CIF-SS BASEBALL PLAYOFFS
SEMIFINALS, TUESDAY
DIVISION 2
Newport Harbor (22-9) vs. Ganesha (23-3-1)
Where, when: Ganesha High, 3:15 p.m.
Outlook: A win Tuesday would put Newport Harbor in a CIF-SS championship baseball game for the first time in the history of the school that opened in 1930. The Sailors finished second to Huntington Beach in the Sunset League. In the playoffs they defeated Trabuco Hills, 15-1, in the first round; Great Oak, 4-1, in the second round; and Aquinas, 8-0, in the quarterfinals. Newport Harbor senior pitcher Gavin Guy (6-4, 195), who committed to UC Santa Barbara, is 8-0 with a 0.61 ERA. Another Sailors pitcher, Keaton Anderson, pitched a three-hitter Friday in the win over Aquinas. Newport Harbor sophomore center fielder Keoni Wun is batting .396 with a team-leading 42 RBIs. Ganesha won the Miramonte League championship with a 9-0 league record. In the playoffs the Giants beat Linfield Christian, 2-1, in eight innings in the first round; South Hills, 5-2, in the second round; and Elsinore, 4-0, in the quarterfinals. Ganesha’s roster has one of Southern California’s top players, senior Logan Schmidt (6-4, 215), a left-handed pitcher/first baseman who committed to LSU and is projected as an early-round draft choice. Newport Harbor and Ganesha did not play each other this season. The winner plays the Foothill-Loyola semifinals winner in the championship game this coming Friday or Saturday at Cal State Fullerton and at LoanMart Field, home of the minor-league Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.
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Foothill (20-11) vs. Loyola (18-12-1)
Where, when: Loyola High, 3:15 p.m.
Outlook: Foothill will try to advance to its fourth CIF-SS baseball championship game, having made its last baseball finals appearance in 2018. The Knights finished third in the Crestview League behind league-champion Cypress and Villa Park. Their pitching has been excellent in the playoffs. Foothill defeated Vista Murrieta, 2-1, in the first round; Servite, 3-0, in the second round; and Yucaipa, 3-1, in the quarterfinals. Foothill junior Caden Lauridsen is 6-4 with a 1.32 ERA. Senior outfielder Brayden Bianchi is batting .372 with 20 RBIs. Loyola finished fifth in the eight-team Mission League with a 7-10 league record and qualified for the playoffs as an at-large team. In the playoffs the Cubs defeated Yorba Linda, 18-0, in the first round; Chaminade, 7-6, in the second round; and Alemany, 3-0, in the quarterfinals. Loyola came back from a five-run deficit in the win over Chaminade. This is the first Foothill-Loyola game this season. The winner plays the Newport Harbor-Ganesha semifinals winner in the championship game this coming Friday or Saturday.
Division 4
Grand Terrace (20-7) vs. Laguna Beach (19-11)
Where, when: Laguna Beach High, 3:15 p.m.
Outlook: Laguna Beach is trying to make it to its second CIF-SS baseball championship game. The Breakers won the Division 4 championship in 2016. Laguna Beach finished third in the eight-team Pacific Coast League with a 9-5 league record. In the playoffs, the Breakers defeated Highland, 3-2, in the first round; Pacific Coast League champion Woodbridge, 7-2, in the second round; and Moorpark, 6-4, in the quarterfinals. Laguna Beach junior Dylan Yencho is batting.449 with 48 hits, 18 doubles and 28 RBIs in 30 games. Parker Moore has a team-high 30 RBIs. Breakers senior pitcher Branson Wade is 10-3 with a 1.32 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 79⅔ innings. Grand Terrace finished second in the Sunkist League with an 8-4 league record. In the playoffs the Titans defeated San Marcos, 8-4, in the first round; Palm Desert, 4-0, in the second round; and Marina, 4-1, in the quarterfinals. Ray Roybal leads Grand Terrace’s offense with a .384 batting average and seven doubles. The winner of this game plays the Glendora-Saugus winner in the division final on Friday or Saturday.
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Division 5
Irvine (17-13) vs. Kaiser (18-13)
Where, when: Kaiser High, 3:15 p.m.
Outlook: Irvine is one win away from doing something that has not been done in school history for a long time – an appearance in a CIF-SS baseball championship game, something that was once in the school’s history, back in 1992. The Vaqueros this season finished second to Woodbridge in the Pacific Coast League with an 11-3 league record. In the playoffs they defeated Moreno Valley, 4-2, in the first round; Citrus Valley, 3-2, in the second round; and Cathedral, 2-1, in the quarterfinals. Irvine senior Owen Song is batting .545 with 36 hits and 28 runs scored in 29 games. Senior Roshan Patel has driven in 23 runs and is 11-1 with a 1.30 ERA. Kaiser finished fourth in the five-team Sunkist League and qualified for the playoffs as an at-large team. In the playoffs the Cats defeated Oak Hills, 6-5, in the first round; Quartz Hill, 5-4, in the second round; and Santa Barbara, 7-0, in the quarterfinals. Irvine and Kaiser have not played each other this season. The winner plays the Long Beach Wilson-Culver City semifinals winner on either Friday or Saturday in the division championship game.
Division 8
Oxford Academy (12-19) vs. Rancho Alamitos (14-11)
Where, when: Rancho Alamitos High, 3:15 p.m. (updated)
Outlook: Oxford Academy, a small high-academics coed public school in Cypress with an enrollment of 819, has a strong baseball history. The Patriots have won three CIF-SS baseball championships, most recently in 2024. Oxford Academy finished second to Cerritos in the 605 League with an 8-2 league record. In the playoffs the Patriots defeated Lancaster Desert Christian, 3-1, in the first round; Rosemead, 4-3, in the second round; and Wildomar Cornerstone Christian, 7-6, in the quarterfinals. Rancho Alamitos is trying for its first appearance in a CIF-SS baseball championship game. The Vaqueros finished third in the five-team Grove League with a 7-5 league record. In the playoffs they defeated former Garden Grove League rival Los Amigos, 7-5, in the first round; Edgewood, 13-10, in the second round; and Chadwick, 4-2, in the quarterfinals. Rancho Alamitos junior Carson Lamb is batting .412. Vaqueros senior Henry Garcia is batting .372 with 14 doubles and on the mound is 9-3 with 103 strikeouts in 70⅓ innings. The winner plays the Schurr-Duarte winner in the division championship game this Friday or Saturday.
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