Orange Empire makes a push in CCCSIA State Baseball Top 25
(LOS ANGELES) -- While NorCal power Santa Rosa continues to run away from the competition as the state's #1 team, the SoCal's Orange Empire Conference made a strong rise in this week's 2025 California Community College Sports Information Association (CCCSIA) State Baseball Top 25 poll.
SRJC earned all 19 first-place votes from the sports information professionals and is an impressive 30-1 overall, now on a 10-game win streak. The Bear Cubs swept both American River and Diablo Valley in recent 3-game series and have six more wins then their nearest competitor in leading the Big 8 at 17-1.
Mt. San Antonio (26-5) is the South's top team again at #2, but it was #4 Cerritos who were not playing an April Fool's Day joke in ending the Mounties' 21-game win streak, 11-4, then taking the series from Mt. SAC, 2-1. Despite the setbacks, Mt. San Antonio leads the South Coast by two games over the Falcons (24-7).
The biggest development has been the OEC's rise in the ratings, especially with now #3 Cypress leaping two spots while #6 Santa Ana jumping three positions. The Chargers (24-7) are 11-2 in their last 13 games, including winning 2-of-3 v. #12 Riverside CC.
Santa Ana is a sizzling 22-2 in their last 24 contests and put together a monster 2-day, offensive show on April 1-2 in bombing Golden West, 27-9, then wiping out non-conference opponent Compton, 39-12. In that victory, SAC set school records for runs, hits (30) and RBI (37). Santa Ana has a one-game edge over Cypress in the OEC race.
Nineteen teams moved up or down the new rankings with the biggest jumps being #11 Sierra flying up 10 spots and #15 Glendale matching the Wolverines with a 10-ratings leap.
At #8, Ohlone has the state's current longest win streak at 11 games.
Three new teams joined the Top 25 in #19 Marin, #22 El Camino, and #25 Southwestern.
The North has a slight edge in ranked teams, 13-12.
At #23, Sacramento City head coach Derek Sullivan recently collected milestone win #300 while unranked Pasadena City HC Pat McGee picked up his 200th career victory.
Current Conference Leaders: Big 8-Santa Rosa (17-1), Bay Valley-Marin (11-1), Central Valley-Fresno City (15-0), Coast North-Chabot (11-1), Coast South-Ohlone (11-1), Golden Valley-Feather River (14-4), Inland Empire Athletic-Chaffey (14-4), Orange Empire-Santa Ana (11-1), Pacific Coast Athletic-Palomar (13-3), South Coast-Mt. SAC (13-2), Western State North-Santa Barbara City (11-4), Western State South-Glendale (12-0).
Some Individual Highlights:
- Santa Ana's Sota Teshima, from Japan, batted 4-for-8, slugging two home runs, a double and driving in nine RBI in the Dons' record day v. Compton.
- Cypress's Justin Tillar bombed two HRs and six RBI in a 24-7 win over Irvine Valley on April 3. He is the state leader in home runs with 16.
- Santa Rosa's Shane Moran was 4-for-6 with a triple and five RBI in a 24-3 win over American River on March 27.
- Chabot's Juan Pablo Manzo hammered two 3-run homers, finished with six RBI and pitched the final four innings for a save in a 14-6 win over San Mateo on April 3.
- Glendale's Ethan Munoz slugged two home runs and five RBI in a 29-6 win over Antelope Valley, then the next game Ethan Pena rocked two homers in an 18-0 triumph v. AVC March 27-29.
The SIA poll takes place every other week during the 2025 season.
CCCSIA State Baseball Top 25 Poll #4
| Rank | Team, Conference | Points | Last Rank | Record Since LR |
| 1. | Santa Rosa JC, Big 8 (19 1st votes), 30-1 | 475 | 1 | 5-0 |
| 2. | Mt. San Antonio, South Coast, 26-5 | 433 | 2 | 3-2 |
| 3. | Cypress, Orange Empire, 24-7 | 431 | 5 | 5-0 |
| 4. | Cerritos, South Coast, 24-7 | 407 | 3 | 3-2 |
| 5. | Fresno City, Central Valley, 24-6 | 380 | 4 | 5-1 |
| 6. | Santa Ana, Orange Empire, 24-7 | 356 | 9 | 5-1 |
| 7. | Palomar, Pacific Coast Athletic, 22-9 | 334 | 8 | 3-2 |
| 8. | Ohlone, Coast South, 28-4 | 304 | 10 | 5-0 |
| 9. | Skyline, Coast North, 24-7 | 277 | 6 | 3-2 |
| 10. | West Valley, Coast South, 24-8 | 276 | 7 | 3-2 |
| 11. | Sierra, Big 8, 21-8 | 274 | 21 | 4-0 |
| 12. | Riverside City, Orange Empire, 21-10 | 259 | 11 | 3-2 |
| 13. | Feather River, Golden Valley, 24-8 | 248 | 12 | 3-1 |
| 14. | Chabot, Coast North, 23-8 | 247 | 14 | 4-1 |
| 15. | Glendale, Western State South, 20-10-1 | 214 | 25 | 5-0 |
| 16. | Grossmont, Pacific Coast Athletic, 21-9 | 186 | 17 | 5-1 |
| 17. | Chaffey, Inland Empire Athletic, 24-8-1 | 172 | 20 | 6-0 |
| 18. | Butte, Golden Valley, 23-11 | 120 | 22 | 3-1 |
| 19. | Marin, Bay Valley, 21-9-1 | 101 | NR | 5-0 |
| 20. | Folsom Lake, Big 8, 20-11 | 99 | 16 | 1-4 |
| 21. | Saddleback, Orange Empire, 19-12 | 98 | 19 | 3-2 |
| 22. | El Camino, South Coast, 21-11 | 63 | NR | 4-1 |
| 23. | Sacramento City, Big 8, 20-14 | 62 | 13 | 2-3 |
| 24. | San Mateo, Coast North, 19-11 | 60 | 23 | 3-2 |
| 25. | Southwestern, Pacific Coast Athletic, 19-12 | 50 | NR | 2-3 |
Dropped Out of Rankings: Golden West (#15), Antelope Valley (#18), Santa Barbara City (#24)
Also Receiving Votes: Golden West 43, Antelope Valley 43, Santa Barbara 42, Lassen 31, Pasadena City 24, Long Beach City 17, Cerro Coso 16, Cuesta 13, Fullerton 7, San Joaquin Delta 6, Desert 2, San Diego Mesa 2, Laney 1, Mt. San Jacinto 1
Release by Robert Lewis, CCCSIA Executive Board