SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : Tough Opener Ahead for Crescenta Valley

Crescenta Valley High will open the Southern Section 5-A Division baseball playoffs at 3 p.m. on Friday when it travels to top-seeded Lakewood.

The Falcons (13-12), who struggled early in the season, have won seven of their past nine games, including a 2-1 league tiebreaker victory over Hoover on Saturday to earn the Pacific League’s third and final playoff berth.

Lakewood (24-3), which won the Moore League title and is ranked No. 13 in the nation by USA Today, is batting .379 as a team and has an earned-run average of 1.26. In addition, the Lancers won the Redondo Beach/Palos Verdes and Loara tournament championships.

Still, Crescenta Valley Coach Tony Zarrillo is optimistic about his team’s chances.

“If it were a series of some kind, I’d say we were in a different situation,” he said. “But in a one-game situation I’ll take my chances against anybody. They’re the ones that should be on pins and needles.

“If we can pitch well and play good defense, we can be in the ballgame.”

Senior Scott Gleason, who was hampered by a shoulder injury early in the season, should start. Gleason (6-3) finished 6-0 in league play.

History warns that Gleason had better be tough--the Falcons’ don’t have much offensive punch.

Hyok Chang has a team-high .369 batting average, but only one other hitter--Victor Ramirez at .333--is hitting better than .300. Shane Cowsill is next best at .284.

Left-hander David Reeser (10-1), who has a 1.26 ERA, is scheduled to start for Lakewood. The Lancers are paced on offense by Ricardo Guiterrez (.441, 32 RBIs), Chris Gomez (.416, 24 RBIs) and Shawn Hardy (.416, 17 RBIs, 21 steals).

In another 5-A game:

St. Francis (12-7-1) at Simi Valley (21-3), Friday, 3 p.m.--St. Francis is in the playoffs for the first time since 1985--and the Golden Knights had to win 10 of their last 13 games to make it.

For its effort, St. Francis will get to face Marmonte League champion Simi Valley, the tournament’s No. 3-seeded team.

“It’s a challenge,” said Tom Moran, St. Francis’ first-year coach. “If we’re going to re-establish this program, we have to be able to beat the people who are highly rated. I’m sure it will be a big upset if we’re lucky enough to pull it off.”

Moran said he would decide on his starting pitcher--either Mitch Bowen (3-2) or Manny Fernandez (4-1)--today.

The Golden Knights are led offensively by catcher Gregg Zaun (.467, eight doubles, 19 RBIs), shortstop Mark Loretta (.420, 19 RBIs) and center fielder Matt Jones (.367, 16 RBIs).

Zaun has signed to play college baseball at Texas, Loretta with Northwestern.

Simi Valley won the Marmonte League title for the fourth consecutive year and sixth time in the decade. The Pioneers have been to the playoffs 10 times in the past 11 years.

Right-hander Mike Jenkins (8-0, 2.03 ERA) will pitch for Simi Valley, which also has five starters batting better than .300.

Andy Hodgins is batting .459 and Terry Hill is hitting .434.

La Canada (12-8) at Santa Clara (13-7), Friday, 3 p.m.--The Spartans survived two rounds of the 2-A Division playoffs last season before falling to eventual champion Norte Vista. And La Canada might be more potent at the plate this season, but it lacks the pitching depth of last season.

La Canada is batting .315 and has a 3.19 ERA.

Matt Whisenant (5-4), a senior left-hander, is scheduled to start. Whisenant, an all-Rio Hondo League and Times All-Glendale selection last year, is batting .389 and has 16 RBIs. Bill Koury, relegated to a designated-hitter role because of a thigh injury, is batting .521.

Scott Giron (.418) leads the team with 20 RBIs and Andy Learner is hitting .333.

Although Santa Clara Coach John Loranzana says, “We’re just an average team” the Saints have a knack for winning, having pulled out three league games in extra innings. Santa Clara was second in the Frontier League with an 8-2 record.

Junior shortstop Kwinn Knight, with an average of .340, is the only Saint batting better than .300. Junior catcher Augie Maciel is batting .288 with 16 RBIs and sophomore center fielder Garth Teron leads the team with 22 RBIs.

Senior right-hander Rod Garza (5-1), who has a 1.32 ERA, will probably start for Santa Clara.

Christian Church (16-5) at Ribet Academy (13-4), Friday, 3 p.m.--The Fighting Frogs have no depth. Literally.

Because of the duration of the basketball season, baseball Coach Patrick Moyal says, the team fielded just nine players. Shortstop Darren Hill recently broke his hand, so Moyal brought up Todd Trail from a physical education class.

“He’s not a player,” Moyal said of Trail, who will play right field. “He’s just a guy we’ll put out there. We’re definitely makeshift.”

The loss of Hill is significant to Ribet’s bid for a Small School Division title--he was batting .330.

Tony Lee (9-6), an All-Heritage League right-hander, should start for Ribet. Lee also leads the team with a .419 batting average. Other offensive threats include Maurice Johnson (.369), Tony’s brother, Mike Lee (.290), and Robert Harting (.280).

Right-handed senior John Boardman (9-3), who has a 1.90 ERA, is scheduled to start for Christian Church.