Baseball:
It seems like every three months or so, I end up picking apart the playoff brackets for the fall, winter and spring seasons, respectively.
It’s in the hope that some tweaks can be made going forward to help the pairings make more sense.
In particular, some human oversight could go a long way to make adjustments in those individual cases that leave some scratching their head.
When one competes in the CIF-SS Division 1 bracket, there is literally not a single ‘gimme’ in the 27-team field (along with a number of first-round byes).
Division 1 (Thursday):
Los Osos (19-8), the Baseline League champions, did receive a home game against Cypress (18-10) on Thursday afternoon.
However, if LOHS ends the Centurions’ season, they travel to Corona (26-2), which is ranked No. 1 in California and No. 5 in the nation.
They met up on Feb. 22, and the Panthers claimed a 2-0 victory over the visiting Grizzlies.
Arcadia (25-3) welcomes Aliso Niguel (22-6) in, as mentioned, that killer D-1 bracket.
The Palomares League champs from Ayala (19-8) have to travel to El Dorado (20-8) to battle a Golden Hawks program that finished third in the Crestview League.
Rancho Cucamonga (19-9) makes a trip to Orange Lutheran (22-6) on Thursday against the Trinty League’s runner up.
Division 2 (Friday):
Maranatha (18-9-1), the Olympic League champs head out to Anaheim to battle Canyon (18-10), who finished second in the Freeway League.
La Salle (17-9) finished second in the Del Rey League, and they’ll travel to Cerritos to battle Gahr (16-12), who place second in the Gateway League.
Chino Hills (18-10), the defending D-5 champs, finished fourth in the Baseline League, and they’ll welcome Torrance (17-10) on Friday.
Bonita (16-11) finished second in the Palomares League, and they’ll make the 43-mile trek to South Orange County to take on Trabuco Hills (20-7-1).
South Hills (21-7), the Hacienda League champs, and one of four (of the 40) 210 Prep Sports baseball programs to win 20 games or more (Arcadia, Monrovia & San Marino) will travel to Mater Dei (15-13) and face a Monarchs squad that finished sixth in the Trinity League.
Etiwanda (14-12) began Baseline League play 2-4, but the Eagles went 7-2 in their final nine league games, including a series victory over the champs from Los Osos, 2-1.
EHS’ second-place finish earned the Eagles a Friday home game against Notre Dame (15-13).
Division 3 (Thursday):
In a rare down year, San Dimas (15-10) finished third in the Hacienda League (6-6), and it earned them a trip to Calabasas (17-11) on Thursday.
If the Saints are victorious, they’d travel to the division’s top seed (Colony), who SDHS finished just one game behind in the Hacienda League.
The Titans were awarded a first-round bye after placing five-games behind the champs from South Hills.
That gets us to our first controversy, at least in this writer’s eyes.
San Marino finished 21-7 overall, and they secured a Rio Hondo League title (10-2) by two games over both La Canada and Monrovia.
However, the Titans will have to make a 90-mile drive to Temecula to face a Great Oak program that finished four games (12-16) under .500, and they placed third in the Southwestern League (8-7).
Moreover, San Marino (144) is 14 spots ahead of GOHS (158) in the state rankings.
Crescenta Valley (21-7) tied for second in the Pacific League after finishing four games behind Arcadia.
The Falcons welcome the Channel League champs from Santa Barbara (19-7-1).
Glendora (18-10) earned the Palomares League’s No. 3 seed, and it earned them a trip to Redlands to face Citrus Valley (16-12), the Citrus Belt League’s runner up.
Division 4 (Friday):
The RHL’s second place teams, Monrovia (20-7) and La Canada (17-11) will both compete in D-4.
The Wildcats host Capistrano Valley (16-12), and the Spartans travel to Downey (14-14) to face a Vikings’ squad that finished fourth in the Gateway League (4-8).
Claremont (13-12-1) was the Palomares League’s fourth-place team, and they’ll make the drive to Apple Valley (20-6).
Northview’s (16-10-1) Valle Vista League title earned the Vikings a first-round home game against Valencia (13-13).
Division 5 (Thursday):
West Covina (17-11) and Covina (13-13) placed second and third, respectively, in the Valle Vista League.
The Bulldogs travel to Bishop Montgomery (17-11) and the Colts visit Elsinore (18-7).
If both teams were to win, WCHS and CHS would meet up in a second-round contest.
Division 6 (Friday):
In the only game that features a pair of 210 Prep Sports teams going head-to-head, the Prep League champs from Rio Hondo Prep (15-3) travel to Muir (16-9), who finished fifth in the Pacific League.
That can’t make Pasadena all too happy.
The Bulldogs (10-13-1) placed one game ahead of their rivals in the Pacific League, and they have to make a 72-mile trek to Ventura to battle St. Bonaventure (14-14) on Friday.
Marshall (16-6-1) was the Mission Valley League’s No. 2 seed, and they’ll welcome Leuzinger (14-6) to their Pasadena campus.
First-Round Playoff Schedule:
Division 1 (Thursday):
Cypress (18-10) at Los Osos (19-8)
Rancho Cucamonga (19-9) at Orange Lutheran (22-6)
Aliso Niguel (22-6) at Arcadia (25-3)
Ayala (19-8) at El Dorado (20-8)
Division 2 (Friday):
Maranatha (18-9-1) at Anaheim Canyon (18-10)
La Salle (17-9) at Gahr (16-12)
Torrance (17-10) at Chino Hills (18-10)
Bonita (16-11) at Trabuco Hills (20-7-1)
South Hills (21-7) at Mater Dei (15-13)
Notre Dame (15-13) at Etiwanda (14-12-1)
Division 3 (Thursday):
San Dimas (15-10) at Calabasas (17-11)
San Marino (21-6) at Great Oak (12-16)
Santa Barbara (19-7-1) at Crescenta Valley (21-7)
Glendora (18-10) at Citrus Valley (16-12)
Division 4 (Friday):
Claremont (13-12-1) at Apple Valley (20-6)
Valencia (13-13) at Northview (16-10-1)
La Canada (17-11) at Downey (14-14)
Capistrano Valley (16-12) at Monrovia (20-7)
Division 5 (Thursday):
West Covina (17-11) at Bishop Montgomery (17-11)
Covina (13-13) at Elsinore (18-7)
Division 6 (Friday):
Rio Hondo Prep (15-3) at Muir (16-9)
Leuzinger (14-6) at Marshall (16-6-1)
Pasadena (10-13-1) at St. Bonaventure (14-14)
Division 7 (Thursday):
Flintridge Prep (9-15) at Campbell Hall (8-11)
Division 8 (Friday):
Dunn (8-4) at Duarte (15-12)
Azusa (10-10) at Cate (10-4)
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