Baseball: Division 1 for 2017 is loaded under new format

Columnist

Jan. 27, 2017 4:36 PM PT

If you thought Division 1 baseball in the Southern Section was tough in past years, wait until this spring. The Southern Section released its new playoff divisions on Friday based on competitive equity, and Division 1 just got tougher.

“I think the biggest thing is Division 1 baseball is far and away the most competitive single-elimination bracket in the history of high school baseball,” JSerra Coach Brett Kay said. “It’s as nasty and as naughty as it is, and that’s what makes it fun.”

Added to an already strong Division 1 are Redondo, South Hills, Redlands East Valley, Gahr, Bishop Amat, Cypress, Mission Viejo and Bonita.

JSerra has the highest rating based on the last two years of performance. There are 42 teams in Division 1, and Servite was the last one in. Next to last was Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, which means teams will have to deal with the possible No. 1 draft pick, Hunter Greene.

The teams: JSerra, Harvard-Westlake, Huntington Beach, Orange Lutheran, Murrieta Mesa, El Toro, Redondo, South Hills, Hart, Mater Dei, West Ranch, Cypress, Mission Viejo, Valencia, Redlands East Valley, Norco, Santa Margarita, Vista Murrieta, Damien, North, Aliso Niguel, Agoura, Corona, Foothill, Loyola, El Dorado, Chaminade, Gahr, Bonita, Tesoro, Esperanza, San Clemente, Millikan, Corona Santiago, Bishop Amat, Marina, Dos Pueblos, Saugus, Los Alamitos, Dana Hills, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Servite.

Beckman and Oaks Christian lead the teams in Division 2.

Oxnard and Culver City top Division 3. Tahquitz and Laguna Hills lead Division 4. Oak Hills and Patriot are in Division 5. Eisenhower and Muir drop to Division 6.

Adding to the intrigue is the need to develop pitching staffs because of new pitching restrictions limiting a player to 110 pitches before having to be pulled and not being able to pitch for three days.

Here’s the link to complete playoff groupings.

Here’s the link to softball playoff groupings.

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