High school baseball: City Section playoff pairings

May 9, 2026 - 21:10

The CIF City Section unveiled its baseball playoff brackets on Saturday, setting the stage for opening-round games scheduled to begin Tuesday and Wednesday. Teams across the division are now locked in, with matchups determined by regular-season records and power rankings.

In the Open Division, top-seeded Granada Hills earned a first-round bye and will wait for the winner of a play-in game between San Pedro and Birmingham. Defending champion Chatsworth, seeded second, also gets a bye and will face either El Camino Real or Cleveland. The bracket features several strong programs, including West Ranch, which grabbed the third seed, and Banning, seeded fourth. Both will host opening-round contests before potential quarterfinal runs.

Division I action kicks off with No. 1 seed Narbonne facing a familiar league rival, while No. 2 Palisades looks to build on a strong finish to the regular season. Several lower seeds, such as Eagle Rock and Venice, have shown late-season momentum and could pose upset threats.

Division II and III brackets are also set, with small-school powerhouses like Animo Leadership and Port of Los Angeles drawing top seeds. Many of these programs rely on deep pitching staffs and disciplined hitting to advance.

The tournament runs through May, with championship games scheduled at neutral sites. Coaches across the city emphasized the importance of timely hitting and defensive execution in the single-elimination format. For now, teams are focused on surviving and advancing, one game at a time.