Here are the Record's Top 10 SJ County prep softball teams at Week 7

We’re approaching the last half of the 2023-24 high school softball season as teams are deep into league play.

The Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs are set to start in a little over a month now and San Joaquin County teams are clawing their way to the top three or four spots in their respective leagues.

Sitting atop its league so far this season is Tracy in the Tri-City Athletic League who has held the Record’s No. 1 ranking for three weeks in a row.

The Bulldogs are also ranked No. 2 in the SJS with only two losses and a tie behind first-place Sutter. They are one of three area teams in first place in their respective leagues making them more than worthy of their Top 10 SJ County rankings.

Here are the Record’s Top 10 SJ County prep softball teams as we pass the midway point of the 2023-24 season.

1. Tracy (16-2-1) 30 points

Next game: at West on April 16

The Bulldogs have had a stellar season that keeps going as they hold a 15-2-1 overall record. Since last week’s rankings, they’ve picked up four wins and had a 1-1 tie during tournament play against Central. Tracy is on a four-game winning streak taking down Christian, Tokay, St. Mary’s and Lodi.

Tracy holds an 8-1 TCAL record with its lone loss coming against Lodi on March 26. The Bulldogs got their revenge on the Flames in their most recent win on April 11. Leading them was a junior-sophomore duo in pitcher Elisa Galli and slugger Emalee Cargill. Galli held Lodi scoreless picking up six Ks while Cargill banged in three RBIs, three hits, and two runs. Tracy won the game 9-0.

2. Manteca (11-3) 27 points

Next game: vs. East Union on April 16

Manteca was holding onto the top spot in the Valley Oak League until Oakdale came to town. The Buffaloes dropped the league matchup 4-0 to the Mustangs putting their league record at 3-1. The loss put them in second place in the VOL but they are sure to make a run again for the top spot.

Their star senior Nayellys Torres will be the catalyst in doing so as she does it all for the Buffaloes. Offensively she has the team’s highest batting average of .366 with an on-base percentage of 47.2%. On the mound, she is ranked tenth in the SJS in wins with eight so far this season. She’ll need to shine for Manteca to remain in the top three in the VOL.

3. Lodi (14-5) 22 points

Next game: vs. Lincoln on April 15

Lodi has been nipping at Tracy’s toes since the start of TCAL play as the two sit at the top of the league. The Flames hold a 7-1 record and have been the only team to give the Bulldogs a run for their money this season. Since Week 6, they have gone 2-1 picking up dubs against St. Mary’s and West.

The most impressive win came against the Wolfpack on April 9 where they handled them with ease for a 9-1 victory. Leading Lodi’s shutdown defense was junior Ashlyn Jubrey who pitched for four innings. She ended the game with nine strikeouts and only allowed one hit. With this win, Jubrey holds a 6-2 record on the mound the third-best record in the TCAL.

4. Kimball (8-6) 20 points

Next game: vs. Sierra on April 16

Back in the No. 4 rankings at Week 7 is Kimball who has bounced back from its four-game losing streak. The Jaguars have gone 3-1 since last week’s rankings, picking up big wins over St. Francis, Elk Grove and East Union. Their lone loss came at the hands of the No. 4 ranked team in the section, Oakdale.

In Kimball’s most recent win against the Lancers on April 11 it was slug off. Lucky for the Jaguars they had two hot bats to help them out hit their opponent for an 8-5 victory. Senior Bianca Quintero and junior Kaeliana DePerio were the key sluggers combing for three runs, six hits, five RBIs and two doubles. The Jaguars will be looking to carry this offensive success over to the last half of VOL play.

5. Ripon (8-4) 21 points

Next game: vs. Escalon on April 17

Ripon is one of three ranked teams that are in first place of its league sitting in first place in the Trans Valley League. The Indians hold a perfect 2-0 record and are the team to beat in the TVL so far this season. Their most recent win came against Livingston on April 10 as pitcher Kharime Caratachea put on a show on the mound.

The San Francisco State-bound senior held the Wolfpack scoreless only allowing three hits and striking out 10 batters. Caratachea was also an offensive contributor finishing the game with two RBIs and a run. Sophomore Clara Townsend led Ripon’s offense with three RBIs, two hits and a run as it would beat Livingston 13-0.

6. East Union (11-6) 15 points

Next game: at Manteca on April 16

Things are going to get even more difficult for East Union as they face some of the Top 10-ranked SJS teams in Manteca and Oakdale in the coming weeks. The Lancers are currently ranked fifth in the VOL and have only won one league game so far against Sierra. They are fresh off of a loss against Kimball and will need every win they can get to make playoffs.

Junior Mikayla Simpson and sophomore Lily Pickering will be key players in East Union picking up dubs as they are a spark for its offense. Simpson holds a team-high .558 batting average and an on-base percentage of close to 60%. Pickering is a clutch hitter for the Lancers who has gone the distance seven times so far this year. She’s ranked third in the SJS in total home runs.

7. Linden (10-5) 7 points

Next game: vs. Franklin on April 15

The final first-place league team is Linden who is currently in first place of the San Joaquin Athletic Association. The Lions haven’t dropped a league game yet and hold a 4-0 record with wins against McNair, Bear Creek, Edison and Chavez. Their league success has earned them the No. 7 ranking this week a one-spot jump from Week 7.

Linden’s best win since last week’s rankings came against Chavez on April 8 where it could do no wrong. The Titans got a run past the Lions in the first inning and after that, they couldn’t get anything else. Junior pitcher Nina Lagorio got the job done picking up five Ks and only allowing two hits all game. The Lions will be looking to bulldoze through the rest of their SJAA competition.

8. Mountain House (14-5) 9 points

Next game: at Gracie Davis on April 16

With a 9-2 victory over Western Athletic Conference rival Lathrop on April 11, Mountain House has earned the No. 8 spot in this week’s rankings. The Mustangs and Spartans went to 13 innings after a 2-2 tie at the end of the seventh inning. Freshman Cassidy Townsley would be the hero for Mountain House leading them to a seven-run inning to snatch the victory.

The catcher finished the night with four hits, two runs, one double and a RBI. Townsley’s hot bat helped the Mustangs go to 5-1 in WAC play and just a game behind first and second-place teams Ceres and Los Banos. If Mountain House can keep its offense flowing they can be frontrunners for the WAC championship.

9. Lathrop (9-5) 10 points

Next game: vs. Ceres on April 16

After a heartbreaking extra-innings loss to Mountain House, Lathrop is looking to regroup. The loss puts the Spartans on a four-game losing streak after a strong start to the season. Along with their loss to the Mustangs, they have dropped games to Pitman, Northgate and Los Banos.

Their schedule doesn’t get any easier as they take on WAC first-place team Ceres who holds a 6-1 league record. The last time these two teams met Lathrop only scored three runs against the Bulldogs struggling against their junior pitcher Alizae Cole. It will need to get its offense going in a hurry if it wants to pull off a big upset over Ceres to get out of the losing slump.

10. Lincoln (7-8-1) 1 point

Next game: at Lodi on April 16

The Trojans have fought for every one of their victories this season earning them their first appearance in the SJ County Top 10 prep softball rankings. They hold a 7-8-1 overall record and are currently ranked third in the TCAL with a 4-4 record. Lincoln’s April 10 win over St. Mary’s helped solidify its spot at No. 10.

Leading the Trojans past their crosstown foe was freshman Mallory Wagner. She was an offensive force for her team with four RBIs, three hits, two doubles and a run. Wagner helped her team snag a 13-6 win over the Rams. Lincoln followed that up with another dub over West and will look to keep winning to stay in the top four in the TCAL.

On the bubble teams: St. Mary’s, Millennium and Tokay

Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.