Upset-minded Roosevelt, Chatsworth meet in semis
The City Section Open Division baseball semifinals will take center stage this afternoon at USC's Dedeaux Field.
Bring your favorite snacks and beverages because it will be a doubleheader that's sure to provide interest. Ninthseeded Chatsworth will face fifth-seeded Roosevelt at 3 p.m. before second-seeded Birmingham Charter takes on thirdseeded El Camino Real at 6 p.m.
General admission tickets are $10, students and seniors are $8 and children 4 and under are free. Concessions will not be open at the ballpark.
The Chatsworth-Roosevelt matchup has more appeal, and it's because of what transpired in the quarterfinal round. Roosevelt beat fourthseeded Palisades 1-0 and Chatsworth shocked topseeded Granada Hills Charter 6-4, eliminating two charter schools in one day. It means Chatsworth and Roosevelt are one win away from playing for the City Open Division title at Dodger Stadium on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The last time Roosevelt reached a City final was 2001. The Rough Riders lost to Chatsworth 2-1 that year.
For Chatsworth, however, the historic program has made numerous trips to Chavez Ravine for the City finals — 19 to be exact. The Chancellors are 9-10 all-time in City final games, but haven't played in a final since 2017. The program hasn't won a City title since 2009.
It's certainly an indication that times have changed. Legendary coach Tom Meusborn, who took over in 1990 before moving on in 2017, is now at Sierra Canyon. The Chancellors won just three games and finished tied for fourth (out of six teams) in the West Valley League this season; and next-level talent finds its way to private schools more than ever — a struggle every City program deals with nowadays.
Despite all the change, Chatsworth coach Marcus Alvarado admirably acknowledges his responsibility to uphold the rich tradition of the program, even if the journey is by way of a ninth seed.
“I'll always feel like the Chatsworth baseball program is never an underdog,” Alvarado said after his team beat Granada Hills last week. “I understand the last few years, we haven't been the traditional powerhouse, but these kids understand the pride and history here.”
As for Birmingham and El Camino Real, it's a semifinal that wasn't hard to predict.
Birmingham or El Camino Real have been in the section's top-division final for seven consecutive years. On Saturday, it will be eight.