Wild-card games for Bulldogs, Indians
The Burbank High and Burroughs baseball teams both failed to make it to the CIF Southern Section playoffs in 2011.
The Bulldogs missed the postseason by one game, falling in the final regular-season contest. The Indians didn’t even make it to the end of their season after the campaign was scrapped following an underage drinking scandal.
Both squads are back in the playoff mix this season. However, the Bulldogs and Indians will have to open with wild-card games on the road at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday in Division II matchups.
While Burbank will travel to Claremont, Burroughs will take on host Ventura.
The Bulldogs (13-9) finished tied for second with Arcadia in the Pacific League. But Burbank lost a coin flip and was relegated to the road for a wild-card contest, while Arcadia gets a home game for Thursday’s first round.
“We are healthy and I think we’re set up for the playoffs very well,” Burbank Coach Bob Hart said. “I think we’ll do all right in the playoffs.”
The Bulldogs have a standout pitcher in senior left-hander Daniel Starkand and good hitters in Paul Frias, Ian McKinnon, Ricky Perez and Dylan Mersola.
Claremont (11-10-2) placed third in the Sierra League.
Burroughs (12-13), the fourth-place team from the Pacific League, played well during the second half of the Pacific League campaign. The Indians capped off the regular season with a 2-0 win Friday at cross-town rival Burbank.
“We did play much better ball in that second half of league,” Burroughs first-year Coach Kiel Holmes said. “And what’s great is that for the first time all year we have some momentum going. We had a big win against Arcadia and a big win against Burbank, and we had to win both of those games to stay in the hunt for the playoffs.”
Holmes said the Indians might surprise some teams in the playoffs.
“We have 13 losses on the season and I think nine of those losses are by one run,” he said. “I think we’re a better team than our record shows.”
Burroughs has a roster that includes impact players Chris Davies, Miles Haddad, Chris Peale, Christian Garia and Luis Pereyra.
Ventura (14-10) finished third in the Channel League.