Today’s edition is sponsored by The Rose Hotel.
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Welcome to the Playbook!
Each week the Playbook will bring you a story about something related to the current sports taking place locally. With 40-plus years of covering the East Bay Athletic League, the Playbook knows the landscape of local sports and will bring you the ins and outs, as well as the good (and the bad) of prep sports!
The Playbook is delivered each Tuesday into your inbox! It’s free — you just register to get it. Be sure to share with the players and parents of your team so they can get the Playbook each week too! They can do it at danvillesanramon.com.
The Big Picture looks at the EBAL baseball and softball leagues that hit full stride this week. Who looks good early and who may come charging late. It will be tight, and it will be exciting.
EBAL Power Rankings make their debut this week for baseball and softball with a pair of familiar names occupying the top spots!
What to Watch will get going next week with a few highlights of games each week.
Got a great story idea for something coming up in the winter? Let me know at acesmag@aol.com!
From the sidelines,
Dennis Miller, Playbook Editor
Defending CIF NorCal champions lead strong 2025 Tri-Valley baseball, softball leagues
It’s a unique situation for the EBAL this year, as the defending champions for the CIF State Northern California champions in both sports are from the Tri-Valley. Let’s look at both leagues and see how things are shaping up as we begin the EBAL grind…
Power Rankings as of March 17.
EBAL BASEBALL
1. Granada (4-1, 1-0): The Mats dropped their opener 2-0 to St. Ignatius but the defending NorCal champs have since run off four straight including wins over strong programs at Cardinal Newman (4-1) and De La Salle (6-2).
2. De La Salle (0-2, 0-1): Yes, the Spartans have yet to win a game, but their two losses are to St. Mary’s — the returning runner up in NorCal — and Granada, the returning NorCal champ. I’ll take my chances with them at No. 2 right now.
3. Amador Valley (4-0, 0-0): The Dons have started out red-hot on offense with 41 runs in four games. Not an easy slate of games as they have beaten James Logan and Bellarmine in two of their wins.
4. Dublin (7-0, 1-0): The Gaels have not had the toughest schedule at this point, but they have gone out and beaten every team that has shown up to play them and you can’t ask for more than that. They have California and San Ramon Valley this week in league.
5. Foothill (6-1, 0-0): The Falcons dropped a 1-0 loss to College Park as their lone blemish now. Like Dublin, hasn’t had the toughest schedule but there is some talent on this team.
In the hunt: California (3-1, 0-0), San Ramon Valley (2-4, 0-0), Livermore (4-4, 0-1), Monte Vista (2-5, 0-0) and Dougherty Valley (1-4, 0-0).
EBAL SOFTBALL
1. Amador Valley (3-2, 0-0): With no team clearly establishing itself as the team to beat, we will start the Dons where they ended the year last season — on the top. The Dons came on late last year so expect them to be right there this year.
2. Foothill (4-2-1, 0-0): The Falcons tied Clayton Valley 5-5, a team that beat both Amador and Carondelet. The Falcons will rely on experience and some players that can flat out rake.
3. Carondelet (3-3, 2-0): The Cougars got a nice early jump to the EBAL season by beating both Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley after starting the season 1-3.
4. Dougherty Valley (4-1, 0-0): It has been a solid start to the season for the Wildcats with a 4-1 record, scoring 35 runs in the last two games combined. Play steps up this week entering EBAL play.
5. San Ramon Valley (4-1-1, 0-1): The Wolves were cruising along solidly then dropped a 3-0 game to open EBAL to Carondelet. Tied an always strong Casa Grande program 1-1.
In the hunt: California (2-1), Monte Vista (3-2), Granada (2-2), Livermore (2-2) and Dublin (1-3).
Pleasanton Preps: What a season for Amador Valley girls’ soccer
“If there was one team I was secretly pulling a little extra hard for, it was the Amador Valley girls’ soccer team in the postseason…”
Dennis Miller is a veteran sports writer and editor, covering sports in the Tri-Valley for over 35 years. In addition to being the editor of Tri-Valley Preps Playbook, he has written a weekly column for Pleasanton Weekly and PleasantonWeekly.com, “Pleasanton Preps,” since 2011. Email him at sports@pleasantonweekly.com.
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