- East Bay Prep Corner
East Bay Softball Poll – 5/11
By Ben Enos
Monday, May 11th, 2009 at 5:07 pm in Softball.
Here’s the latest East Bay Softball Poll. Enjoy
SOFTBALL
| Team | Record | Points | Last week |
| 1. Freedom (9) | 19-3 | 135 | 1 |
| 2. Livermore | 20-2 | 126 | 2 |
| 3. Antioch | 17-5 | 116 | 4 |
| 4. Foothill | 16-6 | 107 | 3 |
| 5. Pinole Valley | 19-2 | 99 | 5 |
| 6. Las Lomas | 18-3 | 89 | 6 |
| 7. Albany | 19-2 | 84 | T7 |
| T8. Bishop O’Dowd | 19-2 | 65 | 11 |
| T8. James Logan | 21-2-1 | 65 | 10 |
| 10. Concord | 16-5 | 52 | T7 |
| 11. San Ramon Valley | 13-9 | 41 | 12 |
| 12. Castro Valley | 16-6 | 34 | 9 |
| 13. Deer Valley | 12-9 | 25 | 13 |
| 14. Clayton Valley | 14-9 | 21 | NR |
| T15. Berean Christian | 15-5 | 6 | NR |
| T15. Berkeley | 15-7 | 6 | NR |
Also receiving votes: Liberty (14-8, 3 points), California (12-10, 2), College Park (13-7, 2). The East Bay Prep Softball poll is compiled from the votes of Bay Area News Group-East Bay staff writers.
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May 11th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Teams 8-13 should be ahead of teams 5-7. Not sure why Berean makes the list.
May 11th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I would agree
May 11th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
SR and DV have 9 losses each? How can it be justified and overlooked that these teams lost those games?
DV has lost to everyone in the BVAL at least once, and SRV has been very inconsistent in the EBAL.
May 11th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Pinole’s only quality wins are Alameda and Berkeley. Las Lomas has beaten Alhambra and Albany. Albany beat St. Pat’s and that is about it.
If those 3 teams played the same schedule as SR and DV, they would have at least 10 losses.
May 11th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Well they’d have at least 6 losses. 9 to 10 losses in any league is a lot. Although I think they are good teams.
May 12th, 2009 at 6:49 am
I meant to say that DV has lost to each of the other BVAL teams except Pitt?
There’s no doubt that if teams got to change their lot they might do better, or worse, but that not the reality of the situation. The poll doesn’t recognize this differential, and trying to keep that in mind can’t be easy.
If I were voting, I would have a hard time looking past 6 within league losses, and 9 overall (DV & SRV)?
SRV should take of business this week in prep for NCS selection, but DV has a pivotal game against Antioch.
It will all be sorted out come tournament time.
May 12th, 2009 at 8:33 am
I don’t care how many losses DV and SRV have. I would rank them higher. Go take a look at the Pinole non league schedule. Piedmont (3-10), Maria Carillo (11-12), Marin Catholic (0-19), Miramonte (3-15), Case Grande 12-7), Dublin (4-14), College Park (13-7), Mission San Jose (1-9), Mt. Eden (3-16), Washington (6-1 not updated), Logan (21-2-1)
I do think Pinole is a good team but look at that non league schedule. It’s horrible! Next year, schedule some quality opponents.
May 12th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Yeah, Pinole is way overated. I saw them at the Hayward tournment and there not in the same league as Deer Valley or San Ramon
May 12th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Deer Valley played very well at the Livermore Stampede losing only to Sheldon and finishing 5th in a strong field. They will need a good showing against Antioch this week. Allard makes them a threat against any team.
San Ramon Valley took 2nd at the Queen, losing the championship 2-1 and I heard some starters were at their prom. SRV has quality wins against higher ranking teams (Livermore, Foothill and Concord) so they can compete.
CAL remains on the bubble team to make NCS, but at 5-7 in EBAL (MAXPreps), may need to finish with 2 wins this week.
May 12th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Okay so given that, why is Albany and Pinole getting so many votes? Is there some other criteria that comes into play? Both of these teams have negative strength of schedules. There must be more writers from those areas
May 12th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
My predictions for the top 4 seeds and a first round bye
D1
1 Freedom
2 Livermore
3 James Logan
4 Antioch
D2
1 Montgomery
2 Concord
3 Ranco Cotate
4 Las Lomas
D3
1 Bishop O’Dowd
2 Albany
3 Del Norte
4 Alhambra
This is how I think they will be seeded by NCS. If it were up to me, which it isn’t, I would move Concord to #1 in D2. I might slide Albany down a spot in D3 as well.
May 12th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Pinole will be playing Concord today, in Concord. It should be a good test for them to see if they deserve that high of a ranking or not.
May 12th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Concord beat Pinole 2-1. That should change things in next weeks poll.
May 12th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
I don’t know about Logan so high in NCS….Despite a very good record losing to Newark twice and not even winning the MVAL???? Liberty the BVAL 4th place team beat Newark. I think Foothill is more deserving of a top 4 seed…I think Montgomery deserves #1 and I am not sure Concord is in the top 4. Very good team but Clayton Valley won the league and has beat them twice. Clayton Valley could very well get a bye in D2
May 12th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Logan only lost 2 games and they beat 5 ranked teams. Since when is Newark a cup cake?
Haven’t seen Montgomery, but the strength of schedule didn’t seem like a number one, however they are undefeated.
Clayton Valley 8 losses, not a number one.
May 13th, 2009 at 8:28 am
Don’t judge Logan by their losses to a rival, Newark. They have beat every ranked team they have faced from outside their league but have choked against a league rival while committing 7 errors I believe it said in the paper today. Newark is a dangerous team and can beat/lose to any in the section and has Logan’s number it appears. Logan can beat any team in section as well but as evidenced by their losses can lose to anyone.
An MVAL team has made the semi’s of the large school division each of the last 6 years. Logan has made the semi’s 3 of the past 4 years and the one year they missed out they were the # 3 seed and got upset in extra innings. Had it not been for Freedom and the Williams Sisters you might be talking about a softball factory with multiple NCS banners in Newark/Union City and probably at least one more in Pleasanton. The rest of the league however ……
May 13th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Teams 3-4-5 in this poll all lost this week. . .but against other teams in the top 10. This should shake things up.
LL, James Logan, Concord, & others should move up in the poll but how much? Teams like Newark & Acalanes are not cupcakes & Antioch is a good team but not deserving of a top 5 ranking. Berean has a good record but Berkeley, Cal, Liberty, & even Alhambra are, in my opinion, better teams.
I agree with the projection (but not necessarily order)by Softball Fan except Antioch. . .that spot should go to Foothill.
For NCS, looks like the best teams outside of the East Bay are from the North Bay (& both div II). LL, PV, Concord, & Clayton Valley will be put to the test (Montgomery is ranked higher than Freedom or Livermore on MaxPreps).
May 13th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I agree Dfal, Antioch getting hammered yesterday will drop them in the NCS seeding for D1.
Pinole’s showing against Concord gives them a shot at the 4 seed in D2.
May 13th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Figure this out for me. College Park is 2nd in the DVAL, 2 wins over Berean and 1 (another game tomorrow) over Concord and yet both teams are ranked over CP. This makes no sense to me. Concord played in the Queen of the Mountain tournement which had so-so teams while CP played in the Livermore Stampede which had many many top teams in the state. I do not get the rankings.
May 14th, 2009 at 1:13 am
9 losses from what I can tell. Fill in the Max preps games. They don’t have you listed on the league charts.
May 14th, 2009 at 6:47 am
….DFAL_SB…..
I can not find any rankings within MaxPreps for softball, where are you seeing that?
May 14th, 2009 at 7:45 am
SoftballBob Go to the Northcoast section and click on rankings. It hasn’t been updated since April 26th, but they are there.
May 14th, 2009 at 9:16 am
So Lawrence and SoftballBob, you seem to be Berkeley fans. With Berkeley’s loss to Alameda yesterday where should Alameda (14-9) be ranked? Alameda has wins against Castro Valley, Clayton Valley, Amador Valley (at the Livermore Stampede) and some tough 1 run losses (4) including a 1-0 loss to Pinole Valley. Granted they are not a powerhouse and are very young but they should get a mention. I actually saw that Logan/Alameda game and Logan was very lucky to have pulled that one out.
May 14th, 2009 at 10:25 am
wow Jorge, I seen the same game and I don’t agree! There were error’s that lead to the close score to Logan. So you might want to go back and check the book!
May 14th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Yeah, Logan always looks lucky, but they keep on winning the close ones. Lot of speed, good arms in the outfield, tough shortstop and power in the middle of the lineup.
May 14th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Hey Jorge,
I did read about that win last night against Berkeley, which is a good league win for Alameda at an opportune time of the season – NCS around the corner.
I am not necessarily a Berkeley fan, I primarily follow D1 classified schools. Nothing wrong with D2, D3, etc but my kid goes to D1 school, so follow for NCS purposes.
At one point a few weeks ago I noticed that Berkeley was being left out of the poll even though they appeared to have both good league and overall records?
I also was of the opinion it would be great, although difficult I’m sure, to have seperate polls for each classification. Impractical I’m sure, but nice none the less.
Alameda has quite a nice season and run going for themselves having won 5 of last 6 games. That should bode well for D2 NCS run. A D2 school posting a nice win over a league rival/D1 this late in the season deserves mention for sure.
Sorry Berkeley, you did not take care of business, so you must leave the charts!!
May 14th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Someone I know that follows this program closely told me that this might be least talented Logan team in the past 20 years; which might be a stretch but I believe them. They also indicated that even the coach told them at the outset of the year that this year was a rebuilding year with some talented young kids.
The one consistent is their head coach who has been there for god knows how long. She always puts out a good product and although she rubs opposing coaches,umpires and fans the wrong way sometimes I know she did with me in the late 80′s she might be the best softball coach in the bay area. Logan was a power in the late 80′s had some great teams in the 90′s and also the last couple of years. The only other team with that kind of long term sucess for that past 20 years in the new Division I is Foothill of Pleasanton and to a lesser extent San Marin who hardly ever plays the “big dogs” in the larger division. Freedom obviously takes the cake if you look at the past 10 years but that has more to do with the Williams family; and another one is on the way.
Coaching is crucial in softball with the exception of having a dominating pitcher may be most crucial component of a successful team. I don’t think it’s a coincidence this Logan team has an undefeated record against top 15 teams. From what I’ve heard they could have easily lost every one of those games as well.
That being said, this team along with virtually every other team in the D I classification could lose in the first round. There are no dominant pitchers in the area at any classification so the field is wide open.
Logan has well documented losses to Newark twice and nearly lost to American the other day according to the paper. Every year when I catch the brackets in the paper Logan always gets seeded higher in my opinion than they should because like other sports like football/basketball the old wily coaches are very persuasive in their presentations and get seeded more based on reputation than anything else. However this year with an undefeated record in non league play the Colts should get a top 5 seed even if they lose again to a game Newark team. The coach probably is on the verge of retirement , I would assume after this many years so this might be the end of an era.
If this is the worst team in 20 years in Union City there must be something in the water over there; that or a female coach who has dedicated a ton of time and effort to an entertaining sport.
May 14th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
what about el cerrito….didnt they beat alameda, berkeley, and pinole?….then why arent they mentioned?
May 14th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
I think the Alameda/Logan game was tarnished as one of the Alameda parents told me the game started in the bottom of the first. I guess there was a rescheduled game from a week or so before that they started in a downpour before stopping it middle of first. Who knows what happens mano a mano for 7. Seemed a little unsportsmanlike to me but that’s all hearsay. And no, El Cerrito didn’t beat Alameda, Berkeley and Pinole, at least not in softball.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Newark beat Logan again tonight according to Maxpreps, 3rd time. Unfortunately I think this bumps a deserving team out of the playoffs, but the Cougars earned it by beating a top 5 team 3 x.
-Freedom and Livermore are #1 and #2 unquestioned.
-3 and 4 should be interesting. Foothill will be pushing the EBAL envelope and the fact that they beat Newark Memorial. Logan will be pushing the fact that they beat everyone outside of league and beat SRV which handed Foothill its only loss.
-Newark is a bracket buster and has Logan’s #. You can’t justify moving them up really but how do you tell kids that they are 8 or 9 seeds worse than a team they dominated 3-0 in the season series. Doesn’t make sense, or seem fair but their non league slate/results didn’t do them any favors. If Newark makes the semis I don’t think anyone will be surprised.
-Berkeley looks like the odd team out because of Newark winning MVAL. Arroyo will point to their head to head win over the Yellow Jackets and Newark to secure a slot in the top 12.
#1) Freedom
#2) Livermore – Won best league
#3 or #4) Logan- Beat #6,#8,#9 Lost 3x to # 12
#3 or # 4) Foothill- Beat # 7, #8,#9,#12 Lost to #6
#5) Antioch Beat # 8, #10 ,#13
#6) San Ramon Valley-
#7) Deer Valley
#8) Castro Valley- Lost to #7 DV #3/#4 Logan
#9) Amador Valley – Keys wins over Cal but lost to Deer Valley 1-0
#10) Cal- Beat Arroyo 9-0
#11) Arroyo – Beat Berkeley and Newark
#12) Newark Memorial losses to Granada, Arroyo, Liberty, Foothill
#13) Berkeley- No quality DI wins above them. Can only hang hat on win over DII Alameda big loss to Arroyo will hurt
Sets up first round
#5 Antioch vs #12 Newark
#6 San Ramon vs #11 Arroyo
#7 Deer Valley vs #10 California
#8 Castro Valley vs # 9 Amador Valley
May 15th, 2009 at 12:54 am
Failed to mention that Foothill split the head to head with San Ramon , which isn’t shown and that Antioch and Deer Valley played earlier today but the results aren’t posted. A Deer Valley win which is entirely possible could make them flip flop seeds.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:29 am
Glad to see softball is finally getting some interest!
IMHO A loss to nationally ranked Freedom shouldn’t hurt Antioch whether it is 1-0 or 12-0. Two of the three games were close and Antioch had the tying runners on or up in the last inning in both of those. Tuesday the game got away early and the train never stopped. Sometimes that happens. 18-6 overall and 11-4 in the BVAL (2nd place)warrants a high ranking in the polls and in NCS. Arguably the BVAL is the best league in the section this year and if it isn’t it is only behind the EBAL. The BVAL has 5 teams out of the 6 that are eligible for the playoffs with Heritage owning a winning record vs D2.
Let the fun begin!!! Go Antioch!!!
May 15th, 2009 at 7:16 am
After last nights games here are my projections for the softball playoffs.
Newark beat Logan again tonight according to Maxpreps, 3rd time. Unfortunately I think this bumps a deserving team out of the playoffs, but the Cougars earned it by beating a top 5 team 3 x.
-Freedom and Livermore are #1 and #2 unquestioned.
-3 and 4 should be interesting. Foothill will be pushing the EBAL envelope and the fact that they beat Newark Memorial. Logan will be pushing the fact that they beat everyone outside of league and beat SRV which handed Foothill its only loss.
-Newark is a bracket buster and has Logan’s #. You can’t justify moving them up really but how do you tell kids that they are 8 or 9 seeds worse than a team they dominated 3-0 in the season series. Doesn’t make sense, or seem fair but their non league slate/results didn’t do them any favors. If Newark makes the semis I don’t think anyone will be surprised.
-Berkeley looks like the odd team out because of Newark winning MVAL. Arroyo will point to their head to head win over the Yellow Jackets and Newark to secure a slot in the top 12.
#1) Freedom
#2) Livermore – Won best league
#3 or #4) Logan- Beat #6,#8,#9 Lost 3x to # 12
#3 or # 4) Foothill- Beat # 7, #8,#9,#12 Lost to #6
#5) Antioch Beat # 8, #10 ,#13
#6) San Ramon Valley-
#7) Deer Valley
#8) Castro Valley- Lost to #7 DV #3/#4 Logan
#9) Amador Valley – Keys wins over Cal but lost to Deer Valley 1-0
#10) Cal- Beat Arroyo 9-0
#11) Arroyo – Beat Berkeley and Newark
#12) Newark Memorial losses to Granada, Arroyo, Liberty, Foothill
#13) Berkeley- No quality DI wins above them. Can only hang hat on win over DII Alameda big loss to Arroyo will hurt
Sets up first round
#5 Antioch vs #12 Newark
#6 San Ramon vs #11 Arroyo
#7 Deer Valley vs #10 California
#8 Castro Valley vs # 9 Amador Valley
May 15th, 2009 at 8:45 am
?SoftballJuan?
Freedom doesn’t have the history JL and other schools have because the school has only been around for about 11 years? In those 11 years the school has won one 2A and six 3A champioships? The William’s sisters (nice kids & good family) have played combined 7 of those 11 years and have provided some key elements any team needs – pitching. Freedom’s first two championships were without the William’s sisters, one 2A & one 3A.
Pitching is important, it isn’t everything. Teams must play D behind the pitcher, and, of course, squeak out the all important run once in a while. Don’t forget the additional necessity for a little luck on occassion.
Freedom won last season’s championship with pitching, defense, and timely hitting (and a little luck). Hitting came not only by Hannah, but also the likes of Stalf, Robertson, Westlund, Zepeda, Padilla, Wood, & Wiley and Tomasini (both skipped 3A Championship game to attend senior prom).
In the championship game against CalHigh, Hannah gave up 9 hits in 11 innings, and was 0 – 5 at the plate against Miller. The record shows CalHi ran poorly in the bottom of the 11th, or they would have tied the game, but if you were at that game you would know Freedom played outstanding defense too. Diving plays in CF by Padilla prevented CalHi from winning outright in regulation, as did a play that you would never know about unless you were there, a key dive by the secondabaseman, Osborn (playing 2nd because Wiley went to the prom), in the bottom of the 10th held a runner on 3rd. No out was recorded, but that dive alone saved the game, as the runner stopping at 3rd would have easily gone home, winning the game in the 7th!
All of Freedom’s championship teams have possessed these qualities. I am from that community, am not a coach, but know the in’s and out’s of the school and the community.
Also, if you believe there are no dominant pitchers in the NCS D1, what do you make of H. William’s 0.25 ERA in 24 games? This includes showdowns with ESPNRise Fab50 ranked powerhouses such as; Mitty, Sheldon, Norco, Pleasant Grove, not to even mention NCS bound teams like Foothill, Antioch, Deer Valley, SRV, etc?
By-the-way, here is a sorted listing of championships from the CIFNCS website.
NCS Championships
3A 2A Total
Freedom 6 1 7
Foothill 1 3 4
Washington 3 3
Antioch 3 3
Montgomery 2 2
Pinole Valley 2 2
Arroyo 2 2
James Logan 2 2
Moureau Catholic1 1 2
Liberty 1 1 2
Granada 2 2
Albany 2 2
Alhambra 2 2
Campolindo 2 2
Pittsburg 1 1
Benecia 1 1
Carondelet 1 1
College Park 1 1
Castro Valley 1 1
Dublin 1 1
Heritage 1 1
May 15th, 2009 at 9:05 am
I agree with most of what you said go panther. I still believe Antioch should get the 4 seed, maybe even the 3, but there are a lot of good D1 teams. One blowout loss, no matter who it was, could be the difference between 4 and 5 or 6 seed.
I think Antioch can make a run in D1. Also, I believe Concord will win D2. Lastly, I think Alhambra will make a run at the D3 title.
Just my 2 cents!
May 15th, 2009 at 10:04 am
“Freedom obviously takes the cake if you look at the past 10 years but that has more to do with the Williams family; and another one is on the way.”
You people have a lot of time on your hands , but I’ll chime in.
Softball Bob, there is no doubt Freedom has the talent the past 10 years but I think the old timer was trying to paint the picture over the last 20 , 10 of which Freedom wasn’t even in existence. Let the person live in the past and I think he’s pretty much spot on, Last 20 years Foothill Logan and I’d throw in Antioch have been the most consistent. Freedom doesn’t factor into the discussion because they have not been around for 20 + years. Don’t worry I’ll heap lots of praise for Freedom later on.
You also contradict yourself by saying Hannah gave up 9 hits in 11 innings last year in the NCS final , but then point out her 0.25 era this year. Will she pitch in college? I’m asking since I don’t know the team as intimately as you do.
I also agree that Freedom wouldn’t have as many banners without the Williams sisters perhaps even zero in that time frame in which they played. This isn’t a slight, but just a tip of the hat to the quality pitchers from other teams that ran into the Williams buzz saw over the past couple of years. This is obviously speculation and you could say that the Patriots wouldn’t have won superbowls without Tom Brady, speculation but in the end who has the Super Bowl Trophies? There is no denying that Freedom has been the team of the decade not only in the section but perhaps the STATE. Will be interesting to see what transpires the next couple of years. 2002 or YBW (year before williams) they were the #1 seed and won easily. I think people will continue to discredit Freedom until they win without a Williams kid for right or wrong. Like I said it doesn’t really matter because they have the hardware.
Who knows how many runs a team would have put up on the board on Freedom without Williams pitching. The Newark Teams and Foothill teams had loaded lineups including DI NCAA all-americans. Who knows if they would have made the championship game?
For my monies worth I think they would have won in 2006 even with an average pitcher since they put up 6 runs on newark’s pitcher. The other years I’m not so sure. I think they’ll win this year handily.
2003 Final Freedom 4 – Newark 1
2004 Final Freedom 1- Newark 0 (8 innings)
2005 Final Freedom 6- Foothil 4
2006 Final Freedom 6 – Newark 0
2007 Final Freedom 3 – Cal 2 (11 innings)
May 15th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Mid 90′s in the Fremont area were epic. Washington of Fremont had two premier pitchers Voak and Spediacci who went onto big success in the Pac 10 ASU and Washington respectively. When those teams played softball folks from throughout Northern California would come watch the game. Logan has always had to have a run of pitchers and had 2 premier pitchers one of which was the Big East Player of the year at South Bend Univ of Notre Dame and now the coach at Castro Valley and another girl who was just as good. Teams from outside that area used to say it was only a matter of time until those girls left that Logan and Washington would go downhill. Washington has fell off the radar but Logan continues to have solid albeit not specatular teams.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:42 am
BVAL v. EBAL
#s 2-5 are evenly matched and competitive 90% of the time, but this year Freedom holds the edge over Livermore until the Lady Cowboys prove otherwise. Livermore has the talent to compete with any team, but until you win against Hannah Williams…
If CAL would have won the championship last year, the scale would be tipped the other way, it is that close.
Comments from the other leagues???
May 15th, 2009 at 10:53 am
well softball fan I guess thats why they play the game.
D1 Livermore/Freedom final
D2 sleeper is Arroyo they can beat Los Lomas and Concord
D3 Odowd/Albany final Alhambers 9 losses make them a real underdog. I don’t think they’ll get a bye in the first round. That makes a difference when you travel and play back to back.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Alhambra played a tough non league schedule, which included two tough tourneys. All losses our against quality teams with a few quality wins sprinkled in. I agree with O’Dowd in the finals. Not sold on Albany. They would have 9 losses if they played Alhambra’s schedule. Alhambra will be anywhere from a 4-6 seed, I saw Alhambra play twice early in the season and twice towards the end. Looks like they shook up most of their infield, including catcher. Looks like they are a young team too.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Does anyone know anything about the Marin teams? I know Montgomery (D2) is undefeated but their strength of schedule is low. What about San Marin and Del Norte in D3?
Has anyone seen these teams play?
May 15th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Mckbooth – Concord & Las Lomas have 18G pitching. . .does Arroyo? How about Alameda? Should be interesting but the East Bay will need to play its best every game if it hopes to get into the finals. I think every team can attest to not being at full strength for a loss or two – but PV, LL, Concord, & Clayton Valley have a lot going for them this year (& next).
Many leagues have two, three, or even four good teams but it’s the bottom teams that distinguish league strength. I wouldn’t dismiss the top teams from several leagues as “not as good” from outside of EBAL or BVAL; however, the sub .500 teams in these leagues are just better than the same tier in other leagues.
CP was pretty good last year, they’ve obviously come on of late & could get mentioned in next weeks poll.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Does anyone know how to respectfully and convincingly ask a school not to bring back the head coach?
Mt. Diablo had some very talented girls this year and come to find out in their final game…The coach didn’t know the rules for Girls Fastpitch. He had speed, agility and accuracy on his side and did not use it.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
AHH dFAB,
18 gold starters?? Give me a 16 gold trying to get a scholarship. Okay, Concord has an era of 4.3 runs in there 5 losses. I’m not sure where Los Lomas belongs losing to Campalindo late.
I’d be more more worried about the lead off hitter for Arroyo who is a good slapper and has very potent speed. I mean fast. They battle, I’m not sure if it’s history or what , but they battle and you can’t run on the outfielders. All will rob you at the plate.
I don’t think that bats at Concord or Los Lomas will back up the pitching. In other words they can’t hit 16 gold pitchers. 18 gold won’t make a difference.
May 15th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
For pitching. . .might be a few exceptions but I don’t agree. Most 16 yr olds, field players & pitchers, skip 16U (or skip playing a 2nd year of 16U) & move up to 18U/18G. Having watched several showcase tournaments, the competition is clearly better at that level than 16U.
Every good team has a slapper or multiple slappers in their line-up. If pitching hits their spots & defense plays it right, often negates the threat.
Good to here about Arroyo. . .that can only help the East Bay advance (if they avoid playing each other knocking each other out in the early rounds). The bats at both Concord & LL are better than you might think – low K’s, lots of quality ASA players – just need to get the hits at the right time & mix in a little small ball.
That was a real mulligan loss for LL. . .will knock them down in this poll & hurt their seeding. Like Alhambra in div III, they are dangerous & it wouldn’t be a surprise if they or Concord win div II. Too bad this is single elimination playoff.
Looks like CP was convincingly beaten by Concord. . .scratch that comment about CP being mentioned in the polls next week.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Las Lomas loss to Campo probably cost them a first round bye. I think Pinole gets the 4 seed now. I still think Concord is the team to beat in D2, unless they run into Clayton! Concord has more talent than the other D2 teams in the area. I will never count out Las Lomas. I have seen them 3 times and they are scrappy and hustle. I do not think they are as talented as some of the others but they play well together and find ways to win.
It is true that, for the most part, the competition is better at the 18G level. That being said, there are some weak 18G teams out there. Also, the top 16U teams are better than most 18U teams in this area. I would even say the top few 14U teams are just as good as the 18U teams.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
The NCS softball championships schedules have changed compared to prior years. With the Wed/Sat/Wed/Sat schedule, first round byes mean a 1 week layoff for the top 4 teams which could hurt a team’s momentum, and first round winners get 2 days rest before returning to the field. This should create more potential upsets in round 2 than in prior years.
Have they announced where the D-I and D-II championship games will be played? I hope that it remains a doubleheader at a class A venue.
May 15th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
DFAL- Sorry to inform you but the BVAL and the EBAL are much better the the DFAL and for that matter every other league this year. While I don’t discount any team and am a believer that in a game any thing can happen I think if Acalanes, Las Lomas and Alhambra were dropped in those two leagues they would find it hard to compete game in and game out. Our last place team beat Accalanes 7-1 and they went 10-2 in league? I don’t say this to be harsh and believe these things go in cycles but this year to dispute these two leagues have the best teams is not based in reality.
May 15th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Wow, I didn’t realize they had changed the format. You might be right about more upsets and the momentum changing for some of the better teams. Could really be hard on the teams with a lot of graduates.
Yes the college recruiters go to the 16U tournments. 18G has a lot of JC and freshmen players. Generally, already playing in a program , but not playing on the college traveling teams.
May 15th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Logan lost to Newark again. They are not a top 4 seed. Freedom is 1, Livermore 2, Foothill 3, Antioch 4.
By my count there are 14 teams eligible in D1. I think College Park and American are on the outside looking in with the EBAL and the BVAL each sending 4, the MVAL 2, ACCAL 1 and HAAL 1
May 15th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Somebody’s out because Newark gets the automatic bid for winning the league. Logan has only lost to Newark, they may still get a top 4 seed.
I definitely think American is out. BVAL might not send 4 maybe 3.
May 15th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Dang that Newark team messing things up by beating Logan for the 3rd time this year and being the only team that has dropped an “L” on them. When is Newark going to get some respect out there, they are 16-10 overall and went 11-1 in MVAL. They are a young team that struggled in the pre-season and have improved game after game… Ohhh I forgot there is not any decent baseball, softball, or soccer played on the west side of the mountain in the East bay.
May 16th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Newarks in we’ll see, you create your own respect. That’s why they play the game.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:10 am
I agree with MckBooth, American and Liberty are likely out.
The new format for NCS is rediculous. Softball teams do not need that much time off, and the week off could end up icing a few of the top four seeds.
May 16th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I agree with go panther. The DFAL is not even close to the BVAL or the EBAL. That being said, I heard Acalanes was missing players, including their pitcher, when they played Pitt. I do think Las Lomas and Alhambra could play in the BVAL and the EBAL. They would have no chance to win either league but could play with most teams in each league. We should also remember that Las Lomas (D2) and Alhambra (D3) are smaller schools. As for Acalanes, I watched them once and was not too impressed.
May 16th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I still think Logan will get a top 4 seed, although it may now be the 4th seed. I think it will be between Antioch and Foothill for the last top seed, which may be the 3 if Logan is the 4.
May 16th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I agree with go panther also. since realighnment the DFAL is not as strong as it used to be. But don’t discount CV or Concord to make a run at the championship. Concord has beaten Antioch,Las Lomas ,Alhambra,Heritage,Pinole Valley,Berkely and Benecia in non-conference games. Andyes CV does have there number but that happens to every team once in a while.
May 16th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Softball Fan ..
I with agree with most of what you have to say, but I don’t think Logan is deserving of a top 4 seed!!
May 17th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Of course the DFAL’s not as strong as last year. . .Concord, CP, etc. are out & it’s a shame. As I said, the bottom teir in BVAL & EBAL are just better than every other league in the East Bay, no doubt, I agree. But Concord, LL, CV, & Alhambra, IMHO would be right in the mix for 2nd/3rd/4th place in these leagues too. PV as well.
How does any team explain blow-out losses? Did the wheels come off? Pitching? Look at the K’s & hits. . .high K & low hits probably dominant winner, low K’s & low hits – the balls just didn’t fall & trust the defense.
I agree, Logan lost it’s top 4 placement. Congrats to Newark, hope Antioch gets the bye.
Antioch & Berkeley are a little lucky they didn’t match-up against LL this year, would have been a good pairing. LL probably should have passed on the HASA tournament – they were, for good reason, not focused nor at full strength (I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the other teams were missing some players too). HASA had 5 good teams, 3 not.
Now the fun starts. . .we can predict all we want but no more debate or excuses after it all gets going. What teams most the most improved from 1st half to 2nd half in their leagues?
May 17th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Foothill should be #3, and Antioch deserves #4 over Logan because losing 3 times to a “weaker” team tips the scales. Bubble teams are Cal, College Park, Deer Valley and Liberty.
Strategically, #5 is a good berth because you host #12 next Wednesday, and if you win you play #4 after 2 days rest (but on the road), while #4 sits for 8 days.
Let’s hope the all-seeing mystery committee gets it right…
May 18th, 2009 at 1:35 am
First of all, they have one of the best feeder systems around; they get “new blood” every year. You will see C.V. getting better players, because many players may not get a chance to play at Concord, and go there instead. I believe their JV’s went defeated this year.
Concord could’ve done better this year. There are players on varsity that should be JV’s, and vice versa. We have no depth on our roster. They need to know softball, they don’t believe in “small ball”, and many believe they need to change their coaching staff. I hope the best for our team, but it will depend on their hitting to get them through. They are like the Giants, good pitching, suspect hitting.