Prep baseball rankings: Woodcreek wins battle of top teams; new teams enter rankings
The start of the season for the Woodcreek High School baseball team didn’t go as planned.
The Timberwolves opened on the road against former Sierra Foothill League opponent Rocklin and lost 7-3. Since that moment, Woodcreek has won 15 straight, including a 6-0 statement win last week in the semifinals of the Boras Classic against Franklin of Elk Grove.
To get to that point, Woodcreek beat a pair of Bay Area teams in Clayton Valley Charter and San Ramon Valley. The Timberwolves were set to face Bay Area powerhouse Archbishop Mitty in the Boras Classic championship game, but the game was rained out. It will be made up either April 27 or May 4.
“It was a great win,” Woodcreek coach Lucas Conn said. “Franklin is a talented team that is very well-coached. It was great to see our guys play at such a high level. We went into Boras hoping to make noise and I feel that the game against Franklin definitely solidified us as a top contender in the area.”
Woodcreek indeed made noise with its bats and strong pitching. Sophomore Austin Nye, who transferred from Roseville this past school year, made his second start of the season against Franklin and struck out eight and gave up two hits in five innings. Nye had to sit out the first month of the season due to Sac-Joaquin Section transfer rules.
“Austin Nye is a special kid,” Conn said. “It has been great having him in the lineup, especially on the mound. Nye brings a certain amount of competitiveness that helps push every guy on the team to get better. Iron sharpens iron. It’s been a lot of fun to observe and be a part of.”
Woodcreek ended the spring season last year by winning 16 games in a row. Woodcreek is 34-2 since losing a nonconference game to Granite Bay almost one year ago.
The Timberwolves will face Bella Vista next in Capital Valley Conference play. A strong series this week could go a long way in determining a league champion in the CVC.
Around the horn
▪ Welcome back to the rankings, Roseville. The Tigers are back in the rankings after a series win over Bella Vista that happened two weeks ago. Roseville was idle while other teams were at spring break tournaments.
▪ Lincoln is also back in the rankings after appearing in The Bee’s initial rankings at No. 21. The Zebras are ranked at the bottom of the top 25 after going 4-0 in a spring break tournament, with wins over Valley Christian, Union Mine, Inderkum and Yuba City. Lincoln has won 11 straight games since starting 2-5.
▪ Folsom picked up a key 6-5 nonconference win over Del Campo. Matthew Gallant got the win on the mound and struck out five in four innings. Colin Callahan and Adam Cafarella both drove in a pair of runs.
▪ Whitney went 4-0 in the Christian Brothers spring break tournament to capture the championship. The Wildcats beat Rio Americano, Ponderosa, Lodi and Folsom in the final game. Whitney has won 14 of 16.
▪ Inderkum improved to 9-6 with a strong performance last week. The Tigers went 3-1, including a 15-2 win over El Dorado. In that game. Ethan Law, Jerame Davis and Christian Rivera all drove in three runs.
▪ River City senior Freddy Rodriguez is having a dominant season for the 17-4 Raiders. He leads his team in hits (31) and RBIs (29) and he’s 4-0 on the mound with 78 strikeouts. Rodriguez signed his letter of intent to Cal Poly in November.
▪ Ponderosa junior Ian Holt had a big performance in his team’s 13-4 win over Rio Americano. Holt drove in six runs with two home runs in the win. Nick Zuccaro also drove in a pair of runs in the win.
▪ Colfax has won eight of nine after starting the season 3-6. The Falcons have been led by senior Chase Pfeifer, who is the team leader in hits (22) and RBIs (17). Noah Souza, Marcus Maeder and Gabe Garcia have all been key contributors.
▪ Bradshaw Christian has won seven of its last eight games and has a 8-1 record in Sierra Valley Conference Play. Sophomore Micah Nicholson leads the Pride in hits (24) and RBIs (20).
▪ Sutter has won eight of nine, including going 4-0 in a spring break tournament to improve to 17-3. Leighton Tarke, Logan Yacavace and Connor Babler all have more than 20 hits this season.
The Bee’s Top 25
With records as of Sunday
1. Woodcreek 15-1
2. Franklin
3. McClatchy
4. Elk Grove 12-7
5. Vista del Lago 14-4
6. Vanden 19-2
7. Whitney 16-3
8. Del Campo 14-4
9. Jesuit 12-8
10. Oak Ridge 10-9
11. Oakmont 13-5
12. Granite Bay 6-11
13. Rocklin 11-8
14. Folsom 9-10
15. Del Oro 11-8
16. Rio Americano 12-8
17. Vacaville 11-9
18. Ponderosa 12-8
19. Placer 12-8
20. River City 17-4
21. Marysville 20-2
22. Roseville 10-9
23. Pioneer 12-4
24. Alpha Charter 16-2
25. Lincoln 13-5
Bubble teams: Bella Vista (12-8-1), Bradshaw Christian (13-4), Christian Brothers (6-9), Casa Roble (10-9), Colfax (13-8), Cordova (8-5-2), Davis (8-11), Kennedy (8-8), Sutter (17-3), Woodland 9-7.
This story was originally published April 18, 2022 at 8:29 AM.