Woodcreek, Oakmont and Whitney high schools all capture their respective league titles

This week marked the final week in the regular baseball season and the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs begin next week. Woodcreek, Oakmont and Whitney high schools all won their respective league titles but there are a number of other teams that also qualified for the postseason. Here's a look at how all teams from the area have been performing as of late. Capital Valley Conference Woodcreek High captured not only their third-straight Capital Valley Conference title this week but also won the Boras Classic on Wednesday with an 11-1 win against Archbishop Mitty in five innings. The game was originally scheduled to take place on April 14 but was postponed due to rain. It was worth the wait as the Timberwolves jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second inning and never looked back. Braeden Sloan started the game on the mound and has performed well all season with a 0.79 earned run average and 70 strikeouts. Sloan is committed to the University of Southern California. The Timberwolves also got the opportunity to play at Sutter Health Park last Saturday, the home of the Sacramento River Cats, and defeated Oakmont High 4-1. Woodcreek High scored three runs in the third inning, two of which came off of a triple by Conner Barth. Barth has four home runs and 30 runs batted in for the Timberwolves. "This was amazing and getting the opportunity to play on this field is once in a lifetime, it's what every baseball player dreams of," Barth said. "It was a big hit in a big spot and it was a group effort." Woodcreek High is currently projected as the top seed in the Division II section playoffs, which begin next week. Roseville High has lost its last three games, including the loss to Woodcreek on Tuesday. Despite the loss to the Timberwolves, the Tigers had a 2-0 lead for most of the game as junior Parker Hellekson got things going by bringing home a run in the first inning. Senior David Centano also pitched a complete game with five strikeouts. Hellekson also batted in two runs in Roseville's 8-6 loss against Yuba City on April 29. The Tigers have secured second-place in the league and are currently projected to be the seventh seed in the Division III playoffs. Sierra Foothill League The Whitney High Wildcats locked up their first league title since 2017 and their first ever Sierra Foothill League title with a 9-1 win against Oak Ridge High on Tuesday. Junior Gavin McLendon led the way at the plate with two runs batted in while Luke Oyler pitched a complete game with four strikeouts. Whitney High is currently on a six-game winning streak that included a series sweep last week against Del Oro High. Junior Jace Gillmore has continued to play well and has 20 runs batted in on the season, along with two home runs. On the mound, Gillmore is 9-0 with a 1.46 earned run average. The Wildcats are currently projected to be the second seed in the Division I playoffs, which begin next week. Granite Bay High is second in the Sierra Foothill League at 9-5 following an 11-3 win against Del Oro High on Tuesday. After going down 1-0 early, the Grizzlies scored three runs in the third, including a double by Avery Isola that brought two runs home. In the next inning, senior Kevin MacIntosh hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot over the right field fence, that increased the Grizzlies lead. "I just looked for a fast ball in and if I get that, I'm going to hit it hard," MacIntosh said. "I think we have a lot going for us, so everyone has got to keep doing their job and I like what I see." The Grizzlies would shut the door in the sixth inning, scoring six more runs off of five hits. Evan Bishop finished the contest with three runs batted in while freshman Chase Bentley pitched five innings and struck out seven batters. Granite Bay High is projected as the seventh seed in the Division II playoffs. For Del Oro High, the loss ended any hopes of making the postseason as only the top five teams from the Sierra Foothill League will advance. One bright spot on Tuesday was senior Henry Palmer, who had two runs batted in. While senior Jaren Ekkelboom gave up four runs on Tuesday, he has consistently been the Golden Eagles best pitcher with a 0.67 earned run average. He also had one of the best bats all season with a .388 average and 19 runs batted in. Rocklin High is locked at fourth-place in the league and defeated Folsom 2-0 on Tuesday. The Thunder scored both of their runs in the sixth inning off of hits from Jack Peterson and Brandon Larson. Larson has led the Thunder all season with a .417 batting average, two home runs and 28 runs batted in. "Lately, I've been focusing on staying up the middle with my approach," Larson said. "It helps me stay on the pitches away and react to balls on the inner half of the plate." The Thunder won two out of three games last week against Granite Bay High and is currently projected as the sixth seed in the Division II playoffs. Foothill Valley League Oakmont High defeated Lincoln High 4-3 on Monday to capture its first Foothill Valley League title since 2019, the same year the Vikings went on to win the section title. Tristan Ogles and Adam Reyes both batted in a run in the contest. Despite its loss to Woodcreek High last Saturday, Oakmont High played well, limiting the top team in the section to only seven hits. One area that the Vikings struggled was fielding as they committed multiple errors in the contest. "We competed hard and had some chances early but we didn't put the ball in play when we needed to," coach Paul Martinez said. "We're definitely going to have to play better defense and be more competitive at home plate. Our two-strike approach needs to be much better than it was tonight if we're going to win another championship but I think we'll clean that up." The Vikings also swept Rio Linda High last week and are projected as the fifth seed in the Division II playoffs. The West Park Panthers finished their season last week, losing all three games against Lincoln, including a 5-4 loss in eight innings on April 29. West Park High went 5-23 in their inaugural varsity season with three of their wins coming against Rio Linda High. Junior Logan Hearney led the Panthers at the plate with a .385 batting average and 13 runs batted in. Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League Valley Christian Academy is competing this week with Alpha Charter for the Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League crown and lost their first game 1-0 in eight innings on Tuesday. Senior Riley Houghtby pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts. Junior Jackson Nichols has 42 runs batted in this season, which currently puts him tied for sixth in the state. The Lions will finish their regular season on Saturday against Center High before preparing for the Division VII playoffs where they are currently projected as the fifth seed. Western Sierra Collegiate Academy is 6-17 and has lost its last six games including a 13-0 loss to Leroy Greene Academy on Monday. Despite the rough stretch, the Wolves have still been led by junior Owen Faith, who has a .545 batting average with 19 runs batted in. In a 16-12 loss against San Juan on April 13, Faith hit a home run and brought three runs home.