Baseball playoffs: Qualifiers and at-large candidates

Here is a look at the baseball playoffs picture, with an Orange County emphasis, now that the regular season has concluded.

Before we get started, a summary of the rules regarding playoff participation …

Teams are guaranteed entry in to the playoffs if they are among the top two teams in the final standings in four-team leagues, if they are among the top three teams in the final standings in five- and six-team leagues, and if they are among the top four teams in the final standings in seven- and eight-team leagues.

Teams that do not finish high enough in the standings for guaranteed playoff berths can qualify for at-large berth consideration if they have overall records of .500 or better.

CIF-Southern Section playoff brackets will be released on Monday and will be available that afternoon at ocvarsity.com.

The playoffs begin Tuesday with wild-card round games. First-round games are May 17 in divisions 2, 4 and 6; first round games are May 18 in divisions 1, 3, 5 and 7.

DIVISION 1
Leagues: Big VIII, Century, Foothill, Marmonte, Moore, Pacific View, South Coast, Southwestern, Sunset, Trinity.
Qualifiers: (Century) Esperanza, El Modena, El Dorado, Canyon; (South Coast) El Toro, Tesoro, Capistrano Valley; (Sunset) Los Alamitos, Marina, Edison; (Trinity) Orange Lutheran, Mater Dei, JSerra.
At-large candidates: Brea Olinda, San Clemente, Huntington Beach.

DIVISION 2
Leagues: Baseline, Bay, Channel, Citrus Belt, Empire, Inland Valley, Mission, Pacifica, Pac-7, Sea View, Sierra, Suburban.
Qualifiers: (Empire) Cypress, Pacifica, Kennedy, Tustin; (Sea View) Mission Viejo, Trabuco Hills, Aliso Niguel.
At-large candidates: Valencia, San Juan Hills.

DIVISION 3
Leagues: Almont, Del Rio, Garden Grove, Golden, Golden West, Hacienda, Ocean, Pacific Coast, San Andreas, San Gabriel Valley, Sunbelt.
Qualifiers: (Garden Grove) Rancho Alamitos, Garden Grove, La Quinta; (Golden West) Westminster, Ocean View, Loara; (Pacific Coast) Beckman, University, Corona del Mar.
At-large candidate: Segerstrom.

DIVISION 4
Leagues: Del Rey, Desert Sky, Desert Valley, Freeway, Mt. Baldy, Orange, Orange Coast, Pioneer, Rio Hondo, Sunkist, Tri-Valley, Valle Vista.
Qualifiers: (Freeway) La Habra, Sonora, Sunny Hills; (Orange) Katella, Savanna, Anaheim; (Orange Coast) CalvaryChapel, Estancia, Laguna Beach.
At-large candidates: Troy, Century.

DIVISION 5
Leagues: Alpha, Ambassador, Camino Real, De Anza, Los Padres, Mission Valley, Mojave River, Montview, Mountain Pass, Mountain Valley, Olympic.
Note: Whittier Christian, the only county team in this division, will not qualify for the playoffs.

DIVISION 6
Leagues: Academy, Agape, Arrowhead, Delphic, Desert Mountain, Frontier, High Desert, Liberty, Prep, San Joaquin, Santa Fe, Victory.
Qualifiers: (Academy) St. Margaret’s, Oxford Academy, Crean Lutheran; (San Joaquin) Capistrano Valley Christian.
At-large candidate: Sage Hill.

DIVISION 7
Leagues: Coastal, Coast Valley, Condor, Cross Valley, Express, Freedom, Harbor, Hi-Lo, International, Majestic, Mulholland, Omega, Warrior.
Qualifiers: (Express) Tarbut V’Torah, Eastside Christian.
At-large candidates: None.