Baseball: Joe Prior signs with Fresno State

Outfielder Joe Prior of Servite has signed with Fresno State. He led the Friars with six home runs this season.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Baseball: Harvard-Westlake is now going for 'national championship'

Studio City Harvard-Westlake is no longer just pursuing a Southern Section Division 1 championship. It's in the running for a "national championship" in baseball.

Baseball America has the Wolverines ranked No. 1 in their top 25 rankings.

Here's the link.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Coaching conference set for June 24-28

The California Coaching Conference will be held June 24-28 at Concordia University in Irvine.

Sports specific courses will be offered in soccer, basketball, softball, baseball, wrestling, cross country, football, volleyball, water polo, speed, strength and conditioning.

Cost is $149.

Here is the registration link.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Softball: Southern Section updated playoff pairings

SOFTBALL

SOUTHERN SECTION

DIVISION 1

Quarterfinals, Thursday, 3:15 p.m.

Norco at Rosary

#4 Garden Grove Pacifica at Orange Lutheran

Etiwanda at Yorba Linda

Corona Santiago at West Ranch

 

 

DIVISION 2

Baseball: Mario Losi is Century League MVP

Mario Losi from Anaheim Canyon was selected the most valuable player in Century League baseball. Austin McGeorge of Canyon was named outstanding pitcher.

Cameron Bishop of Brea was outstanding offensive player. Sophomore Nick Sprengel of El Dorado was the rookie of the year.  Scott Serigstad of El Dorado was the utility player of the year. Joe Hoggatt of Canyon was the coach of the year.

First-team all-league: P_Mitchell Miralaie, Brea, Sr.; Kyle Olson, Brea, Sr.; Nate Green, Canyon, Sr.; Nathan Kuchta, El Modena, Sr.; Casey Hershfield, Villa Park, Sr.; OF_Cameron Baranek, Canyon, Sr.; Chris Prescott, Canyon, Jr.; Nate Alam, El Dorado, Jr.; Brady Shockey, Foothill, Fr.; INFL_Chris Rivera, El Dorado, Sr.; Seve Romo, El Dorado, Sr.; Jack Flansburg, El Modena, Sr.; Tristan Hildebrandt, Esperanza, Jr.; C_Joe Van Marter, Canyon, Sr.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Baseball: Southern Section updated playoff pairings

BASEBALL

SOUTHERN SECTION

DIVISION 1

Quarterfinals, Friday, 3:15 p.m.

Riverside Poly at Loyola

Agoura at Marina

#3 Harvard-Westlake at Santa Margarita

#2 El Toro at Los Alamitos

 

 

DIVISION 2

Baseball: City Section playoffs begin with interesting matchups

The journey to reach Dodger Stadium and the City Section Division I championship game on June 1 begins Wednesday for 16 teams, and there's one coach who has decided the best path will be to save his No. 1 pitcher for Friday's quarterfinals.

Cleveland's Greg Venger, who will be stepping down as coach at the conclusion of the season, is expected to start his No. 2 pitcher, Steven Perez, for Wednesday's opener at home against Venice. Jack Hartman (11-1), the No. 1 pitcher in the City Section, would throw on Friday against the winner of Kennedy-San Pedro.

Lots of coaches in the past have had sleepless nights trying to decide if their No. 2 pitcher was good enough to win the opener. Some have gotten burned badly, losing in the opener and never getting the chance to use their best pitcher for the next game. As the saying goes, there's no tomorrow in a single-elimination tournament.

So how No. 2-seeded Cleveland does will be one of the major stories. San Fernando is seeded No. 1 and takes on Verdugo Hills. Three Wesern League teams that won wild-card games last week _ Venice, Hamilton and University _ are among the few teams that won't be affected by the long layoff since teams last played two weeks ago. Coaches have been having their teams play intrasquad games trying to keep their players sharp.

The most competitive game of the day figures to be No. 12 Granada Hills at No. 5 Narbonne. The winner could be the most dangerous team in the upper bracket. 

Here's the link to complete schedule for games.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Boys' volleyball: Southern Regional results and updated pairings

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL

DIVISION I

Quarterfinals, Tuesday

Huntington Beach d. Clovis Buchanan, 25-10, 25-15, 27-25

San Clemente d. Granada Hills, 25-20, 25-14, 25-14

Loyola d. Clovis, 25-21, 25-14, 25-21

Chula Vista Otay Ranch d. Santa Fe, 25-15, 27-25, 25-19

 

Semifinals, Thursday, 7 p.m.

#4 San Clemente at #1 Huntington Beach

#3 Loyola at #2 Chula Vista Otay Ranch

 

 

DIVISION II

Track: City Section championships are Wednesday

The City Section track and field championships are set for Wednesday at Lake Balboa Birmingham. The first running event is at 5:30 p.m. Admission is $8.

Palisades sophomore Marissa Williams figures to be the star in the girls' competition. She's heavily favored to win the 1,600 and 3,200.

Dorsey's Reginald Bell, the top hurdler in the state, will try to get into top form one week before the state championships are held next weekend in Clovis.

-- Eric Sondheimer

Boys' tennis: Southern California Regional results and updated pairings

BOYS' TENNIS

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

First round, Tuesday

Irvine University 7, San Diego Rancho Bernardo 0

Harvard-Westlake 7, Fresno Clovis West 0

Corona del Mar 7, El Camino Real 0

La Jolla 5, Arroyo Grande 2

San Marino 7, La Jolla Country Day 0

Santa Barbara 7, Palisades 0

Palm Desert 7, Fresno Bullard 0

San Diego Torrey Pines 6, Beverly Hills 1

 

Quarterfinals, Friday at Claremont Club