Quarterfinal Action on Thursday
The opening round of the City Section baseball playoffs delivered a slate of decisive performances, with Birmingham rolling past Wilmington Banning 5‑1 in the OPEN DIVISION and Fairfax dominating WISH Academy 22‑0 in just five innings to advance in DIVISION III.
LA Hamilton continued its unbeaten streak, blanking Fulton 20‑0, while Sotomayor edged Westchester 3‑2 in a tightly contested game. King/Drew surged past Sun Valley Magnet 12‑6, and Eagle Rock posted a 10‑0 shutout of Triumph Charter.
Arleta secured a 6‑4 victory over Marquez, Fremont edged Gardena 4‑3, and Van Nuys overwhelmed Roybal 15‑1, rounding out a busy Thursday that saw every DIVISION III team advance to the next round.
Weekend Schedule and Championship Outlook
Saturday’s quarterfinals will feature the top contenders across the three divisions. In DIVISION I, Chatsworth meets Sylmar, Verdugo Hills takes on Sun Valley Poly, Palisades faces Venice, and Taft squares off against Cleveland.
DIVISION II matchups include Granada Hills Kennedy versus Port of LA, LA Roosevelt against LA Wilson, South East up against Torres, and Franklin playing Sherman Oaks CES.
The DIVISION III bracket pits Fairfax against LA Hamilton, King/Drew against Sotomayor, Arleta against Eagle Rock, and Fremont against Van Nuys, setting up rematches that could reshape the division’s hierarchy.
Semifinals for Divisions II and III are slated for May 19, while the Open‑Division I semifinals will unfold on May 20 at a yet‑to‑be‑determined venue, with games scheduled for 2:30 and 5:30 p.m.
The championship finals for Open‑Division I are set for May 23 at Dodger Stadium, where the winning teams will battle for the city’s top honor before an anticipated crowd.