CIF releases division assignments for spring sports

The Edison High baseball program expects to be at the level where it is competing in CIF Southern Section Division 1 year in and year out, coach Cameron Chinn said.

Last year, the Chargers weren’t there. They got placed in Division 2 under the new power rankings system, advancing to the playoff quarterfinals.

“As far as I know, Edison had never not been in Division 1,” said Chinn, entering his fifth year as head coach.

The Chargers are back in Division 1, they learned Friday when the section released playoff groupings for the upcoming spring season in baseball, boys’ volleyball, softball and boys’ tennis. Edison is joined by Huntington Beach as local teams in the top division for baseball. Marina, which finished 12-18 a season ago and tied for fourth in the Sunset League, moves down from Division 1 to Division 2.

“I think it’s something we expect to be in,” said Chinn about competing in Division 1. “We’re a program that expects to be among the best around.”

Edison has top returners such as catcher Connor Aoki and senior pitcher Riley Haddon.

Other local baseball teams staying in Division 2 include Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor, Fountain Valley and Laguna Beach. Sage Hill and Ocean View, which lost in the wild-card round and first round respectively of the Division 3 playoffs last season, stay in that division as well.

Estancia baseball will remain in Division 5. Costa Mesa almost moved up to Division 5 as well, but instead it will stay in Division 6, where it has the most power ranking points from the previous two years of any of the 86 schools in the division. Los Amigos (Division 6) and Brethren Christian (Division 7) also stay in their respective divisions.

Boys’ volleyball is a sport that is front-loaded with local talent, and that remains true this season. Corona del Mar, Edison, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach and Newport Harbor all will vie in Division 1. All five programs remain in the top division. The Sea Kings are the defending Division 1 champions, while the Sailors made the semifinals last season before falling to Los Angeles Loyola.

Fountain Valley and Marina, neither of which made the postseason last year, both stay in Division 2. Costa Mesa, which finished just 2-11 last season, dropped from Division 2 to Division 3, where Estancia remains.

Ocean View and Sage Hill both stay in Division 4 for boys’ volleyball, as does Los Amigos in Division 5.

Local softball teams struggled as a whole last year, with none making it past the first round of the CIF playoffs. Huntington Beach remains the only local school in Division 1, and Edison and Marina, both of which advanced to the postseason last year in Division 2, stay in that division. Fountain Valley moves down a step to Division 3.

Newport Harbor and Ocean View softball will both vie for the postseason in Division 5. Both the Sailors and Seahawks were in Division 4 last year. Estancia, which advanced to the Division 6 playoffs last year, stays in that division, as does Los Amigos. Costa Mesa dropped from Division 6 to Division 7.

Corona del Mar is joined in the Division 1 boys’ tennis mix by Sage Hill, which was a Division 2 semifinalist a year ago. Newport Harbor, which also advanced to the Division 2 semifinals last season, stays in that division, along with Huntington Beach and Marina. Edison also moved up a step to Division 2.

Laguna Beach boys’ tennis moves down from Division 3 to Division 4, where Ocean View remains. Estancia also moves down a division, to Division 5, where Costa Mesa and Los Amigos stay put.

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo