Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Panthers are the highest ranked local team in the NCS.

By Ray Hamill — With the North Coast Section baseball and softball playoffs fast approaching, three of the 18 H-DNL teams are ranked No. 1 in their division, while six others currently feature in the top six.

The top two local baseball teams — McKinleyville and St. Bernard’s — top their division rankings, as do the Ferndale girls.

The McKinleyville boys, who have already clinched at least a share of this year’s Big 5 title heading into their final conference game at home against Arcata on Wednesday afternoon, are not only No. 1 team in Division 4 but are also No. 21 overall in the section, which is higher than any other H-DNL team, baseball or softball.

The St. Bernard’s boys are also No. 1 in Division 6 and No. 27 overall, while Ferndale is just one spot behind them at No. 2 in Division 6 and No 53 overall.

Those three teams, however, are the only H-DNL baseball teams ranked in the top eight in their respective divisions.

Eureka is the third highest ranked local baseball team in the NCS, coming in at No. 35 overall (No. 9 in Division 3), followed in turn by No. 53 Ferndale, No. 69 Del Norte (No. 9 in Division 4), No. 87 Arcata (No. 18 in Division 3), No. 102 South Fork (No. 12 in Division 5), No. 109 Hoopa (No 16 in Division 5) and No. 117 Fortuna (No. 21 in Division 4), out of 138 ranked programs.

The local softball teams, meanwhile, feature higher within their respective divisions, with six of them currently ranked in the top six in their divisions.

In addition to No. 1 Ferndale (Division 6), Fortuna is No. 4 in Division 4, McKinleyville is No. 5 in Division 4, South Fork is No. 5 in Division 5, Del Norte is No. 6 in Division 4 and St. Bernard’s is No. 6 in Division 6.

Fortuna is also the highest ranked H-DNL team in the overall NCS rankings, coming in at No. 27, followed by No. 31 McKinleyville, No. 41 Del Norte, No. 53 Eureka and No. 57 South Fork.

Hoopa is the next highest ranked local team at No. 66, with Ferndale No. 73, Arcata No. 79 and St. Bernard’s No. 99, out of 124 programs in the NCS.

The Hoopa girls are also ranked No. 9 in Division 5.

The Ferndale girls are ranked No. 1 in Division 6 in the NCS.