Times rankings

DAN ARRITT’S FINAL RANKINGS AND COMMENTS:

*--* Rk. Team (Rec., Div.) Comment 1 SIMI VALLEY (25-8, Div. I) Posted a 16-3 record from April on, winning the Marmonte League and a division championship. 2 L.B. WILSON (28-6-1, Div. I) Nation’s preseason No. 1 by Baseball America didn’t play like it until run to division final. 3 S.O. NOTRE DAME (27-4, Div. III) Mission League championship slipped from grasp after sweep by Crespi, but not division title. 4 NORCO (24-4, Div. I) Didn’t earn much respect until downing Thousand Oaks and Orange Lutheran in run to semifinals. 5 ORANGE LUTHERAN (23-6, Div. I) After winning Trinity League title behind Gerrit Cole’s right arm, lost to Norco, 1-0, in quarterfinal. 6 MATER DEI (24-7, Div. I) Ranked No. 8 in division heading into postseason, but proved better than that with semifinal appearance. 7 LOS ALAMITOS (26-4, Div. I) Sunset League champion survived scare in second round, but not vs. Mater Dei in quarterfinal 8 CRESPI (23-6, Div. III) Couldn’t get past La Serna in second round after proving one of Southland’s elite during regular season. 9 THOUSAND OAKS (20-10, Div. I) Hovered around .500 until catching fire in mid-April and earning share of Marmonte League title. 10 HART (23-7, Div. I) Foothill League champion allowed one run in 36 innings before losing to Long Beach Wilson, 4-2, in quarterfinal. 11 EL TORO (25-7, Div. II) Young team came of age late in season, winning the Sea View League and division championship. 12 W. TORRANCE (27-4, Div. II) Bay League champion won 22 of 23 before coming up a run short vs. El Toro in quarterfinal. 13 NORTHVIEW (26-4, Div. IV) Blanked 12 opponents during season, including back-to-back shutouts in section semis and final. 14 BISHOP AMAT (27-4, Div. V) Stacked lineup averaged just under 10 runs a game and won a division title. 15 REDLANDSEAST VALLEY (26-4, Div. II) Inland Empire regular-season competition was suspect, but not the run to the division final. 16 VALENCIA (22-8, Div. I) Neck and neck with Hart before losing out on Foothill League title, then pounded by Simi Valley in quarterfinal. 17 VISTA MURRIETA (23-6, Div. II) Dependency on pitching left team short-handed in 4-2 quarterfinal loss to Cypress. 18 CAPISTRANO VALLEY (20-9, Div. I) Entered postseason with nine-game winning streak, but tough draw led to second-round loss to Mater Dei. 19 CHATSWORTH (29-5, City) Class of the City added to its storied tradition with another section title. 20 PALOS VERDES (28-6, Div. II) Doubleheader sweep of Thousand Oaks and split with Crespi tempered by late-season setbacks. 21 PARAMOUNT (25-5, Div. III) After piling up victories in marginal league, quarterfinal loss to Elsinore didn’t help standing. 22 CYPRESS (20-12, Div. II) Tough regular-season schedule paid off with semifinal run during postseason. 23 KATELLA (22-8, Div. II) Defeated Long Beach Wilson in second game of season, but Knights fizzled down the stretch. 24 LAKEWOOD (21-12, Div. I) Surprised many by winning Moore League title, then lost to Valencia in second round. 25 DIAMOND RANCH (17-12, Div. IV) Before 1-0 loss in division final, season spiked with 5-3 semifinal victory over second-seeded Patriot. *--*