Prep baseball: Five storylines to watch that will shape the section playoffs
For the past two high school baseball seasons, there have been no playoffs in the Sac-Joaquin Section due to COVID-19.
The 2020 season was wiped out weeks after it started and last season featured no playoffs because of condensed seasons. Most players this year’s playoff heavies haven’t tasted the postseason.
The 2022 season has been filled with milestones: McClatchy coach Mike de Necochea got win No. 300 in April. Franklin coach Bryan Kilby got career win No. 200 last week. Cosumnes Oaks coach Kenny Munguia coached his final game in a 30-year career. Kennedy freshman pitcher Laney Fukuoka became the first girl to play in a Metro League baseball.
The pursuit of a section and CIF Regional championship starts this week. Here are storylines to watch for.
Who are the defending champions and can they repeat?
It’s been three years since a champion was crowned and there are a handful of local teams looking to defend their titles. There are two, two-time defending champions in Vacaville in Division l and Colfax in Division V. The other defending champions are Oakmont in Division ll, Ponderosa in Division ll and Alpha Charter in Division Vll.
All five of those teams made the playoffs. Alpha Charter earned the highest seed of any defending champion. They’re the top seed in the Division Vl bracket. They were bumped up a division due to the section’s continued success rule.
Can anyone beat top-ranked Woodcreek?
For a majority of the season, the top-ranked team by The Sacramento Bee has been Woodcreek of the Capital Valley Conference. The Timberwolves have one of the best teams in school history and are seeking their third blue banner. The other two came in 2004 and 2012.
Woodcreek is led by first-year head coach Lucas Conn. The Timberwolves finished the season with a 25-2 record. They lost the first game of 2022 to Rocklin and the last game of the regular season to Roseville in extra innings. Between that stretch, Woodcreek won a school-record 25 straight games after ending 2021 on a 16-game win streak.
The Timberwolves have one of the best pitching staffs in the area with Braeden Sloan, Zack Malone, Noah Madsen and star sophomore Austin Nye. Woodcreek played the first month of the season without Nye because of section transfer rules. Nye came from Roseville and has been lights-out since his return. Woodcreek also recently got back Santa Clara-bound infielder Caden Thompson from offseason surgery.
“I’m very proud of how hard our guys have worked,” Conn said. “They have set themselves up for success this postseason. We know the job isn’t finished. We need to take things one game at a time and control what we can control. I have full confidence in our guys and their level of play to go the distance.”
Who are the best players in the playoffs?
The best player in the Sacramento area, who is also one of the top prospects in the upcoming MLB draft is McClatchy catcher Malcolm Moore. As a freshman in 2019, Moore was an anchor for the Lions and helped them reach the final four teams in the Division l bracket. He was named The Sacramento Bee Player of the Year last season and has replicated his success in 2022. He leads the section in home runs (13), RBIs (48) and runs scored (44).
One of the top juniors in the area is Franklin’s Nolan Stevens. The standout two-way position player helped lead the Wildcats to a Delta League championship as well as the top seed in the Division l bracket. He leads his team in RBIs and strikeouts.
Other notable players to watch in the postseason: Woodcreek’s Braeden Sloan, River City’s Freddy Rodriguez, Whitney’s Jace Gillmore, Valley Christian’s Jackson Nichols, Cordova’s Matt Jernigan, McClatchy’s Gabe Henderson, Rocklin’s Brandon Larson, Del Campo’s Matt Moses, Colfax’s Noah Souza, Pioneer’s Carson Timothy, Woodcreek’s Jake Harvey, Elk Grove’s Korey Williams and more.
WHAT ARE THE BEST OPENING-ROUND MATCHUPs?
In Division l, the best opening matchups are River City-Vacaville in the 8-9 game and McClatchy-Davis. The last time the playoffs happened, McClatchy upset Davis in a 5-12 matchup. Now it’s McClatchy who has the higher seed.
In Division ll, the best opening matchup is No. 5 Rocklin vs. No. 12 Rio Americano. The Raiders had one of their best seasons in school history in 2021 and Rocklin has an elite pitching staff.
Other notable matchups are Roseville-Pioneer in the 8-9 game in Division lll and Placer-West Campus in the Division lV bracket.
DARKHORSES AND playoff PREDICTIONS
The best part about the playoffs is there are bound to be upsets. With that being said, here are The Bee’s projected section championships and darkhorses in each division.
Projected Division l Final: Franklin-Elk Grove
Darkhorse: Folsom
Projected Division ll Final: Woodcreek-Granite Bay
Darkhorses: Rocklin, Jesuit and Oakmont
Projected Division lll Final: Del Campo-Vanden
Darkhorses: Pioneer, Ponderosa
Projected Division lV Final: Marysville-Placer
Darkhorses: Casa Roble and Woodland
Projected Division V Final: Bradshaw Christian-Colfax
Darkhorse: Colfax
Projected Division Vl Final: Alpha Charter-Argonaut
Darkhorse: Bear River
Projected Division Vll Final: Valley Christian-Turlock Christian
Darkhorse: Valley Christian
Full playoff brackets can be found on the section’s website.
This story was originally published May 7, 2022 at 2:19 PM.