A look at the playoffs

The first round of the CIF-SS baseball playoffs begin Thursday, so here's a division-by-division look:
Division I
2006 champion:Lakewood
Top seeds:1. Lakewood; 2. Thousand Oaks; 3. Long Beach Wilson; 4. Riverside Poly O.C. angle:Los Alamitos might have been one of the top four seeded teams if not for a season-ending loss to Esperanza — and there is no shame in losing to Esperanza, ever. The Griffins are a top candidate in this division, which has several other county teams that could go deep in the bracket, including Capistrano Valley, Edison, Mater Dei and Orange Lutheran. Tesoro just won two in a row against Capistrano Valley, one week after San Clemente swept Tesoro. El Modena is a good one, too, but the Vanguards have to face Servite pitcher Daniel Klein, who will have 10 days of rest after striking out 16 Mater Dei batters. This is a brutally competitive division. The hunch here is that someone from the south is going to rise again.
Final four:Lakewood, Los Alamitos, Long Beach Wilson, Capistrano Valley Champion:Capistrano Valley

Division II
2006 champion:Foothill
Top seeds:1. Camarillo; 2. Chino; 3. Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta; 4. El Toro
O.C. angle:Yes, it's a team game. But El Toro is going to miss Austin Romine, who can't play catcher or bat because of a torn ligament in his left (catching) hand. When a player is as good as Romine, that absence hurts. Cypress has won eight in a row, but against so-so Empire League teams. The Centurions also have losses to El Toro and Laguna Hills, but they did beat Long Beach Wilson. If there is a county dark horse here, it is Katella. Look for the Knights to get to the quarterfinals, at least. That Foothill-Ocean View first-round game on Thursday should be a good one.
Final four:Katella, El Toro, Crescenta Valley, Cypress
Champion:Cypress

Division III
2006 champion:Quartz Hill
Top seeds:1. La Quinta; 2. Paramount; 3. Alhambra; 4. Quartz Hill
O.C. angle:I usually did not include La Quinta on my county top 10 ballot. Seeing La Quinta play confirmed that decision. Against the program's very high standards, this is not one of the more-talented La Quinta teams. Playing the game with smarts and spirit, which La Quinta does, can overcome a lot — but not enough to get the Aztecs past the quarterfinals. The county team to watch out for here is Laguna Hills. The Hawks' current 10-game winning streak includes victories over Cypress and Ocean View, and a two-game sweep of Corona del Mar. Calvary Chapel is a good team, but the Eagles' pitching is inconsistent.
Final four:South Hills of Covina, Quartz Hill, Laguna Hills, Cajon
Champion:Laguna Hills

Division IV
2006 champion:Palos Verdes
Top seeds:1. Sonora; 2. Northview of Covina; 3. Rubidoux of Riverside; 4. Torrance
O.C. angle: Sonora has pitching depth, with James Cacioppo and Doug Wogee, and can score runs in bunches — two great qualities for a playoff team. Rolling through the Orange League does not make Savanna interesting, but the majority of the Rebels' losses do — to Sonora, La Quinta, Lakewood, Paramount and Laguna Hills. It is heretical in Orange County to say this, but it's more beneficial for a team to lose a tough game to a superior club than it is to beat the brains out of an inferior club.
Final four:Sonora, Torrance, El Segundo, Savanna
Champion:Sonora

Division V
2006 champion:Monrovia
Top seeds:1. Bishop Amat of La Puente; 2. Monrovia; 3. Woodcrest Christian of Riverside; 4. Sultana of Hesperia
O.C. angle:Only one county team is here, but it's a good one – Whittier Christian, champion of the Alpha League. The Heralds look good enough to get to the quarterfinals.
Final four:Bishop Amat, Sultana, Woodcrest Christian, Monrovia
Champion:Bishop Amat

Division VI
2006 champion:Campbell Hall of Valley Village
Top seeds:1. Pasadena Poly; 2. San Jacinto; 3. Vasquez of Acton; 4. Beaumont
O.C. angle:Oxford Academy is 40-5-1 over the past two seasons, impressive considering the Patriots lost some of last season's top players to graduation and they play in the Academy League, one of the better groups of small schools in the section. Unfortunately, Oxford is in the same part of the bracket as Pasadena Poly, which lost its opener to defending Division V champion Monrovia and then won 21 in a row.
Final four:Pasadena Poly, Beaumont, Bloomington Christian, Vasquez
Champion:Pasadena Poly

Division VII
2006 champion:Saddleback Valley Christian
Top seeds:1. Saddleback Valley Christian; 2. Viewpoint of Calabasas; 3. Southlands Christian of Walnut; 4. Upland Christian
O.C. angle:SVC brought back several top players from last year's team, including Division VII player of the year Brendan Chambers, and All-CIF selections Chris Gipe and Gregg Romero. The Warriors are 18-3, with those three losses coming against higher-division teams. St. Michael's Prep, champion of the Express League, has strong pitching.
Final four:Saddleback Valley Christian, Viewpoint, Southlands Christian, Upland Christian Champion:SVC