New season begins

One team won yet another league title.

Another has turned in a stellar regular season.

Two from the same school went beyond what was expected, while two others, have been granted an extension to their respective seasons.

The past three months of action has helped shape local teams into where they now stand and has put them at the threshold of the CIF Southern Section baseball and softball playoffs, which begin in full-force today and Friday.

Today at 3:15 p.m., the baseball playoffs begin for Ocean View and Edison and for Huntington Beach in girls’ softball.

At 3:15 p.m. Friday, Ocean View, Edison and Marina see first-round action in the softball playoffs.

All three local teams hit the road today as Ocean View travels to El Toro in a Division II game and Edison plays Long Beach Wilson at Blair Field in Division I baseball action, while Huntington goes north to face Camarillo in a Division I softball clash.

Ocean View won the Golden West League baseball title for the sixth straight year. This time, however, the Seahawks shared the crown with Orange but go into the postseason as the league’s No. 2 team.

The Seahawks, 14-13 overall, take on an El Toro team that is 20-7 and finished second in the Sea View League.

The Chargers are ranked seventh in Division II.

“El Toro is a highly talented team that is well-coached,” Ocean View Coach Shane Borowski said. “We have our work cut out for us. They have a couple of guys that can really pitch, so we need to prepare for a dogfight.”

Ocean View, which won its first CIF title in baseball in 1998 and just three years ago claimed its second section championship, has had a roller coaster of a season.

“We have had many ups and downs this year,” Borowski said. “As a matter of fact, our entire preseason we don’t even consider as part of this season. We even had shirts made up that said ‘Opening Day’ with a date on it that followed all of our pre-season games. The kids agreed that it was best to forget about those games and concentrate on league.

“It helped because we were able to claim a share of our sixth championship in a row. It’s a good feeling but our work is not done. I’d really like to see our kids go deep into the playoffs, so they can experience the joy of winning in such an exciting setting.”

Borowski said his hasn’t decided on who will start on the mound for today’s match-up.

“As of now (Tuesday) we haven’t decided on our starter,” he said. “We have some options on how we’re going to set up the staff and we’re currently coming up with a plan that will best help us win.”

Edison was given perhaps the toughest first-round draw in Division I as the Chargers (14-13), a young team that starts just two seniors but still rose to a second-place finish in the Sunset League, takes on Long Beach Wilson.

The Bruins (23-5-1) are ranked third in the division and finished second to sixth-ranked Lakewood in the Moore League standings. They have a hard-throwing ace in Aaron Hicks.

The right-hander could be a first-round pick in the June draft.

Wilson also is the division’s reigning champion.

Edison, though, has faced several hurdles already this year — among them, the Chargers defeated division top-seed Los Alamitos during Sunset League play — and Chargers Coach Steve Lambright says his squad will be ready to attempt to clear another one today.

“We’re up for the challenge,” he said. “Wilson is ranked 29th in the nation right now, has a pitcher who throws 94-miles-per-hour and is a really talented team.

“I told the kids we can go toe-to-toe with these guys. We’ve played Los Alamitos tough in league and all we need to do is go out there and play the game. There’s nothing magical that we need to do. It’s about going out there and playing our game.”

Lambright will pit junior Kurt Heyer (6-3) against Hicks.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids,” Lambright said. “What this season did for us was build toward next year. As a coach, I couldn’t ask for more than what these kids have already done.”

Huntington Beach finished in fourth-place in the Sea View League softball race but by winning three of their final four league games, the Oilers were able to stay in contention for an at-large bid to the Division I playoffs.

They received one of those at-large bids and today faces Pacific View champ Camarillo.

It will be Huntington’s first trip to the CIF playoffs in 12 years. Huntington Coach Rachelle Vandiver was able to change the game from Friday to today due to the school holding prom night Friday.

“Words can’t describe just how excited this team is to be going to the playoffs,” said Vandiver whose Oilers are 14-13 overall. “We were hoping for the best when it came to getting into the playoffs, me, because I knew how hard the girls worked this season.

“I knew at the beginning of the year that this team had more leaders and would win more games as well as build for the coming years. Making the playoffs is icing on the cake.”

Vandiver said that sophomore Cory Schlinsog will take the mound today.

Another at-large entry into the Division I playoffs is Marina (18-9) which opens the postseason Friday at Rosary. The Vikings finished fourth in the Sunset League and the 10th-ranked Royals won the Trinity League title.

Marina begins the second portion of its season the way it started on Feb. 29: playing Rosary. In the season-opener for both teams, the Vikings scored a 4-3 victory over the Royals.

Edison will join Huntington and Marina in the chase for the Division I crown when it travels Friday to face Sea View League runner-up Trabuco Hills.

The Chargers, 10-16 overall, finished third in the Sunset League.

The teams met earlier this year with Trabuco Hills claiming a 6-5 victory in 10 innings in an opening round game at the Woodbridge Tournament.

“I anticipate Friday’s game to be very evenly matched and I know my girls are out for redemption for the loss earlier this year,” Edison Coach Kendra Tarrant said. “This team has had adversity thrown at them all year and every time, this team has risen to the occasion.”

One team that figures to be a favorite to win a softball section title is Ocean View.

The Seahawks cruised to a 10-0 finish en route to running away with the Golden West League title, won their final 14 games of the regular season and head into the playoffs with a sparkling record of 24-1.

Ocean View, the No. 4-seed in Division IV, begins its title bid Friday at home against Bishop Montgomery. The Knights, the third-place team from the Del Rey League, reached last year’s division final where they lost to Chaminade.

MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at (714) 966-4611 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.