The high school baseball season is shifting into the second phase of the postseason, and multiple teams from the Daily News area will compete in the CIF State Southern California Regional playoffs.
The first round is Tuesday with first pitch for all games at 4 p.m. The second round is Thursday and the championship games will be played Saturday.
Division I
Mater Dei at Crespi
Crespi has another chance to win a championship after falling in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals. Santa Margarita scored 10 runs in the fourth inning to knock the Celts out of the playoffs.
Mater Dei also missed out on a CIF-SS championship when West Ranch beat the Monarchs 2-1 in the Division 2 title game. Mater Dei pitcher and Fresno State signee Brandon Thomas gave up just one run in six innings of the game to go with four strikeouts.
Division II
Point Loma at El Camino Real
El Camino Real is coming off an L.A. City Section Open Division championship, which they won May 24 at Dodger Stadium.
Two-way player Devin Gonor is 9-1 on the mound and fellow senior Luke Howe provides leadership on the offense in the form of a team-leading 18 runs scored.
Point Loma is the CIF San Diego Section Division 1 champion.
Division III
University City at Birmingham
University lost to West Valley League rival El Camino Real in the City Section Open Division semifinals. Their only league losses were to El Camino Real and Granada Hills Charter, which derailed their chances at winning this season’s league title.
University City beat Calexico 12-1 to win the San Diego Section Division 3 title. Senior catcher Josh Kaplan is hitting .350 with a team-leading 27 RBIs.
Trinity Classical Academy at Venice
Trinity Classical exited the Division 4 playoffs in the second round and now has a shot at Venice, which lost to El Camino Real in the City Section Open Division finals.
The Knights were the undefeated Heritage League champions and Heritage League Player of the Year Andrew Carlson ranks second on the team in batting average (.479) and RBIs (23).