Sylmar Draws an Ace for Final Hand

It’s baseball finals weekend for high school teams.

The top matchup today has Rio Mesa (4-0) taking on Sylmar (3-1) in the Blue Division championship game of the Westside tournament at 11 a.m. at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Sylmar is expected to pitch ace Ivan Hernandez.

In the 2 p.m. Red Division final, Newbury Park (4-0) will play either San Pedro or University.

In the San Fernando Valley tournament final, Notre Dame (4-0) will play Grant (4-0) at 7 p.m. at USC’s Dedeaux Field.

The El Segundo tournament final is tonight at 7:30 at El Segundo Park. Crespi lost in the semifinals to El Segundo and will play for third place at 11 a.m. at Long Beach Millikan.

Tim Arroyo, freshman third baseman at Cal State Northridge, was selected the Division I Independent Baseball rookie of the week for Feb. 28-March 6.

The Kennedy High graduate went five for 10 with three doubles and four runs batted in during that span.

BASKETBALL

Co-Coaches James Morris and Adam Levitt of Cleveland High will coach the City Section boys’ team in the Battle of the Valley all-star game May 1 at Cal State Northridge.

Dick Dornan of Crespi will guide the Southern Section boys’ team.

Dave Munroe of Hart will coach the Southern Section girls’ team against Lori Chandler of El Camino Real, who will guide the City girls.

The girls’ game will begin at 5:30 p.m. The boys’ game will be at 7:30 p.m. Player rosters will be announced later this month.

Christine Lambert of Paraclete has been selected Alpha League’s girls’ player of the year.

Sinnamonn Garrett of Crescenta Valley has been chosen Pacific League girls’ player of the year.

SOFTBALL

Kelly Lovato of Cal State Sacramento, a graduate of Royal High, was named Big West Conference pitcher of the week after her performance in the Hornets’ doubleheader sweep of San Jose State on March 3.

Lovato (3-2) pitched a two-hitter in a 9-0 victory and finished with 11 strikeouts. She recorded the final out with a runner aboard in a 3-2 victory.

Jessica Mendoza of Stanford, a freshman outfielder from Camarillo High, was named Pacific 10 Conference player of the week for March 2-8 after she led the Cardinal to the title in the Cal State Fullerton-Easton Showcase tournament with a .632 average, four home runs, 11 runs batted in and 11 runs.