BASEBALL RANKINGS: Initial Hierarchy for County

Today, Patch debuts its San Mateo County high school baseball rankings. The top-10 weekly rankings are drawn from all schools in the county.

A stop-and-go start to the baseball season because of rain has meant postponements of games, reduced practice time and some surprising early results. The welcomed arrival of sunny skies means the final six weeks of the regular season will be loaded with action as teams work make-up games into their schedules.

With most teams still in the early portions of their league schedules, the following is a look at the San Mateo County baseball landscape after the season’s choppy start.

Records are based on reported games played through Monday, April 4.

BASEBALL

1. Serra (9-5) Mixed results against brutal early schedule; Padres look to atone for losses to St. Francis & Bellarmine this week.

2. Menlo School (10-1) Lone blemish is 9-2 loss to St. Francis; owns wins over Burlingame, El Camino, Carmel & Hillsdale.

3. Hillsdale (7-3) Pitching-deep Knights have allowed more than four runs just once; six players have recorded a victory.

4. Burlingame (6-5) Needs to find rhythm after break; following hot start, talented Panthers have lost four of last five.

5. Carlmont (8-4) Madigan & Levine have been a potent pitching duo; inconsistent offense a question mark for Scots.

6. El Camino (7-3-1) Validating promotion to PAL Bay with strong overall start; swept M-A after splitting with Carlmont.

7. Half Moon Bay (10-5) Balanced Cougars an early PAL Ocean favorite; four players have 10+ RBIs; pitching has been stout.

8. Terra Nova (6-3-1) Starting 6 underclassmen makes Tigers a wild card; No. 2 pitcher Manessis threw a perfecto vs. Crystal Springs.

9. Capuchino (7-6-1) Mustangs should gain confidence from encouraging start; most losses have been to strong programs.

10. Menlo-Atherton (6-5) Scoring difficulties atypical of Amoroso era; takes 1-3 PAL Bay record into series with Carlmont.