Corona receives No. 1 seed for Southern Section Division 1 baseball pairings

Corona High, armed with the best pitcher and having a team that has hit 39 home runs this season, was awarded the No. 1 seed for the Southern Section Division 1 baseball playoffs on Monday.

The defending champion Panthers (26-2) drew a first-round bye and will open the playoffs next Tuesday against the winner of Thursday’s first-round matchup between Cypress and host Los Osos.

Corona pitcher Seth Hernandez has a 17-0 lifetime record. He and shortstop Billy Carlson are likely top 10 picks in this summer’s amateur draft. Corona Santiago showed the Panthers are not unbeatable with a 1-0 league win earlier this season.

The 28 teams selected for Division 1 are filled with top pitchers, so the Panthers can expect lots of competition in their favorite’s role. The championship game will be played at Cal State Fullerton on May 30. Crespi is the No. 2 seed.

This is the first season teams were placed in divisional brackets based on computer power rankings at the end of the season. There will be nine divisional champions. A .500 or better record was needed to be considered for an at-large spot.

La Habra is seeded No. 1 in Division 2 and Colony is No. 1 in Division 3. Divisions 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 play on Thursday, the others on Friday.

Softball

Norco received the No. 1 seed for the Southern Section Division 1 softball playoffs that begin Thursday. The Cougars drew a first-round bye and will open the playoffs on Saturday against the winner of Oaks Christian vs. Camarillo. Etiwanda is seeded No. 2.

An intriguing opening game has Mission League champion Sherman Oaks Notre Dame going on the road to face Trinity League champion Orange Lutheran on Thursday.

A team to watch is Rosary, which is 25-2-1 and won the Michelle Carew tournament. The Royals are in Etiwanda’s bracket and host Bonita in their opener.

The championship games will be held May 30-31 in Irvine.