R-C Sports Notebook: Some new faces toward the top this season

You'll have to forgive anyone glancing at the current Sierra League baseball standings for any double takes.

With three weekends left in the regular season, some surprising names have risen to the top of the league.

Reno, perhaps the biggest surprise " good or bad " of the year, is knotted up on the bad end of a tiebreaker for the fourth and final playoff spot.

The Huskies have already dropped three 1-2 series against Douglas, North Valleys and, most recently, Damonte Ranch.

After a bit of a rebuilding year, Douglas (11-1) has risen to the form of the 2005 squad that nearly ran the table in the regular season to claim their first Sierra League title.

Their three remaining series, however, are against the current No. 2, 3 and 4 teams in the league, so things could certainly get closer in a hurry.

Damonte Ranch (9-3) qualified for its first playoff appearance last season and has quietly shuffled itself into second place in the league with impressive series wins against Reno and North Valleys.

With a couple of breaks here and there, the Mustangs could end up claiming the surprise league title. But the Tigers (who've already defeated the Mustangs once in non-conference play) and Senators still stand in their way.

Carson is right in the thick of things with an 8-4 record coming off a near sweep of North Valleys. The Senators' series against Douglas this weekend will sort things out toward the top of the league one way or another.

And then there is North Valleys. The Panthers pulled off the first series win against Reno earlier this year and have suffered through series defeats against Carson and Damonte Ranch.

The season-finale against Douglas will play a big part in determining final playoff seedings.

One can't ever put Reno out of it until the last pitch is thrown. The Huskies have looked anywhere from average to downright bad when anyone but superstar lefty Garrett Luippold is on the mound.

The Huskies' offense is what it always is " timely and solid under pressure " but the defense is suspect and the bullpen is among the thinnest in the league.

While having dropped the three key weekends to three of the four teams above them in the standings, the Huskies are still breathing thanks to an impressive sweep of Carson several weeks ago.

With the lower half of the league (Wooster, South Tahoe and Hug) remaining on its slate, don't be surprised to see the Huskies make a strong charge to the top.

With all of the top four facing off against eachother over the next three weeks, Reno still has a shot at the league title. Just goes to show the growing level of talent across the board in the ultra-competitive Sierra League.

In softball, Reno is the gold standard, and if any team manages to escape with a win against the Huskies, it will be a surprise.

Region-wide, many are beginning to anticipate a title matchup between the Huskies and No. 1 Spanish Springs.

The Cougars have the strongest pitcher in the region, but Reno is much deeper with a number of dominating arms ready to go in the circle.

Both teams have strong lineups, but my bet would be that the Huskies end up having the deeper lineup top to bottom. This could be the year the Sierra League recaptures the regional title.

After Reno, Damonte Ranch is again the surprise, sitting in second just ahead of Carson.

The playoff picture is rather solid at this point in the year, with Reno, Damonte, Carson and Douglas the likely teams to clinch.

What remains to be seen is the seeding. Douglas takes on Carson, which boasts a great pitching staff, this weekend and Damonte Ranch next week.

My likely picks heading into regionals will have Reno at No. 1, Carson at No. 2, Douglas No. 3 and Damonte No. 4.

With Douglas County schools on spring break last week, there wasn't a single Douglas High sporting event within county lines to report on.

Now starts the finals push for all sports leading into the final month before the regional and state championships.

Baseball and softball, as mentioned above, are both looking at playoff spots, the track team when it finally gets to full strength may be a darkhorse candidate to win either the boys', girls' or possibly both regional team championships and the golf and swim teams are enjoying their strongest seasons in a number of years.

Should be fun to watch it play out.

Tyler Tinstman, sr., track and Alicia Sturgess, sr., track: Tinstman was a part of Douglas' 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relays at Saturday's Reed Rotary Invitational and took third in the open 100. Sturgess has been the girls' team's most consistent scorer so far this season. She took second Saturday in the high jump and sixth in the 1,600.