OCVarsity Voice: Softball czar demands state tournament

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It's time for a state championship tournament in softball.

California has some of the top programs in the nation, yet we rely on Web sites to crown a state champion rather than settling it on the field.

Here's how I would do it if I were the "Softball Czar" of California.

All it would take is one extra week and a three-day, single-elimination tournament featuring 32 of the state's top teams.

Bill Barber Park in Irvine is the perfect place to host a tournament of this magnitude. It has Deanna Manning Stadium and the three outer fields. The first-class facility already plays host to the CIF-Southern Section championships.

I'm sure there is a facility in Northern California that also could play host to the state tournament if the CIF state office wants to rotate between Northern and Southern California.

But since I'm the Softball Czar for the purposes of this story we're keeping the state tournament at Bill Barber Park. There are plenty of hotels in and around Irvine. You also have Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Irvine Spectrum, the beach and many other sources of entertainment in the area for teams making the trip.

Let's get back to the tournament. Northern and Southern California would need to come up with a selection committee made up of veteran coaches.

Northern California would choose 16 teams from the Northern, North Coast, Sac-Joaquin, San Francisco, Oakland and Central Coast Sections.

Southern California would choose 16 representatives from the Central, L.A. City, Southern and San Diego Sections.

In Northern California, each section would get two guaranteed berths and there would be four at-large berths.

In Southern California, the Central, L.A. City and San Diego Sections would get three guaranteed berths and the Southern Section, the largest section in the state, would get five guaranteed spots. The final two spots would be at-large berths from any of Southern California's sections.

In the Southern Section, the Division I and Division II champions would earn automatic spots. The remaining teams would be selected by the committee.

The goal of the selection committee is to get the best teams in the state tournament. Section champions and finalists should get the first crack at a berth. Strength of schedule and quality wins are other criteria that should be used, especially in the Southern Section where the bulk of the top teams are in Division I and II.

The tournament would be held from Thursday-Saturday and a true state champion would be crowned.

Contact the writer: carias@ocregister.com