Fresno-area prep baseball: Top 25 rankings; Fresno Easter Classic schedule; wild finish
The 52nd Fresno Easter Classic returns next week with a full slate of high school baseball games at various sites.
The tournament begins Monday.
The prestigious tournament started in 1970. Hoover won the first Fresno Easter Classic and Fred Wagner of Fresno was named the most valuable player.
Buchanan won the tournament in 2021 defeating Fresno 10-3.
Clovis has won nine Fresno Easter Classic championships. Bullard and Buchanan each won seven times.
Here is the schedule:
Monday, April 11
John Euless Park: 10 a.m. Hoover vs. Crater; 1 p.m. Fresno vs. North; 4 p.m. Redwood vs. San Joaquin Memorial; 7 p.m. San Joaquin Memorial vs. Fresno
Buchanan: 10 a.m. Buchanan vs. Oakmont; 1 p.m. Bradshaw vs. Highland; 4 p.m. Oakmont vs. Reedley; 7 p.m. Davis vs. Buchanan
Clovis High: 10 a.m. Clovis vs. Edison; 1 p.m. Frontier vs. Hanford; 4 p.m. Edison vs. Hanford; 7 p.m. Frontier vs. Clovis
Clovis East: 10 a.m. Clovis East vs. Chowchilla; 1 p.m. Pleasant Grove vs. Central; 4 p.m. Sunnyside vs. Chowchilla; 7 p.m. Pleasant Grove vs. Clovis East
Clovis North: 10 a.m. Clovis North vs. Placer; 1 p.m. Bullard vs. Jesuit; 7 p.m. Jesuit vs. Clovis North
Madera: 4 p.m. Garces vs. Liberty-Madera Ranchos; 7 p.m. Liberty-Madera Ranchos vs. Madera
Tuesday, April 12
John Euless Park: 10 a.m. Reedley vs. Garces; 1 p.m. Garces vs. Crater; 4 p.m. San Joaquin Memorial vs. Jesuit; 7 p.m. Crater vs. Fresno
Buchanan: 10 a.m. North vs. Central; 1 p.m. Chowchilla vs. North; 4 p.m. Central vs. Frontier; 7 p.m. Bullard vs. Buchanan
Clovis: 10 a.m. Bradshaw vs. Redwood; 1 p.m. Madera vs. Bradshaw; 4 p.m. Redwood vs. Madera; 7 p.m. Hanford vs. Clovis
Clovis East: 10 a.m. Edison vs. Liberty-Madera Ranchos; 1 p.m. Placer vs. Sunnyside; 4 p.m. Oakmont vs. Sunnyside; 7 p.m. Reedley vs. Clovis East
Clovis North: 10 a.m. Highland vs. Hoover; 1 p.m. Hoover vs. Davis; 4 p.m. Highland vs. Pleasant Grove; 7 p.m. Davis vs. Clovis North
Wednesday, April 13
John Euless Park: 10 a.m. Fresno vs. Garces; 1 p.m. Chowchilla vs. Bradshaw
Buchanan: 10 a.m. Buchanan vs. Frontier; 1 p.m. Jesuit vs. Redwood; 7:30 p.m. championship
Clovis: 10 a.m. Clovis vs. Pleasant Grove; 1 p.m. Central vs. Reedley
Clovis East: 10 a.m. Clovis East vs. Highland; 1 p.m. Liberty-Madera Ranchos vs. San Joaquin Memorial
Clovis North: 10 a.m. Clovis North vs. Oakmont; 1 p.m. Sunnyside vs. Edison
Bullard: 10 a.m. North vs. Bullard; 1 p.m. Hanford vs. Hoover
Madera: 10 a.m. Crater vs. Placer; 1 p.m. Madera vs. Davis
Around the horn
▪ In a wild game, Cameron Schneider had the game-winning RBI to give Bullard a 9-8 victory over San Joaquin Memorial. The Panthers had an 8-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning before Bullard rallied in the County/Metro Athletic Conference matchup. Both teams lost earlier in the week.
▪ Adam Delgado of Kerman set the school’s single-game record when he drove in seven runs to highlight the Lions’ victory over Sierra.
▪ Madera South pitcher Murf Gray was dominant for the Stallions when he pitched 6.2 innings and struck out 12 in a 5-1 win against Madera.
▪ Mt. Whitney pitcher JT Guerrero’s RBI walk and two-hitter with 15 strikeouts gave the Pioneers a 1-0 victory over Redwood.
▪ Fresno won 10-0 over Hoover behind Paul Marshall’s no-hitter and two doubles and three RBI.
On deck
Here are some key games this week:
▪ The TrI-River Athletic Conference began play Tuesday with three-game series this week. Clovis North faces Clovis West, Central plays Clovis and Buchanan meets Clovis East.
▪ Reedley won Tuesday’s North Yosemite League matchup with Fresno 7-2 behind Will Gagnon’s 10 strikeouts. Both teams are tied ifor first place in the NYL at 5-1.
▪ Bullard takes on Madera South in a two-game series in the County/Metro Athletic Conference.
▪ Besides the Fresno Easter Classic, other Easter tournaments taking place next week include the Fowler Easter Classic, the Selma Greater Kiwanis Tournament and the Tulare/Visalia Pro PT Tournament.
The Bee’s Top 25
(Records through Monday)
1. Buchanan 8-2 (Pvs. 1)
2. Clovis West 8-2 (Pvs. 2)
3. Stockdale 13-0 (Pvs. 4)
4. Hanford 12-2 (Pvs. 7)
5. Fresno 12-1-1 (Pvs. 8)
6. Bullard 11-3 (Pvs. 3)
7. San Joaquin Memorial 9-5 (Pvs. 5)
8. Clovis 6-4 (Pvs. 6)
9. Central 5-3-1 (Pvs. 11)
10. Kerman 13-0 (Pvs. 12)
11. Ridgeview 12-2 (Pvs. 9)
12. Liberty-Bakersfield 10-4-1 (Pvs. 10)
13. Righetti 13-1 (Pvs. 13)
14. Centennial 8-8 (Pvs. 14)
15. Kingsburg 11-3-1 (Pvs. 15)
16. Porterville 11-1-1 (Pvs. 18)
17. Arroyo Grande 12-3 (Pvs. 19)
18. Clovis North 5-4-1 (Pvs. 20)
19. Redwood 8-5 (Pvs. 16)
20. Clovis East 5-5 (Pvs. 17)
21. Reedley 12-2 (Pvs. 23)
22. Liberty-Madera Ranchos 11-3 (Pvs. 25)
23. Monache 12-3-1 (Pvs. 21)
24. Pioneer Valley 10-3 (Pvs. 24)
25. Sanger 8-6 (Pvs. NR)
Bubble teams: Bakersfield Christian (11-3), Sanger (8-6), Madera South (8-4-1), Mt. Whitney (8-6), Washington Union (10-5), McLane (10-4), San Luis Obispo (8-6), Golden West (7-7), North (9-6-1), Templeton (8-8), Exeter (10-4), Central Valley Christian (8-6), Immanuel (6-7) Wasco (9-3), Morro Bay (11-4), Sierra Pacific (11-5), Frontier (7-7).
