High School Baseball Teams Battle for Division Titles

Three area schools play for Southern Section baseball titles later this week.

Defending 5A Division champion Millikan High meets the nation’s top-ranked team, Diamond Bar, at Anaheim Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Millikan (21-5-1) defeated Bishop Amat, 5-0, Tuesday in the 5A semifinals. Diamond Bar (28-1) came from behind to beat Anaheim El Dorado, 5-4.

This is the third time in the last four years that Millikan has advanced to the championship game. The Rams lost to El Dorado, 2-0, in 1989 and beat Huntington Beach Edison, 8-2, last season. Millikan is trying to become the first team to win back-to-back major division titles since Chaffey, which has since dropped into the minor division, did it three consecutive times from 1956-58.

Diamond Bar is making its second appearance in the final in three years. The Brahmas lost to Huntington Beach Marina, 6-4, in 1990.

In the 3A Division championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Anaheim Stadium, Norwalk (17-7) plays Corona (18-13). Norwalk defeated Chaffey, 3-2, in the semifinals Tuesday. Corona entered the playoffs as a wild-card team but has won five consecutive games, including a 5-3 victory Tuesday over Tustin. Norwalk won the 2A Division title in 1982 and was the runner-up in 1983.

On Friday, Valley Christian plays Oak Park of Agoura at 7:30 p.m. in the 1A Division final at Cal State Fullerton. It marks the first time that Valley Christian, better known for its highly successful football and soccer teams, has advanced to the baseball championship game. In the semifinals Tuesday, the Crusaders (19-4-1) edged Beaumont, 3-2, and Oak Park (16-9) defeated Twentynine Palms, 5-1.