Condensed season still has Orange Coast on top in SIA 2021 Baseball Rankings

PASADENA - In what has been at the very least an unusual spring, 2021 season that has seen the return of California Community College sports from the long COVID-19 layoff, baseball is finally back in a condensed schedule.

But some things haven't changed as Orange Coast College, the last team to be crowned a state champion in 2019, holds the top spot in this week's California Community College Sports Information Association 2021 State Top 15 Baseball Rankings. 

The rankings reflect less teams at 15 (normally 20) ranked and more Northern California teams occupying spots with 35 of the state's 52 programs that opted in to play a 2021 season. While some conferences will play for a conference title based on their own numbers of teams playing, there will be no regionals or state tournament this season. 

Going into Friday's play, Orange Coast's 14-3-1 overall record and its recent history as a state power gave the Pirates the most first-place votes from SIDs with five and a 149 points to drive the Pirates to the No. 1 position. OCC is playing in the only SoCal conference--the Orange Empire--that has nearly all its teams participating with seven of the usual eight squads in action. The Pirates twice have put together 5-game winning streaks and hold a 10-1 first-place record in conference-counting games. The OEC agreed to play 4-game series between opponents, but one contest not counting toward conference standings per agreement (the first game of Friday doubleheaders).

Orange Coast is led by rightfielder Cary Arbolida, who has a sizzling .490 batting average with four home runs, five doubles, two triples, 15 RBI and a .902 slugging percentage. Kelly Austin is a pitching leader with a 3-0 record, a 1.88 ERA and 34 strikeouts in just 24 innings. 

At 15-3 and playing exclusively a Golden Valley Conference-only schedule, Butte is at #2 in the ratings. The Roadrunners won their first eight games, including a 4-game sweep over College of the Redwoods in limiting CR to just two runs in the series. Butte is paced by centerfielder Grady Morgan, who was tied for the state lead in home runs with six to go with a .381 average and 24 RBI, and lefty pitching ace Bryce Armstrong with a state-best 5-0 record and a 2.86 ERA in 28.1 innings. 

At #3, College of the Sequoias is 14-4 to top a 5-team Central Valley Conference race (13-3 in league games) as the Giants have twice scored 20 or more runs in wins while reaching double digits scoring in 11 of their games. Rightfielder Donte Valdez is batting .481 with a state-high 13 doubles to go with 4 homers and 18 RBI while second baseman Andrew Valdez is hitting .413 including six dingers and 21 RBI. Sequoias was the only college besides Orange Coast to earn more than one first-place vote with two.

The #4 spot is held by Coast Conference South Division leader Ohlone (14-2), winners of nine of its last 10 contests, while Western State North Division Allan Hancock took the #5 ranking behind a 13-3 record. The Bulldogs started 2-3 and are now on an 11-game win streak.

Rounding out the top 10 were #6 Cypress (12-6) from the OEC, #7 Bakersfield (11-4), one of only two teams playing from the WSC South, #8 Los Medanos (11-2-1), the current leader in the Bay Valley Conference, #9 Sacramento City (5-1), playing a very limited Big 8 schedule, and #10 College of San Mateo (7-3), one of four teams that opted in to play from the Coast North. 

The rest of the ranked teams included #11 Santa Rosa (8-3), #12 Santa Ana (9-9), #13 Feather River (13-7), #14 Fresno City (11-7), and #15 Cabrillo (12-7). 

Crazy Score of the Week: On Thursday, May 13, Los Medanos outslugged Napa Valley, 28-19, in a game that featured 47 runs and 46 hits combined. LMC led 24-4 entering the bottom of the sixth but Napa roared back with 15 runs, nine in the eighth inning. LMC catcher Cooper Gardner (3-for-4) bombed two home runs with six RBI while Napa first baseman A.J. McMahon batted a perfect 6-for-6, also slugging two homers, a triple and driving in seven. Gardner and teammate Casey Vogan both hit grand slams for the Mustangs.

Unlike Major League Baseball, the hitters are dominating the CCC ranks with 32 different state batters hitting .400 or better for players having played in 10 or more games. Reedley second baseman BJ Vela led the bunch with a .532 clip in 19 games (plus six home runs and 26 RBI).

On the mound, Ohlone's Cooper Vasquez has shined with a 5-0 record, a 1.32 ERA and 27 K's in 27.1 innings pitched. 

Coaching Milestone: As reported in a story on the CCCAA website, congratulations to Bakersfield head coach Tim Painton on earning his 600th career victory.

 CCCSIA 2021 State Top 15 Baseball Rankings, May 14

Others: Napa Valley 20, Monterey Peninsula 16, Mt. San Jacinto 15, Reedley 12, Saddleback 9, Mt. San Antonio 7, Cerro Coso 6, Irvine Valley 5, Sierra 5, Cosumnes River 5, West Valley 2, Laney 1. 

 (Release/Poll written and edited by Robert Lewis, CCCSIA)