Leo Rhein was once the smallest kid in San Mateo American Little League. Friday at Frisella Stadium, pitching for rival St. Ignatius, the junior right-hander was standing tall against the Serra Padres.

The high school track and field postseason is already upon us, with the beginning of the Peninsula Athletic League championships getting underway at Sequoia High School Thursday.

The El Camino Colts haven’t won a Peninsula Athletic League baseball championship since 2017. After sweeping their stiffest competition in the PAL Lake Division, the Colts are now one win away from overcoming the drought.

THURSDAY

Selena Gonzales and Ale Phillips each went 3-for-3 at the plate performances as the College of San Mateo softball team began defense of its 3C2A state championship with a 12-1  mercy-rule win over visiting Lassen College Friday afternoon in a Northern California playoff opener at the College…

There is a reason tournaments are played, regardless of favorites. So while Carlmont’s Lucas Rowe was an overwhelming favorite to win the Peninsula Athletic League’s individual singles championship, he still had play five matches to win the title.

With a staff ERA of 1.20, it goes without saying Sacred Heart Prep pitching has been dealing all season. But the dominant rotation of Rallin Covey and Kyle Sweeney saved their best for the Gators’ most critical Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division series to date.

The Skyline College and College of San Mateo baseball teams qualified for the 3C2A’s Northern California Regional Playoffs beginning this weekend.

Menlo School baseball senior Chuck Wynn delivered his second multi-home run game of the season, and junior Ava Allen recorded her first varsity hit, as the Knights (7-3 PAL Bay, 15-7 overall) rolled to a 14-0 win via five-inning mercy-rule at Capuchino (2-7, 12-10).

WEDNESDAY

WEDNESDAY

The Burlingame baseball team has become the king of manufacturing runs. With multiple hits in any given inning hard to come by, the Panthers have relied on strong pitching, solid defense and taking advantage of base runners when they get a chance.

San Mateo boys’ golf coach Jimmy Ikeda pulled up the 18th hole of the Old Course at Half Moon Bay Golf Links with two other Peninsula Athletic League coaches: Burlingame’s Jon Ramirez and Woodside’s Chris Dawkins.

TUESDAY

TUESDAY

With the sun setting on the Pacific Ocean and the faints tones of the Half Moon Bay Golf Links bagpiper’s bagpipes wafting through the property, Menlo-Atherton’s Graham Martin led the final foursome down the 18th fairway on the Old Course.

Another postseason run begins this week for the College of San Mateo softball team as the top-ranked Bulldogs look to go back-to-back and defend their 2025 state title.

MONDAY

Burlingame’s No. 1 tennis doubles Jake Druskin and Kieran Kilgo have a go-to saying: “We got this!” The saying — really more a response to head coach Doug Stone, anytime he tries to offer coaching advice during a match — has paid off in spades.

Jesse Martinez, Terra Nova baseball. The junior pitcher put together his best outing of the season and was one walk away from a perfect game. Instead, he settled for an eight-strikeout no-hitter in a 3-0 win over Mills. Offensively, he went 1 for 3 with an RBI triple.

With the Peninsula Athletic League boys’ golf championship being contested Monday and Tuesday, and with the tennis postseason ramping up, I figured it’s a good time to look at the baseball and softball championship races.

The Burlingame Panthers got a head start on contending for the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division baseball championship.

MONTEREY — Ericka Dorn was an overwhelming double Coast Conference track champion in the 800 and 1,500 meters Saturday at Monterey Peninsula College, completing a perfect individual career double-double.

UCLA senior Megan Grant has been hearing the comparisons to Barry Bonds since middle school.

Senior right-hander Kelley Crawford powered through a jam in the seventh to save an 8-5 victory Friday for the Serra Padres (4-4 WCAL, 14-6 overall) at Archbishop Mitty-San Jose.

San Mateo left-hander Wilson Morales has provided a lot of depth to the Bearcats’ pitching staff this season. In the finest varsity outing to date, though, the sophomore served up Design Tech a dose of its own medicine.

SATURDAY

FRIDAY

The Burlingame Panthers have been flawless in one-run games this season. The Sequoia Ravens have been a game-winning grand slam factory. So, with both scenarios on the table Friday, something had to give.

A high school tennis match is a best-of-seven format, but when the Carlmont boys’ team, the No. 2 seed, traveled to top-seeded Burlingame for the Peninsula Athletic League Central Coast Section team tournament championship match, it was generally agreed the team score would be decided by jus…

Freshman slugger Jake Scott has emerged as a game changer for M-A Bears.

THURSDAY

One disputed strike call turned out to be a blessing in disguise for sophomore Aliyah Scheller and the San Mateo Bearcats.

South City sophomore Madyson Jade Quintanilla sure knows how to reach a milestone in style.

College of San Mateo (13-7 Coast North, 25-14 overall) settled for third place in the Coast Conference North baseball standings, but finished the regular season with a statement comeback win over Cañada (8-11, 16-22) on the Hilltop.

WEDNESDAY

WEDNESDAY

For 15 years, the Menlo-Atherton boys’ tennis team was the gold standard in the Peninsula Athletic League Bay Division, winning 13 straight division championships from 2009 to 2023 — minus two COVID seasons in 2020 and 2021.

The San Mateo Daily Journal sports department doesn’t spend too much time worrying about junior varsity sports. With nearly two dozen varsity teams in every sport, our thinking is that those athletes who stick with it, will eventually get their due once they reach the varsity level.

TUESDAY

The San Mateo softball team is proving that last year was no fluke.

When the Aragon baseball team traveled to Atherton to take on Sacred Heart Prep in a battle for first place, the Dons had their work cut out for them.

All hail, Lily! Queen of the workhorses!

Brianna Lopiccolo, Capuchino softball. The junior catcher punctuated a big week for the Lady Mustangs, and pitcher Lily Thomas. With her junior hurler totaling 19 2/3 innings through three games last week, including a perfect game Tuesday against Aragon, Lopiccolo saved Thomas any more wear …

When it comes to the game of baseball — and by extension, softball — the term “dirtbag” is one of endearment. Originally coined to describe the Long Beach State baseball team, it is a term that describes how one plays: with heart, determination, a give-it-all-all-the-time attitude and hustle…

The El Camino Colts finished off the inaugural South City Youth Baseball Festival in fitting fashion.

Sequoia senior Morgan Winfield has homered six times this season. Two of those homers have been game-winning grand slams.

Skyline College’s wild 13-11 win Friday over College of San Mateo how the entire Coast Conference North baseball race is shaping up this season.

SATURDAY

Carlmont senior Levi Wellman got deked out as he rounded second base in the fourth inning Friday at Bill Hurst Field.