The CIF Southern Section softball playoffs begin this week, with the majority of first-round games scheduled for Thursday.
Staff writer Eric-Paul Johnson gives his predictions for each of the section’s eight playoff divisions.
Division 1
Last year’s championship: Garden Grove Pacifica 16, Norco 9.
This year’s seeded teams: 1. Orange Lutheran; 2. Pacifica; 3. Norco; 4. Murrieta Mesa.
Other Inland teams in the bracket: Chino Hills, Great Oak, Riverside Poly, Roosevelt, Vista Murrieta.
Best wildcard game involving an Inland team: Roosevelt at Huntington Beach.
EPJ’s first-round predictions: Orange Lutheran def. Marina; Anaheim Canyon def. Camarillo; Huntington Beach def. Riverside Poly; Murrieta Mesa def. Chino Hills; Norco def. Great Oak; La Mirada def. JSerra; Los Alamitos def. Oaks Christian; Pacifica def. South Hills.
EPJ’s quarterfinal predictions: Orange Lutheran def. Canyon; Murrieta Mesa def. Huntington Beach; Norco def. La Mirada; Pacifica def. Los Alamitos.
EPJ’s semifinal predictions: Orange Lutheran def. Murrieta Mesa; Pacifica def. Norco.
EPJ’s championship prediction: Pacifica def. Orange Lutheran.
Division 2
Last year’s championship: Great Oak 8, Grand Terrace 0.
This year’s seeded teams: 1. El Modena; 2. Valencia; 3. California; 4. Rio Mesa.
Inland teams in the bracket: Ayala, Beaumont, Bonita, Grand Terrace, Ramona, Temescal Canyon, Valley View, Yucaipa.
Best first-round game involving an Inland team: Temescal Canyon at Temple City.
EPJ’s second round predictions: El Modena def. Millikan; Beaumont def. Ayala; Tesoro def. Gahr; Rio Mesa def. Temescal Canyon; California def. North Torrance; Mission Viejo def. Bonita; Valley View def. Aliso Niguel; Valencia def. Ramona.
EPJ’s quarterfinal predictions: El Modena def. Beaumont; Tesoro def. Rio Mesa; California def. Mission Viejo; Valley View def. Valencia.
EPJ’s semifinal predictions: El Modena def. Tesoro; California def. Valley View.
EPJ’s championship prediction: California def. El Modena.
Division 3
Last year’s championship: Capistrano Valley 6, Santiago 1.
This year’s seeded teams: 1. West Torrance; 2. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame; 3. Aquinas; 4. Etiwanda.
Other Inland teams in the bracket: Arlington, Cajon, Claremont, King, Upland.
Best first-round game involving an Inland team: Cajon at Aquinas.
EPJ’s second-round predictions: West Torrance def. Northview; Fullerton def. Burbank Burroughs; Redondo def. Saugus; Etiwanda def. Saugus; Cajon def. Santa Fe; Los Altos def. King; Royal def. Charter Oak; Notre Dame def. Agoura.
EPJ’s quarterfinal predictions: West Torrance def. Fullerton; Etiwanda def. Redondo; Los Altos def. Cajon; Notre Dame def. Royal.
EPJ’s semifinal predictions: West Torrance def. Etiwanda; Notre Dame def. Los Altos.
EPJ’s championship prediction: West Torrance def. Notre Dame.
Division 4
Last year’s championship: Foothill 5, Fullerton 3.
This year’s seeded teams: 1. Oxnard; 2. Newbury Park; 3. Paraclete; 4. Schurr.
Inland teams in the bracket: Chino, Diamond Bar, Don Lugo. Elsinore, Hemet, Hillcrest, Jurupa Hills, North, Orange Vista, San Dimas.
Best first-round game involving an Inland team: San Dimas at Orange Vista.
EPJ’s second round predictions: Oxnard def. Covina; Oak Hills def. Jurupa Hills; Downey def. Chaminade; Schurr def. Mira Costa; Paraclete def. San Marcos; Hemet def. Santa Monica; Sultana def. Don Lugo; Newbury Park def. Orange Vista.
EPJ’s quarterfinal predictions: Oxnard def. Oak Hills; Downey def. Schurr; Hemet def. Paraclete; Newbury Park def. Sultana.
EPJ’s semifinal predictions: Downey def. Oxnard; Newbury Park def. Hemet.
EPJ’s championship prediction: Newbury Park def. Downey.
Division 5
Last year’s championship: Liberty 5, Irvine 2.
This year’s seeded teams: 1. Palos Verdes; 2. St. Bonaventure; 3. Burbank Providence; 4. Grace.
Inland teams in the bracket: Carter, Kaiser, Liberty, Linfield Christian, Paloma Valley, San Jacinto, Western Christian.
Best first-round game involving an Inland team: Linfield Christian at Western Christian.
EPJ’s second-round predictions: Palos Verdes def. West Ranch; Quartz Hill def. Carter; Liberty def. Keppel; Grace def. Garden Grove; Providence def. South El Monte; Shadow Hills def. Cerritos Valley Christian; Paloma Valley def. Linfield Christian; St. Bonaventure def. Fillmore.
EPJ’s quarterfinal predictions: Palos Verdes def. Quartz Hill; Liberty def. Grace; Providence def. Shadow Hills; Paloma Valley def. St. Bonaventure.
EPJ’s semifinal predictions: Palos Verdes def. Liberty; Paloma Valley def. Providence.
EPJ’s championship prediction: Palos Verdes def. Paloma Valley.
Division 6
Last year’s championship: North 2. Village Christian 0.
This year’s seeded teams: 1. Ganesha; 2. Tahquitz; 3. Viewpoint; 4. Lakewood St. Joseph.
Other Inland teams in the bracket: Bethel Christian, Canyon Springs, Chaffey, Colton, Eisenhower, Hamilton, Ontario Christian, Rancho Verde, San Gorgonio, San Jacinto Valley Academy, Santa Rosa Academy.
Best first-round game involving an Inland team: Colton at Paramount.
EPJ’s second-round predictions: Ganesha def. Harvard-Westlake; Granite Hills def. Lancaster; Indio def. Santa Rosa Academy; St. Joseph def. Rio Hondo Prep; Viewpoint def. Pioneer; University Prep def. Mayfield; Canyon Springs def. Sierra Vista; Tahquitz def. Colton.
EPJ’s quarterfinal predictions: Ganesha def. Granite Hills; St. Joseph def. Indio; University Prep def. Viewpoint; Tahquitz def. Canyon Springs.
EPJ’s semifinal predictions: Ganesha def. St. Joseph; Tahquitz def. University Prep.
EPJ’s championship prediction: Ganesha def. Tahquitz.
Division 7
Last year’s championship: Ganesha 5, Ontario 0.
This year’s seeded teams: 1. Oxford Academy; 2. Muir; 3. Eastside; 4. Pasadena Poly.
Inland teams in the bracket: Garey, Loma Linda Academy, Miller, Notre Dame, Nuview Bridge, San Bernardino, Vista del Lago.
Best first-round game involving an Inland team: Yucca Valley at Loma Linda Academy.
EPJ’s second-round predictions: Oxford Academy def. Hawthorne MSA; Miller def. Los Amigos; Loma Linda Academy def. Faith Baptist; Pasadena Poly def. Riverside Prep; Eastside def. Lennox Academy; Vista del Lago def. Cathedral City; Leuzinger def. Academy of Careers & Exploration; Muir def. Academy for Academic Excellence.
EPJ’s quarterfinal predictions: Oxford Academy def. Miller; Pasadena Poly def. Loma Linda Academy; Eastside def. Vista del Lago; Leuzinger def. Muir.
EPJ’s semifinal predictions: Oxford Academy def. Pasadena Poly; Leuzinger def. Eastside.
EPJ’s championship prediction: Leuzinger def. Oxford Academy.
Division 8
Last year’s championship: None, first year for division.
This year’s seeded teams: 1. Hesperia Christian; 2. Jurupa Valley; 3. United Christian Academy; 4. Mesa Grande Academy.
Other Inland teams in the bracket: California Lutheran, Calvary Baptist, Cornerstone Christian, Temecula Prep.
Best first-round game involving an Inland team: California Lutheran at Temecula Prep.
EPJ’s quarterfinal predictions: Hesperia Christian def. Cornerstone Christian; Temecula Prep def Mesa Grande Academy; Excelsior Charter def. United Christian Academy; Jurupa Valley def. Archer.
EPJ’s semifinal predictions: Hesperia Christian def. Temecula Prep; Excelsior Charter def. Jurupa Valley.
EPJ’s championship prediction: Hesperia Christian def. Excelsior Charter.
