CIF Southern Section Baseball Preview : Simi Valley Fights Jinx, Esperanza in Semifinal

Being the top seed in the CIF Southern Section’s 4-A division baseball playoffs has been more of a curse than a blessing.

For the past 17 years, no team has entered the postseason playoffs ranked No. 1 and then won five games to win the title. Lakewood High School was the last team to live up to its ranking, winning the title in 1970.

At 3:15 p.m. today, top-seeded Simi Valley High School (26-3) will be fighting the jinx when it plays Esperanza (23-3-1) in the semifinals at Cal State Fullerton.

The Pioneers have won 19 straight games to earn the No. 1 ranking as the top prep team in the nation by Collegiate Baseball Magazine. Still, they have struggled in the single-elimination tournament.

Simi Valley needed a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Muir, 3-2, in the first round. The Pioneers trailed Santa Monica, 4-2, entering the seventh inning in the second round before scoring six runs to win, 8-4.

Last Friday, the Pioneers had to go nine innings to edge Ocean View, 3-2, to reach today’s semifinals. Left-hander Scott Radinsky (14-1) has won all three playoff games. He has struck out 30 batters in 20 innings in the playoffs and will start today against Esperanza.

Esperanza enters the game with a .342 team batting average in the playoffs. First baseman Larry Nix has been the team’s hottest hitter in the playoffs with a .500 batting average.

Nix was benched in favor of reserve Greg Beckman three weeks ago after a 1-for-12 slump and has since emerged with a .556 average in his last four games.

Tim MacNeil (7-0) will start for the Aztecs. He threw a no-hitter for 5 innings in his last start, a 4-2 victory over San Gorgonio in the second round.

In other 4-A games:

Fontana (18-7) vs. El Dorado (22-6) at Fullerton College: Scott Holcomb (12-0), who threw a two-hitter in a 4-1 victory over North Torrance last Friday, will start for the Golden Hawks. El Dorado has won nine straight games.

“We’re playing about as well as we can play,” said Steve Gullotti, El Dorado coach. “I think we’re peaking at the right time.”

Fontana’s top hitter is third baseman Greg Colburn. Colburn is batting .429 with three homers and 21 RBIs. Right-hander Vinnie Mares (9-3) has started all three playoff games for the Steelers, allowing two runs and 11 hits in 19 innings.

In the 3-A division:

El Segundo (26-5-1) vs. Western (25-4) at Glover Stadium: The Pioneers are attempting to reach the title game for the first time since 1963 when Andy Messersmith was the team’s star player. Rich Lodding (11-2) is expected to start for Western.

Lodding earned a victory in relief in the Pioneers’ 2-1, 12-inning victory over Troy in the first round and started in an 8-2 win over Upland four days later.

Shortstop Willy Carson of El Segundo is one of the top baserunners in the Southern Section with 41 stolen bases and has hit five home runs. Sophomore right-hander Heath Jones, younger brother of Cincinnati Red pitcher Tracy Jones, will start for El Segundo. Jones is 6-1.

In the 2-A division:

Artesia (20-7) vs. Mission Viejo (19-6) at UC Irvine: The Diablos will be vying for their second consecutive trip to the 2-A title game after upsetting top-seeded and defending champion Diamond Bar, 3-2, in the quarterfinals.

Last year, Mission Viejo beat Mountain View, 6-5, on the same field to reach the title game. Center fielder Brendan Murphy has been the team’s hottest hitter in the playoffs. Coach Ron Drake will pitch either Jack Bailey or Matt Lackie.

Artesia has 32 runs in three playoff games and hit two home runs against Irvine last Friday that traveled well over the 350-foot sign at Cerritos College. Gunnar Seedborg (11-3) is the team’s top pitcher despite playing with a brace on his right leg because of a football injury.