Santa Ana Seeded No. 1 for Baseball Playoffs

Santa Ana, the Orange Empire Conference champion, earned the top seeding in this week’s Southern California community college baseball playoffs and will open a best-of-three series at home Friday against Mt. San Jacinto.

If Santa Ana (32-7-1) beats San Jacinto (26-11), it would host a four-team regional May 19-21, with the winner earning a state tournament berth.

Santa Ana’s last appearance in the state tournament was in 1996, when it defeated Cerritos in the final for its third title in four years.

Cypress (32-10) is seeded fourth and will host No. 13 Rio Hondo (26-12). Tenth-seeded Golden West (21-20) will travel to Palomar (28-9).

All games begin at 2 p.m. Friday. Saturday’s games begin at 11 a.m., with a third game to follow if necessary.

* Senior Derek Patterson of Concordia was named NAIA Region II player of the year Monday. Patterson, also named MVP of the Golden State Athletic Conference, had 53 runs batted in, 20 doubles and hit .392 (.431 in conference play).

All-conference honors went to junior outfielder Charles Chatman (.374), junior catcher Nick Swanson (.384) and senior pitcher Matt Broesamle (7-5, 5.52 ERA), a three-time all-conference pick.

Chatman is the first player in the GSAC’s 14-year history to lead in home runs (15) and stolen bases (22).

SOFTBALL

Chapman received the No. 1 seeding and will host the NCAA Division III West Regional tournament at Hart Park in Orange, Friday through Sunday.

Chapman (32-8) opens the double-elimination tournament at 5 p.m. Friday against the winner of a noon game between Trinity (Texas) and La Verne. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) plays UC San Diego at 2 p.m.

The tournament winner advances to the NCAA finals in Salem, Va., May 18-22.