Top teams learn it's not easy being No. 1

Taking a look around Orange County high school sports:

•It was a rough week locally for baseball teams ranked No. 1 in the nation. Edison, No. 1 in ESPN's national rankings, lost to Poway in the San Diego Lions Tournament, and Baseball America's national No. 1, St. Francis of Mountain View, came down to the Hard9 National Classic and lost back-to-back games. It's too bad one of them did not lose to the other in the same tournament, but Edison declined a berth in the National Classic for what Chargers coach Steve Lambright saw as a team-bonding opportunity by getting the team out of town.

•Those extended trips teams take really do create player unity. Laguna Beach's baseball team went to Hawaii during the school's winter ski-week break, which Breakers coach Jeff Sears said set the foundation for what has been a great season thus far. "That was the best thing we could have done," Sears said, "because these kids all learned a lot about each other, and learned that they could all rely on each other."

•It is the most suitable venue in the vicinity for it, but Cal State Fullerton's Goodwin Field might be a deterrent when it comes to attracting crowds for National Classic baseball games there. The campus' $8 parking fee, and the CSF parking enforcement crew that never seems to miss a vehicle for which the fee has not been paid, might make people reluctant to attend.

•On the cover of ESPN Rise magazine's California edition: Edison baseball players Christian Lopes, Henry Owens and Eric Snyder.

•Baseball and softball players need to re-fuel between games of a doubleheader, and that's what Laguna Beach's baseball team had in mind a couple of weeks ago when it timed its pizza order to arrive between games of a doubleheader at Boysen Park in Anaheim. Good plan. But the pizza guy went to Brookhurst Park instead, though, so no pizza at Boysen.

•Some baseball parents who bark at the home plate umpire about balls and strikes while seated in the corner of the bleachers might not believe this, but that ump actually does have a better view of the strike zone.

•Last week's CIF-Southern Section Council meeting, at which CIF-SS rules and regulations are made at three sessions each school year, included a proposal that was up for discussion but not for vote. It involved making the CIF-SS baseball playoffs for divisions 1-4 a double-elimination playoff. The proposal would have teams playing as many as 12 playoff games instead of the current five. Initial reaction indicated the proposal might not pass if it comes before the Council for a vote in October.

•Whittier Christian, enjoying a terrific sports year, has a hot baseball team. The Heralds are 16-4 overall and ranked No. 6 in CIF-Southern Section Division 5. They are tied, with Village Christian of Sun Valley, for first place in the Olympic League.

•A well-rounded athlete: Troy junior pitcher Scott Blumer, who has a 6-1 record, has his student pilot's license and is a certified scuba diver.

•Many people know this, some don't – one of the top hurdlers in county track and field, Mater Dei senior Sam Barkley of Mater Dei, is younger brother of USC and former Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley. Barkley won the 300 hurdles at last weekend's Orange County Championships, and finished second in the 110 hurdles. He lost in the 110 to Huntington Beach's Ramon Vargas, who was second to Barkley in the 300.

•Fundraising golf tournament roundup: El Toro Aquatics is having one on May 16 at Tijeras Creek. For information, go to eltorowaterpolo.d4sportsclub.com.

•There is some chatter on the web that Mater Dei boys basketball player Shaquaan Aaron, who played significant minutes as a freshman this past season, will not be at Mater Dei for his sophomore year. Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight said Aaron's continued participation in everything with the Monarchs program leads the coach to assume Aaron will be a Monarch for the 2011-12 season.

•The South team for the Orange County All-Star North-South Football game will be on ocvarsity.com Monday morning, and in print in the Register sports section Tuesday.