There can be no scarcity of Bay Space groups on this 12 months’s California Interscholastic Federation Northern California regional baseball and softball playoffs.
The CIF NorCal brackets had been launched on Sunday, and De La Salle (26-4) headlines the Division I baseball bracket. The Spartans have been nearly untouchable this season, continuously successful video games by 10 or extra runs.
Granada, the reigning NorCal champs and solely Bay Space staff to beat De La Salle this season, just isn’t on this 12 months’s playoffs after struggling a quarterfinal loss to Casa Grande within the NCS quarterfinals.
The Spartans might face No. 5 Valley Christian (25-7-1), which is able to journey to face St. Mary’s of Stockton within the NorCal opening spherical. St. Mary’s (25-8) is certainly one of two groups aside from Granada to beat De La Salle this 12 months.
Valley Christian's Quinten Marsh (24) hits an RBI single in opposition to Serra within the third inning of their Central Coast Part Division I closing at Excite Ballpark in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Might 31, 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Space Information Group)
De La Salle is searching for its third NorCal title within the regional competitors’s fourth version. The Spartans gained the primary two Division I tournaments in 2022 and 2023 and misplaced to Granada within the 2024 semifinals.
Elsewhere within the Division I bracket, No. 3 Serra (26-6) will host No. 6 School Park (17-11) in an all-Bay Space battle. No. 7 Los Gatos (24-5) will journey to Elk Grove to face No. 2 Franklin (26-7).
NON-LOCAL TEAMS PULL DOWN TOP TWO SOFTBALL SEEDS
St. Francis cheers on their batter in opposition to Willow Glen within the eighth inning throughout CCS Open Division softball championship sport at West Valley School in Saratoga, Calif., Saturday, Might 31, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
The Bay Space has some fairly good softball groups this 12 months, however neither of the 2 finest in Northern California.
That was the dedication of the CIF seeding committee within the Division I bracket. St. Francis, recent off an extra-inning win over beforehand undefeated Willow Glen within the CCS Open Division championship, was the highest-seeded Bay Space staff at No. 3.
The highest seeds are No. 1 Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills and No. 2 Del Oro of Loomis.
In equity to the committee, there are legitimate arguments to be made in protection of these groups being named the 2 finest in NorCal. Oak Ridge (24-4) is recent off a Sac-Joaquin Part Division I title, the place it beat prime seed Del Oro 3-2 because of a three-run rally within the sixth inning.
The seedings additionally usually align with MaxPreps’ California state softball rankings. Del Oro (28-2) is the No. 3 staff within the state, and Oak Ridge is No. 4. St. Francis (27-3) is available in at No. 5.
St. Francis celebrates successful in opposition to Willow Glen throughout CCS Open Division softball championship sport at West Valley School in Saratoga, Calif., Saturday, Might 31, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
The margins are slim. Del Oro’s score is 33.37, Oak Ridge’s is 32.68 and St. Francis’ is 32.2.
The Lancers are the one Bay Space Division I staff to get a house sport within the first spherical. They may host Rocklin at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
No. 7 Willow Glen (28-1) will journey to Del Oro for its quarterfinal matchup, and will do the Lancers an enormous favor by knocking off the Golden Eagles. No. 8 Capuchino (21-7) may have an analogous enterprise because it travels to face Oak Ridge.
Willow Glen’s Elizabeth Dilbeck (99) hits the ball in opposition to St. Francis within the fifth inning throughout CCS Open Division softball championship sport at West Valley School in Saratoga, Calif., Saturday, Might 31, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
SANTA CLARA GETTING THE RESPECT IT CRAVES?
“We showed that we didn’t belong in D-IV or being the eighth seed.”
“I thank all those guys in that room who doubted us.”
These had been the phrases of Santa Clara pitcher Drew Diffenderfer and coach Pedro Martinez after the Bruins, the bottom seed within the subject, dominated St. Francis SCP 8-0 to win the CCS Division IV championship. Now, Santa Clara is correct again in Division IV.
This time, the Bruins (27-3) had been seeded No. 3 in NorCal and can get their first dwelling sport of the postseason. They may host No. 6 Oakland Tech (17-9), the champions of the Oakland Part.
Santa Clara’s Connor Houle (2) and Santa Clara’s John Kepner (6) soar in celebration after scoring in opposition to St. Francis SCP within the sixth inning in the course of the Division IV CCS championship sport at Santa Clara College’s Stephen Schott Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Friday, Might 30, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
One other all-Bay Space matchup in D-IV options No. 4 Las Lomas (16-11) and No. 5 Menlo College (21-8). Las Lomas is the NCS Division IV champion, whereas Menlo gained the CCS Division V title.
The sport can be performed at Acalanes Excessive College.
And so on.
No. 8 Foothill (16-9-1) may have an uphill battle proper from the get-go within the Division II softball match, nevertheless it gained’t be the primary time. The Falcons will journey up Interstate 680 to tackle prime seed Vanden of Fairfield (21-4) of their opening-round matchup, however Foothill simply gained the NCS Division I third-place sport because the No. 13 seed within the bracket. Elsewhere within the D-II bracket, No. 4 Liberty, the NCS Division I champion, will host Central Catholic of Modesto. No. 6 King’s Academy, the CCS Division I champ, will journey to Sacramento to face Future Christian. … No. 2 St. Francis is positioned for back-to-back dwelling video games within the D-II baseball bracket, internet hosting No. 7 Central Catholic-Modesto. Reverse them within the bracket is No. 6 Acalanes, which might clinch a house sport or a visit to Mountain View with a profitable journey as much as No. 3 Chico. … No. 1 Hillsdale will get a free go to the semifinal spherical in D-III softball, the place the Preventing Knights will await the winner of No. 4 Foothill-Palo Cedro and No. 5 Liberty-Madera. No. 3 Carondelet will host No. 6 Nice Valley on the opposite facet of the bracket. … California baseball earned itself a visit to the Sacramento space within the D-III bracket, the place the Grizzles will face No. 1 Roseville. … Woodside is in the identical boat in D-IV softball, taking a visit to Nicolaus to face prime seed East Nicolaus. If the Wildcats win, they might meet No. 4 Northgate, which hosts No. 5 Gridley at 2 p.m. No. 3 San Leandro, the runner-up in NCS Division III, will host No. 6 College-Redding. … No. 5 Oakland will make the quick journey to No. 4 Miramonte, which gained its first-ever part championship on Saturday, within the D-V softball bracket.
Liberty beginning pitcher Kate Skinner #12 leaps after the ultimate out is made in a 4-0 victory over Casa Grande within the NCS Division I softball championship at St. Mary’s School in Moraga, Calif., Friday, Might 30, 2025. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
