Small school powers to meet Monday: Sac-Joaquin's No. 20 Sutter Union, NSCIF No. 4 Colusa to play at Bryant Field
Apr. 25—The first loss in the Pioneer Valley League for the Sutter Union High baseball team perhaps caused the Huskies to dip two positions from 18 to No. 20 in the Sac-Joaquin Section full rankings published Thursday by MaxPreps.com.
While it fell after its 3-2 loss to Bear River on Tuesday, the Huskies remain the top area team in the weekly computerized rankings. Yuba City, after its series win over Sac-Joaquin's previously ranked No. 9 Bella Vista, moved up to No. 28 in the section — one spot above Vista del Lago (19-4-1), which fell to Yuba City, 7-3 on Wednesday.
The Honkers (13-12, 7-8 Capital Valley Conference) sit in fourth, one spot back of the top-3 automatic playoff berths permitted by the section. YC opens its final league set Tuesday at home against River Valley at 6 p.m. at Winship Field.
As for Sutter, it remains atop the PVL and its four allowed postseason bids ahead of its series finale against Bear River, played Thursday at home, and a final league series starting Tuesday at home against Colfax at 4 p.m.
It's the second of a three-game week that opens with Colusa, a team that has won the last two Northern Section Division IV titles and sits No. 4 in this week's NSCIF poll
Sutter (17-4-1) played to a draw with Colusa last year, running its series record with the RedHawks to 9-4-1 since 2006.
"It should be a good experience for our guys to play (at Bryant Field)," Sutter head coach Stewart Peterson said. "We're going to treat that as a tuneup for the playoffs and get all our guys and our pitchers some work. The venue is great and it's kind of a dry run for the (Marysville) Drakes season. There's a group of people that have done a lot of work to get that field ready so they want to show it off."
As for Colusa (19-3), Eric Lay's program will use the Sutter contest as a springboard to more than likely another Sac Valley League title and a favorable position in the NSCIF D-IV playoffs.
"Our team has a busy final two weeks of the season in preparation for the playoffs. We have our normal SVL league games vs. East Nic and Pierce, but we also added Sutter, Gridley and Anderson over the next two weeks to challenge our guys," Lay said. "When you play teams like Sutter and Gridley you are going to be put in pressure situations just about every inning. Those teams are super athletic, they compete at a high level, and they are always well-coached and ready to go."
The opportunity to play under the lights at Bryant Field is one that Colusa will cherish.
"We are looking forward to a great evening at a great venue," Lay said. "I have very fond memories of many childhood evenings spent at Bryant Field watching my dad play softball."
First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. at the Marysville ballpark, located at 14th and B Street, and is sponsored in part by Highlands Community Charter School and the Marysville Drakes.
