Western Leaves the Rest of Orange League Behind

Memo from Western to the rest of the Orange League: What do you think of us now?

The Pioneers, which finished third in league and were left for dead as the lowest seeded team in the Division IV baseball playoffs, are still standing after upsetting top-seeded La Quinta in the first round and defeating defending division champion Corona del Mar in the second round.

Valencia and Brea Olinda, the top two finishers in the Orange League, both lost in the first round of the Division III playoffs.

Western (16-12) looks to keep its playoff magic alive at 3:15 p.m. Friday when it hosts San Luis Obispo (20-7) in a quarterfinal game.

Trabuco Hills (20-9), another upstart team that defeated a top-seeded team, hopes to continue its offensive onslaught when it hosts La Mirada (21-7-1) in Division II. The Mustangs, a wild-card entrant, have scored 39 runs in three games, including a 24-18 clubbing of Corona in the second round.

In Division III, Tustin (18-7-2) plays at Villa Park (26-2) in an all-Orange County matchup. Brandon Averill (8-1), one of the top pitchers in the county, is expected to take the mound for the Spartans.

Capistrano Valley and Los Alamitos look to extend epic winning streaks in Division I. The Cougars (20-8), winners of nine in a row, host top-seeded Arcadia (23-4), while the Griffins, who have won eight straight, play at fourth-seeded Lakewood (27-5). The winners meet in a semifinal Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Blair Field.

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Calvary Chapel, which won the Division V title last season with one of the strongest small-school teams in county history. Apparently, no one has told the Eagles (20-7), who have reached the quarterfinal round, where they will play at second-seeded Sun Valley Village Christian (17-5).