Post-season play in spring sports begins shortly after Easter for high schools, and Catholic schools are among those battling for higher seeds as the end of regular season play approaches.

The April 8 CIF-Southern Section spring polls find local Catholic school teams ranked in the top ten among baseball, softball and boys’ volleyball and tennis. The breakdown:

  • Baseball: J.Serra is fourth in Division 1; Damien sixth in D-2; Paraclete third in D-3; Mary Star eighth and St. Anthony tenth in D-4; Bishop Diego fifth in D-5; and St. Monica fifth in D-6.
  • Softball: Santa Margarita is second and Mater Dei eighth in D-1; St. Anthony eighth in D-4; Flintridge Sacred Heart seventh, Louisville eighth and Paraclete tenth in D-5; Marymount fourth in D-6; and Mayfield fifth in D-7.
  • Boys’ tennis: Santa Margarita is fourth in D-2; Mater Dei second in D-3. Bishop Montgomery fifth in D-4, and Bishop Amat eighth and St. Monica tenth in D-5.
  • Boys’ volleyball: The combined Divisions 1 & 2 poll (with teams separated at playoff time in late April) includes Loyola fourth, Servite 11th and Santa Margarita 14th. J. Serra is fourth in D-3; St. Anthony is second and Paraclete seventh in D-4; and Don Bosco Tech fourth in D-6.

Of the preceding, boys’ volleyball is the first to begin post-season action with wild-card rounds scheduled April 27, followed by boys’ tennis (wild-card) on April 29 and softball and baseball (wild-card) on April 30. Post-season CIF-SS swimming and diving preliminaries commence April 29, followed by track and field on May 4, and boys’ golf on May 6.

Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus News). 

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