Losses Could Set Valley Back to ‘70s

When the City Championship semifinals are played today, San Fernando Valley baseball pride will be at stake, not to mention a trip to Dodger Stadium.

Ninth-seeded Kennedy (21-11-1) will take on fifth-seeded Banning (27-6) at El Camino College and sixth-seeded El Camino Real (20-8) will play second-seeded Roosevelt (28-5) at Pote Field in Griffith Park. Both games start at 3 p.m.

Valley teams have won 26 of the last 27 City Championships. The last year no Valley team reached the final was 1972.

Kennedy has won five City titles and El Camino Real four. Banning won its only title in 1961 and Roosevelt is seeking its first.

Kennedy faces one of the City’s best pitchers, junior Rafael Sixtos (13-1), who has a 22-2 record over two seasons. But the Golden Cougars defeated Sixtos last year in the quarterfinals.

Coach Manny Alvarado of Kennedy has his team in peak form.

“We’ve known since the beginning of the year we had great defense, good pitching and if we got hitting, we’d be able to surprise everybody,” he said.

Strong hitting in recent games has been supplied by catcher Phil Avlas and third baseman Adam Geery, who figures to start on the mound today.

El Camino Real could be the tournament’s team of destiny after surviving its opening-round scare from Sylmar, 7-6. The Conquistadores have the tournament’s best player, All-City shortstop Conor Jackson, but it will be up to sophomore Greg Acheatel (8-4) to pitch the Conquistadores into Chavez Ravine.

Acheatel relies on his control and defense to be successful, but he struggles sometimes with runners in scoring position.

El Camino Real’s hitting has awakened after being no-hit for six innings against Sylmar. The Conquistadores have scored 15 runs in the last eight innings.

Cleanup batter Jason Kort has become the big-hit man batting behind Jackson. Teams are daring him to drive in runs and he has been delivering.

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The Southern Section has agreed to change the start time for Notre Dame’s Division IV final against San Luis Obispo on Saturday at Dodger Stadium to 1 p.m.

The game originally was scheduled for 10 a.m., but Notre Dame’s graduation ceremony is at 10:30 a.m.

The Division III final will move to 10 a.m.

Fourteen Notre Dame seniors on the baseball team will be able to attend the graduation ceremony.

“They’ll have their uniforms underneath their caps and gowns,” Athletic Director Kevin Rooney said.

Rooney is also happy about the time change. His daughter, Caitlin, is graduating, so he’ll be able to attend the baseball game, too.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFFS

CITY CHAMPIONSHIP

Semifinals

Today, 3 p.m.

Kennedy vs. Banning

at El Camino College

El Camino Real vs. Roosevelt

at Pote Field

in Griffith Park

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SOUTHERN SECTION

Division IV Final

Saturday, 1 p.m.

Notre Dame vs. San Luis

Obispo at Dodger Stadium

Division VI Final

Friday, 4:30 p.m.

Grace Brethren vs.

Bloomington Christian at

Blair Field in Long Beach