Previewing the Sac-Joaquin Section prep softball playoffs
The regular season is over for the Sacramento region in high school softball with races to the final day and final inning, leading to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. The action starts for seven divisions on Tuesday at home sites.
Sacramento-area schools have a good chance of taking the top three divisions while the southern part of the section — the second-largest in the stat — is stronger in the smaller-school brackets.
Here’s a breakdown of the Sacramento region games by division. Games start at 4 pm Tuesday. Section winners advance to the CIF Northern California tournament. There is no state championship.
DIVISION I
Which league is the toughest in the Sacramento area? We will find out in this bracket. Three top teams from the Sierra Foothill and Delta leagues will compete in the highest enrollment division. Top seed Whitney (18-2) is on a roll with a 13-game win streak, which included a 2-1 edging of Delta League power Sheldon in the final week of the regular season. Pitcher Hanna Duncan, Tylie Kitchen and sisters Mya and Alyssa Flindt lead the Wildcats, as they did a year ago when Whitney won the Division II championship.
South Carolina-bound Mya Flindt is hitting .532, with 11 home runs and 34 RBIs. SFL runner up Oak Ridge (18-4) is the No. 2 seed and has the pitching depth to make a backto-back trip to the finals, having won it last season. Freshman Kennedi Freeland and junior Ellison Schroeder have combined for more than 200 strike
outs and an earned run average of 0.90.
That’s the same ERA as Delta League champion Pleasant Grove pitcher Maddie Lawson, who has 131 strikeouts. Faith Hahn is hitting .542 while five other Eagles (17-3) are batting over .400 for the No. 3 seed. Sheldon and Davis have a shot at the Division I title through the rigors of the tough Delta League, and the same can be said for Folsom in the SFL. The northern part of the section should fare well in Division I with winners in all four quarterfinal matchups.
Key openers: Hiram Johnson at Whitney, Stagg at Oak Ridge, McClatchy at Pleasant Grove, Lincoln (Stockton) at Folsom, Turlock at Lodi, Monterey Trail at Sheldon.
Finals prediction: Whitney over Oak Ridge.
DIVISION II
Tracy is always a team to be reckoned with, and the Bulldogs feature two good pitchers as the top seed. Seeds 2-7 are all from Sacramento.
Bella Vista, Elk Grove, St. Francis, Rocklin and Vacaville will open with home games and have a good shot at advancing deep. Rocklin’s Syd Barker will be heading off to Oklahoma in August, but before she goes, she and the No. 7 Thunder want to show that their 11-15 record does not reflect the quality of the team. Rocklin has played one of the toughest schedules in the section.
Bella Vista (18-4) is a surprise this season, but no one is surprised at the play of Alyssa Dethlefson. In the circle, she’s compiled a 1.57 earned run average, and at the plate she is hitting .446 with 15 extra-base hits and 33 RBIs. The Capital Valley Conference champs have not played many top-tier teams, so their No. 2 seed is a surprise to some, though this is a good team with a .368 team batting average.
Elk Grove (16-10) knows all about strength of schedule. The Thundering Herd has played the best teams, and had won nine of 10 games before two recent losses to Sheldon and Pleasant Grove. Seniors Taylor Fitzgerald, Addison Buckley and Katelyn Maciel can lead this team to the finals.
Key openers: Cordova at Bella Vista, Merced at Elk Grove, Rodriquez at St. Francis, Atwater at Vacaville, Laguna Creek at Woodcreek, Linden at Rocklin, Granite Bay at St.Mary’s (Stockton).
Finals prediction: Tracy over Rocklin.
DIVISION III
It’s one for the money, Tuuas for the show for the Cougars of Capital Christian (19-5). Led by sisters Ayla and Alanna Tua, this is the class of the bracket. The Bee’s top ranked team much of the season, Capital Christian has proven it is ready to repeat as a section champion after beating one of the top teams in Northern California, Hollister of San Benito County, in a nonleague game last week.
Alya Tuua is making college scouts eager to sign her with her power pitching and hitting. Texas A&M and UCLA have sent coaches to see her, to name a few. The 2023 Bee Player of the Year is only a sophomore, and she’s hitting .532 with 10 home runs and carries a 1.08 ERA in the circle. Four other Cougars are batting over .400. Alanna Tuua leads the team with 26 RBIs.
Last year Capital Christian won the Division IV title in both section and Nor Cal playoffs. It will be more difficult this year as they move up to Division III. Oakdale, champion of the Valley Oak League, is the other heavy favorite in this bracket. Pioneer (20-5) and Ponderosa (18-5) could surprise people. There will be openinground upsets in this bracket.
Key openers: Wood at Capital Christian, Vista del Lago at Vanden, West Park at Manteca, Del Campo at Pioneer, Ceres at Rosemont, Yuba City at Ponderosa.
Finals prediction: Capital Christian over Oakdale.
DIVISION IV
The top three seeds will be tough to beat. The No. 3 seed is actually the defending NorCal champion in Central Catholic of Modesto. Gone is ace Randi Roelling, now pitching for Cal, but the Raiders have 25 home runs and overpower opponents at the plate.
Dixon (17-4) tied with Pioneer to win the Golden Empire League and is the top seed. Seniors Ashley Garcia, Audrey Graham and Felesha LePenske are hitting near or above .500. Dixon, Central Catholic and Ripon all received opening-round byes.
Key openers: Oakmont at Liberty Ranch, Union Mine at Wheatland, Livingston at Rio Linda.
Finals prediction: Dixon over Central Catholic.
DIVISION V
Small and mighty Sutter may have little trouble in this division. The Huskies are 24-0 and have some four-year varsity starters who expect to lead the way back to the NorCals. Boise State-bound Olivia Bauer stepped into the circle last year and had grown with every pitch. Bauer has players around her. Coach Stefanie Danna has built a dynasty just west of Yuba City. Sonora and Calaveras will likely meet to see who plays Sutter in the finals.
Key openers: West Campus at Sutter, Riverbank at Woodland Christian.
Finals prediction: Sutter over Sonora.
DIVISION VI
The southern section schools own this division with Stone Ridge Christian of Merced (14-5) coming in as the top seed. But Bear River recently knocked off Wheatland, so maybe the Bruins will regain some of their section championship swag and surprise some teams.
Key openers: San Juan at Stone Ridge Christian, Golden Sierra at Bear River.
Finals prediction: Le Grand over Stone Ridge.
DIVISION VII
A late-season push from No. 4 seed Foresthill (12-5) has the Wildfire hosting a first-round game. The Wildfire won five of its last six games, including over Faith Christian, with the rematch in a playoff opener. Summer Stevens is a bloop single shy of hitting .700 on the year and has a 0.80 ERA in the circle.
With a win, Foresthill would very likely have a long bus ride to Modesto to face the Big Valley Christian Lions, the top seed and bracket favorite.
Key openers: Faith Christian at Foresthill, Leroy Greene at Big Valley.
Finals prediction: Big Valley over Buckingham Charter.
• For brackets, schedules and ticket information, visit the Sac-Joaquin Section website.
• Softball coaches are urged to nominate players for The Bee’s Softball All-Metro teams. Email Pete Dufour at pete.dufour@gmail.com by 8 p.m. Sunday.