Here are the Top 10 SJ County prep softball teams at Week 9
Only a few more games of the regular season remain for San Joaquin County high school softball teams putting the postseason pressure on.
With the playoffs set to begin on May 14 teams across the county are battling it out for a qualifying spot in their respective leagues. Sitting atop their leagues currently are Tracy, Ripon, Manteca and Linden. Their dominance in league play has landed them a spot in the final Record’s Top 10 SJ County prep softball teams at Week 9.
These four teams and other area teams still in the postseason conversation make up the final weekly rankings before the Record’s playoff predictions for the Sac-Joaquin Section softball playoffs.
1. Tracy (19-2-1) 50 points
Next game: at Lodi on April 30
For five weeks straight, Tracy has been at the top of the Record’s rankings as it has been the team to beat in the 209. The Bulldogs will likely finish out the regular season as top five SJS team sitting at No. 2 in the section.
They hold an impressive 11-1 Tri-City Athletic League record and are just three games away from snagging the TCAL championship. In their victory against Tokay on April 23 they showcased dominance on both sides of the ball. Senior Maggie Goodfellow earned a win on the mound picking up three Ks and allowing no runs while Tracy’s offense reeled in 13 runs.
2. Manteca (14-3) 45 points
Next game: vs. Sierra on April 30
Similar to Tracy, Manteca has held its No. 2 ranking for five weeks holding its own in a competitive Valley Oak League. The Buffaloes are currently on a three-game winning streak picking up wins against Kimball and Lincoln and are ranked No. 9 in the SJS.
They will look to carry this success over into the final stretch of the regular season as the top four spots in the league are still up for grabs. Manteca is currently tied for first place in the VOL with Central Catholic and Oakdale with a 5-1 record. They will need to pull off some clutch wins to stay at the top of the league.
3. Ripon (12-4) 35 points
Next game: vs. Livingston on April 26
Since last week’s rankings, Ripon has picked up two dubs against Riverbank and Hughson. This puts the Indians at a perfect 6-0 in Trans Valley League play and in the No. 3 spot in the Record’s Top 10 prep softball teams rankings.
Three players have played crucial roles in this season’s success senior Kharime Caratachea, junior Alana Hernandez, and sophomore Izabelle Spurzem. Caratachea leads the Indians on the mound racking up the 24th most strikeouts in the nation (172) while Hernandez is ranked eighth in the nation in fielding percentage. Ripon’s most consistent slugger is Spurzem who holds a .426 batting average.
More: Playoff predictions: These 13 SJ County boys volleyball teams are SJS playoff bound
4. Lodi (17-6) 36 points
Next game: vs. Tracy on April 30
The Flames maintain their fourth-place ranking for the second week in a row after picking up a win since last week. They beat a tough Lincoln squad 15-3 on April 23 with senior Janie Schallberger leading the charge.
The infielder finished the game with a team-high six RBIs, three hits, two runs and a home run. Once Schallberger got hot there was no stopping Lodi’s offense helping it win its tenth TCAL game of the season. If the Flames can keep the winning up they will land a spot in the SJS Division 2 playoff bracket.
5. Linden (15-5) 18 points
Next game: at Bear Creek on April 26
Linden maintains perfection in San Joaquin Athletic Association play as it holds a 9-0 league record. This league domination has earned the Lions its highest rankings yet coming in at No. 4 at Week 9.
Their most recent victory came against Chavez on April 24 and shutdown pitching was on display from senior Jaylin Plaster. She ended the game with six strikeouts and didn’t allow a single run all game. The Lions would go on to beat the Titans 13-0 and will look to close out SJAA play with a championship.
6. Kimball (9-8) 33 points
Next game: vs. Oakdale on April 30
The Jaguars have dropped just outside of the top 5 of the Record’s rankings as VOL play has been a gauntlet for them. They are currently in fifth place in the VOL with a 2-5 record and just a game behind East Union for the final qualifying playoff spot from the league.
Kimball still has time left to pick up some crucial dubs in their final three league games. It’ll also have some non-league games to close out the season against Ripon and West to prepare the Jaguars for a possible SJS playoff appearance. A key player in doing so is senior Elysia Duarte who notched her 100th hit in her career as a Jaguar.
Top 10 SJ County prep baseball: Here is the final Top 10 SJ County prep baseball teams rankings for the 2023-24 season
7. East Union (12-7) 23 points
Next game: vs. Central Catholic on April 30
The Lancers are clinging to fourth place in the VOL with a 2-4 record. They haven’t played a game since last week’s rankings and hold a one-game win streak beating Sierra on April 18. East Union will have a tall task on its hands taking on the first-place VOL team Oakdale on April 25.
The Mustangs have only lost one league game so far and have already beaten East Union 12-1 earlier in the season. The Lancers are looking to put up more of a fight this go-round. Two sluggers who will need to step up for them are sophomore Lily Pickering and junior Mikayla Simpson. Pickering leads the VOL in home runs (7) while Simpson is second in the league in batting average (.520).
8. St. Mary’s (11-12-1) 7 points
Next game: vs. Tokay on April 30
Working its way up to the No. 8 ranking in the final weekly rankings is St. Mary’s who has gone 1-0 since last week. The Rams' victory came against West on April 13 on the backs of an explosive offense and solid pitching.
On the mound for them that game was sophomore Angelina Martinez who ended the night with seven Ks and only allowed one run. Offensively, junior Matea Muraoka and sophomore Emma Swickard led the charge. Both sluggers went deep for a home run and combined for seven RBIs, six hits and five runs. St. Mary’s will need to keep the winning up to hold onto third place in the TCAL.
9. Mountain House (17-6) 14 points
Next game: vs. Pacheco on April 30
The Mustangs hold on to the final qualifying playoff spot from the Western Athletic Conference with an 8-2 league record. Since last week’s rankings, they have gone 1-1, beating Pacheco on April 19 and losing to Los Banos on April 23.
In their victory over the Panthers, sophomore Mackenzie Coffman had the hot bat. The infielder finished the game with a team-high four RBIs, three hits and two runs. Mountain House went on to win the game 16-3 and will look to do the same in their upcoming matchup with Pacheco on April 30.
10. Lincoln (8-12-1) 4 points
Next game: at West on April 30
After going on a three-game losing streak, Lincoln has fallen to the tenth spot in the final weekly rankings. The Trojans took Ls against Tracy, Manteca and most recently Lodi putting them in fourth place in the TCAL.
Lincoln holds a 5-7 league record and will need to hold on for three more games to snag the final qualifying SJS playoff spot. A key game it will need to win is its April 25 matchup against Tokay who is in fifth place in the TCAL just a game behind the Trojans. The teams are 1-1 in games against each other this season.
On the bubble teams: Tokay, Millennium, and Lathrop
This article originally appeared on The Record: Here are the Top 10 SJ County prep softball teams at Week 9
