BASEBALL : Bell Likely No. 1 Seed as Teams Head Into Playoffs

With one week remaining in the regular season, Bell High is the best team in the Central City and will likely be the No. 1 seed in the 3-A playoffs.

But first, Bell must hold off South Gate and Roosevelt in a tight Southeastern Conference race. The three teams are separated by just two games, and Bell and South Gate play May 17 to determine the conference winner.

Here’s a look at the other conference races and area teams who have playoff prospects.

Southeastern Conference

Bell (21-2; 11-0): To nobody’s surprise, the Eagles possess the best pitching staff in the area. Senior pitcher John Moreno-Orozco has put up player-of-the-year numbers with a 7-0 record and 0.35 ERA. His stiffest competition may be stable-mate Temo Lopez who is 8-2 with a 0.33 ERA. Lopez, a senior, is the team’s leading hitter at .600 with two home runs, 30 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

South Gate (19-5; 11-1): The Rams have one more chance at Bell after losing, 5-4, to the Eagles at South Gate on April 22. Expect Andy Silva, a senior center fielder, to get the start again. Silva is 2-1 as a pitcher with five saves. The Rams will need production from catcher Danny Mojarro, who is hitting .350 with five home runs.

Roosevelt (17-4-1; 11-3): The Roughriders find themselves in the familiar position of being on the outside looking in. Losses to Bell and South Gate hurts Roosevelt’s chances, but first place is not out of reach. Center fielder Chris Minter is leading the team in hitting at .480 and shortstop Braulio Robledo is second at .450. Their Roughriders’ ace is senior Isaac Hernandez, who is 5-1 and hitting over .300.

Northern Conference

Franklin (18-3-2; 11-2-1): After an inconsistent start, the Panthers are back on track to defend their 3-A title. Southpaw ace Jeff Deno is 6-0 with a 1.93 ERA. Deno, a senior, is also hitting .475 with 22 RBIs. Pitcher Alec Adame (5-0) has a staff-low 0.83 ERA. Junior first baseman Oscar Cabrera is batting .485 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs.

Wilson (11-3; 11-3): The Mules are in second place because of pitcher Fidel Catano, who is 8-1 with a 1.5 ERA. Shortstop Rafael Aispuro, who is batting .621, has at least one hit in 12 of Wilson’s 13 games.

Lincoln (9-4-1; 9-4-1): The Tigers (5-1) are in first place in the Northwest League but trail for best record in conference standings. Senior Cesar Casteneda is batting .400 despite being pitched around for much of the season. Senior Hector Arroyo is 6-1 with a 1.0 ERA.

Southern Pacific Conference

Crenshaw (8-8; 7-6): The Cougars split two games with Narbonne last week, falling into fifth place. Crenshaw is still dangerous with heavy-hitting Todd Moore (.363) and shortstop Ricky Lumford (.375).

Southern Section

Bell Gardens (9-11-1; 6-5): The Lancers fight to remain in third place in the Almont League behind the pitching of junior Andres Torres (3-1). In Bell Gardens’ sweep of Schurr last week, first baseman Jose Munoz went six for eight with three doubles, a triple and six RBIs.

Loyola (8-6-1; 5-3-1): The Cubs are struggling with four other teams for second best record in the Mission League. Alemany appears to be league champion while Harvard-Westlake is winless in league play.