The craziest two weeks of the season for the rankings begin as usual with lots of playoff upsets. That's single-elimination playoff baseball. Chatsworth's win in the L.A. City finals on Saturday, however, does lock out a number of teams from perhaps being No. 1 in the state for the season. Edison and Mater Dei, who play each other on Tuesday, start out this week in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions.

Compiled by Mark Tennis, Executive Editor
Writeups by Andrew Drennen, Steve Brand, Paul Muyskens and Mark Tennis

(After games of Saturday, May 30)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)

1. (5) Edison (Huntington Beach) 22-5
With the No. 1 through No. 4 teams from last week all losing in the CIF Southern Section playoffs, it's natural to move up the No. 5 Chargers into the No. 1 slot to start this week. Of course, they have to play No. 2 Mater Dei in the Division I semifinals on Tuesday at Blair Field and if they win would then have to earn the championship on Saturday at Anaheim Stadium. Edison won its quarterfinal game last Friday, 3-2, over Dana Hills of Dana Point. Arizona State-bound Kurt Heyer tossed three-hitter with Eric Snyder topping the offense with a pair of doubles. In its other game last week, the Chargers clubbed West Ranch of Valencia, 13-1. Sophomore Henry Owens pitched a five-hitter in that one while Chris Czernachowski led the offense with a home run and a double. The Heyer-Owens pitching combo has been outstanding all season and one more strong outing from each could result in a State Team of the Year honor.

2. (7) Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 24-5
After the Monarchs took down Matt Hobgood and the previous No. 2 Norco Cougars with their 7-4 win last Friday in the CIFSS Div. I quarterfinals, we almost moved them back up to No. 1 for the third time this season. While we did hop them in front of Chatsworth, we left Edison higher since the two teams are going to face off against each other on Tuesday anyway. Coach Burt Call's team also won its earlier playoff game last week by the same 7-4 score against Tesoro of Las Flores. Aaron Northcraft pitched the game against Norco and is as good a No. 1 as you'll find. Mater Dei's offense, which was shut down in its five league losses, has been potent when it has counted the most, especially Cory Hahn, who homered against Tesoro before he hit the two off Hobgood. If Mater Dei wins the CIFSS Division I title to go along with the Anderson Bat National Classic crown it won in April, that's going to be enough as well for the team to be the 2009 State Team of the Year.

3. (6) Chatsworth 29-4
Heading into the L.A. City Section Div. I finals, the Chancellors met up with a Cleveland of Reseda team they saw three previous times. They went 2-1 against the Cavaliers, winning their meeting in early May, 4-3. This time at Dodger Stadium last Saturday, it wasn't close. Carlos Escobar Jr., led the way for the Chancellors, who busted the 9-0 game wide open in the fourth. Escobar led off the fourth with a ground rule double and in his second at bat in the inning he blasted a three-run homer. It is the third straight section title for Chatsworth and the eighth in the last 11 years. Cleveland did win the league title this year, though, so that's what costs Chatsworth in a comparison to Edison and Mater Dei if either of those two win the CIFSS Div. I title. Mater Dei didn't win its league title, either, but winning the National Classic and beating Norco and then potentially Edison and Capistrano Valley would be too much. If you are a Chatsworth fan, clearly the team to root for this week in the CIFSS Div. I playoffs is Riverside Poly. There would be no doubt about the Chancellors finishing No. 1 in the final state rankings if that were to happen.

4. (8) Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) 24-6
The Cougars will take on Riverside Poly in the CIFSS Div. I semifinal on Tuesday at Blair Field, in Long Beach. That's because they dispatched Orange Lutheran and Marina of Huntington Beach last week. Probable top 10 MLB draft pick Tyler Matzek was lights out against the Lancers in their 4-0 second round win and the bats came alive for the Cougars, who topped Marina 11-0. Rumor has it that recently the Capo Valley lefty, in the playoffs, has hit 99 mph on the gun. Even if the Cougars win out this week, they may not jump Chatsworth in the final rankings. Having a sixth loss, compared to five for Edison and Mater Dei, is the difference there.

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Sutter softball sets a state record by finishing 34-0, but the Huskies aren't the only team from Sutter County who can finish No. 1 in the state in their division. Yuba City baseball also now has that chance and has just one game left to play.

Compiled by Steve Brand & Mark Tennis
Contributing: Paul Muyskens, Harold Abend

(Based on games played through Saturday, May 16)
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
*Indicates season is complete.

BASEBALL

Division I
1.  (2)  Yucaipa 25-2
2.  (6)  Norco 23-4
3.  (1)  El Toro (Lake Forest) 21-5
4.  (9)  Buchanan (Clovis) 23-4-1
5.  (12) Edison (Huntington Beach) 19-5
6.  (10) Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 22-5
7.  (3)  Chatsworth 25-4
8.  (5)  Mater Dei (Santa Ana) 21-5
9.  (nr) Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) 21-6
10. (4) Clovis West (Fresno) 27-5
11. (9) JSerra (San Juan Capistrano) 21-6
12. (7)  Poway 23-6
13. (15) Elk Grove 21-5
14. (nr) Serra (San Mateo) 26-6
15. (nr) Jesuit (Carmichael) 22-5
Bubble: Cleveland (Reseda) 23-7, Clovis 23-7, De La Salle (Concord) 16-8, Marina (Huntington Beach) 20-6, Monte Vista (Danville) 17-7, Palos Verdes (Palos Verdes Estates) 25-4, Rancho Bernardo (San Diego) 20-9, Redlands East Valley (Redlands) 19-6, Stockdale(Bakersfield) 23-5, Temecula Valley (Temecula) 21-5, Tesoro (Las Flores) 19-7, Torrey Pines (San Diego) 20-7, Valencia 19-7, Valley Christian (San Jose) 24-8.
Comments: A new week, a new No. 1 as again the top team from last week proved too inviting of a target. This time it was El Toro (Lake Forest) taking the fall, allowing previous No. 1 Yucaipa to assume the top position. It might be one the T-Birds would just as soon not have as they open the Southern Section Division II playoffs on Friday at home.
There was lots of movement this week as Norco soared to No. 2 and Edison (Huntington Beach) jumped seven spots to No. 5. The top newcomer is Capistrano Valley (Mission Viejo) which floated from a Bubble to No. 9.
Already this week in the Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I playoffs, Jesuit has won a Northern Region winner's bracket game against Elk Grove, 3-2. Jimmy Bosco had the game-tying RBI while catcher Andrew Susac threw out a runner at third base to end the game. One more Jesuit win and the Marauders would be in the section championship series.

Division II
1.  (2) Yuba City 26-3
2.  (1) Beckman (Irvine) 22-4
3.  (3) Clayton Valley (Concord) 21-3
4.  (9) Alameda 20-4
5.  (8) Scotts Valley 22-4
6.  (5) Bonita (La Verne) 19-5
7.  (10) Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa) 21-5
8.  (7) Steele Canyon (Spring Valley) 20-6
9.  (4) Los Gatos 23-5
10. (nr) Wilcox (Santa Clara) 25-7
Bubble: Charter Oak (Covina) 15-9, El Diamante (Visalia) 20-8, Gahr (Cerritos) 19-8, Granite Bay 19-9, Irvington (Fremont) 19-6, Paramount 18-9, Pleasant Valley (Chico) 26-5, Wilcox (Santa Clara) 25-7.
Comments: It's a new No. 1 as Yuba City ran its winning streak to seven while Beckman stumbled to University (Irvine). The Honkers won on Tuesday of this week, 3-1, over Rodriguez of Fairfield and will play for their third Sac-Joaquin Section Div. III title on Monday of next week vs. Benicia. With a win, Yuba City would clinch a No. 1 ranking in this state division. As other Division I state-ranked teams lose in the playoffs, Yuba City also would then be able to move up into the overall top 20 or higher. Max Stassi hit a two-run homer against Rodriguez while Michael Lowden improved to 10-0 with a strong pitching performance.
It also was another big jump by Alameda to No. 4 as the Hornets ran their winning streak to 15 last week to jump even Scotts Valley, which isn't doing badly with a seven-game winning skein of its own. Going the other way, Los Gatos' two losses to Wilcox dropped it to No. 9 and lifted up the Chargers up to No. 10. Wilcox also has played a number of West Catholic Athletic League teams, including a win vs. Bellarmine.

Division III
1.  (2)  Northview (Covina) 20-4
2.  (1)  Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 21-5
3.  (4)  Bishop Amat (La Puente) 23-5
4.  (5)  San Dimas 19-5
5.  (6)  Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) 20-4
6.  (7)  Central Valley (Shasta Lake) 31-2
7.  (9)  Aragon (San Mateo) 25-5
8.  (10) Miramonte (Orinda) 20-3-1
9.  (3)   Oakdale 26-4
10. (nr) Campolindo (Moraga) 20-4
Bubble: Casa Grande (Petaluma) 18-6, Drake (San Anselmo) 21-5, El Segundo 21-8, Hanford 17-9, La Quinta 18-7, Montgomery (San Diego) 20-6, Palm Desert 21-5, Palma (Salinas) 22-5, Placer (Auburn) 18-8, Santana (Santee) 18-9.
Comments: There are a handful of teams out there that seem to perform well against the best but stumble against clubs that shouldn't beat them. For whatever reason, Cathedral Catholic seems to suffer from that malady. So, the Dons lost to University City and Northview, which relinquished its No. 1 spot a week ago when Cathedral recorded four solid victories, jumps right back into the pilot's seat. Campolindo rolls into the Top 10 although Casa Grande's loss was 1-0 in 13 innings to Sonoma Valley.
So far this week, the big news in this division comes from way up north where Central Valley has capped its season with a Northern Section title. The Falcons, who finished 32-2, blanked Yreka, 6-0, with six shutout innings coming from Brandon Pearcy.

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