Plenty on tap today locally in Valley playoffs

There will be plenty of action locally today as the Central Section baseball and softball playoffs will get underway.

The seedings for the Central Section playoffs were announced on Saturday and five local high school baseball teams will open the playoffs today as a result of the seedings. Monache’s softball team will also open the playoffs today. All other first round softball playoff games will be played on Wednesday.

Both the Monache baseball and softball teams received the highest seeds among local teams as they were both seeded No. 5.

Monache’s baseball team will host No. 12 seed Sierra Pacific at 4:30 p.m. today. With a win, Monache would advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday in which it would either travel to No. 4 Taft or host No. 13 Bakersfield High.

Porterville High has also received a home first round playoff game. PHS is seeded No. 8 and will host No. 9 Highland at 4:30 p.m. today at Dave Frederick Field.

With a win PHS would advance to a quarterfinal game likely at No. 1 seed Kingsburg on Thursday. If both teams advance that far, Monache and PHS are looking at a potential semifinal showdown in which the Marauders would host PHS a week from today.

In Division V, Strathmore is seeded No. 13 and will travel to No. 4 seed Fowler for a first round game at 5:30 p.m. today. If Strathmore upsets Fowler it would advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday in which it would either travel to No. 5 Mission Oak or No. 12 Mclane. If it advances that far the Spartans are looking at a semifinal game at No. 1 seed Robert F. Kennedy a week from today.

In Division VI, Lindsay is seeded No. 6 and will host No. 11 Caruthers at 4:30 p.m. today. With a win Lindsay would advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals in which it would likely travel to No. 3 seed Mendota.

If it advances to the semifinals, Lindsay is looking at a potential matchup at No. 2 seed Fresno Christian a week from today. Fresno Christian must first get past No. 15 seed Granite Hills. Fresno Christian hosts the Grizzlies at 4:30 p.m. today.

If the Grizzlies pull off the upset, it would travel to either No. 7 seed Cesar Chavez or No. 10 seed Orange Cove on Thursday. If they advance that far Lindsay could potentially host Granite Hills a week from Tuesday in the semifinals.

Monache’s softball team will host No. 12 Chowchilla at 6 p.m. today. With a win Monache would advance to the quarterfinals scheduled for Friday in which it would either travel to No. 4 seed Frontier and host No. 13 seed Bakersfield Christian. If it makes it that far, Monache is looking at a semifinal game at No. 1 seed Fowler on Wednesday, May 25.

PHS is the No. 12 seed in Division V and will travel to face No. 5 Woodlake in a game scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. With a win, PHS would advance to Friday’s quarterfinals in which it would either travel to No. 4 seed Immanuel or host No. 13 seed Fresno Christian. If PHS advances all the way to the semifinals it’s looking at a trip to No. 1 seed Boron on Wednesday, May 25.

Lindsay is the No. 9 seed in Division VI and will travel to No. 8 seed Immanuel for a first round game scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. With a win Lindsay would advance to Friday’s quarterfinals where it would likely travel to No. 1 seed Lone Pine.

Summit Collegiate High School is the No. 12 seed and will travel to No. 5 seed Kern Valley for a first round game at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. With a win Summit would advance to Friday’s quarterfinals in which it would either travel to No. 4 seed Arvin or host No. 13 seed Mojave.

If they make it that far, Lindsay and Summit are potentially looking at a semifinal matchup on Wednesday, May 25 in which the Cardinals would host Summit.