May 14, 2024

OC Sports Zone: Community First

Defending CIF Division 1 champion Cypress among teams opening Saturday

David Fletcher (middle) of the Los Angeles Angels is joined by Cypress High pitcher Brett Wozniak (left) and Centurions Coach John Weber during a ceremony retiring Fletcher’s Cypress High jersey number. (Photo courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone)

Orange County high school baseball teams are expected to have clear skies for the opening of the season on Saturday, Feb. 15.

Many squads are opening with doubleheaders.

Among the teams opening their seasons are defending CIF Division 1 champion Cypress, which meets Orange Lutheran in a doubleheader at Hart Park beginning at 3 p.m.

Orange Lutheran is ranked No. 3 in the CIF Division 1 pre-season poll while Cypress is ranked eighth. JSerra is ranked fourth, defending Division 2 champion Santa Margarita is ranked sixth and Huntington Beach seventh.

In Division 2, El Dorado is ranked fourth, defending Division 4 champion Kennedy eighth and Villa Park ninth.

In Division 3 Sonora, the Division 4 runner-up, is ranked fourth and Fountain Valley fifth.

In Division 5, Northwood is ranked No. 1 and Crean Lutheran No .5

Northwood and Crean Lutheran open the season Saturday with a doubleheader at Crean Lutheran beginning at 11 a.m.

Century is ranked third in Division 5. Orange is ranked seventh and Garden Grove is ranked eighth in Division 6. Tarbut V’ Torah is ranked ninth in Division 7.

Also on Saturday, defending Pacific Coast League champion Beckman hosts Laguna Beach in a doubleheader with the first game starting at 11 a.m. Irvine, which finished second in the PCL last year, hosts Hacienda Heights Wilson Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.