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 the incredible CIF State Swimming and Diving Championships for our EBAL athletes as we brought home five individual titles. Also, how did our athletes do in the NCS Tri-Valley Track and Field meet? Finally, I look at what I feel are some questionable decisions in the NCS Baseball seeding/at-large selections.
EBAL Power Rankings sees a former top ranked team return to the pinnacle this week. How do the rankings stack up heading into the postseason? The volleyball rankings take a week off.
What to Watch has the full schedules for our EBAL teams in the baseball and softball NCS playoffs. The NCS Meet of Champions Track and Field meet is coming this weekend.
Got a great story idea for something? Don’t hesitate to let me know at acesmag@aol.com!
From the sidelines,
Dennis Miller, Playbook Editor
Foothill’s Mijatovic, Dougherty’s Wu each swim to two state titles; Granada’s Bennett wins one
In what was nothing less than a banner weekend, EBAL came home with five individual titles in the CIF State Swimming and Diving Championships. Read that plus top results from NCS Tri-Valley Track/Field Meet, and the shenanigans continue in NCS baseball tournament seedings and divisions…
Power Rankings as of May 19.
EBAL BASEBALL
1. Granada (21-5-): The Mats keep their sensational season alive, beating San Ramon Valley, then De La Salle in the EBAL playoffs. The No. 1 seed in D-I NCS playoffs.
2. De La Salle (22-4): Beat Foothill 6-0 in the first round of the EBAL playoffs, then fell in the finals 5-1 to Granada. No. 2 seed in D-I playoffs
3. Foothill (19-6): The Falcons fell 6-0 to De La Salle in the first round of the EBAL playoffs, now get the No. 3 seed in the D-I playoffs.
4. Livermore (14-10): Did not play in EBAL playoffs but was seed No. 7 in the D-II playoffs.
5. San Ramon Valley (15-10): Fell to Granada in the EBAL playoffs, but then came back with a non-league win over Acalanes. The No. 16 seed in the D-I playoffs.
In the hunt: Amador Valley (13-11), Dublin (17-7), California (12-11), Monte Vista (5-19), Dougherty Valley (2-20).
EBAL SOFTBALL
1. Livermore (18-8): The Cowboys climb back on top by beating Carondelet (14-2), then California (7-4) to win the EBAL playoffs. Is the No. 2 seed in D-I and got a first-round bye.
2. Carondelet (13-12): Got beat up by Livermore 14-2 in the first round of the EBAL playoffs but will stay ahead of California by virtue of a 9-2 in the last regular season game. Got the No. 2 seed in D-II and has a first-round bye.
3. California (18-8): Beat Foothill 11-10 in extra innings then fell to Livermore 7-4 in the EBAL playoff finals. Is seeded No. 5 in the D-I tournament.
4. San Ramon Valley (15-7-2): Did not qualify for the EBAL playoffs. The Wolves are seeded No. 6 in the D-I playoffs.
5. Foothill (13-8-1): The Falcons fell behind Cal early, then rallied to force extra innings before finally losing 11-10 in eight innings.
In the hunt: Granada (13-10), Amador Valley (11-13), Dougherty Valley (10-9), Monte Vista (6-12), Dublin (2-17).
Today (May 20)
CIF NorCal Volleyball D-II: Clovis North (7) at Amador Valley (2), 6 p.m.
NCS Baseball D-I (all games at 5 p.m.): San Ramon Valley (16) at Granada (1); Casa Grande (9) at Dublin (8); Clayton Valley (13) at Windsor (4); Heritage (12) at College Park (5); Pittsburg (15) at De La Salle (2); Petaluma (7) at Castro Valley (10); Foothill (3) at Liberty (14); Benicia (6) at Redwood (11). D-III: San Leandro (16) at California (1).
NCS Softball D-II: Heritage (10) at Dougherty Valley (7), 5 p.m.
Tomorrow (May 21)
NCS Baseball D-II: McKinleyville (9) at Amador Valley (8); Alhambra (10) at Livermore (7).
NCS Softball D-I: Foothill (13) at Castro Valley (4); Bishop O’Dowd (12) at California (5); Livermore (2) vs. bye; Granada (10) at Alameda (7); San Ramon Valley (6) at Clayton Valley (11).
Thursday (May 22)
CIF NorCal Volleyball D-II: Amador Valley-Clovis North winner vs. Del Oro-Harbor winner, TBD.
Friday (May 23)
NCS Meet of Champions Track/Field at Dublin High: Field events, 1:30 p.m.; Track events, 3:20 p.m.
NCS Baseball D-I (sites/times TBD): Granada-San Ramon Valley winner vs. Dublin-Casa Grande winner; Windsor-Clayton Valley winner vs. College Park-Heritage winner; De La Salle-Pittsburg winner vs. Petaluma-Castro Valley winner; Foothill-Liberty winner vs. Benicia-Redwood winner.
D-III: California-San Leandro winner vs. Eureka/Washington winner.
NCS Softball second round: All game dates, sites, times TBD
Saturday (May 24)
NCS Meet of Champions Track/Field at Dublin High: Field events, 2 p.m.; Track events, 4:30 p.m.
NCS Baseball second round, D-II: (all sites/times TBD): Cardinal Newman-Newark winner vs. Amador-McKinleyville winner; Justin Siena-Rancho Cotate winner vs. Livermore-Alhambra winner.
Take Us Along: Every Formula 1 fan’s dream
Beth and Tim Ramirez at Suzuka Circuit during the drivers’ parade held just prior to the 2025 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.
Pleasanton Preps: RAGE honors senior soccer stars signed to college programs
Pleasanton RAGE Girls Soccer Club held its annual Honors Night Event at the Pleasanton Marriott, celebrating the class of 2025 as well as the sophomore, junior, and senior scholar-athlete award recipients.
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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