Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The baseball playoff pairings are out. Let’s examine.
Bring on postseason
Shortstop James Tronstein leads No. 2-seeded Harvard-Westlake.
(Craig Weston)
There’s no better 16-team high school baseball playoff bracket in America than Southern Section Division 1. Anyone who wins it will have survived a gauntlet of top teams and top pitchers. Last season, Corona was supposed to win with unbeatable pitcher Seth Hernandez. St. John Bosco knocked him off in the semifinals and won the championship.
This season, four four-team pools have been created that will prevent teams that have been dominant all season from being eliminated with a surprise loss in an opening game.
To pick winners in this format and to make it to Cal State Fullerton for the championship game, you need at least three outstanding pitchers — two to start and a third available either in relief and for an emergency.
No. 1-seeded Norco, which opens the playoffs on Tuesday against Maranatha, fits perfectly with Landon Hovermale, Jordan Ayala and Jacob Melendez. The Cougars aren’t unbeatable — they just have all the weapons to win it all if they can handle the pressure and expectations.
No. 2-seeded Harvard-Westlake has shown it has two quality starters in Justin Kirschner and Evan Alexander, but who will be the third pitcher needed at some point? Shortstop James Tronstein has been the MVP for the Wolverines.
The best opening game comes in Pool C. St. John Bosco is hosting Cypress on Tuesday in a game that will feature few runs and enough pitching to go on and on. Julian Garcia is the ace for the Braves. Cypress has terrific depth and lots of options. Here’s a look why St. John Bosco might be the awakened sleeping giant.
The other game in that bracket has No. 3 Sierra Canyon hosting Oaks Christian.
There are so many top pitchers ready to go: Caleb Trugman of Ayala; Jared Grindlinger of Huntington Beach; Taden Krogsgaard of Temecula Valley; Armando Solorio of Sierra Canyon; Kaden Corns of La Mirada.
Also fitting well with three pitchers is No. 4 Orange Lutheran, which hosts dangerous Corona Santiago on Tuesday. The Lancers have two pro prospects in Connor Sides and Gary Morse, plus hard-throwing Marcus Geis. They are armed to recover if Santiago and Striker Pence pull off the opening upset.
Villa Park received the No. 1 seed in Division 2, and good luck to opponents with their one-two duo of Jack McGuire and Logan Hoppie.
Seven of the eight Mission League teams were selected among the nine divisions. St. John Bosco has an 11-game winning streak. Mission Viejo has a 10-game winning streak. You’re going to have to shut out Ganesha in Division 2 whenever pitcher Logan Schmidt is on the mound. Schmidt is a likely first-round draft pick.
In the City Section, Birmingham co-coach Matt Mowry has received the first No. 1 seed for the Open Division since he started coaching 20 years ago. The Patriots open at home on Thursday against No. 8 Banning. No. 2-seeded El Camino Real faces No. 7 South Gate, which was part of a three-way tie for first place in the Eastern League.
The Open Division and Division I finals will be held May 23 at Dodger Stadium. Sylmar is No. 1 seed for Division I.
Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times at the end of the regular season.
Softball
Norco softball coach Richard Robinson has his team in the Division 1 final.
(Nick Koza)
All season, the debate has lasted whether Murrieta Mesa or Norco was the best softball team in Southern California.
Now it’s time to find out. Murrieta Mesa was given the No. 1 seed for the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs beginning Friday with a home game against Valley View.
Lilly Hauser is batting .539 and has a 16-0 pitching record.
Norco is the No. 2 seed and didn’t exactly draw an easy first opponent, having to face Marina and top pitcher Mia Valbuena. Pitchers Peyton May and Coral Williams will have little room for mistakes going against Valbuena.
Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, the Mission League champion, hosts Anaheim Canyon. The Knights have a powerful hitter that includes Nadia Ledon, who has seven home runs, and Kelsey Luderer, who’s batting .538.
Championship games will be played over three days at the end of the month at Irvine’s Bill Barber Park.
Volleyball
Mira Costa’s Jake Newman, left, and Colby Graham celebrate after winning the fourth set of a comeback victory over rival Loyola in boys volleyball at Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach on March 20, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
One of the best high school volleyball rivalries will be renewed this week with high stakes on the line. Mira Costa and Loyola will play for the Southern Section Division 1 championship on Saturday at Cerritos College.
Players, coaches and fans know each other. This will be about execution. Here’s a story from their regular-season meeting won by Mira Costa in five games.
Here’s a story from Mira Costa’s semifinal win over Huntington Beach.
The City Section semifinals will take place on Tuesday, with top-seeded Granada Hills hosting Venice and Chatsworth hosting Palisades. The championship match will be Saturday at Birmingham.
Track and field
Servite anchor runner Benjamin Harris reaches the finish line well ahead of the pack in the boys’ 4×100 relay.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
The Southern Section track and field finals will take place on Saturday at Moorpark High.
Servite’s 4×100 relay team and its outstanding group of sprinters will be competing in Division 3.
The state’s top girls discus and shotputter, Jaslene Massey of Aliso Niguel, will try to set two more records during a senior season that has been nothing short of spectacular.
Swimming
Isabella San Jose of Granada Hills won the 200 individual medley in 2:08.64 during the City Section Finals at East Los Angeles College on May 8, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Granada Hills won City titles for boys and girls at the City Section swimming championships. Here’s the report.
Gabi Brito of Santa Monica made quite an impression at the Southern Section swimming championships. Here’s the report.
Lacrosse
Tripp King wears No. 11 is an attacker for Loyola’s No. 1-ranked lacrosse team.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Loyola has been the dominant team in boys lacrosse and will go for the Southern Section championship on Friday against Santa Margarita at Fred Kelley Stadium in Orange. Tripp King is the Loyola player to watch for scoring.
In the girls’ lacrosse final on Saturday, top-seeded Santa Margarita will face Mira Costa in Orange.
Golf
Grant Leary of Crespi won the Southern Section individual golf championship last season as a junior.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)
Grant Leary of Crespi is gearing up to defend his Southern Section individual golf title. He shot 62 at Balboa Golf Course last month. Last week, he advanced to the final stage of U.S. Open qualifying in a playoff win for the final spot. The final tournament to qualify in June 8 in Sacramento.
Meanwhile, the Southern Section starts its qualifying tournaments for the individual final. Tournaments will take place Monday and Wednesday.
Notes…
Former Cantwell Sacred-Heart football coach Eddie Ficklin is the new head coach at Maranatha…
Ryan Duncan is the new girls volleyball coach at Chaminade. He coached Mayfield last season…
Saona Jackson is the new girls basketball coach at Oaks Christian…
Godschoice Eboigbodin of JSerra has committed to UCLA. The junior defensive end has played football for one season. He had been a basketball player from Nigeria…
Defensive back Duvay Williams has committed to Cal. He played the last three years for Gardena Serra and now is at Inglewood…
Malik James is the new football coach at Paramount…
Tyler Ruiz is the new wrestling coach at Newbury Park…
North Hollywood has an opening for boys basketball coach…
Former Birmingham and UCLA running Milton Knox is the new football coach at Chavez…
Quarterback Bradley Cassier of St. Monica has committed to New Mexico…
Receiver Kingston Celifie of Calabasas has committed to UCLA.
From the archives: Jimmy Clausen
(Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)
Jimmy Clausen, a former quarterback at Oaks Christian, Notre Dame and in the NFL, is now hanging out in Westlake Village helping his brother, Rick, the head coach at Westlake High while raising his children.
The next generation of Clausen quarterbacks has arrived. In their first game of second-grade flag football are Casey Jr., son of Casey, and Jett, son of Jimmy.
(Casey Clausen Sr.)
Clausen was a second-round draft pick in 2010 and served primarily as a backup quarterback in the NFL from 2010-2015.
Here’s a story from 2006 on how Clausen couldn’t be sacked at Oaks Christian.
Here’s a story from 2006 on the controversy surrounding his announcement picking Notre Dame.
Here’s a story from 2001 on Jimmy flying to see his big brothers play college football.
Recommendations
From Coachesinsider, a story on single sport athletes in high school.
From Indystar, a story on Indiana once again rejecting adding a 35-second clock in high school basketball.
From the Los Angeles Times, a story on a former Newbury Park pitchers signed to pitch against the Savannah Bananas.
From On.3, a story on a Florida high school football coach punished for NIL violations.
Tweets you might have missed
Until next time…
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on X at @latsondheimer.
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