PREP WEDNESDAY: SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFF PREVIEW : Division VI at a Glance

Defending Champion: Temecula Linfield.

Top Teams: Linfield (19-3), St. Margaret’s (16-1), Mammoth Lakes Mammoth (15-6), Colton Christian Center Academy (17-2-1).

Dark Horse: Camarillo Cornerstone Christian (17-1). The Eagles ended Carpinteria Cate’s section-record 38-game league winning streak this season and won Condor League games.

Top Players: Eric Alvarado (Anza Hamilton), Steve Acheson (Heritage Christian), B.J. Baker (Cate), Aaron Beadle (Avalon), Corey Brown (Chino Boys Republic), Jonathan Bruner (Cate), Steve Bumgardner (Boron), Eric Carreon (Heritage Christian), Bryan Davis (Liberty Christian), Ben Flower (Redlands Arrowhead Christian), Joel Hernandez (Sylmar First Lutheran), John-Eric Hernandez (Avalon), Ben Herring (Lone Pine), Dewey Hunter (Linfield), Paul Malcom (Liberty Christian), Bobby Masters (St. Margaret’s), Greg Norlie (Los Angeles Lutheran), Michio Obrero (St. Margaret’s), Joey Powell (St. Margaret’s), Lupe Rodriguez (St. Margaret’s), Kelly Sousa (Linfield), Jason Steele (Wildomar Cal Lutheran), Shin Tamura (Linfield), Scott Thompson (Mammoth), Ryan Williams (Hesperia).

Best Draw: Cornerstone. A 3-15 North County Christian team in the first round. No one with a winning record until the quarterfinals.

Worst Draw: St. Margaret’s. Could get Cate (12-3) in the second round. The Rams might see their league winning streak halted, but they are far from finished.

Note: Linfield is loaded. Sousa is hitting .490 with four home runs and 24 RBIs. Hunter is hitting .433 with four home runs and 18 RBIs. Tamura is hitting .411 . . . St. Margaret’s counters with Rodriguez (.520), Masts (.508) and Obrero (.492) . . . Mammoth has reached at least the quarterfinals in five of the last six seasons. The Huskies reached the semifinals in 1989 and 1993. . . . Cate has three players hitting better than .500--Baker (.586), Bruner (.528) and Scott Guess (.516). Baker is also 5-1 as a pitcher . . . Carreon led Orange County in hitting. He was 30 of 50 (.600) with 20 RBIs.