SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS : Three County Teams Earn No. 1 Seedings

Three Orange County teams are seeded first in their divisions in the Southern Section softball playoffs, which start today with qualifying games and continue through June 6.

Angelus League champion Mater Dei, ranked No. 1 in the county’s final poll, is the top-seeded team in Division 5-A. The Monarchs (17-1-1) will play host to the winner of today’s qualifying game between Loara (14-8) and Marina (17-5) in a first-round game Thursday.

Sunset League winner Fountain Valley is seeded third in 5-A. The Barons (18-4), ranked third in the county, will play host to the winner of the qualifying game between Garden Grove (17-8-1) and Rosary (11-8) on Thursday.

Two other local teams play today in the 5-A qualifying round. Kennedy (19-6) plays host to Huntington Beach (12-12-1), and Cypress (20-5), ranked ninth in the county, meets Camarillo (17-7) at Cypress College.

La Habra (22-2), ranked second in the county, is the top-seeded team in Division 4-A. The Highlanders open play Thursday at home against defending 4-A champion Irvine (13-9), which made the playoffs as an at-large entry.

Also in the 4-A, Century League champion Foothill (21-7), seeded second, meets Fullerton (12-14) in a first-round game. Foothill lost to Irvine, 1-0, in the 4-A finals last year. El Toro (21-8-1), the South Coast League champion, is seeded third in the division.

In Division 3-A, Sea View League winner Woodbridge (25-4) received the top seed. The Warriors are ranked fifth in the county.

Pairings involving Orange County teams:

Today’s Qualifying Games:

Division 5-A--Loara at Marina, Garden Grove at Rosary, Camarillo vs. Cypress at Cypress College, Huntington Beach at Kennedy.

Wednesday’s Qualifying Game:

Division 3-A--Redondo at University.

Thursday’s First-Round Games:

Division 5-A--.Loara-Marina winner at Mater Dei, San Luis Obispo-Cerritos winner at Pacifica, Paramount-Santa Barbara winner at Los Alamitos, Garden Grove-Rosary winner at Fountain Valley, Kennedy-Huntington Beach winner at Cerritos Gahr.

Division 4-A--Irvine at La Habra, Canyon at Fontana, Capistrano Valley at El Modena, Rowland at Brea-Olinda, Villa Park at El Toro, Burbank Burroughs at Sunny Hills, Mission Viejo at Western, Anaheim at Long Beach Millikan, Fullerton at Foothill.

Division 1-A--Connelly at Calvary Chapel, Riverside Sherman Indian at Whittier Christian, Brethren Christian at Western Christian.

Friday’s First-Round Games:

Division 3-A--Estancia at Woodbridge, Redondo-University winner at Laguna Hills, Tustin at Trabuco Hills.

Small schools--Anza Hamilton at Liberty Christian, St. Margaret’s at Downey Calvary Chapel.