A look at Friday’s Southern Section baseball championships
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SOUTHERN SECTION BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
FRIDAY AT DODGER STADIUM
DIVISION 4
LA PUENTE BISHOP AMAT (28-4) VS. PALM DESERT (28-4), 4:30 P.M.
Scouting report: There’s not a better matchup of teams all weekend at Dodger Stadium. Bishop Amat lost to Palm Desert, 5-1, in its season opener. The Lancers won the National Classic and have played and beaten top teams all season. Sophomore Adam Alcantar is having a terrific season with a .485 average. Third baseman Rio Ruiz is a future first-round draft pick. Palm Desert has its junior ace, Brooks Kriske (11-1), ready to go. Ryan Garvey has hit nine home runs for Palm Desert and comes to the stadium where his father, Steve, was a Dodgers great.
DIVISION 1
RIVERSIDE NORTH (26-7) VS. ANAHEIM ESPERANZA (23-10), 7:30 P.M.
Scouting report: Two years ago, North was 4-24. This is a team on a mission. Junior first baseman Gabriel Clark has committed to Oregon State. Junior shortstop Gabriel Franca is a defensive whiz and offensive spark. Esperanza has reached peak form in the playoffs and will have ace Austin Pettibone (8-4), a UC Santa Barbara signee, on the mound. Ryan Cooper has been red hot as a hitter. This game will come down to playing mistake-free ball in the field and executing when runners are in scoring position.
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