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Trinity League champion Orange Lutheran, Sunset League No. 3 team Marina and Orange Coast League runner-up Tustin are three Orange County high school teams earning a top-four seed in this week’s CIF softball playoffs.
Orange Lutheran (22-5) are seeded third in Division 1. Norco (25-3) is seeded No. 1, Etiwanda (21-3) second and Ayala (19-2) fourth.
Orange Lutheran will host Mission League champion Notre Dame Sherman Oaks. Marina is the No. 4 seeded team in Division 3 and will host Arcadia while Tustin, the top seed in Division 8, will host Packinghouse Christian, all on Thursday at 3:15 p.m.
CIF officials said the playoffs will be an eight-divisional format, with 252 total teams entered. The single-elimination tournaments will open on Thursday, May 15 with first-round games in all divisions. The championships will be held in Deanna Manning Stadium at Colonel Bill Barber Park in Irvine on Friday, May 30 and Saturday, May 31.
All the games up until the finals start at 3:15 p.m. Second round games are Saturday.
Some first round games Thursday:
DIVISION 1
—Huntington Beach, which tied for first place in the Sunset League, plays at Charter Oak, the Valley Vista champion in the opening round.
—Mater Dei, Trinity League’s No. 2 team, plays at Chino Hill (19-8).
—Empire League champion Fullerton (21-7) plays at Roosevelt (18-8-1).
—Cypress, which tied for first place in the Crestview League, plays at Bay League champion El Segundo (22-5).
—In an all-OC matchup, Crestview League co-champions Pacifica (two-time defending CIF champion) and El Modena play at El Modena.
—Pacific Coast League champion Rosary (25-2-1) hosts Bonita (19-9).
—Canyon, an at-large entry from the Crestview League, hosts Temescal Canyon.
—Freeway League champion La Habra (21-7) hosts Upland (16-7).
DIVISION 2
—Beckman,, the No. 2 team from the PCL, plays at top-seeded California. Beckman is 17-8 overall.
—South Coast League champion Capistrano Valley plays at Thousand Oaks in a4:30 p.m. game.
—Trinity League at-large JSerra (15-3) hosts Gahr (13-12-2).
—Sonora, Freeway League at-large team, hosts Villa Park, Freeway League’s No. 3 team.
—El Dorado, the No. 2 team from the Freeway League, hosts Palos Verdes (19-6).
—Santa Margarita, an at-large team from the Trinity League, plays at Saugus (23-4).
—Sunset League co-champion Los Alamitos (16-12) hosts South Hills.
DIVISION 3
—North Hills League champion Brea Olinda (17-6) hosts North Hills League No. 2 team Yorba Linda (13-12).
—Woodbridge, the No. 2 team from the PCL, plays at Sunbelt League champion Arlington (16-5). COach Jerry Rose’s Warriors are 12-9-2 overall.
—Empire League’s No. 2 team Kennedy (10-15-0) plays at Beaumont (12-10).
—Sea View League champion San Clemente (20-7-1) hosts Oxnard (17-9-1).
DIVISION 4
—Edison, No. 4 team from the Sunset League, plays at Long Beach Poly (16-5).
—Foothill, No. 3 team from the North Hills League, plays at Sierra Canyon (12-9).
—Segerstrom, the No. 3 team from the Empire League, plays at Mayfair (11-11).
DIVISION 5
—Coast League champ[ion Santiago (16-8) plays at Kaiser (10-15).
—Buena Park, which tied for first place in the Golden West League, plays at Patriot (16-8).
—Pacific Coast League No. 3 team Irvine (8-16) hosts Flintridge Sacred Heart (14-5-1).
—Valencia, which tied for first place in the Golden West League, plays at Rancho Verde (17-4-1).
DIVISION 6
—University, an at-large team from the PCL, hosts Monrovia (9-14).
—Katella, No. 3 team from the Golden West League, hosts Santa Paula (10-11).
DIVISION 7
—Santa Ana, which tied for second place in the Orange Coast League, plays at Fillmore (11-8).
—Westminster, which won the Orange Coast League title, plays at Moreno Valley (11-8).
—Grove League champion Santa Ana Valley (16-3) plays at Rialto (8-15).
—Los Amigos, No. 3 team from the Coast League, hosts Capo Valley Christian (5-12).
DIVISION 8
—Top-seeded Tustin (10-5) hosts Packinghouse Christian (4-5).
—Orange, the Grove League No. 3 team, plays at Brentwood (6-9).
—Century, the Orange League’s No. 2 team, plays at Banning (13-5).
—Orange League champion Rancho Alamitos (12-6) plays at Hoover (13-11).
—Loara, the No. 2 team from the Grove League, hosts Avalon (8-11).
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com