Chatsworth Has Tough Road for a City Repeat

Boasting a 19-game winning streak, Chatsworth High has been seeded No. 1 for the 16-team City Championship baseball tournament that begins Friday.

The defending City champion Chancellors (24-1-1) will open at home against No. 16 Grant (17-9). Their road to reaching the City final June 6 at Dodger Stadium won’t be an easy one.

Seeded in the same bracket as Chatsworth were No. 8 Carson (22-9), No. 9 Kennedy (19-11), No. 5 Banning (25-6) and No. 4 San Fernando (19-11).

“That’s all right,” Coach Tom Meusborn said. “You just go and play.”

Carson owns the only win over Chatsworth this season and could face the Chancellors in the quarterfinals.

Banning has one of the City’s top pitchers in junior Rafael Sixtos, who’s 20-2 over the past two seasons. And Grant, the co-champion from the Sunset Six League, has pitcher Michael Marble, who helped the Lancers upset Granada Hills in last year’s tournament.

The two most competitive opening matchups are Kennedy playing at Carson and No. 6 El Camino Real (18-8) hosting No. 11 Sylmar (18-7).

San Fernando (19-11) drew one of the weakest opening opponents in No. 13 Marshall (19-4), then will likely have a showdown with Banning in the quarterfinals.

No. 2 Roosevelt (26-5), the Eastern League champion, has a relatively easy path to the semifinals. The Roughriders need to defeat Locke (17-7-1) before facing the winner of a first-round game between Poly (21-8) and Westchester (17-13-1).

San Fernando Valley teams have won 26 of the last 27 City Championships.

In the 16-team City Invitational tournament, University (17-13-1) was seeded No. 1 and Birmingham (19-11) No. 2.

The quarterfinals are May 30, with semifinals June 1.

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CITY SECTION BASEBALL PLAYOFFS

FIRST ROUND

Friday, 3 p.m.

City Championship

No. 16 Grant (17-0) at No. 1 Chatsworth (24-1-1)

No. 9 Kennedy (19-11) at No. 8 Carson (22-9)

No. 12 South Gate (21-9-1) at No. 5 Banning (25-6)

No. 13 Marshall (19-4) at No. 4 San Fernando (19-11)

No. 14 Granada Hills (15-11) at No. 3 San Pedro (16-10)

No. 11 Sylmar (18-7) at No. 6 El Camino Real (18-8)

No. 10 Westchester (17-13-1) at No. 7 Poly (21-8)

No. 15 Locke (17-7-1) at No. 2 Roosevelt (26-5)

City Invitational

Friday, 3 p.m.

No. 16 Huntington Park (11-10) at No. 1 University (17-13-1)

No. 9 Wilson (12-10) at No. 8 North Hollywood (14-16)

No. 12 Gardena (11-15) at No. 5 Crenshaw (16-8-1)

No. 13 Venice (13-14) at No. 4 Cleveland (12-14)

No. 14 Verdugo Hills (8-9) at No. 3 Bell (13-13)

No. 11 Van Nuys (8-20) at No. 6 Palisades (19-13)

No. 10 Garfield (12-18) at No. 7 Monroe (10-17)

No. 15 Narbonne (11-17) at No. 2 Birmingham (19-11)