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Manteca again a darkhorse in Division IV playoffs
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Freshman OF/P Dominic Pisano is one of four starting underclassmen on Manteca Highs Sac-Joaquin Section playoff roster. - photo by HIME ROMERO

A veteran pitching staff helped Manteca High’s baseball team reached the Sac-Joaquin Section finals as a low-seeded team last season.

The Buffaloes (14-9) aim to repeat the feat but will have to do so with youth. They begin their Division IV postseason run next Wednesday at Lodi’s Tony Zupo Field, where they will take on Sierra Valley Conference champion El Dorado (24-2-1).

Elsewhere, Ripon takes on Dixon to open the Division V playoffs at Billy Hebert Field next Wednesday, while Ripon Christian tangles with Forest Lake Christian for a first-round Division VI tilt Thursday at Galt Community Park.

Manteca qualified as the third-place team out of the Valley Oak League for the second straight year and is making its fourth playoff appearance in five seasons. Its 2011 postseason run included an epic best-of-three semifinal series with crosstown rival East Union. All three games were decided by a single run. Oakdale, the VOL champion, went on to capture its fourth section title in five years.

Next Wednesday, the Buffaloes take on a club that was the Division IV runner-up in 2009 and 10. Manteca is led by sophomore ace Jacob Corn, who is also one of the team’s best hitters. He is one of four starting underclassmen mixed in with a core veteran group led by Danny Gouveia and four-year varsity standout Daniel Miramontes.

The winner of the do-or-die contest takes on Sonora (17-9) or Ceres (18-9) — the second-place finishers in the VOL and Western Athletic Conference, respectively — in the best-of-three semifinals that start Saturday, May 19.

Oakdale (23-4), which is ranked seventh among medium-sized schools in the state by CalHiSports/ESPN Rise, is again the top-seeded team in the bracket. The Mustangs await the winner of Monday’s out-bracket game between River City (14-13) and Patterson (10-12).

WAC champion Central Catholic (19-5) and Vista del Lago (19-8) make up the rest of the Division-IV field. Central Catholic of Modesto leads the SJS with 11 overall section titles.

In Division V, sophomore P/INF Caleb Rogers leads Ripon (10-7) against Golden Empire League runner-up Dixon (12-13-1). Trans-Valley League rival Escalon (23-1-1), the No. 1-ranked Division IV team in the state by CalHiSports/ESPN Rise, is favored to earn its third straight SJS championship.

Bradshaw Christian (23-4) is the favorite in Division VI. The Pride is ranked second among the state’s small schools. They are the likely second-round opponent for Southern League co-champ Ripon Christian (13-9-1) should it get past Forest Lake Christian (12-6) in the opening round.