SJS Baseball Playoffs: Breaking down and predicting the brackets

The Sac-Joaquin Section baseball playoffs are here, and there promises to be plenty of action with deep brackets across all seven divisions. The first two rounds are single elimination with the first round and quarterfinals set for Wednesday and Friday. Next week's semifinals will be played as a best-of-three series, setting the stage for an exciting week of championship baseball in late May. Here's a breakdown of the brackets: DIVISION I The Division I bracket is top heavy with section stalwart St. Mary's looking like a heavy favorite behind Mississippi State commit Dax Hardcastle, who has captured the attention of major-league scouts and could hear his name called in the draft this summer. The Rams won the Boras Classic in March and have been among the top-ranked teams in Northern California all season. Other contenders include No. 2 McClatchy, which has won nine straight heading into the playoffs. Third-seeded Franklin has sputtered into the postseason, but the Wildcats are the defending champions. Granite Bay rounds out the top four behind longtime coach Pat Esposito, who might have one of his most talented groups in recent years. Other teams to watch include No. 6 Folsom and No. 7 Oak Ridge. Prediction: No. 1 St. Mary's over No. 7 Oak Ridge. DIVISION II This might be the deepest bracket in the section with as many as eight teams having a legitimate shot to make a run. If there's a bracket primed for upsets and chaos, this is it. Top-seeded Elk Grove looks like the team to beat after winning the Delta League, but the path to Sacramento City College won't come easy for the Thundering Herd. No. 2 West Park is a serious contender behind Arizona-bound shortstop Ayden Deome, while No. 3 Fairfield-Rodriguez has proven itself time and time again. Sierra Foothill League-champion Jesuit has been battle-tested and can hang with anyone in the section, while defending champion Del Oro, led by LSU commit Masen Belding and sluggers Jackson Stewart and Nico Busalacchi, is finally healthy and ready to shake things up as the No. 6 seed. Other teams to watch include No. 5 Woodcreek, No. 7 Bella Vista and No. 10 Laguna Creek. Another dark horse is No. 12 Rocklin, which has found its stride after an 0-8-1 start. Prediction: No. 4 Jesuit over No. 3 Rodriguez. DIVISION III The Division III bracket has a clear frontrunner on paper with top-seeded Rio Americano. The Raiders have been one of the most consistent teams in the section all season and will be tough to knock off if they play to their standard. No. 2 Vista del Lago has the pieces to make a deep run and shouldn't be overlooked, but No. 3 Manteca feels like a slightly stronger pick to come out of the bottom half with its balance and ability to win tight games. That side of the bracket could produce a strong semifinal matchup. Defending Division III section and NorCal champion Yuba City, the No. 4 seed, has the talent to contend again but has been up and down this season, making it a bit harder to project. If the Honkers find consistency, they're dangerous. There are also a few intriguing dark horses. No. 7 El Capitan and No. 8 Patterson have the potential to make deeper runs than their seeds suggest and could shake things up early. Prediction: No. 1 Rio Americano over No. 3 Manteca. DIVISION IV Another deep Division IV bracket features a strong mix of proven contenders and dangerous lower seeds. Defending champion Roseville sits at the top, powered by a dominant 1-2 punch on the mound in UC Davis commit Tyler Ritter and Vanderbilt commit Ethan Gustus. No. 2 Central Catholic is loaded and looks like a serious title threat, while No. 3 Placer enters hot with wins in 16 of its last 17 games behind a deep and reliable pitching staff led by UC Davis-bound Gavin Otis. No. 4 East Union also brings star power with Jackson Fay, one of the top hitters in the section. There's no shortage of depth beyond the top seeds. No. 5 Bradshaw Christian is loaded with talent, No. 6 Oakdale features Georgia commit Landon Schutte, a 6-foot-5 pitcher drawing draft interest, and No. 7 Twelve Bridges has the pieces to make a run. Further down, No. 11 Del Campo and No. 12 Nevada Union have picked up quality wins in Foothill Valley League play, including a victory over No. 1 Roseville for the Miners, making them dangerous early-round opponents. Prediction: No. 1 Roseville over No. 2 Central Catholic. DIVISION V Division V features a strong mix of proven winners and dangerous contenders. Defending-champion Lincoln enters as the top seed after capturing the PVL title and has shown it hasn't missed a beat from last year's squad, reloading with a lineup that can really swing it. No. 2 Woodland is a serious threat and looks like one of the most complete teams in the bracket, while No. 3 Sutter is always dangerous this time of year. No. 4 Woodland Christian adds another compelling storyline after winning the Division VI title last season and moving up, and the Cardinals have a legitimate case to make it back-to-back section championships in a higher division. The Cardinals have the section's home run leader in Jayden Badhesha, who has 11 long balls this season. No. 5 Wheatland also brings depth and could be a tough out as the bracket unfolds. There are several lower seeds to keep an eye on as well. No. 9 Casa Roble, No. 11 Hughson and No. 13 Marysville have the potential to pull off upsets. Prediction: No. 4 Woodland Christian over No. 2 Woodland. DIVISION VI Division VI looks to be a top-heavy group but there are still a few teams that stand out. Top-seeded Ripon Christian and No. 2 Amador look like strong contenders to make a run. No. 3 Bear River has Cal Poly-bound Kaden Nicholls and the talent to go deep, though the Bruins have been up and down this season. No. 5 Colfax comes in with a losing record but has been battle-tested and could be a tougher out than its seed indicates. Prediction: No. 1 Ripon Christian over No. 3 Bear River. DIVISION VII No. 1 Vacaville Christian and No. 2 Turlock Christian look like the teams to beat on paper, with No. 3 Delta right there as another strong contender. That top tier should control much of how this bracket plays out. Locally, No. 5 Valley Christian and No. 8 Foresthill are worth keeping an eye on. Both have paths to make some noise early and talent that could push into the later rounds if things break right. Prediction: No. 1 Vacaville Christian over No. 2 Turlock Christian. SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS Wednesday's games Division I No. 16 Tokay at No. 1 St. Mary's No. 9 Stockton-Lincoln at No. 8 Central Valley No. 12 Edison at No. 5 Turlock No. 13 Mountain House at No. 4 Granite Bay No. 14 River City at No. 3 Franklin No. 11 Enochs at No. 6 Folsom No. 10 Pleasant Grove at No. 7 Oak Ridge No. 15 Inderkum at No. 2 McClatchy Division II No. 16 Cordova at No. 1 Elk Grove No. 9 Lodi at No. 8 Vacaville No. 12 Rocklin at No. 5 Woodcreek No. 13 Pitman at No. 4 Jesuit No. 14 Whitney at No. 3 Rodriguez No. 11 Atwater at No. 6 Del Oro No. 10 Laguna Creek at No. 7 Bella Vista No. 15 Stagg at No. 2 West Park Division III No. 16 Armijo at No. 1 Rio Americano No. 9 Bear Creek at No. 8 Patterson No. 12 Buhach Colony at No. 5 Christian Brothers No. 13 Fairfield at No. 4 Yuba City No. 14 Antelope at No. 3 Manteca No. 11 Pacheco at No. 6 Ponderosa No. 10 Sierra at No. 7 El Capitan No. 15 River Valley at No. 2 Vista del Lago Division IV No. 16 Burbank/17 Beyer winner at No. 1 Roseville No. 9 Vanden at No. 8 Oakmont No. 12 Nevada Union at No. 5 Bradshaw Christian No. 13 Center at No. 4 East Union No. 14 Rosemont at No. 3 Placer No. 11 Del Campo at No. 6 Oakdale No. 10 Pioneer at No. 7 Twelve Bridges No. 15 Los Banos at No. 2 Central Catholic Division V No. 16 Dixon at No. 1 Lincoln No. 9 Casa Roble at No. 8 Escalon No. 12 El Dorado at No. 5 Wheatland No. 13 Marysville at No. 4 Woodland Christian No. 14 Union Mine at No. 3 Sutter No. 11 Hughson at No. 6 Liberty Ranch No. 10 Destiny Christian at No. 7 Ripon No. 15 Mesa Verde at No. 2 Woodland Division VI No. 9 River Islands at No. 8 Mariposa No. 12 Ben Holt Academy at No. 5 Colfax No. 13 Argonaut at No. 4 Linden No. 14 Buckingham Charter at No. 3 Bear River No. 11 Hilmar at No. 6 Summerville No. 10 Le Grand at No. 7 Bret Harte No. 15 Calaveras at No. 2 Amador Bye: No. 1 Ripon Christian Division VII No. 9 Millennium at No. 8 Foresthill No. 12 Golden Sierra at No. 5 Valley Christian No. 13 Modesto Christian at No. 4 Leroy Greene Academy No. 14 Stone Ridge Christian at No. 3 Delta No. 11 Elliot Christian at No. 6 Big Valley Christian No. 10 Delta Charter at No. 7 Denair No. 15 Esparto at No. 2 Turlock Christian Bye: No. 1 Vacaville Christian