of the offense with two long home runs and four RBI.

4. (5) Notre Dame (Salinas) 22-6-1
We want to use this feature to wish Spirits Coach Joe Given a speedy recovery as we got word he is successfully on the mend from a bout with pneumonia. Coach's malady didn't stop the girls from performing on the field as they took a third head-to-head triumph over Tri-County League rival state-ranked San Benito in a 2-1 eight-inning victory on the road in Hollister. Senior Kylie Linnane went all the way and gave up three hits, an unearned run, struck out seven and walked two. The Spirits finish up league play this week with cross-town Alisal at home and Salinas on the road before beginning CCS Division III playoffs next week where they are the defending champion as well as the 2006 champion.

5. (4) San Benito (Hollister) 22-3
For the second week in a row the Haybaler girls flip-flop with Notre Dame of Salinas in these rankings just as they did in the overall state rankings after the close loss. A factor in keeping them ahead of some other teams in the Bay Area is they came back later in the week with a second victory over Gilroy, 7-1, a team that had beaten ND two weeks ago.

6. (7) Montgomery (Santa Rosa) 22-0*    
7. (6) Foothill (Pleasanton) 16-6
8. (8) James Logan (Union City) 21-2-1
9. (9) Notre Dame (Belmont) 23-7
10. (10) Presentation (San Jose) 24-5-1
11. (11) Carlmont (Belmont) 18-4-1
12. (13) Pinole Valley (Pinole) 19-2
13. (15) Antioch 17-5
14. (12) Deer Valley (Antioch) 12-9
15. (16) Albany 19-2
16. (19) Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 19-2
17. (14) Concord 16-5
18. (18) Castro Valley 16-6
19. (nr) Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park) 20-2-1*
20. (nr) Redwood (Larkspur) 19-4*

Softball Teams On the Bubble
Acalanes (Lafayette) 14-5, Castilleja (Palo Alto) 16-1, Clayton Valley (Concord) 14-8, Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) 19-3, Liberty (Brentwood) 14-8, Mt. Pleasant (San Jose) 18-7, San Marin (Novato) 17-3, San Ramon Valley (Danville) 13-9, St. Patrick St. Vincent (Vallejo) 20-2, Stevenson (Pebble Beach) 18-5, Ukiah 15-5*, Wilcox (Santa Clara) 19-5.

*Not including wins by forfeit

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