Fresno-area baseball: Two teams debut in Top 25; how Buchanan maintained top spot
Liberty-Madera Ranchos and Golden West debut in The Fresno Bee’s Top 25 high school baseball rankings after picking up two wins apiece last week.
The Hawks defeated Firebaugh 7-5 and followed up with a convincing 12-0 victory over Yosemite.
In the 7-5 victory, Jakson Bucher had a home run and two RBI. McGuire Smith also drove in two runs for the Hawks. Liberty followed up with a win over Yosemite, led by Xavier Gordon’s four RBI. Nate Medina pitched six innings and struck out nine.
Around the horn
▪ The Bee’s top-ranked Buchanan Bears traveled to Southern California and picked up wins over Capistrano Valley 3-0 and Dana Hills 1-0. Bears pitcher Sam Tookoian picked up the win after going the distance and striking out nine against Dana Hills. Adrian Castaneda scored the lone run on an error. Against Capistrano Valley, Peyton Barsotti and Drew Smith each had an RBI.
▪ Granite Hills senior Alexis Bedolla went 4 for 4 with two doubles and six RBI in a 19-1 victory over Laton. He followed that game by going 3 for 4 with two RBI in a 7-2 victory over Kern Valley.
▪ No. 8 Fresno opened the North Yosemite League with a 9-1 victory over No. 23 Reedley. Paul Marshall recorded the win with six strikeouts. Waldo Rodriguez batted 3 for 4 with a home run, three runs scored and three RBI.
▪ In a big matchup in the North Sequoia League, No. 12 Kerman edged Washington Union 2-1. Devon Daniel improved to 9-0 after striking out 11. He was backed by Kevin Chavez’s go-ahead RBI.
The Bee’s Top 25
(Records through Monday)
1. Buchanan 7-2 (Pvs. 1)
2. Clovis West 7-2 (Pvs. 2)
3. Bullard 7-2 (Pvs. 3)
4. Stockdale 9-0 (Pvs. 4)
5. San Joaquin Memorial 7-3 (Pvs. 5)
6. Clovis 5-3 (Pvs. 6)
7. Hanford 8-2 (Pvs. 7)
8. Fresno 8-1-1 (Pvs. 8)
9. Ridgeview 9-1 (Pvs. 9)
10. Liberty-Bakersfield 7-3-1 (Pvs. 11)
11. Central 5-3-1 (Pvs. 12)
12. Kerman 9-0 (Pvs. 13)
13. Kingsburg 8-1-1 (Pvs. 14)
14. Righetti 8-0 (Pvs. 15)
15. Centennial 7-5 (Pvs. 10)
16. Redwood 6-3 (Pvs. 16)
17. Clovis East 4-4 (Pvs. 17)
18. Porterville 7-1 (Pvs. 20)
19. Arroyo Grande 8-3 (Pvs. 21)
20. Clovis North 3-5-1 (Pvs. 18)
21. Madera South 6-1-1 (Pvs. 24)
22. Golden West 7-3 (Pvs. NR)
23. Reedley 8-2 (Pvs. 22)
24. Pioneer Valley 7-3 (Pvs. 25)
25. Liberty-Madera Ranchos 8-1 (Pvs. NR)
Bubble teams: Mt. Whitney (5-5) Sanger (5-4 ), McLane (9-1), Washington Union (6-4), Frontier (4-6-1), San Luis Obispo (4-6), Bakersfield (4-5-1), North (6-4), Madera (4-4), Templeton (6-4)
