Related:
Fryer breaks down the baseball playoffs
Fryer: Road doesn’t get any easier in playoffs
Baseball playoffs: Pairings for all divisions
OCVarsity Dugout: Playoff preview
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DIVISION 7
2014 champion: Nuview Bridge of Nuevo
Top four seeded teams: 1. Excelsior Charter of Victorville (17-2); 2. Santa Clarita Christian (15-6); 3. Rolling Hills Prep of San Pedro (18-4); 4. Animo Leadership of Inglewood (14-5).
O.C. teams: St. Michael’s Prep (7-9).
Analysis: One pitcher can take a team a long ways in any baseball division, and especially in a small-schools division. Michael Gates is that pitcher for St. Michael’s Prep. He has two games of 18 or more strikeouts. A first-round win over Concordia of Sylmar likely would put St. Michael’s up against third-seeded Rolling Hills Prep which takes a 12-game winning streak in to the playoffs. Top-seeded Excelsior Charter is averaging 13 runs a game. Division 7 is the division of lopsided first-round scores. Expect a few of them this week in this division.
