Community College Baseball Southern California Playoffs

FORMAT: Double-elimination tournament

* WHERE: Rancho Santiago and Saddleback colleges

* WHEN: Today, Saturday and Sunday. Games begin at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. today and Saturday, and at 11 a.m. Sunday. If necessary, Game 4 begins 30 minutes after conclusion of Sunday’s first game.

* WHAT’S NEXT: Winners advance to the state tournament, May 24-26 in Fresno.

* TICKETS: $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and children under 12.

THE MATCHUPS

* Cypress (25-10-1) vs. Los Angeles Harbor (34-11-1), Rancho Santiago College, 11 a.m.--Craig Kuzmic continues to be impressive for Cypress. He has five home runs in the last four games and holds the Cypress single-season record at 15. He has 20 in two seasons, which is two short of Cypress’ all-time record. Greg Jacobs had two home runs in the first round and also had 13 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings to get the victory in a 5-1 victory over Hancock. Cypress has won state titles in 1991 and 1994 and lost to Rancho Santiago in the title game last year.

Los Angeles Harbor won the South Coast Conference and swept Bakersfield in the first round. Harbor last won a state title in 1990. The Seahawks also won state titles in 1978 and 1984.

* Riverside (36-10) at Rancho Santiago (40-5-1), 3 p.m.--This is the fifth meeting of these Orange Empire Conference foes. The teams split the first four. Rancho Santiago won by scores of 12-2 and 13-1, and lost 11-2 and 4-2.

Matt Ward (11-1) got both victories for Rancho Santiago and Riverside’s Cody Trask (10-2) got both victories for Riverside. They met head-to-head once and Riverside won, 4-2. Trask was the co-most valuable pitcher in the conference with Rancho Santiago’s Heath Bell.

Rancho Santiago, the two-time defending state champion, is 18-1 in postseason games over the last three seasons. Riverside hasn’t won a state title but the Tigers reached the final four tournament in 1990 and 1991.

* Grossmont (33-12) vs. Cuesta (37-7), Saddleback College, 11 a.m.--Cuesta is coached by former Orange Coast standout Larry Lee. Caleb Balbuena is 10-1 and sophomore outfielder Ryan Merkle hit 11 home runs.

Grossmont’s Marcus Giles was the Pacific Coast Conference player of the year. Giles, a second baseman, is hitting .484 with 20 doubles, 20 home runs and 86 runs batted in. David Walling is 13-1 and Darren Murphy is 8-0.

* Canyons (33-13) at Saddleback (35-8), 3 p.m.--Saddleback has made it to the final game of regional play the last two years but lost to hosts Rancho Santiago and Cypress. This year the Gauchos have the advantage of playing at home, where they are 21-1 on the season. Their only loss was to Rancho Santiago.

Saddleback is hitting .354 as a team, led by right fielder Greg Ferrell (.420). Second baseman Corrie Willkie is at .388 and first baseman Kirk Bolling is hitting .373 and leads the team in home runs with 12 and RBIs with 61.

Starters Michael Palumbo (9-1) and Pat Versluis (7-1) have been solid as have relievers Ryan Poe (7-5) and Kyle Kane (2-0, two saves). Kane, who has been clocked as high as 97 mph, has allowed one earned run in 24 2/3 innings and has an earned-run average of 0.36.