The California conundrum at the top of the FAB 50 national rankings did not get solved with last weekend’s championships in the CIF Southern Section and CIF North Coast Section. Too bad there are no CIF state playoffs, although plans for one continue to be under discussion at the highest levels of the state office.

Both No. 1 Mission Viejo and No. 2 Amador Valley of Pleasanton had some anxious moments in their final games (many more for Mission Viejo) but both won.

The Diablos outlasted FAB 50 No. 21 Chino 1-0 in nine innings to win the CIFSS Division II title. Junior ace Taylor McQuillin pitched a one-hitter and had 17 strikeouts for Mission Viejo, which got the 0-0 tie-breaking hit from Kayleen Shafer for the win.

Chino, the two-time defending champions in the division, was led by senior standout Miranda Viramontes, who also pitched a one-hitter and had 15 strikeouts. Yes, the only hit she allowed was in the ninth to Shafer.

Mission Viejo’s case to be No. 1 in the state and No. 1 in the FAB 50 also was strengthened the next night when FAB 50 No. 6 Pacifica of Garden Grove won the CIFSS Division I title with a 1-0 win in 12 innings over M.L. King of Riverside. Brooke Marquez finally broke up the scoreless duel between North Carolina-bound Kaylee Carlson of Pacifica and M.L. King’s Alabama-bound Alexis Osorio.

The CIFSS Division I bracket is probably the toughest to win in the nation and although Pacifica handed Mission Viejo its only loss that was only after Mission Viejo had posted two wins over the Mariners to win two top tournaments, including the prestigious Arizona Tournament of Champions.

Amador Valley, meanwhile, did what it had to do by topping Granada of Livermore 2-1 to capture the CIF North Coast Section Division I title. UCLA-bound Johanna Grauer gave up a solo homer, but was dominant at times and got two hits herself, including a double in the first inning when the Dons scored their two runs. Amador Valley completed an unbeaten season, which was highlighted by the tourney title at the Michelle Carew Classic in Southern California, a tournament that Pacifica was in.

In the end, both teams really are deserving of claiming a mythical national title and it looks like both will be able to do so. It’s just that Mission Viejo’s will be for the FAB 50.

Two teams hoping to match Amador Valley with unbeaten records this week are FAB 50 No. 3 Alexander Central of North Caorlina and FAB 50 No. 5 Lebanon of Ohio.

Alexander Central is meeting 26-1 Cape Fear for the North Carolina Class 5A state title after sweeping a pair from previously unbeaten and previous FAB 50 No. 12 North Davidson. Lebanon is down to the final four in the Ohio Division I state playoffs and plays three-time defending champion Hoover of North Canton in Thursday’s semifinals. Earlier this season, Lebanon ended Hoover’s 51-game win streak at the Wendy’s Spring Classic.

 

Here are this week’s rankings:

(Previous ranking listed in parentheses)

(Through reported results of Monday, June 2)

*Indicates season complete.

***

1.    (1) Mission Viejo (Mission Viejo, Calif.) 26-1*

2.    (2) Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.) 27-0*

3.    (3) Alexander Central (Taylorsville, N.C.) 33-0

4.    (4) St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) 30-2*

5.    (7) Lebanon (Lebanon, Ohio) 32-0

6.    (9) Pacifica (Garden Grove, Calif.) 29-4-1*

7.    (6) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 30-1*

8.    (10) Sparkman (Harvest, Ala.) 63-4-2*

9.    (18) Deer Park (Deer Park, Texas) 39-6*

10.  (5) The Woodlands (Conroe, Texas) 39-4*

11.  (13) Harmony (Harmony, Fla.) 27-3*

12.  (11) Bloomingdale (Valrico, Fla.) 27-2*

13.  (17) Vacaville (Vacaville, Calif.) 29-1-1*

14.  (21) M.L. King (Riverside, Calif.) 27-6*

15.  (22) Bishop Carroll (Wichita, Kan.) 25-0*

16.  (16) West Florida (Pensacola, Fla.) 28-1*

17.  (20) Alhambra (Martinez, Calif.) 25-2*

18.  (27) Red Mountain (Mesa, Ariz.) 30-6*

19.  (38) Indian Hills (Oakland, N.J.) 32-0

20.  (26) Atascocita (Humble, Texas) 31-3*

21.  (32) Chino (Chino, Calif.) 28-5-1*

22.  (23) John Curtis Christian (River Ridge, La.) 29-2*

23.  (25) South Salem (Salem, Ore.) 31-1

24.  (NR) Westminster Christian (Miami, Fla.) 24-3*

25.  (25) American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) 25-6*

26.  (31) Hoover (North Canton, Ohio) 27-3

27.  (14) Immaculate Heart (Washington Township, N.J.) 31-1

28.  (29) Sherwood (Sandy Spring, Md.) 21-0*

29.  (35) Bellaire (Houston, Texas) 30-6*

30.  (30) Ponte Vedra (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) 29-1*

31.  (28) Cinco Ranch (Katy, Texas) 29-3*

32.  (34) Manteno (Manteno, Ill.) 35-1

33.  (12) North Davidson (Lexington, N.C.) 30-2*

34.  (19) Coronado (Lubbock, Texas) 36-5*

35.  (49) Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) 25-4*

36.  (50) Puyallup (Puyallup, Wash.) 25-2*

37.  (39) LaGrange (LaGrange, Texas) 40-2*

38.  (40) Mountain Ridge (Glendale, Ariz.) 28-7-1*

39.  (46) McCracken County (Paducah, Ky.) 35-5

40.  (33) Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.) 29-6*

41.  (43) P.K. Yonge (Gainesville, Fla.) 25-4*

42.  (41) Cypress (Cypress, Calif.) 23-9*

43.  (44) Southington (Southington, Conn.) 20-0

44.  (45) Ironwood Ridge (Tucson, Ariz.) 28-7*

45.  (NR) Washburn Rural (Topeka, Kan.) 23-2*

46.  (15) Olathe East (Olathe, Kan.) 22-1*

47.  (47) Dickson County (Dickson, Tenn.) 44-7*

48.  (48) Gibbs (Corryton, Tenn.) 48-6*

49.  (NR) Cape Fear (Fayetteville, N.C.) 26-1

50.  (NR) Aledo (Aledo, Texas) 33-4*

Dropped Out: Previous No. 8 Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas); No. 36 James Logan (Union City, Calif.); No. 37 Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.); No. 42 Esperanza (Anaheim, Calif.).

 

Teams On The Bubble

• Baker (Mobile, Ala.) 64-6*
• Barbers Hill (Mt. Belvieu, Texas) 33-1*
• Bloom-Carroll (Carroll, Ohio) 27-3
• Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.) 19-6*
• Canton (Canton, Mich.) 21-2
• Canyon (Anaheim, Calif.) 20-7*
• Chaparral (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 26-9*
• Columbia (Lake City, Fla.) 28-2*
• Downer’s Grove North (Downer’s Grove, Ill.) 28-2
• Eastern Tech (Baltimore, Md.) 24-0*
• Ennis (Ennis, Texas) 38-6-1*
• Grove City (Grove City, Ohio) 25-4
• Halls (Knoxville, Tenn.) 38-4*
• Hays (Buda, Texas) 31-6*
• Hillcrest (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) 51-10-1*
• Lake Braddock (Burke, Va.) 24-1
• Mauldin (Mauldin, S.C.) 28-2*
• Mercy (Louisville, Ky.) 26-7-1
• Middle Creek (Apex, N.C.) 21-4*
• Moorpark (Moorpark, Calif.) 26-4*
• Murrieta Valley (Murrieta, Calif.) 22-8*
• New Trier (Winnetka, Ill.) 29-4
• North Medford (Medford, Ore.) 26-2
• Palo Verde (Las Vegas, Nev.) 33-7*
• Pembroke Pines Charter (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) 20-6*
• Poly (Riverside, Calif.) 24-7&
• Portage Central (Portage, Mich.) 39-3
• Tahoma (Kent, Wash.) 21-2*
• Washburn Rural (Topeka, Kan.) 20-2
• Westminster Christian (Miami, Fla.) 24-3*