Pictured L-R: South Hills’ Sterling Patick, Marcos Rosales & Dom Prieto.

The Huskies have essentially wrapped up their sixth Hacienda League championship in the last seven years.

Baseball:

Although winning a league championship is paramount for a number of reasons, heading into the postseason whilst playing your best baseball can be just as important in the big picture.

Here is a look at some of the area’s most competitive league races with just two weeks to go.

Baseline League:

With six games to play, Damien holds a one-game lead over the defending Baseline League and CIF-SS D-2 champs from Etiwanda.

Along with the Valle Vista League (Charter Oak & San Dimas) and Pacific (Arcadia & Crescenta Valley), the Baseline’s final act next week features Damien and Etiwanda going head-to-head in a three-game tilt.

But before the Spartans and Eagles can think about the other, DHS opens this week on Monday at Rancho Cucamonga (4-5) at 3:15.

And EHS heads to Los Osos (2-7) tomorrow for their first-of-three with the Grizzlies.

Damien has won six consecutive games, and 11 of their last 12.

Etiwanda is 11-3 over the last 14 games.

Baseline League Standings:
Damien (15-4-2, 9-0)
Etiwanda (13-5, 8-1)
RCHS (10-9, 4-5)
Upland (8-9, 3-6)
Los Osos (6-11, 2-7)
Chino Hills (6-11, 1-8)

Del Rey League:

Bishop Amat needs one of two next week against La Salle to win the outright Del Rey League championship.

Amat defeated the Lancers, 6-3, in 12 innings, back on March 9th in their first encounter.

Whether they sweep Amat or finish second, La Salle will likely enter the playoffs with 20 wins or more.

They face Roosevelt (2-12) on Wednesday, and the Lancers will then play a doubleheader with Temple City (5-11) this Friday.

La Salle enters this week on a six-game win streak.

Del Rey League Standings:
Bishop Amat (17-3-1, 8-0)
La Salle (17-8, 8-2)
Serra (9-10, 4-3)
Paraclete (7-13, 2-8)
St. Paul (4-19, 0-8)

Hacienda League:

There isn’t much drama left in the Hacienda.

Darren Murphy’s Huskies will almost certainly wrap up their sixth league title in the last seven years.

With four to play, South Hills is 6-0, and that includes this past week’s sweep of formerly first-place Walnut (4-2 & 10-1).

The Huskies play two this week with Diamond Bar (3-2) and finish the regular season with fifth-place Rowland (0-4).

Hacienda League Standings:
South Hills (16-5, 6-0)
Walnut (10-9-3, 4-2)
Diamond Bar (7-10-1, 3-2)
Los Altos (5-13, 3-2)
Rowland (3-9, 0-4)
Wilson (5-9, 0-6)

Mission League:

St. Francis controls its own postseason destiny in their hopes of making a first postseason appearance in 12 years.

With six games left, the Golden Knights enter a three-game series with Crespi, and if they’re able to secure two wins, SFHS would leapfrog the Celts into third place.

The Golden Knights finish the season with three against the 10th-ranked program in the state, first-place Notre Dame.

Game one w/Crespi will take place Tuesday at the Glendale Sports Complex.

Mission League Standings:
Notre Dame (20-2, 13-2)
Harvard Westlake (15-7, 9-6)
Crespi (12-5-3, 7-5-3)
St. Francis (11-11, 7-8)
Loyola (8-12, 6-9)
Sierra Canyon (12-8-2, 5-8-2)
Chaminade (9-12-1, 5-9-1)
Alemany (11-11, 5-10)

Mission Valley League:

Marshall Fundamental is on the precipice of a Mission Valley League championship.

The Eagles have four league games to go, and they hold a two-game lead over second-place Gabrielino in the loss column.

Marshall and Gabrielino meet up Monday in Pasadena.

The Eagles close with last-place El Monte, sixth-place Rosemead and fourth-place South El Monte.

Marshall is currently riding a 12-game win streak.

Mission Valley League Standings:
Marshall Fundamental (13-3, 8-0)
Gabrielino (7-7, 5-2)
Arroyo (11-5, 5-3)
South El Monte (9-9, 4-3)
Mountain View (5-8-1, 4-3)
Rosemead (2-10-1, 1-7)
El Monte (1-12, 1-7)

Olympic League:

Matt Shupper’s boys won their sixth consecutive Olympic League championship.

Maranatha is coming off a remarkable showing at the Boras Classic, where they beat nationally ranked Villa Park and Santa Margarita and were edged, 3-2, in nine innings by Mater Dei.

The Minutemen (9-0) are four games up in the loss column with three to go.

MHS has two with last-place Heritage Christian, and one more against Whittier Christian.

Maranatha will be busy though, as they also battle Charter Oak, Mayfair, Camarillo and Serra in the next two weeks.

Olympic League Standings:
Maranatha (15-4, 9-0)
Village Christian (10-10-1, 6-4)
Whittier Christian (9-9, 3-4)
Valley Christian (5-10, 3-5)
Heritage Christian (6-12, 0-8)

Pacific League:

Stop me if you’ve heard this before.

The Pacific League championship will be won by either Arcadia or Crescenta Valley.

Both the Apaches and Falcons are 10-0 in league games with four to play, and they face off next week for a two-game series.

AHS ruled the roost in 2019, 2021 and 2022, and were 3-0 in 2020 before COVID-19 shut the world down.

Ironically, Arcadia coach Nick Lemas believes his 2020 squad was the best over that run, but they didn’t get the chance to back that up.

The Apaches and Falcons have their work cut out for them.

Arcadia has two with fourth-place Burbank starting on Tuesday, and then finish with CV.

The Falcons battle third-place Burroughs this week.

Pacific League Standings:
Arcadia (17-3, 10-0)
CV (17-4, 10-0)
Burroughs (10-8, 7-3)
Burbank (9-7, 5-5)
PHS (8-10, 4-6)
Glendale (8-13, 3-6)
Muir (3-11, 0-9)
Hoover (4-17, 0-10)

Palomares League:

Ayala, Bonita and Glendora enter the final two weeks tied atop the Palomares League standings at 5-1.

Clearly, GHS has the toughest row to hoe.

The Tartans get the Bearcats this week and the Bulldogs next week.

Bonita and Ayala split their two-game series just under a month ago.

After facing Glendora, BHS will have a two-game set with fourth-place Colony in the final week of the regular season.

Bonita got a no-hitter from Garrett Patterson on Thursday, which gives the Bearcats that rare resume headline of having two pitchers (Patterson & Justin Santiago) who tossed no-hitters in the same season.

Ayala takes on fifth-place Claremont this week.

The Bulldogs also enter the final charge with some steam.

On Thursday, AHS trailed Alta Loma, 7-2, but rallied for six runs in the bottom of the seventh to stun the Braves.

Palomares League Standings:
Bonita (13-4, 5-1)
Ayala (11-7, 5-1)
Glendora (11-7, 5-1)
Colony (7-13-1, 2-4)
Claremont (9-13, 1-5)
Alta Loma (6-10-1, 0-6)

Rio Hondo League:

It hasn’t been the same type of season that Brad Blackmore is used to having at Monrovia.

The Wildcats are just 10-10 in 2023.

Monrovia, however, enters the final two weeks tied for first with South Pasadena.

And they control their own destiny.

MHS faces the Tigers on Monday and Thursday, and then finish out with two next week against third-place San Marino.

The Titans are just one-back of South Pasadena and Monrovia, and they battle La Canada this week, and Monrovia next week.

San Marino has series wins over South Pasadena and Temple City, 2-1.

After they square off with Monrovia, the Tigers take on last-place Temple City next week.

Rio Hondo League Standings:
South Pasadena (11-11, 5-3)
Monrovia (10-10, 5-3)
San Marino (13-6, 4-4)
La Canada (7-12, 4-5)
Temple City (5-11, 3-6)

Valle Vista League:

One thing is for certain: there will be a new champion in the 2023 VVL title chase.

Northview, the defending champs, are just 1-4, while Charter Oak and San Dimas remain unscathed.

SDHS will make up its second and final game with West Covina on Monday, and then battle Covina on Tuesday and Thursday.

COHS and West Covina go at it on Tuesday and Thursday.

And then the Chargers and Saints close out 2023 with a league championship showdown.

Valle Vista League Standings:
COHS (13-7, 6-0)
SDHS (15-7, 5-0)
West Covina (14-4, 4-1)
Northview (6-12, 1-4)
Covina (9-7, 0-5)
Diamond Ranch (5-10, 0-6)