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 high school 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 what local teams are doing for spring break this year! Locally it means it’s time for the Livermore Stampede, one of the best softball tournaments in Northern California. In baseball it’s all about the Service Champions Classic, hosted by Foothill and Livermore.
EBAL Power Rankings had major changes in one sport, including an unranked team jumping to second! Check them all out and see what sport had the major changes.
What to Watch has local softball and baseball tournaments taking over the sports landscape. Check out here who is playing and where the games are taking place.
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
Softball elite ride into town for lauded Livermore Stampede tournament
If it’s spring break time for the East Bay Athletic League, it can only mean one thing: The Livermore Stampede is rumbling into town. The tournament has become arguably the best high school softball in Northern California and one of the top events in the entire state. How good is the talent this year? Very good…
Power Rankings as of April 7.
EBAL SOFTBALL
1. Livermore (8-3, 4-1): The Cowboys fall 3-2 to Granada but can come back and beat Dublin 10-0. A lot will shake out this week as they host their annual Livermore Stampede.
2. California (7-2, 4-1): The Grizzlies took Carondelet and Foothill to the shed, beating them 10-3 and 10-2 last week. Cal has won its last four games.
3. Carondelet (5-5, 4-1): The Cougars have a topsy turvy week, getting hammered by Cal, but coming back and beating San Ramon Valley.
4. Foothill (8-4-1, 3-2): The Falcons have a hard-to-explain week, rising up to beat Amador Valley 2-1, then turn around and lose to Cal 10-2.
5. Amador Valley (5-4, 2-2): The Dons played once and fell 2-1 to Foothill
In the hunt: San Ramon Valley (7-3-1, 2-3), Dougherty Valley (6-4, 2-3), Monte Vista (4-5, 0-4), Granada (5-4, 3-2), Dublin (1-7, 0-5).
EBAL BASEBALL
1. Granada (10-2, 6-0): The Mats took a pair from Amador Valley, combining to outscore the Dons by 16-0 in the two-game set. They also beat Pittsburg 4-1.
2. De La Salle (8-2, 4-1): Took out Monte Vista in a home-and-home, outscoring the Mustangs 28-3 combined in the two games.
3. Dublin (11-2, 3-2): Did not play any games last week.
4. Foothill (10-3, 3-2): The Falcons had a lone game last week, beating Cal 4-3.
5. Livermore (9-3, 3-1): The Cowboys are quietly putting together a great season. They have won three straight, beating California, San Ramon Valley, and Dougherty Valley.
In the hunt: Amador Valley (7-5, 2-4), California (4-6, 1-4), San Ramon Valley (7-6, 4-2), Monte Vista (2-12, 1-5), Dougherty Valley (1-12, 0-6).
EBAL BOYS’ VOLLEYBALL
1. De La Salle (16-5, 7-1): The Spartans come back from their 6-match Hawaiian tournament and promptly get beat by San Ramon Valley to fall from the unbeaten ranks in EBAL play. Rebounds with win over Monte Vista.
2. San Ramon Valley (17-6, 6-2): The Wolves handed De La Salle its first loss, then turned around and lost to Dublin. Stays ahead of Foothill by virtue of beating the Falcons the lone time they have played this year.
3. Foothill (16-6, 6-2): The Falcons are playing as well as anyone right now, winning seven straight, beating Dublin 3-2 to avenge an earlier loss.
4. Dublin (14-4, 5-3): The Gaels fall 3-2 to red-hot Foothill, then come back and take out San Ramon Valley, falling to two back of De La Salle and one behind Foothill and San Ramon Valley.
5. Amador Valley (14-5, 5-3): Only played one match last week, beating Dougherty Valley 3-1.
The rest: Granada (14-6, 4-4), Livermore (12-10, 3-5), Dougherty Valley (7-10, 2-6), California (8-12, 1-7), Monte Vista (1-9, 1-7).
Thursday, April 10
Softball: Livermore Stampede
Pools: A: Alameda, Freedom, Livermore, Whitney. B: Mitty, California, Liberty, Sheldon. C: Amador Valley, College Park, Casa Grande, San Ramon Valley. D: Benicia, Carondelet, Saint Francis, Granada.
Ernie Rodrigues Field 1: College Park vs. Casa Grande, 9 a.m.; San Ramon Valley vs. Casa Grande, 11 a.m.; Livermore vs. Alameda, 1 p.m.; Whitney vs. Freedom, 3 p.m.; Livermore vs. Freedom, 5 p.m.; Mitty vs. Sheldon, 7 p.m.
Ernie Rodrigues Field 2: Amador Valley vs. San Ramon Valley, 9:15 a.m.; Amador Valley vs. College Park, 11:15 a.m.; Liberty vs. California, 1:15 p.m.; Carondelet vs. Benicia, 3:15 p.m.; Granada vs. Benicia, 5:15 p.m.; Carondelet vs. Saint Francis, 7:15 p.m.
Baseball: Service Champions Classic
At Livermore High: San Marin vs. Rancho Mirage, 2 p.m.; Livermore vs. Santa Rosa, 4:30 p.m.
At Foothill High: Redwood vs. Heritage, 11 a.m.; Berean Christian vs. Foothill, 2 p.m.
Friday, April 11
Livermore Stampede
Ernie Rodrigues Field 1: San Ramon Valley vs. College Park, 9 a.m.; Whitney vs. Alameda, 11 a.m.; Freedom vs. Alameda, 1 p.m.; Mitty vs. California, 3 p.m.; Livermore vs. Whitney, 5 p.m.; Mitty vs. Liberty, 7 p.m.
Ernie Rodrigues Field 2: Amador Valley vs. Casa Grande, 9:15 a.m.; California vs. Sheldon, 11:15 a.m.; Granada vs. Carondelet, 1:15 p.m.; Liberty vs. Sheldon, 3:15 p.m.; Saint Francis vs. Granada, 5:15 p.m.; Saint Francis vs. Benicia, 7:15 p.m.
Service Champions Classic
Livermore High: Consolation semifinals, 2 p.m.; Championship semifinals, 4:30 p.m.
Foothill High: Consolation semifinals, 11 a.m.; Championship Semifinals, 2 p.m.
Saturday, April 12
Livermore Stampede
Ernie Rodrigues Fields: Bracket play all day, 8 a.m. Championship game, 8 p.m.
Service Champions Classic
At Livermore/Foothill: 7th/8th place, 3rd/4th place, 11 a.m. TBD. Consolation championship/Championship finals, 2 p.m. TBD.
Pleasanton Preps: Foothill boys’ volleyball wins first regular season tournament title since 2014
The Foothill High boys’ volleyball team capped an amazing week by winning the top level of the Stockton Classic.
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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