East County Sports

Granite Hills gains CIF Regional Berth

2024 EAST COUNTY PREP BASEBALL
CIF-So.Cal. Championships

 

ECS Staff report

SACRAMENTO – Since regional action in high school basebal began in 2021 following the pandemic, CIF state officials awarded a record four San Diego Section schools into the Division 1 field of eight schools, including Granite Hills, the three-time defending Grossmont Hills League champions.

There was sme concern about the Eagles advancing after falling in the section semifinals to Torrey Pines, but not only did both schools gain a Southern California invitation, so did the other CIF SDS semifinalists, Rancho Bernardo and Cathedral Catholic.

Granite Hills was tabbed the sixth seed and will open Tuersday’s (May 28) in range Couty against Huntington Beach.

Torrey Pines is also in the lower bracket and ganed the No. 2 seed,entertaining No. 7 La Mirada. Thus, both San Diego Section schools could meet in Thursday’s (May 30) semifinals.

Rancho Bernardo is the fourth seed and will hst No. 5 Santa Margarita.

Cathedral Catholoic was placed in ipper bracket as the final of the eight seeds, hitting the road to meet top-rated Orange Lutheran.

For Granite Hills, this will be the Eagles second trip to the CIF Southern California regional. In 2021, the inaugural season, they were placed in Division 3, then swept three opponents to claim the championship.

So.Calif. Brackets: Division 1 / Division 2 / Division 3 / Division 4 / Division 5

 

Division 2

The only CIFSDS entry is No. 5 Poway, openingat No. 4 Arcadia.

 

Division 3

CIFSDS Division 2 champion Point Loma, which gave head coach Rigo Ledezman hsi second straight section crown after guiding Santana to a 2024 title,

 

Division 4

Here is a tournament field where CIF state and section divisions don’t align via the same format.

Thus, Division 3 section champion Valhalla anmd Division 2 section champion University City are in the same field.

At least, the local schools were placed in opposite brackets.

No. 2 Valhalla will test its 17-game wining streak in Tuesday’s (May 28) quarterfinals at home aganst Ocford Academy of Cypress.

University City was tabbed as the fifth-seed, so will travel to play No. 4 Colony of Ontario.

 

Division 5

Mount Miguel was rewarded for its first-ever CIFSDS crown by gaining a D-5 berth, seeded third.

The Matadors will host Pacific Christian of Newport Beach (not to be confused with Pacifica), a new school in only its third season of operation; they are the Tritons.

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