Baseball races

 There are road blocks and obstacles for any program attempting to repeat the feat.
 How you handle them often dictates a teams fate for the stretch run. Which is where we stand as the race for the postseason heats up.
 All of a sudden, title aspirations are dancing in the heads of more than one program.
 That includes Salinas, who is 9-1 in its last 10 games. With San Benito dropping a pair of games, the Cowboys are tied for first in the Gabilan Division
 The two teams have one more meeting on May 1 in Hollister. Two of the Balers three league losses this year have come at home.
 Lurking in the shadows just two games back are a resurgent Christopher squad, along with Monterey and Monte Vista.
 Two weeks ago, the Toreadores run of 24 straight playoff appearances appeared in jeopardy. Now it is in a title chase with a deep starting rotation.
 I like the chemistry at Salinas. Injuries have not saddled the program. Instead, it has motivated them  and enabled this group to overcome hurdles in their path.
 The Mission Trail Athletic League has become a three-team battle with defending champion Carmel sitting a game behind Soledad and Pacific Grove.
 The Padres will look for redemption on Tuesday, hosting a Soledad squad that put 14 runs on them in their last meeting, rallying from a seven-run deficit.
 You have to love Soledad's hitting, having produced 179 runs this year. Pacific Grove's pitching has kept them in games all season. Carmel pitching concerns me.
 And while North Salinas still has a grip on first in the Pacific Division, falling to Watsonville by a 1-0 score last Friday creates some nervous tension coming into today's rematch.
 I still believe the Vikings are the team to beat, and likely ticketed to the Gabilan Division next year.