The action in the Southwestern League last week set the stage for a thrilling finish, with teams jockeying for postseason positions and individual players chasing league honors. Throughout the week, Temecula Valley, Vista Murrieta, and Chaparral emerged victorious in their respective series, shaking up the standings. With one week to go, it’s all leading to a whirlwind of “what if” scenarios as each team hopes to advance towards postseason dreams. Here is how the tumultuous fourth week unfolded and what to look out for as we head into the climax of the season this week.
Series Recaps
Temecula Valley put on a strong showing against Great Oak, taking the series with victories of 2-0 and 8-3, before taking a hit in the final matchup with a 6-4 defeat. The intensity of these games was undeniably high, especially as Temecula Valley had just experienced a tough loss in their senior game against Gahr High School, which may have potentially affected their final game in the series against the Wolfpack.
The Vista Murrieta Broncos showed their dominance by winning all three games against the Murrieta Mesa Rams with final tallies of 9-2, 9-7, and 11-3. Notably, the Broncos handed the Rams their first home loss of the season, a clear indicator of Vista Murrieta’s strength and a potential forecast for what they can do in the postseason.
The series between Chaparral Pumas and Murrieta Valley Nighthawks offered plenty of drama as well, with Chaparral securing the series after winning the first two games 6-1 and 9-6. However, Murrieta Valley showed resilience by tying up the third game at 3-3 in the seventh inning and eventually sealing a 5-4 victory in extra innings.
Riveting Standout Moments
The tight standings bear testament to the competitive fire within the league, especially notable among the top teams. With a record of 9-3, the Vista Murrieta Broncos had carved some breathing room but still needed to fend off the Chaparral Pumas this week, who, along with the Temecula Valley Golden Bears, are both just two games behind first place. In the meantime, Murrieta Valley is perched in no-man’s land at fourth place with Great Oak and Murrieta Mesa tied at the bottom, both eager to claw their way up.
What If? The Playoff Scenarios
It is a “win and you’re in” atmosphere as teams forge their paths towards the CIF Southern Section playoffs next week. Vista Murrieta has already punched their ticket to the postseason but battles on for the league title. They are set to clash with Chaparral in what promises to be an epic showdown featuring two of the league’s top pitchers—Braylon Doughty of Chaparral and Vaughn Neckar of Vista Murrieta—possibly going head-to-head.
Chaparral and Temecula Valley are looking to solidify their playoff spots, whereas Murrieta Valley lurks just behind, ready to stage a coup for their place in the postseason lineup. Great Oak and Murrieta Mesa refuse to go gently into the night and will give it their all in their final games to escape last place, each harboring aspirations of postseason grandeur. A 6-9 league record by any of the bottom three teams, with a fourth place finish, could get anyone of them into the postseason, as it did last season for the Pumas. A hearty strength of schedule will be the factor in that at-large scenario.
Standout Performances and League Stats (As of Tuesday, April 23)
Here are the league’s top performers in various categories:
Hits Leaders
- CJ Moran (Sr), Murrieta Mesa – 21
- Dylan Fien (Sr), Great Oak – 21
- RJ Holmes (Jr), Vista Murrieta – 20
- Gavin Fien (Jr), Great Oak – 19
Doubles Leaders
- Dylan Fien (Sr), Great Oak – 7
- Josh Pinnell (Sr), Temecula Valley – 5
Triples Leader
- Bear Bachmeier (Sr), Murrieta Valley – 3
Home Runs Leader
- Braylon Doughty (Sr), Chaparral – 4
RBI Leaders
- Braylon Doughty (Sr), Chaparral – 14
- Vaughn Neckar (Jr), Vista Murrieta – 12
- Taytum Reeves (So), Vista Murrieta – 9
Stolen Bases
- RJ Holmes (Jr), Vista Murrieta – 6
- Josh Pinnell (Sr.), Temecula Valley – 4
- Grant Harrison (Sr), Murrieta Valley – 4
- Isaiah Rauseo (Fr), Temecula Valley – 4
Wins
- Jonas Ballesteros (Sr), Chaparral – 4
- Taden Krogsgaard (So), Temecula Valley – 4
- Jorge Rodriguez (Sr), Vista Murrieta – 3
- Cody Liscio (Sr), Temecula Valley – 3
Strike Outs
- Braylon Doughty (Sr), Chaparral – 49
- Kaysen Raineri (Sr), Great Oak – 37
- Cody Liscio (Sr), Temecula Valley – 32
- Vaughn Neckar (Jr), Vista Murrieta – 33
- Taden Krogsgaard (So), Temecula Valley – 27
(SWL stats sourced from GameChanger and MaxPreps. Overall stats not counted towards league accolades)
Final Series Schedule
The last of the excitement culminates on Monday, April 22, with the first game of the final series, followed by battles on Tuesday, and the finale on Thursday, April 25, at Lake Elsinore Storm’s Diamond Field. Catch the early game between Temecula Valley and Murrieta Valley at 2 pm, followed by Vista Murrieta vs. Chaparral at 4:30 pm, and wrapping up with Murrieta Mesa against Great Oak at 7 pm under the lights.
UPDATE: Monday game notes include Vista Murrieta (10-3) topping Chaparral 4-3, solidifying their third straight SWL title. Neckar picked up the win with six strikeouts. Despite the loss, Doughty sat down nine Bronco batters. The Pumas moved to 7-6 in the standings. Great Oak forced Murrieta Mesa (4-9) to the bottom of the standings with a 13-8 victory. A thirteen strike out performance from Kaysen Raineri would prove to be the difference as CJ Moran (3 for 4, RBI, 2B) would be the only successful Ram to actually challenge the Wolfpack starter. Finally, Temecula Valley (8-5) held on for a 5-4 win and gave Murrieta Valley a loss that tied them in the middle of the pack with Great Oak at 5-8. Krogsgaard picked up his fourth league win with a complete game appearance that saw three strikeouts and only one earned run.
Each team in the Southwestern League has shown a spark of brilliance, fueling the fire for an overall winning season for the first time in many years. With eyes intently focused on the prize, the coming week is assured to be filled with pivotal moments that will define the season and carve out the road leading to the playoffs. Stay tuned for what promises to be an exceptional finale to an already memorable baseball season.
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