Pairings Set for Southern Section Playoffs

First-round games in the Southern Section baseball and softball playoffs will be played Friday with championships in six divisions to be decided.

Riverside Woodcrest Christian (18-4-1), in Division V, is the only defending baseball champion top-seeded in its division.

Yucaipa (22-4) is the top-seeded team in Division I. Other top-seeded teams are: Newhall Hart (25-1) in Division II, Westlake (21-6-1) in Division III, La Puente Bishop Amat (22-2) in Division IV and La Verne Lutheran (22-3) in Division VI.

Championship games in divisions I, II, III and IV are June 2 at Dodger Stadium. The Division V and VI finals are June 1 at Cal State Fullerton.

Colton (22-0) is the top-seeded softball team in Division I. Santa Ana Foothill (28-2), which won the Division I title last year, is the top-seeded team in Division II. Other top-seeded teams are Whittier La Serna (22-3) in Division III, West Hills Chaminade (16-8-1) in Division IV, Sun Valley Village Christian (19-4) in Division V and Thousand Oaks Oaks Christian (22-4-2) in Division VI.

Finals will be played June 1 and 2 at Barber Memorial Park in Irvine.

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The seeding meeting for the City Section baseball playoffs will be held Monday.

First-round games in the 16-team Championship and 16-team Invitational divisions are scheduled to be played May 25. Championship games in both divisions are scheduled for June 5 at Dodger Stadium.

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Ed Turner of Palisades, Josh Lottman of Chatsworth and Steve Chung of Fairfax are tied for the lead heading into today’s final round of the City Section boys’ golf championship at Griffith Park.

The three players shot par 72 on the Harding course on Wednesday.

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For the second year in a row, San Pedro (26-3) and Carson (26-3) will play for the City Section softball title Tuesday at UCLA’s Easton Stadium.

Last year, San Pedro won the championship by defeating the Colts, 1-0, in a 20-inning game that took two days to finish.

San Pedro advanced to this year’s final with a 3-2, eight-inning semifinal victory over Woodland Hills El Camino Real on Tuesday.

Jessica Robles of San Pedro hit a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the eighth to give the Pirates the victory.

Carson advanced with a 6-1 victory over Eagle Rock.

Van Nuys Birmingham plays Harbor City Narbonne for the Invitational championship.

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Second-seeded Woodland Hills Taft (15-1) will try to win its third consecutive City Section boys’ volleyball title when it plays top-seeded Van Nuys Grant (16-0) Friday night at Cal State Northridge.

Taft defeated Chatsworth, 15-9, 15-0, 12-15, 15-10, Tuesday night.

Grant defeated North Hills Monroe, 15-8, 15-17, 15-13, 15-5, to advance to the City championship match for the first time.

Grant defeated Taft in four games in a nonconference match this season.

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The Southern Section division track and field championships are Saturday at Cerritos College.

Field events begin at 11 a.m., running events at 1 p.m.

The top five individuals in each event--and those who meet the at-large qualifying standard--advance to the Southern Section Masters Meet May 25 at Cerritos College.

The City Section track and field finals prelims will be staged today at Van Nuys Birmingham. The City finals are May 24 at Birmingham.

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The state track meet is June 1-2 in Sacramento.

In an era of increasing specialization, James Jenkins of Crescenta Valley High completed a rare double this school year, being named All-Southern Section in Division I-AA in basketball and defending his Division II swimming titles in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events.

Jenkins, a 6-foot-6 senior, averaged 23.6 points a game this past basketball season.

Last Saturday, he set school records while winning the 50 and 100 freestyles in 20.47 seconds and 44.65 seconds, respectively.